Song of the Day Redux, Day 55: Prize Fighter Inferno: Pistol Pete Matty

The Prize Fighter Inferno: Pistol Pete Matty

Third song on the Half Measures EP, 2012.

The Content: A few people discussed this in a thread here a few days ago, and u/VicTheButcher interprets it as a song about Mic. That's definitely a valid interpretation, and you should go check that discussion out. Personally I think that the truth is more obvious: Claudio has a little brother Matthew (mentioned in Time Consumer, and sung about in Shabutie's Goodnight) who is a prize fighter (inspiring the Jesse / Inferno character to be a prize fighter, and thus indirectly causing his brother's profession to be the namesake for PFI.) And this song is to "Matty." Also the song mentions a mother, which isn't something that really applies to the Claudio / Mic relationship. Of course a double meaning is possible, but I don't feel okay with the idea that Claudio would say or believe something like "if no one's looking then it's ok" about Mic's issues. My interpretation is that Claudio's brother hit some hard times (at some point) and Claudio is singing about his experience trying to comfort him and help him through. But admittedly, this is a bit vague and unclear.

The Music: The first ten seconds of this song sound like the song is about to go into hip hop, and then several acoustic guitars come in playing some pretty complex parts, and the folktronica shines through. There's a neat bridge with "we'll work this out". And of course, dat harmonica solo… wow. Not like Run Gunner Recall… this is serious blues harmonica work, over an electric drum track with claps. What. How does that work so well? I don't know, but yeah, wow.

The Part: Harmonica solo. Oh man.

You can't take the strain
The worries they have worn on you
Buts its alright to blame
You have every right to

Mother will they press
Press on you to take the slack
'Cause he's your trouble now
There's no sneaking out through the cracks

Matty there's no excuse for thinking
The world's gonna turn for you
But I say, hey,
If no one's looking then it's ok

The giving and the take
The straw that broke the camel's back
We were in the way
Of an old man's broken past

While he longed for the old
Life stuck him straight in the brand new
Oh, he knew

Matty there's no excuse for this
The world's gonna turn for you
But I say, hey,
If no one's looking then it's ok

Oh, we'll work this out
We'll work it out
We'll work this out

Life has a funny way
Of taking everything
And leaving nothing

Matty there's no excuse for this
The world's gonna turn for you
But I say, 
If no one's looking then it's ok

Matty there's no excuse for this
The world's gonna turn for you
But I say, 
hey I love you 
anyway

Next up: Half Measures