[kj] [MA] Hell and the Meaning of Life

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Do you still know the meaning of life and does it still not help you a bit?

HD: I think I've found a few ways to help myself.

Is "Song From Under the Floorboards" autobiographical?

HD: Nothing quite that straightforward.

It could be taken as rather depressive lyrically...

HD: Some sadness there!

That's one of several Magazine songs where you mention Hell. There's also "The Book" (This man is at the gate of Hell) and "Sweetheart Contract" (I've been putting myself through Hell waiting for Hell to begin) and "Parade" (We've been praying for some bright and clever Hell) and "You Never Knew Me" (You are Hell).

HD: Wow, you're doing better than I could!

Well I listen to Magazine a lot and have been doing so for years.

HD: Thank you!

I guess since I use that as a pen name I notice it more readily. What fuels that interest in Hell? 

HD: If there's a Hell it's here and with us now. It's not some other place we will go to once we're flung off this mortal coil. Doesn't everybody get to feel it occasionally.

I guess so. 

HD: You must have had a few tough times...

More in teenage years when I couldn't control my life so much. 

HD: Well you grew up and grew out of it.

You've got to have fun as much of the time as you can and make sure you don't end up in a warzone! If you get sick you might say that you feel like Hell!

HD: So is it a bit of a misnomer then, your name?

I started using that name because of my favourite PJ Harvey song "Taut" (music written by John Parish) which is the most malevolent sounding thing she's done by a long way. I saw her eight times on the "Uh Huh Her" tour and part of that was down to feeling that I'd been totally possessed by that song at the Manchester gig and having to see the band again in Leeds. It's her most intense song, especially live. There's a character in the song called Billy but his surname is never revealed. I thought he'd probably be called Hell as it seemed to describe his demeanour. Synchronously very soon after that another favourite band of mine killing Joke release an album called "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell" so B. Hell reoccurred there.

DF: And now you've started counting the Hells in Magazine songs.

I guess I could have counted something else, like the references to American capitalism going wrong or the weather.

HD: Or skin.

DF: We've all worn it!

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