Oh Amanda... - Kait's Mixtape

'The Killing Type'
Amanda (Fucking) Palmer

I kicked off this whole lyrics art project with Amanda Palmer. I have to say, her music is really therapeutic. The Killing Type has been on my OCD playlist since the first time I stumbled across the music video on YouTube.

I've always found anger expressed through music as extremely cleansing. There's something about stomping around and singing along to a particularly intense song that makes me feel lighter afterwards. Like I've bonded with the artist and all the other people who can identify with the absolute intensity of emotion in a song. 

I do get the impression that Amanda has quite a bit of rage going on but what I love about this song in particular is how she expresses frustration without hatred or violence - ironically considering the title. This is a song for anyone who has ever felt utterly frustrated by and unable to comprehend how someone can be so unfeeling in their treatment of another. But it's also about accepting the responsibility we have to let that go without expecting the other person to change.

It's like the traditional Buddhist teaching - holding onto anger is like holding onto a hot coal in the hope to growing it at someone. We may be able to do this but we will most certainly get burned.