R. Missing ~ Kelly Was A Philistine [2⊘17]

disturbedByVoices

Mar 10

What at first glance appears to be a song about a child kidnapping rapidly morphs otherwise. In fact, what the song really seems about is rather mysterious and cryptic. Also, unsurprisingly describing the song's architects, New York's duo-inscrutable, R. Missing, their song "Unsummering" previously featured here.

"She's not on the playground, Been missing for days
She's going away now, It's obvious
This is her serious phase"

In a radio broadcast on October 1939, Sir Winston Churchill stated, "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key..." Not dissimilar from Matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls), the song's indecipherability might be a function of the layering and merging of varied concepts. Each seemingly simple explanation leading to another, perplexingly appearing to wrap back on themselves at times, envisioning a torus, constrictor knot, or perchance a noose.

"I found her face down, Looking up at space
She's going away now, Her eyes are closed
Today won't be the day"

One explanation appears to be a duality with the singer and "Kelly" being one and the same, reflecting the former viewing the latter as dying by suicide. Though the distance between them might not be singular or even death-defying. Maybe instead it is purely figurative, between a simpleton and an intellectual. Whatever it is, "Kelly", from the viewpoint of the narrator, appears to be on an upward trajectory.

Thus, with bleak, monotone-delivered lyrics, and a shimmery droning resonance throughout, the most surprising thing about the song may be its arcane addictiveness seemingly stemming from the more vocally varied repeating chorus, once implanted, being deeply entombed.

"Our acquaintance was pleasant, Right 'til the end
But she's going away now, Is she ready?
She nodded her head"

R. Missing's
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