Wiki
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Release Date
2 May 2005
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Length
12 tracks
The Forgotten Arm is an album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann with illustrations by Owen Smith. It was released by SuperEgo Records on May 3, 2005.
It is a concept album, telling the story of two characters who run off with each other to escape their problems, but end up in more trouble than either of them could have imagined.
The album reflects Mann's own boxing in its story and illustrations. The title is derived from a move in which one arm is used to hit the opponent, causing him to "forget" about the other arm, which is then used to deliver a harsher blow.
The album won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for Mann and Gail Marowitz (art directors).
Track listing
All songs written by Aimee Mann.
1. "Dear John" – 3:07
2. "King of the Jailhouse" – 5:19
3. "Goodbye Caroline" – 3:53
4. "Going Through the Motions" – 2:57
5. "I Can't Get My Head Around It" – 3:37
6. "She Really Wants You" – 3:26
7. "Video" – 3:35
8. "Little Bombs" – 3:49
9. "That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart" – 4:19
10. "I Can't Help You Anymore" – 4:52
11. "I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas" – 4:23
12. "Beautiful" – 3:48
Japanese bonus track
13. "Who Knows" – 1:00
Plot
The album details, in a series of vignettes, the story of John, a Vietnam vet and boxer, and his "kind of white trash" girlfriend Caroline, who meet at the Virginia state fair in the 1970s, where John is boxing an exhibition round. They get the idea that they can escape their problems by running off together and travelling across the United States. However, their relationship begins to fray as John's addiction to alcohol comes to light. In Vegas, John leaves Caroline to try to get help ("Goodbye Caroline") but resists treatment ("I Can't Get My Head Around It") and finally Caroline gives up on trying to help John ("I Can't Help You Anymore"). However, the album's final song indicates that everything works out somehow, although much later. "It's a character study and a relationship study," Mann says.
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