I think that I royally screwed up this title in German -- Angelika, you can correct me -- but I want to write the phrase "A mouth full of diamonds." Put on the call fuer die Grammatikspolizei...
Phantogram's "Mouth Full of Diamonds" song has been stuck in my head all evening. The lyrics read, "You've got a mouth full of diamonds / and a pocket full of secrets." What a poignant and insightful statement!
Upon fist listening to this song, I immediately thought of the fable about two young girls who go to a well and are each asked by a fairy in disguise to give her some water. The kinder, gentler girl has her kindness rewarded by having diamonds and flowers fall from her lips whenever she speaks. In contrast, the mean and disrespectful girl's rude behavior of not offering a drink is rewarded by having toads and snakes fall from her mouth whenever she speaks.
This fable, dripping with symbolic morality instruction, if taken in the context of Phantogram's lyrics, plays with the idea of beautiful speech as a representation of one's character and twists it. Even if what we hear is pleasing and sparkly, what lies beneath is equally important in gauging a person's character. If speech with sincerity is lost, as some people argue, how does one triangulate the truth? Look in the pockets, Phantogram suggests. Thanks for the tip!
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