http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nezSWF6ymQ
A native of South Dakota (Vermillion, I want to say??) Colvin's music reflects would I'll call a "realistic naïveté" about the world and, in particular, romantic relationships. Though clearly adapted to the world of cosmopolitan New York, her music is unabashedly based in the idealism and less cynical worldview of the Midwest. "Polaroids" is only the prime of example of an artist that seems to understand that there is no such thing is the perfect relationship, yet on some level retains a vision, one she seems to know is at best fleeting and at worst undesirable, of the couple that is perpetually walking off into the sunset. There is a natural tension here, a tension that all of us, whether in a relationship or not, must deal with: the gap between real and fantastic, the very good and the unachievable. Most singer/songwriters deal with this be lamenting the passing of the "walking off into the sunset" phase of the relationship; Colvin instead recognizes the perpetuity of such a state is inherently unsustainable, while simultaneously recognizing its singular beauty. This idea is reflected in the Ice Shack Scene of the movie Beautiful Girls:
WILL: ...so the way I see it, why not have a few more of those amazing beginnings before settling into the Big Fade?
ANDIRA: The Big Fade, that's an awful way to put it.
Colvin would certainly agree with Andira. Trouble is, she'd be hard-pressed to find a better way to put it. That's probably why she wrote "Polaroids".
Besos, Mark
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