An occasional series where I write about songs I love and why.

I’m writing today about “Stolen Flowers” by Japanther. More info on who they are as a band can be found here.

This song is taken off their album Eat Like Lisa, Act Like Bart. Aside from being good life advice, the album’s name captures the snottiness and internal contrasts of “Stolen Flowers.” The song describes a girl (“my darling”) who is clearly at a punk show – and yet she “stands still.”

Ian Vanek’s delivery in this song is very disaffected, which fits the band’s punk/DIY aesthetic. This aesthetic spreads to the chorus of the song itself, where Vanek describes how “stolen flowers decorate her room.” His punk darling doesn’t care about “when the static stars and the music starts/And it all begins to blur.” All that matters to her is these snatches of beauty – wherever she can find them.