How is "Heroes & Thieves" like a book?

[Rabbits_on_the_run]

Since the album came out back in 2007, I had this recurring question in my head, how exactly is Heroes & Thieves a book in which every song is like a chapter? I love the record, it's among my favorites, but I never got it. I mean if each chapter is supposed to be about something else, then every record made by a great songwriter/storyteller is like that. Could you guys help me? Because unless the story is what I posted below, I don't get it.

The story is about a girl who got her record deal taken away. Fortunately she lives in Nolita, NYC which is a fabulous place to live, I'd say it's a fairytale. She has a temp work that sucks but her mind is elsewhere. She's thinking about her boyfriend, she wants him to put his hand on her. It finally happens and she moves out of the city and starts a family on her own. She has a daughter who doesn't make her feel so alone when she looks at her. Her boyfriend/husband leaves even though she always gave him her best, after all he was the one and he will always be her golden boy. Heroes & Thieves, she can't seem to tell them apart anymore. What's happening? Maybe she should try to sleep at 4 am instead of wondering that kind of questions. Oh yes I forgot, the dreamers get punished. She finally sleeps and thinks about that place she loves most, the place she calls home. That all she needs, she'll never need more than this

Hope you liked it My english is bad, I know

[iluvvanessa]

she's said that it is a story book several times and in concert she has referred to hands on me and other songs as "chapter 2", etc.

[HearMyBells]

This is awesome : ) & You're english is pretty standard don't worry ;-)

[mixedanthony]

I never thought about it like that! Thats a pretty cool interpretation!

[sarab]

this is a good interpretation, I agree. The way I thought of it was very generic and not so specific.  Just that the first song is about beginnings, starting fresh and the middle songs were about all the stuff that happens to us in life--relationships, getting older, finding ourselves, finding friendships and a place we call Home.  Then realizing that we never needed more than what we already had to be happy.  Each song serves as a revelation of the self and discovering things about yourself and about life, until the conclusion that "we never need more than this."  But I like yours better

[[sobriquet]]

I've been wondering about this too for a very long time now. I know HOM is the 2nd chapter, but which one's the first chapter?

I want to know the real story. Somehow, I get the feeling it's related to Stephan.

[Martin.]

"Nolita Fairytale" is the first 'chapter', "Spring Street" third, "My Best" forth, and so on & so forth.

At the start of the album, she's talking about uncertainty, insecurity, etc in love/life ("Spring Street", "My Best") & takes us on  journey with her. By the end of the "book", there's this magnificent realisation in "More Than This" where she's accepting of everything and needs no more than what she already has.

That's how I've always seen it, anyway. It's a very cohesive album.

[Rabbits_on_the_run]

This is awesome : ) & You're english is pretty standard don't worry ;-)

Thank you

Okay, so I see that you don't know that much more than me. It's a concept album but she never really said about what it was. I mean we know it's about love, breakups, like many records. So it's probably about Stephen. Is he a hero or a thief?? :p

[[sobriquet]]

It made sense to me now... I noticed that HOM was track no.2, and is the 2nd chapter. I thought the supposed-to-be chapters were jumbled.

Okay, let's see what I get.

Chapters 1 & 2 are mainly about the point where you're in love with someone.
Then, she left him at chapter 3.
By chapters 4 & 5, there's some kind of wanting to maintain a friendship with him. (I guess)
Chapter 6 is about the nostalgia and the sad notion that maybe he was the one for her but they just overlooked it.
Chapter 7 is about having that complete blindness and confusion.
Regret, seeking the mistakes, and wanting to somehow making it up is for the chapter 8.
By chapter 9, she finally opened her eyes from being blinded by love.
At chapter 10, she found her home - still in him though they're apart now.
At the end, chapter 11, she found contentment. Somehow, the last song seems to give a hint that there's more to come, especially with the lines, "Let's make this our story." She is not yet done with living, I guess.

Hopefully, that would make some sense to anyone.

And weird enough, I think this "book" has an inverted plot line - instead of rising up in the middle, she took a dive and then rise up by the end.

And if I'm correct, if "Best Behavior" would be added to the record, I think it would be placed beforeor after "This Time". that could really make sense if we follow the plot line.

Just a thought.

[Rabbits_on_the_run]

You're good. You probably cracked the code

[sarab]

I've been wondering about this too for a very long time now. I know HOM is the 2nd chapter, but which one's the first chapter?

I want to know the real story. Somehow, I get the feeling it's related to Stephan.

I think maybe parts of it are about Stephen..but on the other hand, I feel like a lot of the album is more self-involved meaning her own evolution of feelings about someone (stephen?)

[[sobriquet]]

I agree. Maybe the half of the record is about her relationship and the other half is more about on her existential crisis and self-discovery. It's like she's been way too attached to him so when they ended it up, she felt lost somehow in the middle of it all. But in the end, she learned something from it about herself.