What is Father John Misty singing about in the new song The X-Panded Universe, the latest single release since Mahashmashana was released in 2024. We’re assuming it is not the pulling of the X-Men into the MCU, although there is that verse: “In the x-panded universe / In the crossover event / God is only as good as the villains he invents.” So, hmm, maybe it is the MCU, after all we also hear “In the x-panded universe / If I understand the gist / There must be timelines like this / Where heroes don’t x-ist.”
On the other hand, we also have a clear Bowie reference: “I am the dark star that your illness cannot cure.” And further, we have a few references to illness, perhaps mental health issues: “This Texas Candy heiress / Between medications / On a padded room floor.” Could that be a confused reference to Angel’s long-time squeeze Candy Southern – who, of course, was from New York, but hey, a different multiverse version might have been from Texas.
What we are saying here is that we have no idea what this song is really about. This would not be for the first time with Father John Misty.
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Sure, I could climb high in a tree, or go to Skye on my holiday. I could be happy. All I really want is the excitement of first hearing The Byrds, the amazement of decades of Dylan’s music, or the thrill of seeing a band like The Long Ryders live. That’s not much to ask, is it?