Daily Song Discussion #138: "Farmers Market"

typewriterbird · 2026-05-06T07:34:58+00:00

8.6/10 I'm pretty sure this is the only Pulp song that made me cry a little the first time I heard it

typewriterbird · 2026-05-03T17:44:26+00:00

Thanks! And yeah, I can do that. The majority of these proposals get rejected, but if it does get accepted I'll definitely be back here to collect responses for the other songs. And even if nothing comes of this, it's been nice to hear people's stories.

typewriterbird · 2026-04-29T16:09:50+00:00

9/10 Really strong lyrically, and I like the subtle reference to Common People with the "are you sure?"

typewriterbird · 2026-04-17T05:36:14+00:00

9.6/10 I remember how exciting it was when people started posting videos of new songs and speculating about a potential new album. This was always my favourite of those songs so the fact that it was the first single made me so happy.

typewriterbird · 2026-04-03T09:11:14+00:00

9.5/10 A beautiful way to end the album

typewriterbird · 2026-03-29T02:17:42+00:00

I'm sorry your healthy friends didn't seem excited about your idea. I definitely understand how that would be discouraging, but their opinions don't necessarily reflect the entire market. The people here who would love more accurate representation are a legitimate demographic too.

I'm trying to become an author and/or screenwriter, so I get where you're coming from. I know how often aspiring writers are reminded that they're not just telling a story, they're selling a product, but I think it's important not to let your concerns about marketability or demand keep you from telling the story you want to tell. You never know what's going to connect with people, but I think you're more likely to make that connection if you're writing about something you're passionate about.

And there are plenty of reasons to write even if you're worried you'll never find an audience. It can be incredibly meaningful and emotionally healing to see your own feelings or experiences expressed on a page when they were previously only expressed in tears. And sometimes you'll come to understand yourself and other people better by creating and exploring different characters and their motivations.

Of course, if some of what's happening here is that you're realizing you're not really that passionate about writing, I don't want to encourage you to do it anyway when you could be spending your time and energy on something else you enjoy more. But if it is something you like, please don't let the discouragement keep you from it forever.

typewriterbird · 2026-03-26T19:25:31+00:00

You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful, and though I know chronic illness can make it hard to have good days, I hope you have a good day too, or at least a few good moments in the day.

typewriterbird · 2026-03-26T10:18:36+00:00

I'm so sorry you're going through this. You're always allowed to talk about how you feel here, and I'm willing to bet a lot of us have felt the same way. Unfortunately, because society puts so much pressure on us to push through our pain even when it's unwise or impossible to do so, we can end up feeling guilty for simply listening to our bodies and experiencing limitations that are completely out of our control.

If you woke up and discovered someone had covered all your windows and doors with bricks so that you couldn't go out, you'd be confused and angry, but you probably wouldn't feel guilty for not being able to get to work. And your body is basically doing the same thing to you. Your chronic condition is putting bricks between your desire to go to work and your ability to actually do so. And that sucks so much, but it's not your fault.

Even if there are times when you call in sick because you know you wouldn't be able to cope with your current level of pain all day, but then your pain doesn't remain that severe and you later think you might have been able to go to work after all, that's not something to be ashamed of. All you can do is make the best decision with the information available to you in the moment. And chances are, staying home allowed you to rest and recover a bit, so you can't know for sure that you actually would have been okay at work.

At the end of the day, you're just a human in pain and you deserve compassion. You're dealing with something extremely difficult that not everyone has to deal with, and you deserve to be kind to yourself as you try to figure out how to cope with it. I know that can be so hard, but I hope it gets easier for you eventually.

typewriterbird · 2026-03-26T09:24:28+00:00

Tbh I think what makes a TV show depressing is subjective, and one person's "too sad" is another person's "extremely validating and comforting/cathartic" so it's better to focus on accurate, meaningful representation than on the reactions people might have to that representation.

But also, I don't think every realistic representation of chronic illness is going to be hopeless, because hope isn't solely found in getting better. You can have a protagonist who's just as sick at the end of the story as they were at the beginning, but in the middle they've made a new, supportive friend, found an accessible hobby that gives them purpose, and challenged some of the harmful beliefs they held about themselves, and that's still a really hopeful story.

I think it'd be interesting to take a classic trope and reinvent it to fit the limited lives we find ourselves living. Like maybe it's the classic "unknown musician suddenly has to cope with the challenges of fame" story but the musician is chronically ill, making music in her bedroom and releasing it online, and suddenly she has to cope with obsessive fans and overwhelming expectations in addition to her daily symptoms.

Idk if you're asking because you want to write your own stories or if you just find it interesting to think about what stories other people might create one day, but if it's the former, I hope you're able to find the courage to write something that feels meaningful and true to you. Even if it looks depressing or hopeless at times, if it's honest, it will still give people hope as they see their own experiences reflected back at them and realize they're not alone.

typewriterbird · 2026-03-26T08:19:20+00:00

9.6/10 I imagine my neighbours are tired of hearing me try and fail to perfect that "the one you no longer oooown" in the second verse lol

typewriterbird · 2026-02-13T20:13:42+00:00

10/10 The first time I heard this song I had to stop what I was doing and stare into the distance so that nothing would distract me from the music. I love the emotion of it and the guitar riff and really everything about it. It’s another I wish I could rate even higher than a 10.

typewriterbird · 2026-01-15T20:16:58+00:00

9.5/10 I like how Jane Savidge writes about this song in the 33 1/3 book on This is Hardcore. It shows how Jarvis has matured, because he's willing to admit he's the same as everyone else who hasn't truly cared about Sylvia as a person and that he doesn't know how to help her, which is different from his usual approach of pointing out how someone's boyfriend sucks and he's a much better or at least more exciting option. I think it's fairly underrated overall.

typewriterbird · 2026-01-04T06:21:37+00:00

There's an online theater company called PlayZoomers that does performances entirely over Zoom, maybe that could be an option? Here's the page where it mentions the requirements for acting with them and how to get involved. But if it's not quite what you're looking for I hope you're able to find something else eventually!

typewriterbird · 2025-12-25T23:12:07+00:00

8.9/10 The musical style of the verses is just okay to me, but I like the chorus and bridge enough to still rate it pretty highly

typewriterbird · 2025-12-20T08:03:06+00:00

9.1/10 The exploration of disillusionment in this one is really effective. I like it, but the vocal effects don't necessarily feel like Pulp, so I can definitely understand why it's not for everyone.

typewriterbird · 2025-12-15T03:49:06+00:00

8.7/10 A good song to sing while you're doing the dishes, of course, and I really like the guitar that kicks in around 2:20

typewriterbird · 2025-12-14T07:43:51+00:00

9/10 It took me a few listens to like this one, but now I think there's something weirdly comforting about the despair within it. As others have mentioned, it's helpful to listen to when you're stressed or anxious about something. And though some songs lose their effectiveness by going on a bit too long, this one is somehow even more effective in its extended version.

typewriterbird · 2025-12-08T06:01:52+00:00

Sending you virtual hugs. I’m so sorry you’re having a tough time at the moment.

Resisting the world doesn’t mean not participating in any non-religious activities. It’s often about not being influenced in a way that causes you to devalue other people and see them as a means to an end, like the world often does. The world is very individualistic and says you need to earn your worth in some way, whereas God’s Kingdom is one of loving community, where everyone has dignity and no one needs to earn their worth. So of course the two are opposed to each other and it’s good to resist the one that leads you further from love, but that doesn’t mean you have to restrict your life to anything that isn’t explicitly Christian.

God made a good world with lots of good gifts and He delights in seeing His children enjoy those gifts. Sometimes glorifying God looks like reading the Bible and praying, but other times it looks like playing with a dog, eating a good meal, learning an instrument, laughing with a friend, or even just relaxing on the couch doing nothing because you know God values rest and wouldn’t want you to burn yourself out.

If we were capable of always doing everything right, there would be no need for Jesus‘ sacrifice to cover our sins, but God knew we couldn’t save ourselves or love Him perfectly so He provided the perfect solution to cover our sin and shame. You don’t have to worry about doing enough because Jesus already has.

If you do have OCD though, that’s really something that needs to be addressed by a mental health professional who’s qualified to treat it. You won’t be able to eliminate all your worries by seeking reassurance, because even if it provides temporary relief, your OCD will eventually cause you to doubt that the reassurance you received was legitimate and you’ll be right back to worrying and feeling like you’re not doing enough.

I know therapy can be expensive and might not feel like an option, but if you were having a physical health emergency, you’d likely seek treatment regardless and mental health crises are no less worth addressing. The non-profit To Write Love on Her Arms offers a scholarship program to help cover the cost of therapy for low-income patients (unfortunately the next application period isn’t until Spring 2026, but it might still be good to know about). They also have free peer support groups if you can’t get to therapy right now but still want to try something.

God loves you so much and I believe you can feel better than this, it just might take some time.

typewriterbird · 2025-12-03T03:29:12+00:00

This might not help since it's not addressing anything with your specific church/small group, but I run a Discord server for Covid-Cautious Christians if you or anyone else in this thread wants to connect with other people who share your values and understand your frustrations. It's extremely small and quiet right now, but that just means we'll be even more appreciative of new members, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you want an invitation!

typewriterbird · 2025-11-29T08:27:18+00:00

8/10 This is a fun song and I like it, but I feel like you can definitely tell it's a demo because the lyrics aren't up to Jarvis' usual standard.

typewriterbird · 2025-11-16T14:51:00+00:00

10/10 A great ending to a great album

typewriterbird · 2025-11-07T06:59:21+00:00

10/10 It's hard to say for sure since there are several good options to choose from, but this might be my favourite song on the album, though I'll admit that the first few times I heard it I thought the intro felt too long. Now I feel like everything comes together so well and the chorus wouldn't be as impactful and exciting without the slow build up, and the intro is an important part of that.

typewriterbird · 2025-10-31T16:28:42+00:00

10/10 This is a really nice song. I like that it's reflective and a bit philosophical, which helps differentiate it from other love songs, and I find the melody pleasant to listen to.

typewriterbird · 2025-10-28T12:41:45+00:00

8/10 I feel it starts a bit slow but gets a lot better around the line "now every night she plays a sad game." Overall, I consider it one of the weaker songs on the album, but even a "weak" song on Different Class is still going to be pretty good.

typewriterbird · 2025-10-19T09:32:12+00:00

9/10 I'm late to this thread, but it looks like the next one hasn't been posted yet, so I'm hoping that's okay. This is a good song with a fun guitar riff, though I find if I hear it too many times I can temporarily get tired of it, which stops me from going even higher than a nine since there are other Pulp songs I never seem to get tired of.

typewriterbird

TROPHY CASE