HOWARD'S TALE

[sinistersickness]

This is by far my favorite song off the album, lyrically, and in terms of storytelling, Ive always felt like its the most complete song, not to mention the hook of an ending. I read in an article that it was intentional that it had somewhat of a nursery rhyme esque vibe to it, and Ive always found that to be a good contrast with the song, especially considering the fact that a good portion of the song itself is sung from the point of view of a child

[Samsung]

^^So true.

Welcome, have fun here
I gave you your first hug!

[nicolenice]

I love this song it is twisted but speaks the truth and the line at the end is weird how it is put but it shows how the cycle will continue. That is why I love at the concert Shim tells the parent to listen to their children or this could happen. I love how he actually directed it to the parents.

[Pwneress]

By far one of their best songs live =) and EVER

[omgdenise]

[mntrumpterguy]

This was one of my least favorite songs off of any of the three albums. Untill I listened to the lyrics. Now I can't get enough.

On another note, has anyone read 'nineteen minutes'? This song reminds me of it, even though the book is about a school shooting, but the boy who commits the crive was being emotionally abused his whole life. Very interesting book, and a good read, if a little unpleasant at times. HIts home with a lot of people. Check it out.

[Hollee]

[Katy]

[Hollee]

[brittany_71]

very amazing song, love it!

[ataglance20079]

Gr. i tried that link and it didnt work=/.
This song has stuck out in my mind for the longest time and was one of my first favorite SP songs..
Does anyone know where else I could find the interview?

[Tara]

It is definately one of my favorites on the cd and to see live..Emma is always awesome!!!!!!!

[emsmalee]

Such an amazing song. Easily one of my favorites, but then, I have about ten of those. I've always wondered the source behind it. I saw both of their recent LA shows and I was hoping they'd play it, but oh well. :3

[JulietteD]

This is my favorite song by far. I just love it. The lyrics are so incredibly good. It's such a deep song.

I believe it is about a kid, Howard, who is molested by his father since he was five years old till he was nine years old. When Howard was nine, his father left him and his mother behind. Howard is still confused about everything that happened the past four years and will be confused for the rest of his life.
At the age of sixteen, he has sex with a woman. It doesn't take him long to realise that he isn't attracted to women at all.
Still being confused, he tries to convince himself at seventeen that everything that happened is normal, he keeps living in denial. When he's eightteen, he is expelled from school. I always think it's because he fought with some popular kid and broke his nose. I don't know how I came up with that, but yeah.
When he's nineteen years old, he sees a boy sitting in front of a school, and I believe he recognises himself in the boy. Being molested by his father, made him a molester himself.

But I think this song is written from the father's point of view. I think that Howard's father was molested too, and unlike Howard, he told someone: his mother. Only his mother already knew and was so embarrased, she told him to never speak of it again. I believe Howard's father did the same as Howard: he convinced himself that it was normal, and that's why he molested Howard.
I also think that Monsters is a sequel to this song. It confirms my last statement (that Howard's father was molested too): "I know the reason you are running scared, I met the monsters inside your head."
He knows what Howard is dealing with, and that's why he leaves when Howard turns nine.

I could talk about this song for hours, but this is my opinion as short as I could explain it (yeah, I'm pretty bad at explaining things shortly and clearly).

[RenzoN]

Monsters is kind of a sequel yes, did you notice the creepy voice at the beginning of the song?? it's like:
"Howard, Howard, crying in the shower
Howard, Howard, been in there for hours"

[JulietteD]

[StephSP]

hmmmm... now, when i concerned myself with this topic, it gives me goosebumps! Because a few days ago a really good friend of mine told me about, that the same thing happend to her sister about 20 years ago! she doesn't knew it til now and the man you molested her, was a family member, too. it's an awful situation for all of the family members who knows of it, i think and my friend has to handle with it very hard! It's a very sensitive topic i guess. but always a current topic. unfortunately!

[JulietteD]

[StephSP]

[Dominique]

Still my favorite song. Ever.