[Jandek] has anybody analyzed the lyrics in a scholarly manner?

[Julia M. Fernandez]

Personally, I have always theorized that Jandek is
epileptic.  That may seem like a stretch, but I have
the disorder and feel like I can often sniff others
out.  A lot of people think that it just involves
convulsions, but more frequently it's hallucinations,
black-outs, lapses in conciousness and, often,
depression or unusual behavior (even though it is not
considered a psychiatric disorder).  Sound like
Jandek?

Also, since it's hard to think "normally" with so much
neural misfiring, the list of famous epileptics is a
who's-who of out-of-the-box thinkers: Da Vinci,
Pascal, Edgar Allen Poe, (even Joan of Arc!). 
Outsider music is definitely something that an
epileptic might gravitate toward.  

But, Jandek also reminded me quite a bit of Ian Curtis
when I saw him last week, so perhaps that was clouding
my judgment...

Julia   

--- Frank Hardy <soccerdude219 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I find Jandek's poetry to be riddled with obscure
> metaphors and beautifully stark images- the best of
> it certainly is worth a real literary analysis, if
> not a simply a psychological one. "First You Think
> Your Fortune's Lovely" is a great one for that. I
> picked it apart in front for my senior presentation
> in high school, trying to argue that Jandek was in
> fact legitimate music. I've done a little
> analyzation, and I'm perhaps most fascinated by his
> motifs, such as the oft-repeated phrase "Floating
> Down a River". It's almost a cliche but Jandek turns
> it into something different, a metaphor for giving
> up on life. It's awesomely bluesy. He repeats it a
> lot in "Only Lover", which may be his single
> greatest song, if such a thing exists- but I dare
> you to analyze that behemoth! I think Jandek may
> be/have been manic depressive, and many of his
> lyrics can be interpreted quite logically with that
> in mind. Take an album like "Interstellar
> Discussion". For those who've heard it: need I
>  say more?
> 
> stacey graham <staceygraham at gmail.com> wrote: 
> Anybody done/seen a scholarly analysis or thesis on
> the lyrical
> content of Jandek's body of work? There seem to be
> lyrical themes
> that float up through the murk over and over.
> 
> Myself, I hope I'm wrong but my subconscious has
> somehow given me the
> impression that he likes nudity (especially in the
> afternoons) and
> that there may or may not have been an inappropriate
> "incident" with a
> younger girl. The body distortions (extra limbs,
> knives stuck in
> faces, painted teeth) seem to me to be
> appropriations of shizophrenic
> behaviour to baffle listeners.
> 
> Please don't flame me for this, these are just some
> images that got
> caught in my head as the songs drifted through. I am
> in no way
> qualified to analyze this stuff, just wondering if
> anybody has. Also,
> who knows if the lyrics are even autobiographical in
> any way?
> 
> --
> Stacey Graham
> Minneapolis MN USA
> http://aflowercallednowhere.blogspot.com
> 
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> 
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