Fiona Apple: An Extraordinary Machine of a Mind
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fiona apple via getty images
Nobody does it like Fiona Apple. She remains one of the strongest and smartest voices in the music scene, despite taking significant time from the spotlight between her releases. Throughout five albums, Apple creates a unique perspective and sound that cannot be found anywhere else. Each of her songs are perfectly crafted to invoke a certain emotion that only she could make you feel. I could rave on and on about her numerous songs and the layered meanings behind each of them, but for both of our sakes I’ll discuss my favourite song from my favourite albums.
Tidal: Shadowboxer
In her debut album, Apple sings about a variety of emotions that she faces. In her very first single, Shadowboxer, she outlines a toxic relationship, where the subject of the song comes and goes in Apple’s life, regardless of her state. He’s playing her, but she doesn’t seem to care, as she wants him so much.
“I was on to every play / I just wanted you.”
Tidal cover art
She’s conflicted. She fears letting him in will allow him to hurt her more, but she wants to let him in, as she’s enraptured by him and his wavering interest in her. The strongest lyrics come from the chorus, where she sings “You made me a shadowboxer, baby / I wanna be ready for what you do / I've been swinging around me / Cause I don't know when you're gonna make your move” A shadowboxer is someone who practices boxing without a partner present. So, it’s a boxer fighting the air. As Apple feels unsafe in the relationship’s dynamic, she must fight the air. She must practice her defenses and be ready for his next attack, even if it’s not presently there. Her harsh vocals and deep singing voice bring a vulnerability and rage to the lyrics that screams vulnerability. She’s learning she must be wary of his advances; she must learn to defend herself from him, despite being completely enamored by him. Her emotions come through exquisitely in this song.
extraordinary machine cover art
Extraordinary Machine: Extraordinary Machine
Her third album entitled Extraordinary Machine was released in 2005. Apple names the song Extraordinary Machine a ‘pep talk to herself.’ She compares herself to a machine that knows how to optimize her progress as a person. In the first verse, she says “I still only travel by foot and by foot it's a slow climb / But I'm good at being uncomfortable so / I can't stop changing all the time” which contrasts her lyrics in the second verse, “I noticed that my opponent is always on the go / And / Won't go slow, so 's not to focus, and I notice / He'll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as / They go fast from whence he came / But he's no good at being uncomfortable, so / He can't stop staying exactly the same” Apple notes that her comfort with discomfort leads to her being able to grow and improve in a way her opponent is not able to. She is big on being truthful with herself and open to growth, as this song represents.
Fetch The Bolt Cutters: I Want You To Love Me
fetch the bolt cutters cover art
Apple’s fifth and most recent album, released in 2020, is in a way an ode to the pandemic. In the song I Want You To Love Me, she accepts her life experiences, both positive and negative, for getting her to the place she is today. While based off the title it seems to be another love song, this song delves into an important theme of self-love. Apple made the most of these experiences, instead of wallowing. Most notably, she sings “I move with the trees in the breeze / I know that time is elastic / And I know when I go / All my particles disband and disperse / And I'll be back in the pulse / And I know none of this will matter in the long run / But I know a sound is still a sound around no one” These lyrics are absolutely soothing to me, like she’s telling herself everything will be alright because she knows how to handle situations better than she has before. She’s grown exponentially as a person. The chorus is a repetition of “I hope that you love me” I view the subject in this song as herself. She seems to have been waiting a long time to gain this love, and struggling to do so. She says she wants somebody to want. Well, in my opinion that somebody she wants to want is herself. She wants the stability of self-love, she doesn’t want to be her own worst enemy anymore. This song portrays that perfectly.
Willow loves creativity. She can be very quiet sometimes. She can also get annoying with her weird tangents, but sometimes they’re interesting. She likes to relax, and play The Sims. She goes to Algonquin College currently in the Professional Writing program. She suffers part-time working hard at an unnamed restaurant. She enjoys crafts, artistic activities, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. She also loves therapy. That picture is not her.
