A podcast meant for sharing thoughts, stories, enjoying idiomatic phrases and words in general. You can read along; the transcription is in the description of this episode. The idiomatic expressions are in italics. Try to get the meaning from the context and then look them up to see if you were right. If you like it, share it, but more importantly, continue the conversation. 

Hello. Welcome, I’m Renée Valentina and this is Musing Interruptus. Today, Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Mr. Project!

Let’s disregard the almost two-minute intro that has its own name, ‘Sirius’. It deserves its own name. The song within the song. The whole thing is kind of self-aggrandizing. It is like playing up your kid a little too much in hopes your kid will live up to their potential. My child is the best child. There is no other child! This sucks for the other siblings, as many of us can attest to. Then again, ‘Sirius’ becomes the perfect segue into the song ‘Eye In The Sky’. It really does deserve its own name.

My beef is actually with Mr. Projet and his trying to tell me what to do. I’m talking about Mr. Allan Parsons' Project, of course. If you weren’t aware of his whole name, you now know it. Mr. Project decided to make a song that deserves its own podcast. I will dedicate an episode of Musing Interruptus to it. 

While I listen to this song, I can hear two stories happening at the same time, and the cover story. The cover story is that this song was inspired by the idea of constant surveillance by Big Brother, like George Orwell’s 1984. It is like when artists prefer not to disclose their true inspiration. After listening to the song a couple of times, I can see why. I’ve discovered the true story. Here it goes.

The second story is a conversation between Mr. Project and a partner during a breakup. I’m positive! Hear me out. Mr. Project, or Allan, is telling this person, that the situation is complex, it seems like something unforgivable has happened. When he says, ‘Don’t think sorry’s easily said’ it seems like a recrimination, either to himself or his partner. What is unforgivable is the repetition of the act! I’m guessing your run-of-the-mill infidelity. Progressive rock doesn’t strike me as a genre that would inspire much impetuosity or passion. Then again, the content of this song tells me there is madness and obsession running through Mr. Project. These feelings are passion’s dumb and ugly brothers. Bottom line, he is not going to give any more chances. He tells his partner, look, you can’t be my spouse anymore because you are a drunk. Your stories were fun for a while, but I just can’t go on. I got this from the phrase about the sun in your eyes… that can mean somebody is drunk. So we are dealing with someone who makes promises or says things and does not come through. Plus there is this whole thing about turning tables, which means, reversing the situation. Allan or Mr. Project is telling this person, “I acknowledge you are trying to manipulate me and it is not going to work.”

And then he tries taking control of the situation by telling the other person what to do… issuing a warning as if he were anticipating their poor judgment and guilt! Basically, he is saying, think before you speak, put in your filters because you are just going to make this worse. As if his interlocutor was a child. I don’t think he thinks much of that person. 

But that’s not all! There is a menacing warning that follows, it is intrusive. Mr. Parsons says he knows what you are thinking, he can read your mind, just by looking at you. What is he, Santa Clause? Seriously, red flags all over the place. He says he is the maker of rules and can cheat you blind. This guy is bad news. I don’t know what the other person did or didn’t do, but this seems a little over the top. I think you need to take a step back Mr. Project. We should reconsider our whole relationship.

Then, to top, it seems like he is convincing himself, in an inner dialogue, that he should ... continue reading