the phrase "recreation day" - sinister by association?

[dragonfear]

I'm a native English-speaker, but I'm missing the power that seems to back the phrase "recreation day". What in the bloody hell are we supposed to take away from those two words?

Don't get me wrong - I worship the album, the song, and the band in general, but it bothered me after last night's show in Orlando: some shrieky little dudes were tittering to one another after Evergrey's set how *amazing* they thought it was that Recreation Day was played. There's emotion in the song, no doubt whatsoever - but I've gotta be missing something. Google searches, poking around on evergrey.net and the fanclub site... nothing to my satisfaction.

So, prove me an idiot. Point out what simple little thing it is, and maybe I'll see "recreation day" as more than what it sounds like - a blowoff day at the end of summer camp while everyone waits for their parents to pick them up.

Or maybe it's the connotation of the words, eh? Something like how 'finger' always sounds so sexual? "Recreation Day" has a bit of a sinister ring as the album title, but you could give anything a tainted spin when it's associated with Evergrey. Case in point: Evergrey's 6th album could be called anything, even bilge like "The Celebration Parade" or "Beautiful, Smiling People", and it would sound a tad dark. Is that all the phrase "Recreation Day" really is?

 

[Seadog]

Yeah I was at the Orlando show too, and Evergrey kicked ass! They were probably the highlight of the show for me, although I wish they could have played longer. Did you hear that guy during IE's set that was constantly screaming for Stormrider? I was right next to that dude and he got pretty annoying.

In the context of the song, the word "recreation" means to start anew, literally a new creation. The "recreation" you are thinking of means "Refreshment of one's mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates; play". If you look at the lyrics it will give you a pretty good idea of how they are using the word.

My every morning is in every way
The beginning of a recreation day

I could be wrong, but to me this song is about personal healing. And yes, everything that Evergrey does has a certain dark and melancholic vibe, which I think is very cool. Hopefully this helps you to better understand!

 

[jaimek]

It would have been better written as Re-creation. It's not how a native speaker would have phrased it, but we get the point, which is the important part, and I can't imagine trying to write comparatively thoughtful lyrics in a language *I* don't speak natively, especially a concept that's idiomatic, as "recreation day" is.

 

[peza]

Anyone missed the part of "playing" with the language and innovate it?

 

[Burke]

Remember reading somewhere (Prog Power flyer?..) where Tom said its about how you treat each day when it begins when you've been through something like losing someone close to you that you love....

Because when you lose someone like that, you lose a piece of you - and you can't help but look at life and each day differently - because everything has changed. And you have to try and treat each day as something where you are glad to be alive, and still trying to move FORWARD in your life. (not to mention the fact that after you wake up each and every day and your brain shakes off sleep and begins to function, you in essence have to 'remember' that that person is gone you you 're-experience' it each and single every day going forward - which is a weird/disturbing thing.....)

[I'm not sure if I'm 'writing/expressing' this right - all I know is that if you've gone through something like this, the pure essence of the song itself hits you even before the full 'literalness' of the lyrics set in. I cannot get through the acoustic version on Inner Circle, especially with the way Tom sings it, without tearing up every single time....]

 

[am_ash2]

Wow, this is too deep for morning...need coffee....
The great thing about Evergrey is that they always write about "something"- it's not a lot of drivel or babble about nothing. It's nice to see the different interpretations people have when they read the lyrics. It can mean whatever you want it to mean to fit into a certain situation going on in your life and that's the cool thing about music.

 

[Evan84]

I've always thought it was a rather awkward phrase.

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

It is if you think of it as a 'leasure day' instead of a day of renewing yourself...or do you mean something else?

 

[Demonspell]

As some have pointed out, the phrase does lose a bit in translation and the way Tom pronounces it, including some of its overall impact, although it doesn't change the fact that the song is clearly about renewal of the self.

 

[BlindPanzer]

by the way the guy was amazed that they played it cuz he had gone to one of these thread's checking the setlist they were to do, so he was more surprised than anything that they played it. I too think they should have played longer.

 

[dragonfear]

Thanks to everyone who replied - evidently the lack of a simple (-) foiled my understanding. I absolutely agree, also - I have immense respect for anyone who can string a lyrically meaningful sentence together in a secondary language, let alone one with such emotion... and truly, the essence of the song is readily apparent anyhow, being that even if you don't get the re-creation part of it there's still the underlying gist of starting over each day. I guess it was a minor item, but thanks for the response!

I heard the guy yelling for Stormrider - maybe that was the same guy who kept yelling "Travel in Stygian!" (shit - maybe that's the same guy at all the Opeth concerts that yells for Black Rose Immortal...) And hell - the openers never get to play for long enough, really. I'm in the military, and I have a keener sense of patriotism than I used to (and consequently a better appreciation for Glorious Burden than I would otherwise), but Gettysburg did drag on... I left right after July 3rd, and as good as Something Wicked and Gettysburg both are, the set got sort of stagnant... anyhow, back to my Evergrey point: yes, they should have played longer; but Tom promised to be back, so...