My Gen X Playlist: Save Me – Aimee Mann

I was reading a blog the other day and it explained if you dropped a frog in a pot of hot water, it will immediately jump out to save its life. On the other hand, if you put a frog in cold water first and gradually turn up the heat, the frog won’t realize the increased temperature and eventually die as the water comes to a boil.

It got me thinking how easy it is to stay in our own pools of heating water, not realizing we’re slowly cooking over a flame. The burn is long and slow and most of the time we have no idea we’re dying a slow death. A relationship, a job, an unhealthy situation. Sometimes you can’t see the forest through the trees and lifting your leg over the lip of the pot becomes no easy feat.

These days I’m far too old to simmer in unhealthy situations. Unfortunately, this crock pot knows no boundaries, especially age. I just need to do an occasional temperature check from time to time, lean on the wisdom from my million mistakes over the years and try my best to avoid Groundhog Day moments. Although I’m a fan of Bill Murray, I’m not one of soaking neck deep in a pressure cooker over and over again.

I didn’t know any frog songs, but I remember the scene in Magnolia where it rains frogs. Weird I know. So I looked at the soundtrack and found Save Me by Aimee Mann.

Mann explained the meaning of “Save Me” in the liner notes to her album . . .

“It’s very simple, but so melodic. There aren’t a lot of lyrics, but the ones that are there I feel are pretty well-written. It’s so satisfying to find words that sum up such a complicated feeling, the feeling that you’re fragmenting, and looking to other people to hold you together. Of course the singer is barking up the wrong tree yet again, but it’s their best thinking.”

Songfacts

I read the words fragmenting, looking to other people to hold you together. I thought that description was powerful and heavy. If anyone who’s experienced this state can relate, it’s no Sunday picnic. And sometimes we need others to help keep us together, so we’re not falling apart at the drop of a hat. Or at least enough so, so we can muster enough strength to hoist ourselves out of the pot before the full boil. Maybe.

If nothing else, that phrase finally helped me realize the meaning behind this bizarre movie. Finally, my 25 years of confusion has been resolved. I’ll take that for the win.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

You look like a perfect fit
For a girl in need of a tourniquet

But can you save me
Come on and save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone

'Cause I can tell
You know what it's like
The long farewell
Of the hunger strike

But can you save me
Come on and save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone

You struck me down like radium
Like Peter Pan or Superman

You will come to save me
Come on and save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
Except the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
But the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone

Come on and save me
Why don't you save me
If you could save me
From the ranks of the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone

Except the freaks
Who suspect they could never love anyone
Except the freaks who could never love anyone