Magic Marker

Album: Monsters of Folk (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Monsters of Folk were Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, and indie singer-songwriter M. Ward. This song, included on their self-titled 2009 album (the only one they released), has lyrics that reference the famous Tootsie Pops ad campaign where a boy asks how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

    Mogis explained to Express Night Out: "I know [Jim] talked about this and I cant quite remember, so I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I think it dealt with a human condition kind of thing, getting to the heart of something basically. It has this kind of similar sentiment to some of the other songs that deal with a question and the human condition, like this constant need for things and yearning and searching for stuff. And the Tootsie Pop reference is one of those things: getting to the prize, what do you have to do to get to that point."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Maxi Priest

Maxi PriestSongwriter Interviews

The British reggae legend tells the story of his #1 hit "Close To You," talks about his groundbreaking Shabba Ranks collaboration "Housecall," and discusses his latest project with Robin Trower.

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)Song Writing

How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Black Sabbath

Black SabbathFact or Fiction

Dwarfs on stage with an oversize Stonehenge set? Dabbling in Satanism? Find out which Spinal Tap-moments were true for Black Sabbath.