Blue Light has special meaning to me, it reminds me of someone I used to be very close with. I say "used to be" because, unfortunately, we no longer are close. This takes me back to the days of getting high all the time, first getting into Mazzy (constantly listening to So Tonight!), and spending a lot of time with her. I had picked up So Tonight, and just before I did I had called her and told her I was going down to the record store to buy it. She too, had heard of Mazzy Star, and was excited that I was getting it. She asked me to let her know what I thought of it. I bought it and went home to listen to it. I only listened a few times, but I was convinced it was great from what little I'd heard. Next night we spent some time together, and I brought So Tonight with me. We got high, we talked and listened, but mainly listened. We had a good time that night, it was very peaceful and calm, and the music, particularly Five String Serenade and Blue Light, really set the mood. I saw the blue light in her eyes. We departed, and still high, I went home and popped the CD back in the player, and continued listening. Though I liked the whole album, I put Blue Light on repeat, and listened to it what must have been 10 times. The sustaining organ summed up my overall feeling: being really high, yet content. The drums summed up a beating heart (I was thinking more of hers than mine). The bass gave the song, and in turn, my thoughts, a deeper aspect, more significance. Hope spoke of a blue light, and ironically, at the time I had a blue light in my room (and both of our eyes are blue). What touches me the most is David's guitar, particularly the solos. Words can't describe how beautiful and elegant his playing is. The guitar summed up all the words I couldn't say to her, the guitar summed up my feelings. She went out and bought So Tonight the next day, and we were the only Mazzy fans in our area (that we knew of) at the time. To this day, I still think of her everytime I hear Blue Light. I saw her about a month ago, and we actually got high together like we used to. We didn't listen to So Tonight, when it came time for me to put on some music I choose Among My Swan instead. Ironically, the song that stuck out to everyone who was listening was "Cry, Cry"...in fact, she even made some comments on the song to me. But throughout the night, all the unsaid words between us hung in the air, all the things that transpired were in plain view...it just would've been too hard to listen to Blue Light. Part of me wishes things were different between us, I wish I could talk to her about these things, but we both avoid it, particularly her. The blue light that we shared together no longer shines. But everytime I hear the song I think of the blue light that shined brightly....I think of her.

So I've been listening compulsively to Blue Light lately (I AM NOT ASHAMED!) and trying to find a new handle on it. I had some general ideas but could never make out any specifics of the song. I think I may have found a loophole in it tonight...
Well, I always thought the blue light symbolized some kind of a secret, or some kind of truth somebody close to you kept hidden. Admittedly, I didn't see why that would be a "blue light". Granted, blue lights are always really mysterious and intriguing, but it still didn't make much sense, y'know? But then I was thinking (Oh no, not again!)...have you ever taken a walk through a neighborhood at night? You walk past all these darkened houses and sometimes all you see is the blue glow of a tv screen. Sometimes that's a metaphor for the people's mentality, I know...but don't you usually think about the people instead? Who are they, what are they watching, and stuff like that? I think that's sort of what the blue light is. The narrator is kind of on the outside, watching as her "best friend" is consumed by something alien to her...and all she wants to do is get a close up of the screen to find out what he's watching, so to speak.
But there's more to the song than a blue light, Erin, you say. What about the waves and the flames and the ship? She's watching the ship...going, going, gone. The ship is just like the neighbor's house. There's a whole world under it...she'll never know all there is to know about it. The miles crashing her by? Hmmm. Maybe this means leaving her behind. And a world outside her doorstep. She sort of resents being so caught up in the blue lights we all have, but everybody does it. And she wants somebody to notice her blue light, to leave the world outside their doorstep cause they're so caught up in caring enough to figure her out...but still they leave her behind.
Oh no it's even sadder when I think about it like that. I really gotta stop thinking all the time. :-)