Author: thimai

Lyrics from “Black Water” by Of Monsters and Men. I interpreted these lyrics as someone who dreams of a life they’d enjoy more than the one they have now, but are too scared of the risks that come with breaking from convention. In the first panel the character is held down by the weights of their day-to-day life. They stare at the much more free-looking ocean. They know there’s nothing stopping them from taking that path but, their fear is holding them back. Getting too caught up with the struggles of surviving the ‘black water’ they don’t get to live the life they want, rather observe as someone else lives out their dream. The song continues more optimistically, the lines “but I’m ready to suffer the sea / black water, take over” later follow. Seeing someone else surviving the storms at sea while still smiling gives the character the inspiration to take this path as well. The last panel is homage to the music video “Love Love Love” also from Of Monsters and Men. I really enjoy their music as I think their lyrics can be interpreted in lots of different ways, and anyone can see themselves in their songs.

Lyrics from “New Drugs” by Raveena. Raveena is one of my all time favorite artists. Her music is comforting both musically and lyrically, making it a great de-stresser. Her lyrics in “New Drugs” point out the pressure that’s often put on us to be efficient. The idea that we’re only worth something when we’re working can be extremely damaging and hard to unlearn. Taking breaks to take care of yourself is the best way to combat this.

Lyrics from “Abigail” by Frankie Cosmos. I think a lot of people can relate to looking back at their past selves and feeling embarrassment or even aversion. This song follows up that sentiment by stating they should cut their past self some slack, as much as they might dislike them now. Oftentimes we were doing the best that we could given certain circumstances, and didn’t have the knowledge or wisdom we currently have. I wanted to visualize this by showing the past version of oneself tangled up in a metaphorical string, unable to get out or protect themselves from the rain. The present version has the resources to keep themselves dry. Though they can’t help protect their past selves they can give them grace. I think doing our past selves small acts of kindness like this is really important to taking care of ourselves in the present.

Lyrics from “Townie” by Mitski. I interpreted these lines as someone fighting to make their own path in life, despite it going against who they should be. The song itself is loud and audibly busy, so I tried to visualize that my filling up the canvas with big shapes and bold text. It’s a little messy so the lyrics are as follows: I’m holding my breath with a baseball bat / but I don’t know what I’m waiting for / I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be. 

Lyrics from “Lessons” by Mxmtoon. These panels were inspired by my drive back to campus at the end of winter break. Excited to start this next semester!