The Forgotten Arm

The Forgotten Arm is an album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann with illustrations by artist 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).

1 Track listing
2 Plot
3 Bonus track
4 The Forgotten Arm Tour

Track listing

All songs written by Aimee Mann.

"Dear John" – 3:07
"King of the Jailhouse" – 5:19
"Goodbye Caroline" – 3:53
"Going Through the Motions" – 2:57
"I Can't Get My Head Around It" – 3:37
"She Really Wants You" – 3:26
"Video" – 3:35
"Little Bombs" – 3:49
"That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart" – 4:19
"I Can't Help You Anymore" – 4:52
"I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas" – 4:23
"Beautiful" – 3:48

Japanese bonus track

"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.

Bonus track

The Japanese edition of The Forgotten Arm contains a bonus track ("Who Knows"). This minute-long track acts as an epilogue to the story of Caroline & John, with the following lyrics:

He's always pulled through before, but that's no comfort now.

Who knows in a Holy War, what's winning anyhow?

Who knows?

You only hope that someone shows, who knows.

Aimee Mann

'Til Tuesday albums	Voices Carry Welcome Home Everything's Different Now Coming Up Close: A Retrospective

Solo albums	Whatever I'm with Stupid Bachelor No. 2 Lost in Space The Forgotten Arm @#%&! Smilers*

Other albums	Bark Along with The Young Snakes Aimee Mann & The Young Snakes Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture Ultimate Collection Live at St. Ann's Warehouse One More Drifter in the Snow

Related articles	Discography Michael Penn "Time Stand Still"