"What's he building in there?"
Exploring paranoia: is it him, them - or me?!
Happy Friday, all. I need to give you a spoiler alert for today’s essay; I quote heavily from Tom Waits’ song, “What’s he building?”
It’s a wonderful spoken-word piece that I highly recommend listening to a few times. You can readily find it online or wherever you purchase your music.
Also, please check out my YouTube channel often - I’m publishing new installments daily. Yes, daily! My ongoing series, “What’s he building in there?” will perhaps make a little more sense after reading today’s story.
Enjoy! ~JRC
"What's he building?" - Track No. 8 on Tom Waits' 1999 studio album Mule Variations - is a spoken-word story seemingly about a suspicious neighbor.
The song opens with these words:
What's he building in there?
What the hell is he building in there?
He has subscriptions to those Magazines.
He never waves when he goes by.
He's hiding something from the rest of us.
What magazine subscriptions? And so what he doesn't wave, right? But that's the point. As the story progresses, we realize that it's more about the nosy neighbors than anything else.
He has no dog and he has no friends.
And his lawn is dying.
And what about all those packages he sends.
What's he building in there?
None of these facts, alone, spell anything. Together, a portrait of a loner emerges, and nothing more.
But "The Neighborhood" will have none of it.
On first listen, it's easy to get caught up in the paranoia Waits lays down. The listener, too, wants to know what this strange guy is building in there.
The fella seems off, after all. Yeah, we shouldn't have gone through his mail, but he shouldn't be reading those magazines. And why can't he be more neighborly and at least wave? Everyone waves. What's he hiding from us?
Speculations give rise to full-blown paranoia as the song enters its final act.
I'll bet he spent a little time in jail
I heard he was up on the roof last night
signaling with a flashlight
Waits is said to have written this song while pondering why we all fear the quiet neighbor. But it's more than that. 'What's he building?" is an introspective take on trust, societal norms, and the "group think" that governs our lives. Neighbors, often more than our governments, dictate what we can do. And woe be to those who transgress on the list of "neighborhood do’s and don'ts."
Put up too tall of a fence, and neighbors will look over. Close the blinds for too long, and people invite themselves for a visit. If you don't ever talk, they'll stop by for a chat.
This behavior is not just "being nosy" - it's what has kept human society intact. Suspicion is hardwired into us. For much of human history (and now, even), those who remain in the shadows are up to no good. It's a primal fear ingrained into our being.
Don't trust the outsider.
And as we critique the quiet neighbor, it soon dawns on us - some of us, anyway - that we're looking into a mirror. That mirror might show us that we - not everyone else - are the nosy neighbors. Personally, I've questioned a few strange happenings on my street. I haven't said or done anything about these, but I do wonder. Mostly though, I'm not the nosy neighbor. Instead, I'm the loner guy the rest of the neighborhood is probably talking about.
It's pretty telling when I admit this whole "community thing" has never been "my thing." It's somewhat odd for me to be living in the stereotypical American neighborhood that I do. I always thought of myself retreating to a small cabin way off in the woods (see, I told you I was 'that guy').
More telling: as a neighbor, I'm pretty lousy. Sure, in an emergency my immediate neighbors know they can always call. Several on my street have my number if they ever need me - for anything. But I don't stop by to visit with any of them. Sure, I say hello when they pass. And I make pleasant when someone stops to talk. I like them very much and happy to see them when I do. But truth-be-told, I loath surprise visits. And I seldom-to-never make plans for a scheduled get-together with anyone on my street. Yes, I'm a lousy neighbor.
As for Tom Waits' song, there are other similarities between the protagonist and me. I do make a lot of noise inside my garage, out of view. The lawn sprinklers I shut off as soon as I moved in. And yeah, I've been known to climb up on my roof from time to time, pointing skyward with a flashlight.
Maybe this all seems odd to some. Me? I feel it’s normal enough behavior. Each to their own, I say, even in The Neighborhood.
Yes, all my behavior is easily explained. But I don't have to explain. Do I?
"What's he building in there?"
Until next time.
JRC