“All relationships ends.”
We have this idea in our society that the perfect relationship starts in your twenties and lasts until you are on your deathbed. Then magically you and your partner die at the exactly same time and no one is left alone to mourn the other person.
This idealized version of a relationship places more value on the length and the way the relationship ends than on the relationship itself. Saying a relationship that lasts a month is not being significant and having a relationship end in betrayal makes us seems like it’s all just wasted time.
Eagles Wasted Time by alfa_blond
For Christmas I got a collection of the Eagles’ studio albums. I know this band from their reunion concert Hell Freezes Over, and I’ve enjoyed their music ever since. I was excited to listen to Hotel California and hear some of my favorite songs in the context of one of the greatest albums in the history of rock music.
While many people (including myself) mock the title track as being a party killer and putting crying babies to sleep (which I swear works for Ollie), “Hotel California” is a beautiful and haunting song. However, the song that really stuck out to me as being truly remarkable was “Wasted Time.”
Like Henley’s later solo song “Heart Of The Matter,” (which I wrote about in this previous post), “Wasted Time,” in an insightful and powerful song that illuminates truths about relationships and the complexities of love.
The song begins with Henley comforting a friend who has recently gone through a breakup. He sings gently “you can’t believe it’s happening again . . . and it looks like the end.” Like a patient friend Henley works to validate his friend's feelings before helping her feel better. The way that Henley sings “you’re afraid it’s all been wasted time” hints at an understanding that he later reveals.
The way this friend’s relationship ended is one of most painful. It’s not that she was betrayed. In some ways she did everything right and it didn’t work out. She simply “loved the boy too well.” Henley shows off the subtle and effortless acrobatics of his voice with line, gently soaring up and resting on the word “well.” As he continues, he reveals that he too is trying to stop worrying if it’s all been wasted time.
Henley then flips around the advice she gave to him “sometimes to keep it together, we got to leave it alone.” By reflecting back her advice at her, he reminds her of her own inner strength. This leads to the resolution “maybe someday we will find, that it wasn’t really wasted time.” While the song starts with lonely piano octaves, it ends with a sweeping rush of strings and Henley’s voice rising like a sunset.
It can't all be wasted time. As painful as things may feel and as bleak as the prospects are in the future you can't forget at the the beginning of the relationship there was a spark or some magical shared experience that brought you together. You can let the way the relationship ends invalidate that moment and all the good times that happened later or you can choose not to. Yes, there's a time for us all when it feels like wasted time, but it's up to ourselves to move past that and see the value beyond the end.
Showing posts with label Break-up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Break-up. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Monday, December 17, 2012
8th Grade Playlist: 8 - Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles
There are a lot of songs that reflect on break-ups and tell the stories of relationships that ended. However there aren’t a lot of songs that put you right in the middle of a break-up while it’s happening. That doesn’t really seem like a fun place to be, but Ray Charles manages to make it entertaining.
“Hit The Road Jack” by Ray Charles is one of the most popular songs in the history of pop music. It was written by Percy Mayfield and released in 1961. This song is a conversation between a fed-up woman and a man she is trying to make leave. He tries to convince her to let him stay, but she stand her ground and demands that he “hits the road.”
This is a short song with only two alternating sections. The opening “Hit the road jack,” section sung by the Raylettes (Ray Charles’ female back-up singers) with interjections by Ray.
During Ray’s first response he lashes out, telling the woman she’s mean. But then he pulls back and states that if she says he has to go, then he’ll leave. It’s almost like he’s trying to play a sympathy card to change his mind. But then she snaps right back singing “that’s right.”
During the second verse Ray takes on a different strategy. He tries to convince her that he’ll get his act together. Then we hear one of the most powerful phrases in pop music, “don’t care!” These two words aren’t sung as much as they are growled. It’s full of attitude, strength and one of the greatest “oh, snap,” moments in the history of popular music.
The relationship dynamics portrayed in this song are fascinating. This was released in the early 1960s. The power in relationships was more often in the hands of men both legally and socially. So here’s a song about a girl dumping a guy. The guy is unable to convince her to let him stay and she proceeds to kick him out. Her reasoning is sound, he has no money and he’s no good.
Ray puts himself out there as the guy who gets dumped. This is the opposite of a rap star bragging about how much money he has or how many “ho’s in different area codes,” he “possesses.” It’s this willingness to be the man who gets dumped, the butt of the joke and that makes this song so much fun.
“Hit The Road Jack” is empowering to women and it’s a good lesson to men to remember get their act together before a girl gets fed up because there’s a good chance that if you don’t, you may be hitting the road.
“Hit The Road Jack” by Ray Charles is one of the most popular songs in the history of pop music. It was written by Percy Mayfield and released in 1961. This song is a conversation between a fed-up woman and a man she is trying to make leave. He tries to convince her to let him stay, but she stand her ground and demands that he “hits the road.”
This is a short song with only two alternating sections. The opening “Hit the road jack,” section sung by the Raylettes (Ray Charles’ female back-up singers) with interjections by Ray.
During Ray’s first response he lashes out, telling the woman she’s mean. But then he pulls back and states that if she says he has to go, then he’ll leave. It’s almost like he’s trying to play a sympathy card to change his mind. But then she snaps right back singing “that’s right.”
During the second verse Ray takes on a different strategy. He tries to convince her that he’ll get his act together. Then we hear one of the most powerful phrases in pop music, “don’t care!” These two words aren’t sung as much as they are growled. It’s full of attitude, strength and one of the greatest “oh, snap,” moments in the history of popular music.
The relationship dynamics portrayed in this song are fascinating. This was released in the early 1960s. The power in relationships was more often in the hands of men both legally and socially. So here’s a song about a girl dumping a guy. The guy is unable to convince her to let him stay and she proceeds to kick him out. Her reasoning is sound, he has no money and he’s no good.
Ray puts himself out there as the guy who gets dumped. This is the opposite of a rap star bragging about how much money he has or how many “ho’s in different area codes,” he “possesses.” It’s this willingness to be the man who gets dumped, the butt of the joke and that makes this song so much fun.
“Hit The Road Jack” is empowering to women and it’s a good lesson to men to remember get their act together before a girl gets fed up because there’s a good chance that if you don’t, you may be hitting the road.
Monday, November 19, 2012
8th Grade Playlist: 5. Red by Taylor Swift
Define work . . . if you define works as: Can you get something out of it? Was it good for you? Was it good for them? Did you grow in this relationship? Do you look back at it with some fondness if it should end before your death or his death? Than yeah, it can work. . .
Dan Savage Savage Lovecast: Episode 226The idea of a relationship for many people is a relationship that lasts 50 or 60 years. Sometimes in our struggle to find that relationship, we see the relationships that don’t last the long haul as not really “working.”
If you think about what Dan Savage is saying, a relationship that lasts 60 years and then ends because someone dies, may not have necessarily “worked.” And a relationship that lasted a year could have really worked for that period of time. Just because it ended, as all relationships eventually do, doesn’t mean that it didn’t work.
“Red,” the title track from Taylor Swift’s most recent album is about a relationship that worked. It ended, but Taylor is able to look past this to celebrate what the relationship meant. I’m reminded of Springsteen’s “Bobby Jean,” which has a similar message. It’s not about trying to get back together, but rather its' about acknowledging how what was meaningful about a relationship.
Taylor goes into some great similes and metaphors, “Loving him is like trying to change your mind, Once you’re already flying through the free fall." However I got to say though the opening line “Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street,” is kind of hard to relate to for most of us. She takes us through different colors, expanded on the idea of feeling the “blues,” to feeling “grey,” and most powerfully: “red.”
Taylor effortlessly sings through this song and introduces some great musical touches that are heard throughout the album. Right after the bridge she sings the chorus in a slightly different way with more intensity and darkness. Also the line “and that’s why he’s spinning round in my head,” feels like its twirling. Taylor could have made an entire section of this song repeating this part but rather she leaves it undeveloped as a catchy and beautiful musical nugget.
“Red” revels in the wide range of emotions that love can bring and celebrates the drama, the lack of control, the intensity and the true wonder that is love. We hear her struggle in the bridge trying to get over the relationship but part of her doesn’t want to because she remembers everything about the relationship that worked.
Sometimes we feel like the only way that we can get over a break-up is by convincing ourselves that the relationship never worked and that there was never anything worthwhile in the relationship. Well, if there wasn’t anything of value even for five minutes then the relationship would have never happened.
Yes it’s hard to get over the end of a relationship. However this process isn’t always about burning photos, bad mouthing the other person with friends and being bitter.
After Ellie dies in Up!, Charles struggles to move on with his life. The way he accomplishes this is by cherishing the time they spent together, which helps him realize the value of the relationship he develops with Russell.
If you go out with a guy for a month and it doesn’t work out, am I saying you should strap some balloons to your house and go to South America? No, but don’t let the way it ended cloud the beautiful colors of the memories of when it worked.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
8th Grade Playlist: #3. West Coast by Coconut Records
When you think of great sing along songs, you think about songs of joy and hope. These are upbeat songs like “Sweet Caroline,” and “More Than A Feeling.” So when I heard Jason Schwartzman (yes, the actor) of Coconut Records urge us to sing-along to “West Coast” I wasn’t quite sure it made sense.
This is a song about a man missing someone in his life. We’re not sure whether it’s a girlfriend, friend or family member. The circumstances of the distance between them isn’t made clear. It could be a break-up or someone making a career move. It’s not clear who is to blame for the situation.
Does this sound like the kind of a song that works as a sing along? I wasn’t quite sure until I saw this video of Coconut Records performing live:
“West Coast” is a beautiful and intriguing song. It reminds me of “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire. Coconut Records has an indie rock flair mixed with a sense of story telling. “West Coast” is a song that takes us on a journey and brings us to a place we don't quite expect.
The song begins simple enough with a keyboard line, and then immediately draws us in with hints of a larger story told through fragments of thoughts. The verse is in 7/4, with the beat organized in a group of three and then a group of four. This metric pattern creates a subtle feeling of being unsettled as the melody doesn’t quite play out like you expect. The meter doesn’t bring attention to itself, rather it enforces the emotions of loss and longing in the lyrics.
After the second chorus, Jason calls to everybody to sing a soaring line that is sung over the verse music. There is a feeling of unity and freedom, almost a sense of flying as the words of the verse enter layering underneath. This section continues to build and then suddenly pulls back with the words “I miss you."
Music is about feeling comforted by knowing that there are other people in the world who share our emotions. When we sing along with a song we connect our own emotions with that song in an immediate and very real way. Sometimes those emotions are happy but other times they are not. “West Coast,” is a sad song but it reminds us that the feeling of missing someone is bittersweet. The only reason you miss someone is because of how great that person makes you feel and that is exactly what that soaring melody line is all about.
If you feel like singing along, than just sing along. It’s not about whether the song is happy or sad, it’s about the connection you feel with the artist. In that moment you are sharing an emotional world that transcends time and space that only music can create.
This is a song about a man missing someone in his life. We’re not sure whether it’s a girlfriend, friend or family member. The circumstances of the distance between them isn’t made clear. It could be a break-up or someone making a career move. It’s not clear who is to blame for the situation.
Does this sound like the kind of a song that works as a sing along? I wasn’t quite sure until I saw this video of Coconut Records performing live:
“West Coast” is a beautiful and intriguing song. It reminds me of “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire. Coconut Records has an indie rock flair mixed with a sense of story telling. “West Coast” is a song that takes us on a journey and brings us to a place we don't quite expect.
The song begins simple enough with a keyboard line, and then immediately draws us in with hints of a larger story told through fragments of thoughts. The verse is in 7/4, with the beat organized in a group of three and then a group of four. This metric pattern creates a subtle feeling of being unsettled as the melody doesn’t quite play out like you expect. The meter doesn’t bring attention to itself, rather it enforces the emotions of loss and longing in the lyrics.
After the second chorus, Jason calls to everybody to sing a soaring line that is sung over the verse music. There is a feeling of unity and freedom, almost a sense of flying as the words of the verse enter layering underneath. This section continues to build and then suddenly pulls back with the words “I miss you."
Music is about feeling comforted by knowing that there are other people in the world who share our emotions. When we sing along with a song we connect our own emotions with that song in an immediate and very real way. Sometimes those emotions are happy but other times they are not. “West Coast,” is a sad song but it reminds us that the feeling of missing someone is bittersweet. The only reason you miss someone is because of how great that person makes you feel and that is exactly what that soaring melody line is all about.
If you feel like singing along, than just sing along. It’s not about whether the song is happy or sad, it’s about the connection you feel with the artist. In that moment you are sharing an emotional world that transcends time and space that only music can create.
Monday, October 29, 2012
8th Grade Playlist: #2. 50 Ways To Say Goodbye by Train
I asked my 8th graders to share me songs by their music heroes. Here are my reactions to these songs.
Sometimes we forget that pop music can be funny. Growing up in the maelstrom of gangster rap and grundge music, I remember music getting really dark and serious. Even now, sometime it seems like pop musicians feel that the only way to be taken seriously is well to have music that is not all really all that much fun.
This is one of the reasons I love PSY's “Gangnum Style.”
People laugh at the ridiculousness of this music video and revel in it. It’s a breath of fresh air, but the thing is, most music videos of the 1980s were just as silly as this one and just as fun. Also “Gangnum Style,” is a great song.
When one of my 8th graders sent me “50 Ways To Say Goodbye” by Train, I was dreading having to listen to this song. Look, I acknowledge the catchiness of Train’s music but the nonsensical lyrics of “Hey, Soul Sister” drive me crazy (here is my post about that song). Well, my student made the effort to e-mail me about this song and it deserves my attention so here we go.
Wait a second, David Hasselhoff!! I LOVED this guy on Knight Rider. There’s a mariachi band and there’s lead singer Pat Monahan dropping any level of pretention and hamming it up for the camera! This is awesome AND the lyrics totally make sense.
Okay, the story is that a guy gets dumped and because of the shame and hurt, he can’t bear to tell his friends the truth so he makes up ridiculous explanations for his ex-girlfriend’s absence including being eaten by a lion and getting hit by a purple Scion.
Genius.
Look, this is exactly what great pop music is all about. Train is incorporating some cool sounds like a Mariachi band ala Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire.” Then they took a very sad and difficult feeling of being rejected and turned in it into a hilarious anthem.
Sometimes the only way to deal with difficult emotions is to make a joke out of it and Train effectively does this helping us work through these emotions by reflecting the ridiculousness of this reaction. At the same time Train makes us feel better about the impulse of hiding the truth by letting us know that we are not crazy for feeling a need to hide being dumped from our friends.
Train, you totally redeemed the nonsense of “Hey soul sister, ain’t that mister mister” with “She'll think I'm Superman, Not super minivan.”
Nicely Done.
. . . but we still got some work to do to get passed "Meet Virginia."
Sometimes we forget that pop music can be funny. Growing up in the maelstrom of gangster rap and grundge music, I remember music getting really dark and serious. Even now, sometime it seems like pop musicians feel that the only way to be taken seriously is well to have music that is not all really all that much fun.
This is one of the reasons I love PSY's “Gangnum Style.”
People laugh at the ridiculousness of this music video and revel in it. It’s a breath of fresh air, but the thing is, most music videos of the 1980s were just as silly as this one and just as fun. Also “Gangnum Style,” is a great song.
When one of my 8th graders sent me “50 Ways To Say Goodbye” by Train, I was dreading having to listen to this song. Look, I acknowledge the catchiness of Train’s music but the nonsensical lyrics of “Hey, Soul Sister” drive me crazy (here is my post about that song). Well, my student made the effort to e-mail me about this song and it deserves my attention so here we go.
Wait a second, David Hasselhoff!! I LOVED this guy on Knight Rider. There’s a mariachi band and there’s lead singer Pat Monahan dropping any level of pretention and hamming it up for the camera! This is awesome AND the lyrics totally make sense.
Okay, the story is that a guy gets dumped and because of the shame and hurt, he can’t bear to tell his friends the truth so he makes up ridiculous explanations for his ex-girlfriend’s absence including being eaten by a lion and getting hit by a purple Scion.
Genius.
Look, this is exactly what great pop music is all about. Train is incorporating some cool sounds like a Mariachi band ala Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire.” Then they took a very sad and difficult feeling of being rejected and turned in it into a hilarious anthem.
Sometimes the only way to deal with difficult emotions is to make a joke out of it and Train effectively does this helping us work through these emotions by reflecting the ridiculousness of this reaction. At the same time Train makes us feel better about the impulse of hiding the truth by letting us know that we are not crazy for feeling a need to hide being dumped from our friends.
Train, you totally redeemed the nonsense of “Hey soul sister, ain’t that mister mister” with “She'll think I'm Superman, Not super minivan.”
Nicely Done.
. . . but we still got some work to do to get passed "Meet Virginia."
Monday, August 27, 2012
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift
Hope is a powerful force.
It can change the course of history and save people’s lives. However, hope can also hold us back.
Diana and I have never broken up and then gotten back together. That was not the case with my high school girlfriend. We probably broke up three of four times for reasons that I cannot bring to mind. The reasons why we got back together, I can’t remember either.
The last time we broke up was right before I left for college. She was staying in the Seattle area and I was moving out to Chicago. We agreed that we would break up and move on with our lives but that we would still be friends.
The problem was that our definition of “friends,” was different. I didn’t want to respond to the daily e-mails and instant messages. She wasn’t getting the hint when I would not respond as quickly with shorter e-mails explaining that I was busy.
When I got to college I let go of any possibility that we would get back together, but she didn’t, she held out hope.
She kept pushing and pushing to be part of my life and as she continued to not get my hints, I became harsher and meaner and in the process, I fear that I broke her heart. I just wanted to move on and as horrible as this sounds, the only that I could do this was telling her over the phone that we would never get back together.
There were tears and these words resonated in a completely different way than the way Taylor sang these same words.
Taylor Swift’s newest single, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” is about the freedom and joy that comes from giving up on any hope that a relationship will come back together.
This song continues the evolution of Taylor Swift’s musical style. She takes different musical elements from her own musical heritage and mixes it with moderm influences to create a fresh and original sounding song that is uniquely Taylor.
The opening guitar lick has two effects thrown in that seems to turn the line around like a sample in a rap song. As soon as that is established she introduces a steady thumping beat. This four on the floor bass drum rhythm comes from country line dancing and can be heard in Springsteen’s “Shackled And Drawn.”
Taylor has already combined very different musical elements, the feel of sample and a the beat and pulls it together with a hook featuring repeated syllables that is reminiscent of “Umbrella” by Rhianna and harmonies in the chorus that sound like something out of a One Direction or Jonas Brother’s song.
All of these different influences and musical ideas combine with Taylor’s unique subject matter. Now does Taylor Swift sound like a woman in her early 20’s? Do girls this age actually sound like this when they talk about relationships? I can’t generalize but I know girls who do and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. I think this song may come across as speaking from more of a teenage perspective because of the sound of the song, but Taylor is singing about relationship relapses that happen just as often with young adults.
All of this adds up to expressing that moment when you finally get over a relationship and are once again excited about the future possibilities. If you break up with someone and keep hoping in the back of your mind that you could get back together with that person then you can never truly move on with your life.
I didn’t learn until later when I was dumped how the loss of hope could hurt but how this pain could lead to the kind of joy that Taylor sings about. I know in my heart that my high school girlfriend got to that place as well. As I telling myself this to make myself feel better about my actions, probably but after twelve years, what else is there, but hope?
It can change the course of history and save people’s lives. However, hope can also hold us back.
Diana and I have never broken up and then gotten back together. That was not the case with my high school girlfriend. We probably broke up three of four times for reasons that I cannot bring to mind. The reasons why we got back together, I can’t remember either.
The last time we broke up was right before I left for college. She was staying in the Seattle area and I was moving out to Chicago. We agreed that we would break up and move on with our lives but that we would still be friends.
The problem was that our definition of “friends,” was different. I didn’t want to respond to the daily e-mails and instant messages. She wasn’t getting the hint when I would not respond as quickly with shorter e-mails explaining that I was busy.
When I got to college I let go of any possibility that we would get back together, but she didn’t, she held out hope.
She kept pushing and pushing to be part of my life and as she continued to not get my hints, I became harsher and meaner and in the process, I fear that I broke her heart. I just wanted to move on and as horrible as this sounds, the only that I could do this was telling her over the phone that we would never get back together.
There were tears and these words resonated in a completely different way than the way Taylor sang these same words.
Taylor Swift’s newest single, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” is about the freedom and joy that comes from giving up on any hope that a relationship will come back together.
This song continues the evolution of Taylor Swift’s musical style. She takes different musical elements from her own musical heritage and mixes it with moderm influences to create a fresh and original sounding song that is uniquely Taylor.
The opening guitar lick has two effects thrown in that seems to turn the line around like a sample in a rap song. As soon as that is established she introduces a steady thumping beat. This four on the floor bass drum rhythm comes from country line dancing and can be heard in Springsteen’s “Shackled And Drawn.”
Taylor has already combined very different musical elements, the feel of sample and a the beat and pulls it together with a hook featuring repeated syllables that is reminiscent of “Umbrella” by Rhianna and harmonies in the chorus that sound like something out of a One Direction or Jonas Brother’s song.
All of these different influences and musical ideas combine with Taylor’s unique subject matter. Now does Taylor Swift sound like a woman in her early 20’s? Do girls this age actually sound like this when they talk about relationships? I can’t generalize but I know girls who do and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. I think this song may come across as speaking from more of a teenage perspective because of the sound of the song, but Taylor is singing about relationship relapses that happen just as often with young adults.
All of this adds up to expressing that moment when you finally get over a relationship and are once again excited about the future possibilities. If you break up with someone and keep hoping in the back of your mind that you could get back together with that person then you can never truly move on with your life.
I didn’t learn until later when I was dumped how the loss of hope could hurt but how this pain could lead to the kind of joy that Taylor sings about. I know in my heart that my high school girlfriend got to that place as well. As I telling myself this to make myself feel better about my actions, probably but after twelve years, what else is there, but hope?
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem
“And with this pen, I thee wed from my heart to your distress.”
The most important messages in my life are handwritten: the cards I’ve received from loved ones, the notes of devotion I write to Diana and the first letter I wrote to my niece Amelia.
Writing things by hand is a pain for me. I’m left handed so my hand often cramps up when I write for too long. My handwriting is naturally pretty messy so it takes a lot of effort for me to write in a way that is legible. Also, there’s the fact that I write much slower than I type and there’s the lack of ability to edit. But it’s worth it.
Everybody’s handwriting is like a fingerprint and through this expression we not only read the words but feel who they are. The title “Handwritten,” the new single from Gaslight Anthem takes this idea and delves deep into feelings of loss and the connections between us that save us in our darkest moments.
The first verse starts by describing a song that the protagonist has been crying to since a young age. The fact that this song is out there and expresses the pain he feels helps him know that he’s not alone. He believes that “they’re waiting to heal,” and through this faith’s “holding his breath,” hoping for something better.
The chorus begins with “sirens that never come,” help that never actually shows up. So they write by the moon, to “ease the loss of youth and how many years I’ve missed you.” The chorus touches upon that idea that through self-expression, whether its music or writing we can find salvation.
The second verse deepens this sense of connection. There’s the holding of hands and the acknowledgment that they have both been hurt in the same way. “There’s nothing like another soul that’s been cut up the same,” isn’t a “misery loves company” sentiment but an expression of relief like in the first verse knowing that someone isn’t alone in their feelings.
The bridge pushes all the pain aside and describes the feelings of love through the beauty of the night.
One of the things I love about The Gaslight Anthem is the way they play around with the verse chorus form. Often just when you think they are going to end a song or simply repeat a chorus in the a way you expect that they do it in a slightly different way mirroring the journey their characters go on in their music.
The bridge has a different texture without drums and a thinner instrumentation. This isn’t really unexpected, but what they do coming out of this sections is creative and powerful. Instead of simply going straight back into the chorus, they sing the first two lines of the chorus slower with a different melodic line. They don’t finish the chorus but instead they build up to the introductory guitar riff. The song continues to build to one of the most beautiful lines I’ve heard in a rock song in recent memory: “And with this pen, I thee wed from my heart to your distress.”
The music video is a triumph as well. It follows the creation of song into a record, which is then passed around. This video is subtle and powerful, with moments of deep emotion illustrating the different personal meanings one song can bring to many people.
Next time you need to write someone a note, pick up a pen and write it by hand. It may or may not feel that different for the recipient but it will feel different for you. These words will mean more to you and to those who read your words by capturing feelings and memories that the heart sometimes forgets but the soul yearns to remember.
The most important messages in my life are handwritten: the cards I’ve received from loved ones, the notes of devotion I write to Diana and the first letter I wrote to my niece Amelia.
Writing things by hand is a pain for me. I’m left handed so my hand often cramps up when I write for too long. My handwriting is naturally pretty messy so it takes a lot of effort for me to write in a way that is legible. Also, there’s the fact that I write much slower than I type and there’s the lack of ability to edit. But it’s worth it.
Everybody’s handwriting is like a fingerprint and through this expression we not only read the words but feel who they are. The title “Handwritten,” the new single from Gaslight Anthem takes this idea and delves deep into feelings of loss and the connections between us that save us in our darkest moments.
The first verse starts by describing a song that the protagonist has been crying to since a young age. The fact that this song is out there and expresses the pain he feels helps him know that he’s not alone. He believes that “they’re waiting to heal,” and through this faith’s “holding his breath,” hoping for something better.
The chorus begins with “sirens that never come,” help that never actually shows up. So they write by the moon, to “ease the loss of youth and how many years I’ve missed you.” The chorus touches upon that idea that through self-expression, whether its music or writing we can find salvation.
The second verse deepens this sense of connection. There’s the holding of hands and the acknowledgment that they have both been hurt in the same way. “There’s nothing like another soul that’s been cut up the same,” isn’t a “misery loves company” sentiment but an expression of relief like in the first verse knowing that someone isn’t alone in their feelings.
The bridge pushes all the pain aside and describes the feelings of love through the beauty of the night.
Here, in the dark,He loves her and appreciates what is central to what she loves: the moonlight. This is foreshadowed in the early choruses “And we only write by the moon." It comes straight form his heart to the pen, the way that he expresses in more than any other way his love.
I cherish the moonlight
I'm in love with the way you're in love with the night
And it travels from heart, to limb, to pen.
One of the things I love about The Gaslight Anthem is the way they play around with the verse chorus form. Often just when you think they are going to end a song or simply repeat a chorus in the a way you expect that they do it in a slightly different way mirroring the journey their characters go on in their music.
The bridge has a different texture without drums and a thinner instrumentation. This isn’t really unexpected, but what they do coming out of this sections is creative and powerful. Instead of simply going straight back into the chorus, they sing the first two lines of the chorus slower with a different melodic line. They don’t finish the chorus but instead they build up to the introductory guitar riff. The song continues to build to one of the most beautiful lines I’ve heard in a rock song in recent memory: “And with this pen, I thee wed from my heart to your distress.”
The music video is a triumph as well. It follows the creation of song into a record, which is then passed around. This video is subtle and powerful, with moments of deep emotion illustrating the different personal meanings one song can bring to many people.
Next time you need to write someone a note, pick up a pen and write it by hand. It may or may not feel that different for the recipient but it will feel different for you. These words will mean more to you and to those who read your words by capturing feelings and memories that the heart sometimes forgets but the soul yearns to remember.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson
I literally ran across a parking lot to Barnes & Noble to buy Kelly Clarkson's previous album because of how much I liked “My Life Would Suck Without You.” So what happened with “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”? . . . eh. . .
My first reaction to this song was to the title. It seemed really cliché to use that saying for the title of a song. So I ignored this song for months. Then it hit me recently: many pop songs, some of my favorites are settings of clichés, so what am I whining about? Then I realized that it wasn’t so much that the title was cliché it was the phrase that was being used.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” always came across to me as a type of euphemism. This phrase seems to be something people say to convince themselves that a bad experience in life has some worth. That spirit really isn’t such a bad thing, I mean, I’m an optimist so I’m down with that. But the reality is that many bad experiences that don’t kill you do not in fact make you stronger. Wounds sometimes never fully heal and sometimes there are scars that are left behind.
Not liking the lyrics in a song’s hook is a perfectly valid reason to not like it, but for Kelly Clarkson an artist that I enjoy so much that the first blog post I ever did was about “Since U Been Gone,” it didn’t feel right. So I decided to really see what this song was about.
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” is a spiritual sequel to “Since U Been Gone.” In Clarkson’s first and most popular single, she is singing about a break-up and the immediate feelings that follow. It’s a song that’s a mix of anger “shut your mouth, I just can’t take it,” and liberation “I can breathe for the first time.” It captures the transition between the depression and self-blame and the spirit of “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).”
In “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” there’s no acknowledgement of that this break-up had any bad effects. The pain in “Since U Been Gone,” is diminished and the hint of liberation in that song is exploded in an anthem of self-empowerment. The background harmony and instrumental texture has a dark shade to it. This sets up the anger and pain that Kelly is singing about getting over.
Clarkson has come a long way from “Since U Been Gone.” In early recordings she simply screamed through the high notes, now she belts them out with more strength and depth. While there is a characteristic strain to her singing there’s also a sense of ease watching her sing and a feeling that Clarkson is really enjoying herself.
After listening to this song, I think I better understand the "doesn't kill you make you stronger," sentiment. I still don't love this statement and I think it's really really poor consolation to give someone who is going through hard times. But hearing the strength and conviction the Clarkson sings with, it's beginning to make sense.
Be careful, don't judge a song by its cliche, you never know what you may be missing out on.
My first reaction to this song was to the title. It seemed really cliché to use that saying for the title of a song. So I ignored this song for months. Then it hit me recently: many pop songs, some of my favorites are settings of clichés, so what am I whining about? Then I realized that it wasn’t so much that the title was cliché it was the phrase that was being used.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” always came across to me as a type of euphemism. This phrase seems to be something people say to convince themselves that a bad experience in life has some worth. That spirit really isn’t such a bad thing, I mean, I’m an optimist so I’m down with that. But the reality is that many bad experiences that don’t kill you do not in fact make you stronger. Wounds sometimes never fully heal and sometimes there are scars that are left behind.
Not liking the lyrics in a song’s hook is a perfectly valid reason to not like it, but for Kelly Clarkson an artist that I enjoy so much that the first blog post I ever did was about “Since U Been Gone,” it didn’t feel right. So I decided to really see what this song was about.
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” is a spiritual sequel to “Since U Been Gone.” In Clarkson’s first and most popular single, she is singing about a break-up and the immediate feelings that follow. It’s a song that’s a mix of anger “shut your mouth, I just can’t take it,” and liberation “I can breathe for the first time.” It captures the transition between the depression and self-blame and the spirit of “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).”
In “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” there’s no acknowledgement of that this break-up had any bad effects. The pain in “Since U Been Gone,” is diminished and the hint of liberation in that song is exploded in an anthem of self-empowerment. The background harmony and instrumental texture has a dark shade to it. This sets up the anger and pain that Kelly is singing about getting over.
Clarkson has come a long way from “Since U Been Gone.” In early recordings she simply screamed through the high notes, now she belts them out with more strength and depth. While there is a characteristic strain to her singing there’s also a sense of ease watching her sing and a feeling that Clarkson is really enjoying herself.
After listening to this song, I think I better understand the "doesn't kill you make you stronger," sentiment. I still don't love this statement and I think it's really really poor consolation to give someone who is going through hard times. But hearing the strength and conviction the Clarkson sings with, it's beginning to make sense.
Be careful, don't judge a song by its cliche, you never know what you may be missing out on.
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Sign by Ace of Base
What does the “The Sign” mean to you?
To my wife, it’s a song that came out when she was around 9 years old. For a talent show her and a couple of her friends came up with a dance for this song and performed it. My wife’s understanding of this song back then wasn’t very deep. She thought that this song was literally about a sign.
This song was huge. “The Sign” was the #1 one song of 1994 and sold over nine million copies in America alone. Part of it’s appeal was its drum beat but also that this song had layers beyond the idea of a “printed sign.”
For me, the song is about someone seeing a sign in the sense of an action revealing something deeper. Like when you are going out on a date with someone who is constantly texting throughout dinner, that’s a “sign,” that he or she is not that into you and lacks elementary social skills.
What’s the sign in this song? They never say. It’s kind of like Meat Loaf ‘s “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That). People don’t seem to know what “that” is (even though the song pretty clearly lays out that it is cheating/adultery). “The Sign” doesn’t really help us in a literal sense understand the sing but we get an emotional sense what finally seeing the sign feels like.
You get a sense of this in the way that the chorus of this song opens up harmonically. But the best part that describes this and my favorite part of the song is when the song modulates (suddenly changes keys). This occurs at the end of the instrumental break after the second chorus: “I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes and I am happy not living without you. . . ”
There’s a beautiful sense of freedom that happens in that moment. The song changes from that point on from a contemplation of circumstance to a celebration. While I love this moment and this song, I don’t know if the song is strong enough to appeal outside of my memories.
Is this song notable for any other reason than nostalgia? I don’t know. I’m too biased having grown up with this song in my life to know for sure. I can’t help but wonder if pop music that means so little to me actually means a lot to the younger generation and will continue to mean something to them as they grow up. It’s hard to say, but songs like “The Sign,” make me take pause before I criticize the latest pop music trend, because sometimes nostalgia is enough of a reason to make a song meaningful.
To my wife, it’s a song that came out when she was around 9 years old. For a talent show her and a couple of her friends came up with a dance for this song and performed it. My wife’s understanding of this song back then wasn’t very deep. She thought that this song was literally about a sign.
This song was huge. “The Sign” was the #1 one song of 1994 and sold over nine million copies in America alone. Part of it’s appeal was its drum beat but also that this song had layers beyond the idea of a “printed sign.”
For me, the song is about someone seeing a sign in the sense of an action revealing something deeper. Like when you are going out on a date with someone who is constantly texting throughout dinner, that’s a “sign,” that he or she is not that into you and lacks elementary social skills.
What’s the sign in this song? They never say. It’s kind of like Meat Loaf ‘s “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That). People don’t seem to know what “that” is (even though the song pretty clearly lays out that it is cheating/adultery). “The Sign” doesn’t really help us in a literal sense understand the sing but we get an emotional sense what finally seeing the sign feels like.
You get a sense of this in the way that the chorus of this song opens up harmonically. But the best part that describes this and my favorite part of the song is when the song modulates (suddenly changes keys). This occurs at the end of the instrumental break after the second chorus: “I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes and I am happy not living without you. . . ”
There’s a beautiful sense of freedom that happens in that moment. The song changes from that point on from a contemplation of circumstance to a celebration. While I love this moment and this song, I don’t know if the song is strong enough to appeal outside of my memories.
Is this song notable for any other reason than nostalgia? I don’t know. I’m too biased having grown up with this song in my life to know for sure. I can’t help but wonder if pop music that means so little to me actually means a lot to the younger generation and will continue to mean something to them as they grow up. It’s hard to say, but songs like “The Sign,” make me take pause before I criticize the latest pop music trend, because sometimes nostalgia is enough of a reason to make a song meaningful.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Against All Odds by Phil Collins
“Against All Odds” is one of those songs that continues to be omnipresent in our culture. I heard it last week at a J. Crew store and just the week before it was featured on Up All Night. We often overlook music we hear all the time as being musically insignificant. For years, “Against All Odds” was one of those songs for me.
On the surface “Against All Odds,” is a cheesy 1980s ballad. The instrumentation immediately dates this song and while many people like Phil Collins’ voice, it’s doesn’t hold a universal appeal. The way I began to really understand the subtlety and depth of this song was listening to Mariah Carey’s version.
It’s not that Carey’s version is all that different. The studio recording of her cover is exactly the same length as Phil Collins'. I would not argue the Carey does a better performance. That simply isn’t a fair comparison as these are two singers who sing in completely different styles. What Mariah Carey allowed for me is to hear this song fresh after years of hearing it as background music.
Break-up songs cover a wide complexity of emotions and Collins manages to encapsulates so much of them in this song. The first line of the verses starts with anguish that immediately melts in sentimentality. This juxtaposition of emotions immediately draws us in as pain and joy come crashing together.
The plea of the chorus is “take a look at me now” which contrasts “the memory of your face.” He hope that if the other person looks at his face she will be drawn back into the relationship. However, it's against odds.
As the song journey’s forward there is another plea to just turn around but it’s to no avail. As the second chorus enters, the song becomes more desperate. Heartbreak sinks in, as all she can do is “wait.” He can’t make her turn around. At the end song not against the odds that they will get back together, it’s against all odds. It’s not going to happen. Where there once was a slim chance of this working out there is nothing.
There are no lines in this song like in many songs about relationships that talk about love directly. Instead Phil Collins goes deeper into what it means to be loved and what that feels like. The one-line that expresses the love between them is “you’re the only one who ever knew me at all.”
Think about the people in your life that you truly love. They know you in ways that other people don’t and allow you to not have to “be” anything but yourself. Being able to be that open and free with another person is liberating and beautiful. If you’ve got this you can’t let it go without a fight. Even if it’s against all odds.
On the surface “Against All Odds,” is a cheesy 1980s ballad. The instrumentation immediately dates this song and while many people like Phil Collins’ voice, it’s doesn’t hold a universal appeal. The way I began to really understand the subtlety and depth of this song was listening to Mariah Carey’s version.
It’s not that Carey’s version is all that different. The studio recording of her cover is exactly the same length as Phil Collins'. I would not argue the Carey does a better performance. That simply isn’t a fair comparison as these are two singers who sing in completely different styles. What Mariah Carey allowed for me is to hear this song fresh after years of hearing it as background music.
Break-up songs cover a wide complexity of emotions and Collins manages to encapsulates so much of them in this song. The first line of the verses starts with anguish that immediately melts in sentimentality. This juxtaposition of emotions immediately draws us in as pain and joy come crashing together.
The plea of the chorus is “take a look at me now” which contrasts “the memory of your face.” He hope that if the other person looks at his face she will be drawn back into the relationship. However, it's against odds.
As the song journey’s forward there is another plea to just turn around but it’s to no avail. As the second chorus enters, the song becomes more desperate. Heartbreak sinks in, as all she can do is “wait.” He can’t make her turn around. At the end song not against the odds that they will get back together, it’s against all odds. It’s not going to happen. Where there once was a slim chance of this working out there is nothing.
There are no lines in this song like in many songs about relationships that talk about love directly. Instead Phil Collins goes deeper into what it means to be loved and what that feels like. The one-line that expresses the love between them is “you’re the only one who ever knew me at all.”
Think about the people in your life that you truly love. They know you in ways that other people don’t and allow you to not have to “be” anything but yourself. Being able to be that open and free with another person is liberating and beautiful. If you’ve got this you can’t let it go without a fight. Even if it’s against all odds.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Foolish Games by Jewel
Yeah, it's been weeks and I'm still listening to Adele's "Someone Like You" and it still sound fresh. Today as I listened to this song for the fifth time in the row, Jewel's "Foolish Games" came to mind.
Is this as good as Adele? Maybe, all I know is that when she sings "breaking my heart" towards the end it touches a similar place that Adele reaches. This folky feeling of Jewel someone reminds me of Roy Orbison's "Crying."
ah man. . . this is getting brutal. I need something happier. How about the theme song to my favorite new TV show this fall?
. . . though I could really go for some Adele right about now . . .
Is this as good as Adele? Maybe, all I know is that when she sings "breaking my heart" towards the end it touches a similar place that Adele reaches. This folky feeling of Jewel someone reminds me of Roy Orbison's "Crying."
ah man. . . this is getting brutal. I need something happier. How about the theme song to my favorite new TV show this fall?
. . . though I could really go for some Adele right about now . . .
Monday, March 14, 2011
Back To December by Taylor Swift
I’ve been waiting for “Back To December” ever since I first heard “Love Story.”
Taylor Swift’s breakout single “Love Story” and my first exposure to her stands as one of Swift's greatest achievements as an artist. The lead single from Speak Now “Mine” which I praised in this earlier post is a beautifully crafted song, which tells a touching and powerful story. However, “Mine” doesn’t take any dramatic and musical chances. It’s a display of incredible skill but in many ways it’s similar to “Love Story” in its turn around in the middle of the song and its general musical construction.
While this is impressive, it’s in “Back To December” that we find Swift taking musical and dramatic chances, and creating an achievement as a true successor to “Love Story.”
“Back To December” is the third track on Speak Now after two tracks that would have fit perfectly well in Swift’s previous album. So when you hear the shimmer of the guitar and the string instruments flow in gently at the beginning of “Back To December” it’s almost a little jarring.
There’s something so different about the tone of the introduction with slowly falling guitar lines like leaves failing in a forest. The slow ascending turn at the end of the guitar brings a sense of hope but as the guitar ripples it blends back into the texture. The introduction is beautiful but it’s also cold and as the song unfolds we understand why.
Taylor Swift’s songs are statements of power and independence. On initial listening, her first song that is an apology seems to go against these themes. In the first verse she starts a conversation and then takes a step back reflecting on its awkwardness. An emotional wave hits as the chorus opens and we realize that this song is about Taylor asking for forgiveness. Swift delivers one of her most powerful lines “freedom ain’t nothing but missing you,” juxtaposing the freedom she thought would make her happy with consequences of her error: her feelings of regret.
The lyrics in this song don’t provide us any revelations beyond what you understand in the first verse and the chorus however she adds layers of depth to her emotion. Swift does what she does best, telling a love story, but from a different angle and the beauty of this story makes this song all that much more powerful.
Yes, it is not admirable to be full of regret and to apologize to someone who doesn’t deserve an apology. However, it takes great strength to tell someone that you have wronged and try to make amends. This isn’t a weak girl breaking down in front of guy, it’s a girl standing up and admitting a mistake fighting for the love that she has lost.
Watching her perform this we worry about what the result of this situations and Taylor’s shocked response from the standing ovation reminds us that after all of this she is okay.
Yes, it's just a song, but with a song this great you can't help but wonder.
Taylor Swift’s breakout single “Love Story” and my first exposure to her stands as one of Swift's greatest achievements as an artist. The lead single from Speak Now “Mine” which I praised in this earlier post is a beautifully crafted song, which tells a touching and powerful story. However, “Mine” doesn’t take any dramatic and musical chances. It’s a display of incredible skill but in many ways it’s similar to “Love Story” in its turn around in the middle of the song and its general musical construction.
While this is impressive, it’s in “Back To December” that we find Swift taking musical and dramatic chances, and creating an achievement as a true successor to “Love Story.”
“Back To December” is the third track on Speak Now after two tracks that would have fit perfectly well in Swift’s previous album. So when you hear the shimmer of the guitar and the string instruments flow in gently at the beginning of “Back To December” it’s almost a little jarring.
There’s something so different about the tone of the introduction with slowly falling guitar lines like leaves failing in a forest. The slow ascending turn at the end of the guitar brings a sense of hope but as the guitar ripples it blends back into the texture. The introduction is beautiful but it’s also cold and as the song unfolds we understand why.
Taylor Swift’s songs are statements of power and independence. On initial listening, her first song that is an apology seems to go against these themes. In the first verse she starts a conversation and then takes a step back reflecting on its awkwardness. An emotional wave hits as the chorus opens and we realize that this song is about Taylor asking for forgiveness. Swift delivers one of her most powerful lines “freedom ain’t nothing but missing you,” juxtaposing the freedom she thought would make her happy with consequences of her error: her feelings of regret.
The lyrics in this song don’t provide us any revelations beyond what you understand in the first verse and the chorus however she adds layers of depth to her emotion. Swift does what she does best, telling a love story, but from a different angle and the beauty of this story makes this song all that much more powerful.
Yes, it is not admirable to be full of regret and to apologize to someone who doesn’t deserve an apology. However, it takes great strength to tell someone that you have wronged and try to make amends. This isn’t a weak girl breaking down in front of guy, it’s a girl standing up and admitting a mistake fighting for the love that she has lost.
Watching her perform this we worry about what the result of this situations and Taylor’s shocked response from the standing ovation reminds us that after all of this she is okay.
Yes, it's just a song, but with a song this great you can't help but wonder.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Just Like A Pill by Pink
When Pink released her second album in 2002 she got personal. Instead of producing contrived dance like her previous album she composed music that expressed a deeper level of emotion.
"Just Like A Pill" is a victorious break-up song. A statement of strength in the realization of one's worth and beauty. I never thought I would say this but this girl named Pink really can inspire.
"Just Like A Pill" is a victorious break-up song. A statement of strength in the realization of one's worth and beauty. I never thought I would say this but this girl named Pink really can inspire.
Monday, January 3, 2011
It’s My Party by Leslie Gore/Quincy Jones & Amy Whinehouse
As Diana danced around the room with Buffy in her arms singing “It’s My Party,” changing the lyrics to “It’s My Buffy,” I smiled at this cute display of affection not really thinking much about the song.
“It’s My Party” by Leslie Gore is one of those 1960s pop songs that everyone knows. It’s so deeply embedded into our pop culture that we don’t really think about it. Like a single tree in a forest, what makes this song unique and special gets lost in the larger view.
Then I read in Rolling Stone that Amy Whinehouse teamed up with Mark Ronson to record this song on a tribute album to Quincy Jones. Now I absolutely love Ronson’s work with Whinehouse. Ronson’s signature as a producer is to record 1960s style background instrumentals with live instruments mixed with an dark modern sensibility. With songs like “Rehab” he created grooves that were so undeniably infectious that you can’t help but take notice.
I immediately downloaded this song from iTunes and listened to it in awe.
I personally love Amy Whinehouse’s voice. It’s a beautiful soulful disaster and I understand why her voice sounds to some as incomprehensible warbling, but it works for me. Regardless of how you feel about the vocals you got to give credit to Ronson’s brilliant production. It’s groovy, dark and mysterious.
Now you may be wondering as I was, what “It’s My Party” has to do with Quincy Jones. Well, Jones who has produced some of the most important music in popular culture (everything from Count Basie to Michael Jackson’s Thriller) started his career with “It’s My Party” as the first single he produced.
If you take a listen to Leslie Gore’s version carefully with fresh ear you realize how astounding this song is.
Quincy Jones' instrumental arrangements are impossibly intricate and tight (check out the brass hits right before Gore starts singing). The bass and drums lock in like a drum machine but groove like only live musicians can.
In front of all of this is Leslie Gore’s vocals. Somehow Jones pushes her voice into the foreground in the recording so her voice is right in your face. It’s impossible to ignore her voice in a texture of instruments that she could have easily gotten drowned out if not for Jones production.
Then there’s the odd but brilliantly powerfully lyrics about a girl who’s heart is being broken at her own party but exclaims that since it’s her party she can do whatever she wants, even cry. This is a powerful embrace of emotion and through this statement, there is independence and a whole lot of soul. When she sings “you would cry to, if it happen to you” you realize she’s right.
Sometimes we take for granted for things that are always around and when you take a look a closer look at something with a fresh perspective you never know what you can find.
“It’s My Party” by Leslie Gore is one of those 1960s pop songs that everyone knows. It’s so deeply embedded into our pop culture that we don’t really think about it. Like a single tree in a forest, what makes this song unique and special gets lost in the larger view.
Then I read in Rolling Stone that Amy Whinehouse teamed up with Mark Ronson to record this song on a tribute album to Quincy Jones. Now I absolutely love Ronson’s work with Whinehouse. Ronson’s signature as a producer is to record 1960s style background instrumentals with live instruments mixed with an dark modern sensibility. With songs like “Rehab” he created grooves that were so undeniably infectious that you can’t help but take notice.
I immediately downloaded this song from iTunes and listened to it in awe.
I personally love Amy Whinehouse’s voice. It’s a beautiful soulful disaster and I understand why her voice sounds to some as incomprehensible warbling, but it works for me. Regardless of how you feel about the vocals you got to give credit to Ronson’s brilliant production. It’s groovy, dark and mysterious.
Now you may be wondering as I was, what “It’s My Party” has to do with Quincy Jones. Well, Jones who has produced some of the most important music in popular culture (everything from Count Basie to Michael Jackson’s Thriller) started his career with “It’s My Party” as the first single he produced.
If you take a listen to Leslie Gore’s version carefully with fresh ear you realize how astounding this song is.
Quincy Jones' instrumental arrangements are impossibly intricate and tight (check out the brass hits right before Gore starts singing). The bass and drums lock in like a drum machine but groove like only live musicians can.
In front of all of this is Leslie Gore’s vocals. Somehow Jones pushes her voice into the foreground in the recording so her voice is right in your face. It’s impossible to ignore her voice in a texture of instruments that she could have easily gotten drowned out if not for Jones production.
Then there’s the odd but brilliantly powerfully lyrics about a girl who’s heart is being broken at her own party but exclaims that since it’s her party she can do whatever she wants, even cry. This is a powerful embrace of emotion and through this statement, there is independence and a whole lot of soul. When she sings “you would cry to, if it happen to you” you realize she’s right.
Sometimes we take for granted for things that are always around and when you take a look a closer look at something with a fresh perspective you never know what you can find.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Somebody’s Crying by Chris Isaak
It’s always easier to talk about “somebody” than it is to talk about ourselves. We’ve all had moments when we tell a story about ourselves and use the ambiguous “somebody.”
“Somebody I know got a parking ticket in that same spot that you did.”
“Somebody I know once ate a whole package of Thin Mints in one sitting.”
“Somebody I know thought that Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus were two different people.”
One of the most often uses of the “somebody” is in love. It’s the whole “hey, I hear somebody’s into you.” Then you gauge their reaction and you can either continue talked about how it’s you or back up when the girl relates that she has a husband. This isn’t really a strategy I would endorse. I believe that being up front is always the best policy but for adolescents this whole “somebody” tactic is a way to talk to people without exposing themselves up and being vulnerable.
Chris Isaak in his 1995, hit “Somebody’s Crying” takes this idea as a way of telling a girl how much she has hurt him.
He opens singing about how “somebody” has been hurt and is crying. He’s trying to express his pain but cannot and like someone unable to look another straight in their eyes the only way he can talk about himself in through “somebody.”
At the chorus, Isaak let’s loose and cannot keep this ruse up. He asks directly for her love back. However at the end of the chorus he regains his composure stating “somebody’s lying” remembering the wrong she has done.
Isaak balances the different layers of emotion within a break-up effortlessly as his Elvis Presley-like voice draws us in. I can’t really speak to the sensual nature of his voice that people often discuss (he doesn’t really do that for me). What I can comment on is the range he sings with from a whisper to a flying falsetto and a deeper tenor.
There’s a very deliberate switch between the colors of his voice that work together seamlessly. Isaak carefully colors the conflicting emotions with different tones of his voice to create something that is intimate and immediate.
Somebody I know has been at the crossroads after a break-up and know exactly what Chris Isaak is expressing.
Somebody I know wishes that he could sing like Chris Isaak and thinks that it would instantly make him more appealing to woman.
Somebody I know when he was a teenager wished he could recreate Isaak's "Wicked Games" music video with a supermodel but on further consideration would rather not. I mean the sand would get everywhere and it was probably really could and I wouldn't . . . I mean that um. . . somebody I know really wouldn't enjoy.
“Somebody I know got a parking ticket in that same spot that you did.”
“Somebody I know once ate a whole package of Thin Mints in one sitting.”
“Somebody I know thought that Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus were two different people.”
One of the most often uses of the “somebody” is in love. It’s the whole “hey, I hear somebody’s into you.” Then you gauge their reaction and you can either continue talked about how it’s you or back up when the girl relates that she has a husband. This isn’t really a strategy I would endorse. I believe that being up front is always the best policy but for adolescents this whole “somebody” tactic is a way to talk to people without exposing themselves up and being vulnerable.
Chris Isaak in his 1995, hit “Somebody’s Crying” takes this idea as a way of telling a girl how much she has hurt him.
He opens singing about how “somebody” has been hurt and is crying. He’s trying to express his pain but cannot and like someone unable to look another straight in their eyes the only way he can talk about himself in through “somebody.”
At the chorus, Isaak let’s loose and cannot keep this ruse up. He asks directly for her love back. However at the end of the chorus he regains his composure stating “somebody’s lying” remembering the wrong she has done.
Isaak balances the different layers of emotion within a break-up effortlessly as his Elvis Presley-like voice draws us in. I can’t really speak to the sensual nature of his voice that people often discuss (he doesn’t really do that for me). What I can comment on is the range he sings with from a whisper to a flying falsetto and a deeper tenor.
There’s a very deliberate switch between the colors of his voice that work together seamlessly. Isaak carefully colors the conflicting emotions with different tones of his voice to create something that is intimate and immediate.
Somebody I know has been at the crossroads after a break-up and know exactly what Chris Isaak is expressing.
Somebody I know wishes that he could sing like Chris Isaak and thinks that it would instantly make him more appealing to woman.
Somebody I know when he was a teenager wished he could recreate Isaak's "Wicked Games" music video with a supermodel but on further consideration would rather not. I mean the sand would get everywhere and it was probably really could and I wouldn't . . . I mean that um. . . somebody I know really wouldn't enjoy.
Monday, October 11, 2010
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers by Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand
I love Neil Diamond. That guy is the man. How can you hate on the guy who wrote “Sweet Caroline,” possibly the greatest sing along song in pop music history? I love his duet with Barbara Streisand “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” But man, I hate Barbara Streisand.
Okay, maybe hate is too strong a word. Part of my dislike comes from the insane way that people who are fans of Streisand worship her. In addition, her ridiculous diva attitude doesn’t make her the most likable performer but I can admit, at her peak she could really sing and her duet with Neil Diamond is one of the most beautiful and unforgettable songs you’ll ever hear.
Neil Diamond wrote "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with several collaborators in 1977 and in the next year Streisand covered the song. Gary Guthrie, a disc jockey, took these two versions and edited them together as a going away present for his wife that he had just divorced. This version gained such interest that Diamond and Streisand recorded a studio version of the duet. It was this version that became a number one hit and led to one of the greatest Grammy performances of all time.
I mean what color is Barbara wearing? What is the deal with that pantsuit? Oh lord check out the size Neil’s lapels and man that bow tie is small. Laf, Neil is SO wearing old man paints that go above his belly button and . . . um. . . . oh my God, they are walking towards each other. Neil, why don’t “used to be’s” count any more?!? . . . then Barbara touches his hair and wow . . .
The presentation is SO 1980 and the production of the strings is not hip or modern but there is something beautiful about the performance and this song.
This is one of those few breakup songs that is completely devoid of anger. Anger is not really an emotion itself. Rather it’s an expression of an emotion. Often when you are sad that is expressed through anger and the beauty of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” is that we get to true emotion at the heart of the situation, sadness.
“You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” paints the picture of a beautiful relationship by showing us what isn’t anymore. If you transformed all the negatives into positives you would have one of the most romantic and beautiful love songs, instead we have a heartbreaking realization of what has been lost.
Diamond doesn’t try to out sing Streisand, instead he does what he’s best at, a more conversational style with a deep baritone letting Streisand soar above him and juice the passion and pain out of every single note. It’s a big contrast of styles but it works so well together.
The line, “you think I could learn to tell you goodbye” always gets to me because that truly is one of the hardest things to do in life because when you say the words and the person leaves, they are still with you. Feeling someone in your heart and not feeling their physical presence is one the most depressing things in life.
However while this song is sad, there is smile deep within. It's like by going through journey these two people are reminded how beautiful love can be and even though they lost this love, there's hope in the future. This is best explained by Butters Scotch:
“I love life . . I’m sad but at the same time I’m really happy that something can make me feel that sad. It’s like, it makes me feel alive. It makes me feel human. The only way I could feel this sad now is if I felt something really good before. So I have to take the bad with the good. So I guess what I’m feeling is like a beautiful sadness.”
Okay, maybe hate is too strong a word. Part of my dislike comes from the insane way that people who are fans of Streisand worship her. In addition, her ridiculous diva attitude doesn’t make her the most likable performer but I can admit, at her peak she could really sing and her duet with Neil Diamond is one of the most beautiful and unforgettable songs you’ll ever hear.
Neil Diamond wrote "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with several collaborators in 1977 and in the next year Streisand covered the song. Gary Guthrie, a disc jockey, took these two versions and edited them together as a going away present for his wife that he had just divorced. This version gained such interest that Diamond and Streisand recorded a studio version of the duet. It was this version that became a number one hit and led to one of the greatest Grammy performances of all time.
I mean what color is Barbara wearing? What is the deal with that pantsuit? Oh lord check out the size Neil’s lapels and man that bow tie is small. Laf, Neil is SO wearing old man paints that go above his belly button and . . . um. . . . oh my God, they are walking towards each other. Neil, why don’t “used to be’s” count any more?!? . . . then Barbara touches his hair and wow . . .
The presentation is SO 1980 and the production of the strings is not hip or modern but there is something beautiful about the performance and this song.
This is one of those few breakup songs that is completely devoid of anger. Anger is not really an emotion itself. Rather it’s an expression of an emotion. Often when you are sad that is expressed through anger and the beauty of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” is that we get to true emotion at the heart of the situation, sadness.
“You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” paints the picture of a beautiful relationship by showing us what isn’t anymore. If you transformed all the negatives into positives you would have one of the most romantic and beautiful love songs, instead we have a heartbreaking realization of what has been lost.
Diamond doesn’t try to out sing Streisand, instead he does what he’s best at, a more conversational style with a deep baritone letting Streisand soar above him and juice the passion and pain out of every single note. It’s a big contrast of styles but it works so well together.
The line, “you think I could learn to tell you goodbye” always gets to me because that truly is one of the hardest things to do in life because when you say the words and the person leaves, they are still with you. Feeling someone in your heart and not feeling their physical presence is one the most depressing things in life.
However while this song is sad, there is smile deep within. It's like by going through journey these two people are reminded how beautiful love can be and even though they lost this love, there's hope in the future. This is best explained by Butters Scotch:
“I love life . . I’m sad but at the same time I’m really happy that something can make me feel that sad. It’s like, it makes me feel alive. It makes me feel human. The only way I could feel this sad now is if I felt something really good before. So I have to take the bad with the good. So I guess what I’m feeling is like a beautiful sadness.”
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Reflections Of My Life by Marmalade
A great 1960s gem.
The dude is a little down a life. Either he was continuously dumped by girlfriend after girlfriend or he's reflecting back on a life wasted looking up esoteric songs on youtube.com and posting them on his blog.
The dude is a little down a life. Either he was continuously dumped by girlfriend after girlfriend or he's reflecting back on a life wasted looking up esoteric songs on youtube.com and posting them on his blog.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor
Two single tears falling down the face of an angel.
Sinead O’Connor in the music video for “Northing Compares 2 U” is one of the most striking, powerful and unforgettable images in popular music.
This video features a close-up of O’Conner’s face singing with only a couple interjections of her walking around Paris. There’s no gimmicks her just Sinead. When she looks into the camera it’s like she’s looking straight at you and as the intensity builds and when she cries (4:00 in) you feel like she is in the room with you breaking down.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” was originally written by Prince and it makes perfect sense when you hear him perform it.
This song features Prince’s soulful melodies and characteristically quirky but personal lyrics. People argue about which version is better and while this debate is interesting both artists have very different approaches. Prince takes this more as gospel song and an expression of love while Sinead makes it a more personal expression of anguish.
As much as Sinead’s striking beauty attracted people to her music video, it was her voice that was truly remarkable. Everything about the production puts the focus squarely on the voice of Sinead O’Conner. While there are subtle and interesting nuances in the organic and gently progression of the harmony the washed out musical landscape never draws attention to itself.
There are bluesy notes that Sinead almost gnarls through and there are also angelic high notes that she floats up to. She does it all using different colors and shades in her tone. While this performance was rehearsed and practiced it comes across simply as effortless expression.
Almost thirty years after it’s original release Sinead O’Connor performed “Nothing Compares 2 U” in Belgium.
O’Connor said that she didn’t want to be successful because of her beauty which is why she originally cut her hair short. Well, she was still a beauty even without hair in 1990 when released “Northing Compares 2 U.”
No longer the young girl with the angelic face and the teardrops, Sinead now gets her wish and proves to all of us what a great artist without any of those things. And while it may seems a trite way to conclude, it’s true, nothing really compares Sinead O’Connor.
Sinead O’Connor in the music video for “Northing Compares 2 U” is one of the most striking, powerful and unforgettable images in popular music.
This video features a close-up of O’Conner’s face singing with only a couple interjections of her walking around Paris. There’s no gimmicks her just Sinead. When she looks into the camera it’s like she’s looking straight at you and as the intensity builds and when she cries (4:00 in) you feel like she is in the room with you breaking down.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” was originally written by Prince and it makes perfect sense when you hear him perform it.
This song features Prince’s soulful melodies and characteristically quirky but personal lyrics. People argue about which version is better and while this debate is interesting both artists have very different approaches. Prince takes this more as gospel song and an expression of love while Sinead makes it a more personal expression of anguish.
As much as Sinead’s striking beauty attracted people to her music video, it was her voice that was truly remarkable. Everything about the production puts the focus squarely on the voice of Sinead O’Conner. While there are subtle and interesting nuances in the organic and gently progression of the harmony the washed out musical landscape never draws attention to itself.
There are bluesy notes that Sinead almost gnarls through and there are also angelic high notes that she floats up to. She does it all using different colors and shades in her tone. While this performance was rehearsed and practiced it comes across simply as effortless expression.
Almost thirty years after it’s original release Sinead O’Connor performed “Nothing Compares 2 U” in Belgium.
O’Connor said that she didn’t want to be successful because of her beauty which is why she originally cut her hair short. Well, she was still a beauty even without hair in 1990 when released “Northing Compares 2 U.”
No longer the young girl with the angelic face and the teardrops, Sinead now gets her wish and proves to all of us what a great artist without any of those things. And while it may seems a trite way to conclude, it’s true, nothing really compares Sinead O’Connor.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Baby by Justin Bieber
It’s rare that I experience I piece of music without any preconceptions. Most of the time when I listen to new music I know the artist and/or know something about the song. Also most of the time I listen to the song, but I don’t really experience it.
Don’t get me wrong, listening to a song is an active and vital way to interact with music but it’s a different when you perform a song or dance to it. This is why dancing to “Baby” this week was one of the of the greatest musical experiences I’ve had in recent memory.
Let me explain.
For the past two weeks I’ve taken an Orff level 1 class at Vadercook College of Music in Chicago. Carl Orff was a composer who helped develop an approach to teaching music to children that revolutionized music education bringing the natural way children play, create and interact with music into the classroom.
Motion is a big part of Orff’s approach which I'm not great at. During the movement part of the Orff class I felt self-conscious, insecure and a little silly dancing around the room creating different shapes and waving scarves around (this is a sarcastic analysis of the role of movement if Orff curriculum, there's a lot more going on here).
Part way through the our motion session last Wednesday when we were learning folk dances something started happening. I noticed that I was picking up the dance steps quickly and that I was pretty good at this. Then I started having fun and not caring about the way I looked to the people around.
As we neared the end of the session, the instructor told us we were going to do the same folk dance we had just practiced to traditional music to some different music. As the music started, I heard gentle guitar plucks and the vocalization of a young singer and before I knew it we started dancing. The folk dance started with the group in a large circle so when the group started going you had to dance or get run over.
I didn't have time to think about the song, all I could do was dance to it staying completely in the moment. Before I knew it an uncontrollable smile came upon my face and as I lost myself moving to the music.
After the dance was over, someone identified the song as “Baby” by Justin Bieber. No, I haven’t been under a rock, I know who Justin Bieber is, I just haven’t listened to any of his music. I’ve heard plenty about him and I’m really glad that I didn’t know it was him before I started dancing or else I wouldn’t have enjoyed the music filled with the negativity I've heard about his music.
I don't know what the fuss is all about. “Baby” is a perfectly fine pop song. It’s nicely crafted. There’s not a lot of frills or anything musically revolutionary but it’s fun and my experience dancing to it was unforgettable. Sometimes it's more than the music that makes a song important to us. Sometimes it's the way we experience it that makes it meaningful and dancing to "Baby" made this song unforgettable for me.
Driving home from class I was so excited about the idea of teaching movement and dancing to my students next year. There are many reasons to teach dancing. I could write a dissertation on the educational benefits of movement activities but it wasn’t until last Wednesday I realized how much fun folk dancing could be and how much I want to help my students attain the feeling pure joy that came from experiencing music through dance.
Don’t get me wrong, listening to a song is an active and vital way to interact with music but it’s a different when you perform a song or dance to it. This is why dancing to “Baby” this week was one of the of the greatest musical experiences I’ve had in recent memory.
Let me explain.
For the past two weeks I’ve taken an Orff level 1 class at Vadercook College of Music in Chicago. Carl Orff was a composer who helped develop an approach to teaching music to children that revolutionized music education bringing the natural way children play, create and interact with music into the classroom.
Motion is a big part of Orff’s approach which I'm not great at. During the movement part of the Orff class I felt self-conscious, insecure and a little silly dancing around the room creating different shapes and waving scarves around (this is a sarcastic analysis of the role of movement if Orff curriculum, there's a lot more going on here).
Part way through the our motion session last Wednesday when we were learning folk dances something started happening. I noticed that I was picking up the dance steps quickly and that I was pretty good at this. Then I started having fun and not caring about the way I looked to the people around.
As we neared the end of the session, the instructor told us we were going to do the same folk dance we had just practiced to traditional music to some different music. As the music started, I heard gentle guitar plucks and the vocalization of a young singer and before I knew it we started dancing. The folk dance started with the group in a large circle so when the group started going you had to dance or get run over.
I didn't have time to think about the song, all I could do was dance to it staying completely in the moment. Before I knew it an uncontrollable smile came upon my face and as I lost myself moving to the music.
After the dance was over, someone identified the song as “Baby” by Justin Bieber. No, I haven’t been under a rock, I know who Justin Bieber is, I just haven’t listened to any of his music. I’ve heard plenty about him and I’m really glad that I didn’t know it was him before I started dancing or else I wouldn’t have enjoyed the music filled with the negativity I've heard about his music.
I don't know what the fuss is all about. “Baby” is a perfectly fine pop song. It’s nicely crafted. There’s not a lot of frills or anything musically revolutionary but it’s fun and my experience dancing to it was unforgettable. Sometimes it's more than the music that makes a song important to us. Sometimes it's the way we experience it that makes it meaningful and dancing to "Baby" made this song unforgettable for me.
Driving home from class I was so excited about the idea of teaching movement and dancing to my students next year. There are many reasons to teach dancing. I could write a dissertation on the educational benefits of movement activities but it wasn’t until last Wednesday I realized how much fun folk dancing could be and how much I want to help my students attain the feeling pure joy that came from experiencing music through dance.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
In 1967, radio stations banned “Brown Eyed Girl” from airplay on radio stations. Yes, one of the most beloved pop songs in our culture, a seemingly innocuous celebration of life and a quintessential “feel good” song was taken off the radio.
Why? Because the line “making love in the green grass” from the second verse was too explicit so it was overdubbed with a line from the first verse “laughin' and a-runnin', hey hey.”
As silly as that seems to us, it could have been a worse. When it was first being recorded Van Morrison sang this song as a “Brown Skinned Girl." In the 1960s there were many states that still had laws outlawing miscegenation (interracial marriage). That would have gone over REALLY well. Producers convinced Van Morrison to change it to “Brown Eyed Girl” inadvertently creating universal appeal to this song as most of the people on this planet have brown eyes.
What makes “Brown Eyed Girl” such a popular and meaningful song isn’t the once offensive reference in the second verse or even the fact that this song is about a girl that is characterized by a superficial feature. “Brown Eyed Girl” is a song that describes the great memory of sharing a song with someone that you love through a songs that we all can’t help but love.
The light and syncopated bass line creates a simple and relaxed groove. On top of this the guitar simply dances. After playing the opening, the guitar weaves and hops between the melody playfully outlining the chords expressing the feeling of freedom and joy that Van Morrison describes in the lyrics. If there were no singing in the song at all you would know exactly what this song was about.
It always gets to me when Van Morrison sings in the second verse “so hard to find my way, now that I’m on my own.” There’s a tint of frustration in his voice but he lets go when the chorus comes and he’s able to sing like he remembers in his memory.
The “Shalala” part is nonsensical but unapologetically joyful. When you sing along to this part you can’t help but smile allowing you to immediately understand what Van Morrison is singing about. Through this immediate connection to the music, we profoundly understand what is at the soul of this song.
Every time I listen to this song I can’t help but sing along. I know exactly what Van Morrison is singing about and because of his song reminds how great it is to share not only music but life with the people we love.
The only difference is I still have my brown eyed girl in my life.
Why? Because the line “making love in the green grass” from the second verse was too explicit so it was overdubbed with a line from the first verse “laughin' and a-runnin', hey hey.”
As silly as that seems to us, it could have been a worse. When it was first being recorded Van Morrison sang this song as a “Brown Skinned Girl." In the 1960s there were many states that still had laws outlawing miscegenation (interracial marriage). That would have gone over REALLY well. Producers convinced Van Morrison to change it to “Brown Eyed Girl” inadvertently creating universal appeal to this song as most of the people on this planet have brown eyes.
What makes “Brown Eyed Girl” such a popular and meaningful song isn’t the once offensive reference in the second verse or even the fact that this song is about a girl that is characterized by a superficial feature. “Brown Eyed Girl” is a song that describes the great memory of sharing a song with someone that you love through a songs that we all can’t help but love.
The light and syncopated bass line creates a simple and relaxed groove. On top of this the guitar simply dances. After playing the opening, the guitar weaves and hops between the melody playfully outlining the chords expressing the feeling of freedom and joy that Van Morrison describes in the lyrics. If there were no singing in the song at all you would know exactly what this song was about.
It always gets to me when Van Morrison sings in the second verse “so hard to find my way, now that I’m on my own.” There’s a tint of frustration in his voice but he lets go when the chorus comes and he’s able to sing like he remembers in his memory.
The “Shalala” part is nonsensical but unapologetically joyful. When you sing along to this part you can’t help but smile allowing you to immediately understand what Van Morrison is singing about. Through this immediate connection to the music, we profoundly understand what is at the soul of this song.
Every time I listen to this song I can’t help but sing along. I know exactly what Van Morrison is singing about and because of his song reminds how great it is to share not only music but life with the people we love.
The only difference is I still have my brown eyed girl in my life.
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