by Laura Xie
Canadian musician Mac DeMarco has coined a reputation for his goofiness and carefreeness from his upbeat music and vibrant live performances. But after almost two years of touring for his breakout album 2, Mac DeMarco describes his feelings of being “weathered and beat down and grown-up all of a sudden” (Minsker, n.d.). These feelings brought about an urge to write more meaningful lyrics and stray away from songs “about absolutely nothing.” As a result, Salad Days, released on April 1, 2014, reveals Mac’s unseen tender side. Although Salad Days still shares Mac’s signature buoyant sound found on 2, the themes explored are more mature and profound than before.
Salad Days
The first of the 11 tracks on Salad Days is “Salad Days.” But, what does the phrase, “salad days” mean? “Salad days” was a phrase first used by William Shakespeare in his play Antony and Cleopatra. Salads are “fresh, crisp, and usually green” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.), which are all characteristics associated with youth and vitality. Therefore, an individual is in their salad days when they are in their prime and are young and naive. In Mac DeMarco’s song, he sings about how he has moved past the salad days era of his life and has already gone past the peak of his career. It is a song about aging, or “rolling through life, to roll over and die,” and the somber reminiscing of happier days, or “remembering things just to tell 'em so long.” Because of the reverb and the hypnotic ‘la la’s, “Salad Days” has a dreamy, lazy sound. The mood or tone is Mac DeMarco’s portrayal of what aging and watching one’s youth slip away feels like.
Blue Boy
“Blue Boy” is the second track on Salad Days. The lyrics of “Blue Boy” are directed at young men who are overly worried about how the world perceives them. Mac DeMarco advises them to “grow up,” or mature, and criticizes their arrogance. Perhaps this is advice he gives from his own experiences with self-image, and how his vanity caused him an unnecessary amount of distress about his appearance. “Blue Boy” has the same lazy, laid-back feel of “Salad Days,” but without the psychedelic-ness. It has a slower tempo and a lower pitch, so that the sound reminds me of a hot August evening spent by a small, calm river.
Brother
“Brother” is the third track on Salad Days. In this song, Mac DeMarco criticizes people for choosing a mundane lifestyle. He even says that they’re “better off dead” than living a “nine until five” lifestyle, which is often used to describe the typical, boring office work life. He advises them to go after something that excites or interests them instead of “dreaming at night,” telling them to “go home,” in which home refers to a lifestyle one is truly comfortable with. “Brother” is a very interesting song in comparison to the other songs on the album. The majority of the song is lazy, yet upbeat. But towards the end, Mac DeMarco’s voice becomes very distorted and the sound becomes alien-like. The instrumentals seem to mimic people screaming or wailing. Personally, the change in sound was sudden and scared me at first. I still don’t understand why Mac chose to implement the psychedelic, warped voices and noise at the end, but it may represent the torment of the nine-to-five lifestyle, as well as the feeling of being trapped in such a stasis.
Let Her Go
“Let Her Go” is the fourth track on Salad Days. The lyrics of “Let Her Go” are Mac DeMarco’s advice on relationships and falling out of love. He advises expressing your love toward your partner if you truly do love them, but letting them know if you are unsure about your feelings, and having the courage to let them go. He compares love to a flower: beautiful when blossomed, but capable of withering away. In the latter case, it’s important to “say goodbye” to someone when the flower dies. “Let Her Go” is one the most upbeat songs in the album, but still simulates the overarching sound of the album. The way I’d describe the sound of “Let Her Go” is very lightweight and soft compared to the aforementioned songs, like cotton or muted paint strokes on a canvas. There are no bizarre sound effects in this song like in “Brother.”
Goodbye Weekend
“Goodbye Weekend” is the fifth track on the album. Through his lyrics, Mac DeMarco discusses how people should not be telling him “how [he] should be leading his own life.” People may be critical of his decisions or disagree with the way he lives, but it is ultimately not their job to change him. He is perfectly satisfied with himself and his lifestyle. “Goodbye Weekend” is another laid-back song with one of the slowest tempos in the album. The sound is slow, warm, and upbeat, and the guitars are one of the more memorable ones throughout the album.
Let My Baby Stay
“Let My Baby Stay” is the sixth track on Salad Days. Like many of the tracks on this particular album, this song is dedicated to Mac DeMarco’s girlfriend, Kiera. The two had moved to the United States, but Kiera was at risk of being deported back to Canada because of an improper visa (Minsker, n.d.). He begs for Kiera to be able to stay with him and to not have his love taken away. DeMarco even admits to past mistakes that he has made and says he has “been working at [his mistakes].” The song is very raw in emotion and completely genuine and heartfelt. There are no drums playing in the background and no electric guitars, making the song sound very mellow and even melancholic. Towards the end of the song, Mac DeMarco sings “ah” repeatedly in an angelic, high-pitched tone, amplifying the heartwarming feel of the song.
Passing Out Pieces
The seventh track on Salad Days is “Passing Out Pieces.” “Passing Out Pieces” is very easy to differentiate from the other songs in the album because it leans toward a more “rock” style. The opening captivated me the most: the synths are bold and strong, and remain steady throughout the song. Although it doesn’t have a fast tempo, the song is vibrant and upbeat, and would almost fit into Mac DeMarco’s previous album, 2. However, the meaningful lyrics are what make it like the rest of Salad Days. The pieces Mac DeMarco says he passes out are bits of himself. His songs tend to be genuine memoirs of his own experiences. So, every time he writes a song for his audience, he is giving out pieces of personal information to others. Perhaps Mac is also writing about how his musical career has been draining, and that he is watching his youthful salad days disappear as his career progresses. In this case, he is passing out pieces or making sacrifices, to maintain his stardom. He also says, “What Mom don't know has taken its toll on me,” implying that the tough experiences he has chosen to hide from his mother have been a burden to him. If one looks beyond the catchy tunes of this song, “Passing Out Pieces” depicts the authentic reality of Mac DeMarco’s life and the things he has had to give up.
Treat Her Better
The eighth track on Salad Days is “Treat Her Better.” “Treat Her Better” sounds very similar to “Salad Days,” but I would consider it more soft and smooth. The opening of this song is one of my favorites in the album; it's dreamy and lightweight. “Treat Her Better” remains mellow for the majority of the song, but becomes more upbeat during the chorus. However, I prefer the calming attributes of this song over the chorus.
The meaning of this song is quite straightforward based on the title; the lyrics tell people to treat their significant other better if they truly love them. My favorite line in this song, “...heard you were your brother’s keeper, /That can’t be, judging by the way you treat her” pokes fun at the people who claim they are caring and considerate (“brother” literally meaning another fellow human being, and “keeper” meaning someone who looks out for another person). However, these people are heavily hypocritical because they treat their significant other horribly, and Mac DeMarco is criticizing them, telling them to be a better partner.
Chamber of Reflection
“Chamber of Reflection” is the ninth track on the album. In a Pitchfork interview, Mac DeMarco explained he had been inspired by freemasonry, fraternal organizations created to “[unite] men of good character” (The Grand Lodge of Ohio, n.d.) and make them even better men (Minsker, n.d.). To be accepted in freemasonry organizations, one must be secluded in a meditation room and reflect upon their past experiences, and essentially move on from them. In “Chamber of Reflection,” Mac DeMarco emphasizes the importance of isolation and self-reflection, as both improve character. Although many look at alienation as harmful, Mac DeMarco offers a different perspective. He mentions that the only way to improve one’s well-being is to reflect on what is within instead of seeking external reasons. It’s quite ironic because Mac says that alleviating loneliness entails being lonely and trying to cleanse yourself of that feeling through reflection. He guarantees that if you “spend some time alone, / Understand that soon you’ll run with better men” (the phrase, “better men” is referencing the men who have improved themselves through freemasonry). The sound of “Chamber of Reflection” is very unique as well. This ballad has the slowest tempo in the album and is also one of the easiest tracks to distinguish from the rest. The slow tempo along with the heavy reverb and beautiful synths make it a very hypnotic and “sleepy” song. As much as I enjoy the synths, the drums in the opening are my favorite part of the song.
Go Easy
“Go Easy” is the tenth track on Salad Days, and it’s another love song dedicated to Kiera. Based on the Pitchfork interview, this song is centered around the couple’s recent moving from Montreal to Brooklyn (Minsker, n.d.). In “Go Easy,” Mac pleads to the universe to treat Kiera nicely, or to “go easy” on her because he knows how rough it is to adapt to a completely new environment away from everything she had built back in Montreal. He also promises he will always be there for her through all the adversities. Mac DeMarco sings this song in a very heartfelt and authentic manner. The guitars are mellow, but Mac’s tone of voice is passionate. At first, the song flows serenely like a river, but once the chorus is reached, the song resembles strong ocean currents instead; it’s apparent that he is emotionally begging the universe for the best for his girlfriend in the chorus.
Jonny’s Odyssey
“Jonny’s Odyssey” is the eleventh and last track on Salad Days. This song is completely instrumental and does not contain any lyrics, except for the farewell Mac DeMarco gives after a long pause at the very end of the song. I love the guitar riff in the opening and the alien-like synths throughout the entirety of the song, which appear swirly and wavy. At some points during the song, it sounds very “hollow,” or as if a choir was singing in a large cathedral; it adds to the psychedelic feel of the song.
Final Thoughts
Salad Days is my favorite album of all time, and I can’t seem to get sick of the songs no matter how many times I have them on repeat. Overall, the sounds of this album are very similar. Most of them have hypnotic synths and melancholic, sometimes even eerie undertones to them. The instrumentals are simplistic, but that’s what makes them memorable and catchy. Some of the lyrics are incredibly meaningful and pieces of advice anyone could find valuable. I definitely recommend the album to all music lovers!
Sources
1. Cover Story: Mac DeMarco. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/reader/mac-demarco/
2. Salad Days. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salad days
3. Salad Days (Mac DeMarco album). (2021, January 22). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad_Days_(Mac_DeMarco_album)
4. What is Freemasonry? (2020, November 10). Retrieved from https://www.freemason.com/how-to-join/what-is-freemasonry/