The best art, arguably, is capable of confronting you with things you had previously never realized about yourself. Of course, the most obvious and unfortunate clichéd side-effect of this is the screaming fan who insists that a song was written about them with no factual evidence to support this. Owen Meany’s Batting Stance’s most recent single, “Car Odyssey,” however, hits home in a way that is surprisingly personal.
Taken from OMBS’ recently released album, Feather Weights, the song fits squarely into Daniel Walker’s theme of the lingering effects of an uncomfortable break-up. It’s also a painful recognition that some impending disasters, with proper care and maintenance, can be put off indefinitely if not avoided altogether.
“Well, the thesis of the song is how people often will put more maintenance into their vehicles than their relationships,” says Daniel Walker, lyricist and designated hitter. “Regardless of the dynamic of the relationship–family, friends, romantic–it’s important to actively nurture and ‘tune-up/tune in’ with those that we hold close. This is easy to lose sight of when you don’t have a blinking red light telling you something needs adjustment.”
While it’s clear that Walker is singing about the inertia that overtook his past relationship, in the video for “Car Odyssey”, an animated number crafted by Aidan Searle, we focus squarely on a car I would recognize anywhere. The “trusted beater” representing Walker’s idling relationship is an early 2000s Honda Civic. I recognize it because it is remarkably similar to the one sitting out in my driveway. I, too, have an ageing car in need of some love and attention.
It’s a good car. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. I’ve never been bothered by its age or the fact that we’ve gone through some serious rough patches together. Given the availability of Honda parts, much like the Ship of Theseus, it could, in theory, last forever. At least, according to Plutarch.
At this point, I feel an attachment to this car. I imagine that, in the event of its destruction, I would almost certainly perish with it or not long after. I mean that in the most literal sense and, despite whatever affection I hold for it, my laissez-faire relationship to the car and its ongoing maintenance seem to suggest those odds are ever-increasing.
Not to get too heavy-handed with the metaphor, but Walker does bring to mind the consequences of failing to put some care into that with which we surround ourselves. How much of ourselves can be defined as a reflection of those relationships and at what point do we lose ourselves if they crumble?
Walker sings here, quite clearly, on the merits of prevention and care:
“We’d galavant expansive coastlines long weekend cottage trips,
Until an argument arose and was shoved in my glove compartment.
Where words hid as airbags capable to save,
But never were deployed as they crashed and walked away.”
While there is undoubtedly some inspiration meme out there touting that ‘our possession do not own us nor define us’ it might be argued that the respect with which we handle them is an extension of self-respect. And if you can’t take proper care of your vintage Honda Civic how can you be expected to maintain a relationship?
In light of that, I’ve had my car towed off to a mechanic today for some love and care. Let’s just not delve too far into that particular comparison.