During the mid-1990’s Indie music was just blossoming into the genre it is today. Started by bands like The Pixies and The Smiths, this movement generally deals with introspection and emotions most deal with from time to time. At a time in the music industry when music videos were dominated by pop and hard rock music, an unknown band from Louisiana named Neutral Milk Hotel was producing one of the most unique and existential albums of all time. This album called “In the Aeroplane over the Sea” has grown a massive cult following the release, even though the band broke up two years after its release in 1999. After the breakup, the band’s leader Jeff Mangum became reclusive and has rarely been heard from since ’99. For those who do not know Neutral Milk Hotel, it is necessary to explain why the music touches so many by elaborating on the song “In the Aeroplane over the Sea” and others.
In 1996, Neutral Milk Hotel began production of “In the Aeroplane over the Sea” shortly after touring for their first album, “On Avery Island”. “Aeroplane” was a concept album that detailed events in Mangum’s life, along with imagery that detailed a dream about Anne Frank. The lyrics “The only girl I’ve ever loved, was born with roses in her eyes, but then they buried her alive, one evening 1945, with just her sister at her side” from the song “Holland, 1945” are one of many instances were Anne Frank is a subject of bereavement for Mangum. After the album’s release the band began touring to promote the album until 1999 when Mangum left the band after a nervous breakdown due to stress and illness set on by mono. During the following ten years, Mangum has done very little in the realm of music. Many times during the past decade Mangum has made bit performances at small venues where his friends are performing, making a cameo as a tambourine player or backup singer. On rare occasion, he performs a song or two from his Neutral Milk Hotel days, only enough to leave the crowd wanting for more.
“In The Aeroplane over the Sea” the title track from the album is a love song mixed with the musings of childlike wonder for the life we all live. The song starts of with Jeff Mangum playing the acoustic guitar and singing the first verse. The lyrics speak of young love, or rather, the memory of love and how the singer holds this memory of love close to his heart. Mangum displays poetic illustration of the nostalgia he feels for an old memory by singing, “what a beautiful dream that could flash on the screen, in a blink of an eye and be gone from me”. It seems that Mangum also wishes to convey the magnitude of the world and the idea that he found his love against all odds in such a massive space. Through the first verse he doesn’t give a name to his love just yet, he is just setting up a context for the song.
The second verse begins with Mangum’s voice and guitar, along with the addition of light percussion, a singing saw, and a tuba. This seems like an uncommon mixture, yet gives a unique feeling to the piece. The arrangement gives a feeling of happiness and hope, yet at the same time, a feeling of despair. The general emotion of this music complements the lyrics very well. The music states that bad things will happen, by addressing humanities mortal coil, but declares all will be alright. This is illustrated in the second verse as Mangum sings, “And one day we will die, and our ashes will fly, from the aero plane over the sea, but for now we are young…” Mangum sings about how all will eventually die, but that is not as important as keeping all you love closer than the idea of death. The song then goes into a short trumpet solo that is somber that seems beautiful and flawed, further expressing the wonder and despair of the world in which humanity lives.
The trumpet solo ends after the second verse, then thirds verse starts. Until this point in the song, the lyrics seem reflective, as though considering memories. The third verse seems to be wholly in the present moment, when Mangum sings, “What a curious life we have found here tonight”. Jeff Mangum’s adopts a childlike wonder in this section, by illustrating the beautiful environment he is in, almost a surreal world as he contemplates the memory or dream of the one he loves. This song marks the first appearance of Anne Frank in the album as Mangum sings, “Anne’s ghost all around”. The verse seems to verify some remorse to Anne Frank’s death, even though Mangum has never met her.
The forth verse contains the same musical arrangement as the previous verses, and Mangum sings more about his dream and the remaining memories. Other than ideas of memories, this verse is very enigmatic with lyrics such as, “all secrets sleep in winter cloths” which the songwriter either left to interpretation or he doesn’t want to give away all the information.
The final verse is a reprise of the beginning of the song. The differences are that the entire band is now playing, and the last half of the verse has changed. Throughout the song Mangum paints a picture of loss, by telling a story which reflects a memory, which is all he has. In this verse he becomes hopeful and sure of himself, that one day he will be reunited with his love. The hope is reflected through music with a trumpet that accompanies Mangum’s voice. The final phrase, “And when we meet on a cloud, I’ll be laughing out loud, I’ll be laughing with everyone I see, can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all.” Shows that Mangum believes in some sort of afterlife and that everyone he knew will be their looking back on the times they had in life.
Because of the deep existential nature of Neutral Milk Hotel’s music and the song in question, many fans are hoping for a comeback, which may never come. “In the aero plane over the sea”, helps explain why many fans enjoy Mangum’s music, which details the vivid imagery Mangum expresses through music. Jeff Mangum’s message is a simple one for the listener, pay attention to the beauty around you, because life is fleeting.