The rain fell hard on the roofs that day You telephone from far away I see the ocean from my room All I could say was “are you coming home soon?” The static whisper in my ear But in a moment your voice was clear “I need some time,” you said to me That’s when I knew you were gonna make me lonely
You’re gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born When every living breath was another new dawn Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill And the wind almost took me away
You’re gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born When every living breath was another new dawn Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill And the wind almost took me away
I walk awhile before I sleep, count the secrets that I keep I hope for more, I know for sure I fall apart before I weep I disconnect the telephone, cause I can choose to be alone I’ll get more done, I’ll have some fun, pretend you’re not the only one
And I’m never gonna wish for the time right before I was born When every living breath was another new dawn Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill And the wind almost took me away
You’re gonna make me wish for the time right before I was born When every living breath was another new dawn Like the time I was 5 at the top of Peak Hill And the wind almost took me away
Having your heart broken is a horrible, horrible experience. It leaves you weak, bitter and alone. Many, many songs have been written on the subject, but few capture it so well with such a light rhythm and innocent lyrics as this one.
With the light synth notes and the powerful, yet simple line of “you were gonna make me lonely” this song just feels childish. The harmonizing that Amy and Torq perform during this chorus makes the song sound like it belongs in a fairy tale.
The words they use in this song are so simple and to the point, “you’re going to make me wish for the time right before I was born”, is almost infantile in its approach to heartbreak. It is so natural to wish that a relationship never happened. However, these feelings tend to be cast aside as immature. This song does something that few others dare to do, it dares to be immature.
Near the end of the song, there is a hint of overcoming the adversity when they say “I’ll get more done, I’ll have some fun, pretend you’re not the only one” and then they change the chorus up by saying “And I’m never gonna wish for the time right before I was born”. However, a stanza later they go right back to the depressing chorus, showing us that maybe they weren’t empowered after all. This is an admission of failure in the healing process, and certainly not the actions of a mature, healthy individual.
While this is far from the first song written about break-ups, and probably far from the best. However, it certainly ranks among the most daring, as it is able to make the victim appear as a smaller person, which is certainly a rarity.
Whenever I get around to making a second round of Music to Wallow to, I know that I will include this song, which I am ashamed to say I had not heard when I made the first list. While this, and any songs of its kind, are meant to be downers, they are an important part of any healing process. It is important to be honest with yourself and your emotions, and few songs are as honest as this one.
Now that all four albums have been represented here during Stars Week, it’s time to give Set Yourself on Fire a second dose. After looking at sad songs for the first four days I’ll take a break and look at a great synth-filed, up-beat poppy song, enjoy “What I’m Trying to Say”.
You look so good in the clothes of a poser And when you smiled all the kids fell apart here I know a place where it’s warm and it’s dry, dear Let me take you there
North of the river all the streets are the same We can pretend that they don’t know our name And the heat is turned all the way to full So don’t pretend that you don’t feel the pull
I am trying to say What I want to say Without having to say “I love you”
You look so good in the shoes of an outcast I kissed your throat every time they said it wouldn’t last But then I knew you, I knew you, I knew you I really knew you
We fell apart in the parties of the empty heart We danced the junkies in the shadows of bad modern art We clicked our heels and we wished we were home One more tab and your silk hits the chrome
I am trying to say What I want to say Without having to say “I love you”
I am trying to say What I want to say Without having to say “I love you”
Springs comes in when I’m rolling up another one I draw the curtains in the glare of the same old sun We are collapsed in the act of just being here Three blues, two greens and a beer… We are collapsed in the act of just being here Three blues, two greens and a beer…
I am trying to say What I want to say Without having to say “I love you”
I am trying to say What I want to say Without having to say “I love you”
Three words can say so much, yet so little at once. They can move mountains, or make the world stand still. They can fly so effortlessly from your lips, or awkwardly fumble out of your mouth. They are the hardest words to instigate but the easiest to retaliate. They are the words that we never tell to everyone we need to. They are “I love you”.
The man in this song is clearly in love, as he struggles with his ability to express himself. While he does not want to say the dreaded three words, he is able to get this across with such words as “So don’t pretend that you don’t feel the pull” and “We are collapsed in the act of just being here”, which so vividly expresses the emotions that he is trying to convey.
The first three days of Stars Week were about ambiguity and double meaning, and yesterday was about disappointment, this one is about another common theme in Stars songs, growing up. I don’t have earth shattering memories of the first time that I ever told a girl that I loved them, but that’s because when you are young, it’s too easy. Every time you say it to someone new, you get a better understanding of just what it means, and therefore it gets harder and harder each time.
After you have been hurt once before it is so much harder to open up your heart, and tell someone how you really feel. Due to the increased difficulty, there is a desire to find alternate methods of expression and a need to skirt around the issue. However, it is once you have been hurt before that you need to let someone else in even more. While it is harder, it is even more important to find the words and say just what you are trying to say.
In the firstthreeinstallments of Stars Week I have examined a song off of a different album each time. The trend continues today, as I take a look at a song off of their debut album Nightsongs entitled “The Very Thing”. While there was no official video for this song, there is this excellent fan made video featuring clips from Kramer vs. Kramer.
The bar closes early on the Sabbath day So me and my kid, we hit the park to play Then it starts to rain, so we walk home again He asks why he was born, I don’t know what to say I don’t feel guilty and I don’t feel sad This motherfucking life is the best he’s had I said “I’ve been there, sonny, and it ain’t that bad I took my hits from the shits back when I was a lad”
So long ago, and even though I tried I couldn’t make him see The light that he had cast in front of me And even though I cried, I couldn’t make him be The very thing I needed
His mother would make a scene when I come home late She looks like she’s dying and she’s twenty-eight I never loved that whore, I never will no more Except for a month back in ‘84 The jammin’ was playing and my heart stood still Gazing at her shadow on the windowsill
So long ago, and even though I tried I couldn’t make her see I wasn’t quite the man she thought I’d be
And even though I cried, I couldn’t make her be The very thing I needed
And even though I tried I couldn’t make her see I wasn’t quite the man she thought I’d be And even though I cried, I couldn’t make her be The very thing I needed
Could she be the very thing I needed? Could she be the very thing?
Push yourself away from your one best friend Who’s gonna love you when you reach the end? Who will? Who will? Who will?
There is one reaction that everyone fears getting from someone. It is not anger, not hatred, not even sadness. Oh no, it is far worse that that. It is disappointment.
Unlike the first few songs I have examined, this one has a relatively simple, yet powerful message, disappointments suck.
While, thankfully, I have never had to deal with being a negligent father, I can relate to the disappointment that echoes throughout this song. The main character (sang by Torq) identifies with a heavy heart not only the disappointment that he casts onto others (”Even though I tried/I couldn’t make her see/I wasn’t quite the man she thought I’d be”), but also the disappointment that others give him (”And even though I cried, I couldn’t make her be/The very thing I needed”).
Perhaps the saddest part of the song though is the line “Could she be the very thing I needed?”, which is said after repeating many times that she couldn’t be the very thing that he needed and that he “Never loved that whore”. This is exceptionally sad, because after giving and receiving so much disappointment, he begins to both accept and expect it.
As sad as heartbreak is, I think that someone staying in a relationship where they aren’t happy is far worse. To be with someone who you don’t love for want of a better alternative goes beyond tragedy. It is just plain disappointing.
The week long examination of one of Canada’s best, and most underrated bands continues! The first day, I looked at their most famous song, the second I looked at a great old one, and today, I look at a great little ditty off of their most recent album, In Our Bedroom After the War. I’m happy to present you with another unofficial video, followed by the lyrics. Warning, this song is not for the faint at heart.
[Wanted:] Single f, under 33, must enjoy the sun, must enjoy the sea [Sought by single m:] Mrs.Destiny, send photo to address, is it you and me?
[Reply to single m:] My name is Caroline cell phone number here, call if you have the time 28 and bored, grieving over loss, sorry to be heavy but heavy is the cost, heavy is the cost
[Reply to Caroline:] Thanks so much for response, these things can be scary Not always what you want How about a drink? The St.Jude club at noon? I’ll phone you first I guess I hope I see you soon!
I never got your name, I assume you’re 33 Your voice it sounded kind I hope that you like me When you see my face, I hope that you don’t laugh I’m not a film-star beauty I sent a photograph I hope that you don’t laugh…
[Note to single m:] Why did you not show up? I waited for an hour and finally gave up I thought once that I saw you, I thought that you saw me I guess we’ll never meet now It wasn’t meant to be I was sure that you saw me, but it wasn’t meant to be
[Wanted:] single f, under 33, must enjoy the sun, must enjoy the sea Sought by single m: nothing too heavy, send photo to address is it you? or me?
In my previous two entries, I discussed the dichotomies contained in each of the two songs, “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” is part somber, part empowering, while “Heart” is part forgiving, and part settling. Well today I break that pattern. This song is just sad.
Personal adds either in newspapers or on-line have always intrigued me. I must say, that I have never used that service, but I know plenty of people who have, many of which will swear by it. Whenever someone mentions that they met someone on the internet through any sort of dating service there are always a few who snicker behind their back and talk about how “pathetic” it is and how they “couldn’t find anyone better”. I personally don’t care, love is a strange thing and finds people in strange places, be they real or cyber.
While the song doesn’t specifically state that the two are meeting on-line, it seems obvious given the ease in which Caroline can send “Single m” a picture, and given the nature of our society, if it is not on-line, it doesn’t make a huge difference to the storyline. The two characters agree to meet in person after seeing one another’s adds. While the obvious sad stories and concerns that people have about this sort of thing revolve around the other person being creepy and/or dangerous.
However, in true Stars fashion, this song looks at it from a different dimension, and as usual there are multiple ways to look at it.
The obvious one is from Caroline’s point of view. She is nervous and scared, since she is “grieving over loss”, and so she sends a picture to “Single m”. However, she is clearly very insecure that he may not find her attractive, and so she shows up to meet him but he never comes. She is convinced that she saw him at one point, although there is no mention that she ever got a picture of him, or else perhaps she would have said more than “Your voice it sounded kind”.
Whether Caroline saw him or not, her story is a sad one. She puts herself out there and gets rejected, never an easy story. Now Caroline, clearly has some other issues with her self-confidence and has more than likely had some relationship troubles before (”grieving over loss” yet again), and so being rejected, will no doubt make these issues even worse. It doesn’t matter why “Single m” did not show up, in some part of her mind it will be because she is either unattractive or just not that interesting.
Now on the side we have “Single m” and any potential for his tragedy. After my initial listen to this song I was convinced that he was someone who tried to pick girls up on the internet all time, and took advantage of poor Caroline. However, upon repeated listening and reflection I think that there is a chance for a deeper character than that.
While the song follows Caroline’s anxieties, it is entirely possible that he felt the same way. Single m specifically says “these things can be scary”. So maybe, just maybe, he was too scared to meet up with Caroline, and so he backed out of it all. This would explain the repetition of his personal ad at the end. He was scared, ducked out and decided to repost and try again.
I realize that the second thought is far less likely, but there is still that certain ambiguity in the song. In the first two I looked at it was emotional ambiguity, now this time it is a lack of clarity in the story itself.
While this is often frustrating, in the context of this song (and the others) it adds a whole other dimension to the plot, leaving things for you to pick up each time you listen to it. Now that is of course a heavy contrast from the majority of music out there, which is so simple and to the point that you really only need to listen to it once to understand it. Illustrating the point once more that Stars are among the best bands out there right now, their songs have depth, which seems so simple, yet, as the music industry shows us every day is so hard to get.
I started Stars week with a look at perhaps their most famous song. Today I look at a much lesser known, but equally meaningful song. It is the title track from their second album, Heart. Just like last day, here is the (unofficial) video, followed by the lyrics.
Time can take it’s toll on the best of us Look at you you’re growing old so young Traffic lights blink at you in the evening Tilt your head and turn it to the sun Sometimes the T.V. is like a lover Singing softly as you fall asleep You wake up in the morning and it’s still there Adding up the things you’ll never be
Alright, I can say what you want me to, Alright, I can do all the things you do, Alright, I’ll make it all up for you, I’m still in love with you, I’m still in love with you
Time can take it’s toll on the best of us Look at you you’re growing old so young Traffic lights blink at you in the evening You tilt your head and turn it to the sun You disembark the latest flight from paradise You almost turn your ankle on the snow You fall back into where you started Make up words to songs you used to know So…
Alright, I can say what you want me to, Alright, I can do all the things you do, Alright, I’ll make it all up for you, I’m still in love with you, I’m still in love with you,
The hard luck god You never had a chance you know Incurable romantics never do He held the flame I wasn’t born to carry I’ll leave the dieing young stuff up to you You get back on the latest flight to paradise I found out, from a note taped to the door I think I saw your airplane in the sky tonight Through my window, lying on the kitchen floor.
Alright, I can say what you want me to, (I want more) Alright, I can do all the things you do, (Give me more) Alright, I’ll make it all up for you, I’m still in love with you, I’m still in love with you, (I want more) Alright, I’ll say you want me to, (Give Me More) Alright, I’ll do all the things you do, (I Want More From You) Alright, I’ll make it all up for you, I’m still in love with you, I’m still in love with you – Lyrics courtesy of AZLyrics.com
Sometimes there is nothing harder to say than sorry. Seeking forgiveness requires you to admit that you were wrong and that you regret your actions. This is especially convoluted in the context of a relationship, where there are many more emotions at play.
As usual, Amy Milan and Torquil Campbell are able to capture all of the emotions flawlessly. The verbal interaction between these two express a deep, and eloquent longing. Torq starts out as the sad one, stuck with only the television to fill the void of his departed love. Then Amy Milan’s angelic voice comes in with a deep sense of regret and a desire to fix all of their problems, admitting that she would “say what you want me to”.
What gets me the most about this song is the feeling that both of the characters in this song are stuck in a rut. As Torq says that Amy “falls back into where you started/Make up the words to songs you used to know”. Also, in the end, there is a slight hint that Amy is settling in a relationship that she may not want to be in and giving in to Torq’s guilt and clear love.
However, the true beauty of this song is in its ambiguity. Similar to “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”, it is one of those songs that you could probably find two very different meanings to, depending on your mood. Are you sad and want to win that special someone back? Or do you feel guilted into staying in a relationship that you may not want to be in? Either way this song is for you.
Yet again, this song by Stars runs the full emotional gambit, in a brave, yet eloquent way. This is exceptionally important when it comes to apologizing, because it is such a hard thing to do to, so you may as well do it right the first time. In a true musical rarity, this song does it right the first time.
Greetings and salutations all. While today is Wednesday, I am officially dubbing it the start of the week here at Getting Glenergized. In one week, I will have the pleasure of going to see one of the best bands this country has to offer, Stars. So as my own personal countdown I will be looking at some of their songs and talking about what they mean to me. So whether you know the band or not, buckle in because the next days should be an epic musical journey…
As you can probably tell from the graphic, the first song I am going to look at is probably their most famous one, “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”. So before I start, here have a watch of the video and a read of the lyrics…
God that was strange to see you again Introduced by a friend of a friend Smiled and said ‘yes I think we’ve met before’ In that instant it started to pour, Captured a taxi despite all the rain We drove in silence across Pont Champlain And all of the time you thought I was sad I was trying to remember your name…
This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin Tried to reach deep but you couldn’t get in Now you’re outside me You see all the beauty Repent all your sin
It’s nothing but time and a face that you lose I chose to feel it and you couldn’t choose I’ll write you a postcard I’ll send you the news From a house down the road from real love…
Live through this, and you won’t look back… Live through this, and you won’t look back… Live through this, and you won’t look back…
There’s one thing I want to say, so I’ll be brave You were what I wanted I gave what I gave I’m not sorry I met you I’m not sorry it’s over I’m not sorry there’s nothing to save
The second I heard this song I was hooked. After hearing this song, I put it on repeat, with each listen I broke down the lyrics more and more deliberately. At the risk of sounding cliche and trite, I feel that this song was sang directly to me.
This song just so genuinely captures all of the feelings of a break-up so very eloquently. So many break-up songs fall into one of two categories, the empowering ones, or the wallowing ones, this song is able to find a genuine, and very rare, mix of the two.
The repeated line of “Live through this, and you won’t turn back…” expressing the suffering that the characters in the song are going through, but it contains the promise of a better time. While the earlier lines of “It’s nothing but time and a face that you lose/I chose to feel it and you couldn’t choose” really convey the essence of a relationship breakdown. One person falls so deeply in love, while the other person himms and haas, staying at a distance. This is such a realistic contrast to the usual “You were horrible” type lines that permeate so many songs about breaking up.
While break-ups inevitably suck, there is still a conflicting emotion, as you clearly felt something for the other person at one point or another, despite the current situation. This song does a fantastic job of mixing the empowering with the melancholy, and switching between the two with the lyrics, the tone and the pace, in a seamless manner.
This is one of those amazing songs to listen to late at night when you are thinking about someone from days past. When the song reaches it’s zenith and Amy Milan’s angelic voice chymes in with “I’m not sorry I met you/I’m not sorry it’s over/I’m not sorry there’s nothing to save”, then the song is able to pass through the last step in the grieving process, acceptance as closure is finally attained.
I guess I feel that this song spoke to me so clearly, because I found it at a very crucial time in my life, when I was ready to move on. Sad and angry songs are great, but they don’t ever deal with the root of the issue. I had heard this song, and the band before this crucial stage in my life but I wasn’t all that into them. But it was when I heard this song at that very crucial point in my life that I became hooked. While I know that I searched out this song, I can’t help but feel that it found me when I needed it the most. Oddly, this will be a very common theme this entire week.
At the point that I became enamored with this song, I was ready to finally let go of anything that I was holding onto. I was ready to just move on with my life and not let anything hold me back. This song is an integral part of a soundtrack for those brave enough to confront the gambit of emotions that go along with a break-up. If you’re not ready for this song, don’t worry, it will come to you when you are…
It’s been a solid 7 months or so since I last did a soundtrack, but trust me, this one has been on my mind since I was in China! So I apologize for not doing one of these sooner, but I hope to make up for it in quality here. So without further ado…
1. Joel Plaskett — “Nowhere with You”. Astute readers may notice right off the bat that I included this in my last soundtrack, but I think that this song may be even more perfect here than anywhere else. This song is energetic and totally encapsulates a travellers mindset of going “nowhere with you”, plus the “na na na” part is perfect to listen to while walking down some foreign street
2. The Strokes — “Juicebox”. While many people may not have liked First Impressions of Earth, I think that this song is a great rockfest. The line “Why don’t you come over here? We’ve got a city to love” is a great indication of your early excitement and energy that every traveller starts out with.
3. Led Zeppelin — “Communication Breakdown”. Maybe this is just me relying on my own personal experiences, but I certainly remember being in places where nobody spoke any English and I certainly didn’t speak any of the local language. It leads to some pretty hilarious moments where communication sure breaks down.
4. David Bowie & Trent Reznor — “I’m Affraid of Americans”. Nothing against people from the good ol’ U.S. of A, but this is a wicked song. I put this song in here not only because it is amazing, but because it refers to the stereotypical “Ugly American” tourist. You know the type, the person who wants everything to be just like things are back home…I hate people like that. And for the record, some of the worst tourists I have ever met were Australian and Canadian….
5. Kaiser Cheifs — “Oh My God”. This song is perfect for that moment you realize just how far away from your friends and family you are. Listen to the line “Oh my God, I can’t believe it, I’ve never been this far away from home…” and you’ll know that you are not the only one to feel that way. By the way, check out Lily Allen’s cover of this song if you get a chance, maybe I’m biased, but it’s great!!
7. The Dandy Warhols — “Everyday Should be a Holiday”. Great song, great band. This is one of those songs for the moment when you realize that you will, one day, have to return home to your dreaded “real life”.
8. The Shins — “Sea Legs”. Here’s were the playlist starts to slow down a bit. It might be a bit too sad for you, but I think the line “And we got sea legs and we’re off tonight”, is a good one for nomads everywhere.
9. The John Butler Trio –”Nowhere Man”. It’s a song about being nowhere in particular, it ties into the opening song on this list and is a great way to sum up those long bus/train trips when you feel like you aren’t anywhere.
10. Broken Social Scene –”Looks Just Like the Sun”. I could have easily put all of You Forgot it in People on this list, the album just blends itself to staring out a window of a train, but I think that this song might be the best one for this list. Mainly because of those long overnight hauls when you first see the sun and you’re not sure if it is really there because you are so freakin’ exhausted.
11. The Arcade Fire — “No Cars Go”. You all know how much I love Neon Bible, so of course I was looking to include a song on this list! But this one is perfect, I swear! It’s about finding places where “No Cars Go”, which is something you will certainly want once you get sick of all of those crowds and souvenir stands.
12. Sigur Ros — “Untitled” (aka “Njósnavélin” aka “The Spy Machine” aka “The Nothing Song”). Really any song off of ( ) is a great choice, I just took my personal favourite here. For those not familiar with this album, it is sang entirely in Vonlenska, a language which the band made up. This album needs to be represented on any travel playlist because it so wonderfully demonstrates the ability to communicate without common language. You listen to the words and you have no idea what they mean, but you can clearly understand the point that they are trying to make. There are so many moments that this happened to me in China that have left a pretty drastic mark on my psyche, and this album will always make me think about them.
13. Michael Franti & Spearhead — “I Know I’m Not Alone”. The chorus says “Even though I’m far from home, I know I’m not alone”, sums up everything from the bond between travellers to any connections you have with someone back home.
14. Feist –”It’s Cool To Love Your Family”…and Feist makes yet another of my playlists, thus making it even more likely that her and I will be wed some day. Anyway, this is a great song to justify feeling homesick but not wanting to loose any face by admitting that you miss your mommy, chances are every other traveller has at one point or another.
15. Simon and Garfunkel — “Homeward Bound”. It’s finally that time, time to head on back home. It’s always a bitter sweet time, but Simon and Garfunkel will help you ease that transition with this classic.
16. Kanye West featuring Chris Martin — “Homecomming”. If you haven’t heard this song go and buy Graduation right now!!! Not only will you get a great album but you will put 50 Cent that much closer to retirement. Anyway this unlikely duo come together to put out a really great song that mixes West’s rapping and Martin’s incredible vocal talents. They talk a lot about coming home and in the chorus the Coldplay front man asks “Do you think about me now and then?”, which will tap into any traveller’s concern that maybe they’ve been forgotten while they’ve been gone.
17. Johnny Cash –”I’ve Been Everywhere”. I know there are about a zillion versions of this song, but I’ve always been partial to Johnny’s. It’s a great song to reminisce about your adventures to, which is clearly one of the most important parts of travelling.
Alrightie I think that’s about all, let me know if I missed any big ones. Also, does anyone have any suggestions out there for future soundtracks? If so, let me know, I’d love to hear them!
So last night I was watching Lost and then I switched it over to The Daily Show and then The Colbert Report, and then I decided to have a hot bath while listening to The Arcade Fire, and I realized something very important. There are a lot of things out there that I freakin’ Love. As a result, today I am going to start what I hope to be the first of a many part feature here at Getting Glenergized, entitled “Why I Love…” where I am going to try and rationalize my irrational feelings towards any given topic. It could be a TV Show, a place I have been to, a Band/Artist, one of my friends, or anything really.
As you can probably guess from the title above, this one is about Neon Bible, the new album by The Arcade Fire, my favouritest band at the moment. A while ago I downloaded the album and was faced with a moral crisis, to enjoy the work, or support the band. However, I have now finally purchased the album and I can now do both.
I was planning on doing a full review/interpretation/love fest for the album, but I have to say you would probably find a better one on McNutt’s blog or on Us Kids Know Forum, both of which are great places to go for information on this unreal band. So instead, I decided that I would just try and explain what makes this album so great to me in 7 reasons.
1. The Story it Tells – Like all great albums this is more than just a mere collection of songs, and this one tells a story and a half. The great things is that this album is just so full of information, stories, and poetry that it may take years for anyone to really figure out what was going on inside the heads of the artists while they were putting this thing together. But here is one of the many stories I have came up with using all of the albums song titles in order.
A man gets a terrible vision of the future by gazing into a “Black Mirror”. He panics and is convinced that doom is coming at any moment. In order to prepare he makes sure to “Leave the Car Running”, just in case he needs to get away quickly. He tries to spread the word by writing it in the “Neon Bible” for all to read. Fed up that nobody is listening, he tries to do something about it, make an “Intervention” if you will. However, it is far too late and disaster strikes. Everyone panics as they see/feel “Black Wave/Bad Vibrations”. Chaos ensues, and the world is filled with an “Ocean of Noise”. In the chaos, our hero gets trapped in “The Well and the Lighthouse” (that one will make more sense if you have heard the song). After he finally gets out, life is appearing to return to normal for most people, but our hero becomes quite disillusioned with the world and sings the “Antichrist Television Blues”. Things start to get worse once again and he laments them coming to his “Windowsill”. Finally, he has an idea of how to get away from everything he hates, by going to a place where “No Cars Go”. But once he realizes that it is only possible in his mind, he and cries out ‘“My Body is a Cage”’ with hope that it will help set his spirit free.
Not half bad eh? And I am leaving out some really important details and awesome lines from the songs and going just by the titles. Clearly there is a lot more to explore with this one.
2. The Ending to “(Antichrist Television Blues)” – This song is unreal, but the ending is what makes it even more impressive. As the song progresses, more and more anger is filled in the lyrics and tone of Win Butler’s voice. Meanwhile the music is picking up and at the very end it reaches its crescendo with the following lyrics:
“Do you know where I was when I was your age? Any idea where I was when I was your age? I was working downtown for the minimum wage. And I’m not going to let you just throw it all away! I’m through being cute, I’m through being nice, O tell me, Lord, am I the Antichrist?!”
And then it just ends. By the time the “st” leaves his mouth the music stops. This is simply an amazing way to end this song that just builds and builds and builds. This is one of those songs that you just can not look at as an independent entity. The lack of a falling action makes it hard to fit into any typical formula, that is why it needs the remaining songs on the album to bring it down a notch.
3. The Cover – Come on, how cool is this?
4. The Religious References – Well it is called Neon Bible, so it really isn’t all that surprising I suppose. The title track having some very obvious references to the good book, but it is defiantly not alone here. In “(Antichrist Television Blues)”, they talk about being a “Good Christian Man”, and it is written as both a mixture of a man talking to his daughter and praying. The chorus of “Intervention” talks about “Working for the church while your life falls apart” and “My Body is a Cage” contains the plea to “Set my spirit free”, which could very well talk about going to the place in the sky.
But it is more than just the lyrics. First off, almost every song has some sort of water based imagery and connections with the Biblical flooding can definitely be made in “Windowsill”. Also, the album sounds religious. It is filled with organ sounds and background choir, especially “Intervention”.
Far too often when bands name an album after a song it is because they couldn’t think up anything better, however it is really obvious here that Neon Bible describes the entire album.
5. The Transition from Black Wave to Bad Vibrations – In the fifth song, “Black Wave/Bad Vibrations”, something funny happens. It starts out with Regine singing very melodically and innocently and all of a sudden Win interrupts with more darkness. It is just a great musical moment that you really need to listen to a number of times to really get what they are doing here.
6. It Picks up Right Where Funeral Left Off – Funeral is very light-hearted and innocent, Neon Bible is the exact opposite, making it hard at first to make a connection between these two unreal albums. I decided one day to listen to them right in a row, no break, no anything, I just played one right after the other and I was amazed at what I found. Funeral ends with “In the Backseat” which just sounds like a dream. Neon Bible then begins with the line “I walked down to the ocean/After waking from a nightmare”. How cool is that? At the end of the first album they are falling asleep all innocent and then waking up after a nightmare to find out that things are different. Not sure if they intended for this Van Winklesque connection between the two albums, but I think it is awesome.
7. It’s The Arcade Fire!!!! – We are playing witness to something really special in music right now, a great band coming of age. Sure it won’t ever get the press that it deserves, but these guys and gal are changing music as we know it. When future music geeks look back at the first decade of this century they will talk about this band and just how influential they were. They are just so fresh, so unique and so unreal. If you do not like them then I really have to question your musical taste.
Well there are seven reasons as to why I love this album. I could probably go on for many, many more, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself here. This is just the first edition of this feature and I need to try and give myself an opportunity to raise the bar. I haven’t really thought up what my next “Why I Love…” will be about. Right now I have been thinking about Stephen Colbert, Camp, Star Wars, Teaching, Blogging, Spring, or possibly some place I have traveled to.
If any of you out there have any suggestions please feel free to hit me with a comment, I haven’t been getting too many of those lately. It makes me feel like a bit of a loosebag when nobody pays attention to me.
A little over a month ago I posted this little ditty and the face of my blog changed just a little bit. On the left hand side of your screen you can see the “Who I’ve Been Listening To Lately” heading. I installed last.fm and the way I listened to music on my computer changed. Well not so much the physical act, but my habits changed. After this site created my profile for all to see I realized that I had to stop listening to so much bad music. That’s right, I was in a bit of a bad dance music funk at the time and figured that if other people can see who I’ve been listening to than I had best carry on with a more discriminating taste. After this I went back into an Indie-ish music fix as you can see by the abundance of Sufjan Stevens, TV on the Radio and The Postal Service that I have been listening to.
I decided to make this post in order to give everyone a better insight into my odd and eclectic musical taste, I decided that I would list the Top 25 songs I have listened to since I got this computer back in September according to my iTunes play count. Before I ever got last.fm I was hoping that this could be a regular feature here on Get Glenergized but then I got last.fm and I got lazy as a result. Perhaps it is the new found energy (or should I say, Glenergy?) from the New Year, or maybe I’m just really bored. Either way, here goes the Top 25 songs that I have been listening to over the past 5 or so months.
25. Nine Inch Nails vs. The Beatles — “Come Closer Together”. Not the highest ranked mashup on this list, but definitely my favourite one. I love both of these songs separately, but I think that they are perhaps even greater together. The mix of the two choruses into “I want to fuck you, right now” makes me laugh every time.
24. Jose Gonzalez — “Heartbeats”. I simply love the guitar in this song. Sure it is simple, but it really gets the point across. While I do love this song, it is not my favourite version of this song, nor is it the most listened to. Stay tuned for that one.
23. The Arcade Fire — “Intervention”. The follow up single to one of my favourite albums ever (more on that one to follow). The Arcade Fire are one of those very rare bands that you can listen to over and over again and still find something new to enjoy every single time. This song is no exception, and it has got me VERY excited for Neon Bible.
22. Madonna — “Hung Up”. Alright, guilty pleasure time. I open myself to all of your judgments and mocking for posting this. But I really like this song. Madonna is one of the most influential musicians, oh ever, and this song proved to me that she is more than capable of reinventing herself for the twenty-first century. Plus, I like dancing around my bedroom to this one.
21. Kanye West — “Gold Digger”. Alright as you can see we are veering away from pretentious Indie Music and onto much more poppy stuff. I love Kanye West, I think that he is so incredibly cool. In fact when I was teaching a lesson on the Fraser River Gold Rush to a group of Grade 8s I referenced this song by saying “I ain’t sayin‘ he’s a gold digga, but he ain’t dealin‘ with no broke river”. It made me laugh, what can I say?
20. Jason Mraz — “I’m Yours”. Soooooooo, I’m a wee bit of a hopeless romantic. Not sure if that surprised any of you out there in blogosphere. This just seems like such a perfect song to dance romantically in the kitchen with that special someone to. Sorry if that made any of you vomit. I’ll stop.
19. Eagles of Death Metal — “Flames Go Higher”. The first of three Eagles of Death Metal songs to make it on this impressive list. Not sure what to say here other than it is a really super awesome. Eagles of Death Metal do a wonderful job of combining catchy lyrics with rocking power guitar. What more can you ask for? Oh if you recognize this little diddy then it is probably because you saw “Thank you for Smoking” (and if you haven’t, then what the heck are you waiting for???).
18. The Arctic Monkeys — “I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor“. I had the pleasure of living in Britain when these guys first took off. I was so incredibly happy to hear their hits making the rounds on this side of the pond. I am a huge fan of catchy rock that you can dance to and these guys fit the bill perfectly. Sure they sound (and look) rather dirty and unkempt, but it’s all part of the English midlands sound and scene.
17. Eminem featuring Nate Dogg — “Shake That Ass”. Despite all of his obvious detractions I have long been a fan of Eminem. He is capable of some truly amazing and insightful lyrics. This song however, is a terrible example of that. What the song lacks in depth it makes up for with a great beat and more importantly, some good natured immature humour.
16. Outkast — “Morris Brown”. While the albumIdlewild was a terrible let down, this song was great none the less. Like most Outkast songs it will always be compared to “Hey ya”, which will make it inevitably fall short. If you are able to drop those comparisons, then you will surely be able to enjoy this one.
15. Fall Out Boy — “Dance, Dance”. Another guilty pleasure of mine. This song is a great one to well, dance to. You dance to this song when you are home alone too, admit it.
14. Death Cab for Cutie — “Someday You Will Be Loved”. This song breaks my heart a bit every time I hear it. Listen with caution
13. Metric — “Dead Disco”. Here we go, some more Canadian Indie Music. Metric are so good, and I think that I may end up marrying Emily Haines when I grow up. I sort of missed Metric’s rise due to being in a different continent and not having regular Internet access. I am rather jealous that a number of my friends got a chance to see them in concert in the fall on their East Coast tour.
12. Eagles of Death Metal — “Miss Alissa”. I talked about these guys for “Flames go Higher”, but this song is even cooler. Catchier beats, faster guitar riffs, dirtier lyrics, what more can you want?
11. TV on the Radio – “Ambulance”. This is exactly why I love TV on the Radio. They are so multi-faceted. Some of their songs are great to rock to, but this one is sung a capella and is very mellow. I don’t think that I can do the lyrics and an ounce of justice, so here is my favourite part.
“oh i will be your ambulance if you will be my accident i will be your screech and crash if you will be my crutch and cast and i will be your one more time if you will be my one last chance so sweet dream fall with me fall fast fall free fall with me”
10. Sufjan Stevens – “Come on! Feel the Illinoise!”. When I hear this song it is no surprise that Sufjan Stevens is dominating the list on your left right now. I can’t believe it took me this long to get into this guy. If you haven’t heard him yet then get to a CD Store and grab any one of his albums. You will not be disappointed.
9. Death Cab for Cutie — “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”. Another sad song by Death Cab. This one does not so much break my heart as it makes me a wee bit lonely that there is nobody who would follow me into death. Listen to the song and it won’t sound so weird.
8. Feist– “When I Was a Young Girl”. If things don’t work out between Emily Haines and I, then I think that Leslie Feist will do wonders for a future wife. She has such an amazing voice and has a wonderful way with words.
7. Jay-Z vs. Linkin Park — “Encore vs. Numb”. Alright so it is not quite as cool as The Gray Album but Collision Course is still pretty awesome. While I am not a fan of Linkin Park, this song does it for me. “Encore” is one of those songs that sounds oddly better in Mash-ups than it does by itself.
6. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists — “The Golden Finch and the Red Oak”. I could listen to this song all day and be totally at peace with myself. Try it sometime.
5. Bloc Party — “Banquet”. I simply love Silent Alarm. This song is definitely no exception to that rule. I almost included this song in Music to Break Up To just because I listened to it so much dealing with my own personal break-up. It was a little tough to make some lyrical connections with. Just trust me, it’s well worth a listen or 36.
4. Eagles of Death Metal — “I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)”. The last time these guys will be on this list, I swear. This is easily my favourite song of theirs. Perhaps I find it autobiographical or something. Anyway, here is the video for this one, I really have to get me a guitar like that guy has…
3. The Arcade Fire — “Rebellion (Lies)”. This may just be my favourite song ever. I don’t think that there is a shade on my mood spectrum that I can’t find some way to enjoy this song. I can dance to it, do homework to it, think about life to it, it really does not matter. This was the song that really got me hooked on The Arcade Fire, and I am really quite thankful for it.
2. Stars — “Your Ex-Lover is Dead”. For whatever reason I was not a huge fan of Stars when I first heard them. But here I am now a little older and perhaps wiser and I can’t get enough of them. This song really got to me with the following lines standing out in particular.
You were what I wanted, I gave what I gave I’m not sorry I met you I’m not sorry it’s over I’m not sorry there’s nothing to save
And now, the moment you have clearly all been waiting for…The song that I have been listening to the most since September
1. The Knife — “Heartbeats”. You forgot that I alluded to this song way back at #24 didn’t you? Well this is the original, and definitely superior version of this song. I first heard it after checking out Travis’ blog and seeing the video that he had posted. At first I wasn’t a huge fan, but I simply could not get this song out of my head and had to keep listening to it until it got out. But then it came back and would never let me go. I’ll keep with my tradition of stealing from Travis by posting this video as well. If you don’t like this song at first give it another listen to in a few days. Trust me, it will grow on you.
So that concludes this epic marathon post. I have a few more ideas of things to blog about over the next few days. I have missed wireless Internet streaming through my brain and giving me cancer as I type. God bless technology.
The more astute ones of you out there will notice some slight cosmetic cosmetic changes to the ol’blogeroo. If you look to your left you will notice some more information on the sidebar. For starters, I added a few more Bloggy Friends, including one of my professors, Jason Price. Secondly, I went to some painful details of adding the Blogegories over there, so if any of you feel like reading about say any of my Political blogs you can click on “Real Politiking” (a delightful 19th Century history reference), or if you want to find out any of the embarassing situations I may have gotten myself into simply click “Random Tales” and they should be there. Lastly, there is the “Who I’ve Been Listening To This Week” table on the bottom of that sidebar, it is the product of my latest addiction, last.fm.
This is simply one of the coolest sites/plugins I have ever came across. You simply go to the site, create a profile and download a special plug-in. What it does, is it tracks the songs you have been playing in your iTunes, Media Player, or whatever the heck else you use and logs them down. Sounds creepy eh? Well it sort of is, but here’s the coolest part. When you are playing a song, you can open up the last.fm plug-in and it will give you all sorts of information on the artist you are listening to, and even cooler, it will recomend similar music. As a psuedo-indie-geek I simply love this!!!! Why I was just listening to my latest musical love TV on the Radio and the recomended all sorts of different bands, and as a result I went and looked up Animal Collective who I am listening to and loving as I type here. Cool eh?
It tracks all sorts of things that I listen to and I only have the “Top Weekly Artist” thing on this blog due to space constraints. I will try to add a bit more later on, since I think it is just so incredibly cool. I have been told that the part on my blog will only update every couple of days, so I expect it to look very different than it does now on it’s next update.
When you create a profile on the site it lets you check your musical compatibility with anyone else, so you can really see if you and a friend have similar tastes in music. How cool is that?There are also entries on pretty well every band under the sun and you can go and check them out and stream some of their songs to see if you will like them before pursuing them a bit more.
Now I know that I am someone who is normally so concerned over Big Brother watching him that I would be reserved to signing up for something like that. After all, I still refuse to join facebook. But yet, I find myself loving this little bit of spyware!!! I highly recomend that you all go and check out the site by giving me a click and when you do go check out my profile and add me as a friend so we can see our compatibilty. It will be fun!!!!
Lastly, many of you are probably wondering just who the heck this Danny Elfman character is at the top of my list right now. Well, he is the brilliant composer in charge of The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, something currently making the rounds on my iTunes.
Just in case you forgot how brilliant it is, here is the opening scene. Enjoy!!!!
