Sunday Music: Montgomery Forever, And Now They’re Blowing It Up (The Front Bottoms Are Back)

In “Montgomery Forever” by The Front Bottoms we seem to find a conversation about the gentrification of a place, and also the gentrification of a relationship. In the same way, a location can be the same and the residents and real estate can change, relationships are fixtures too, and over time the dynamics and people we are in them with can change too. The connection here is “they” are blowing up the building where he remembers (“I was”) blowing up a relationship. Take a look at this second verse and chorus,

I can’t imagineNot being able to trust myselfYou and your mental illnessWhole time think I’m someone elseI shot the gunYou smashed your face inIt wasn’t fun (It wasn’t fun)Until we could taste it

‘Cause we used to live hereAnd now they’re blowing it up (Now they’re blowing it up)You started crying (You started crying)As I was blowing it up (As I was blowing it up)

Montgomery forever, and ever, and everNow they’re blowing it upMontgomery forever, and ever, and everNow they’re blowing it upAs you started crying, and laughing, and tryingTo explain how all you wanna do is leaveMontgomery foreverAnd now they’re blowing it upMontgomery foreverMontgomery forever

There’s one interview in Blunt Magazine where Brian Sella gives some hints about the meaning, but it’s little more than the location and high-level inspiration (still cool). On Reddit there are also some connections to a Mental Hospital in New Jersey near where they are from that could make partial sense too. Whatever you make of the lyrics, which is all that really matters anyway, this song is a prism. It also will someday make for one hell of a live singalong.