| The Decemberists – Red Right Ankle Lyrics | 18 years ago |
| I would classify this song somewhat differently than I would most of the Decemberists' fare – it's short, sweet, and to the point, a softly-strummed acoustic ballad that teeters on the edge of country and western balladry without tipping over and falling off. Truth be told, I never paid much attention to this track – it's nestled away a little past the halfway mark of Her Majesty, the Decemberists - until lead singer and songwriter Colin Meloy and co. returned to the stage last month to open their encore with it; Meloy first, the rest of the band gradually coming out to pick up their instruments and enter the mix as the song builds to its remarkably understated, tender crescendo. Before he strummed the song's first notes, he described it as country and western, but this is more – in my estimation, at least – folk; simple yet masterful folk, thoughtful, wistful and touching. Written for his girlfriend Carson Ellis (who, appropriately enough, does all of the illustrations for the band's albums) in reference to the red freckles on her ankle, Red Right Ankle is rendered in such perfectly intimate detail; Meloy's voice, though limited, is absolutely perfect, honest, and sweetly beautiful, honest, almost ethereal – and the low-fidelity recording (some faint white noise seems to linger throughout most of the track) perfectly suits the song's tone, lending it a sort of smoky, isolated intimacy. The simply strummed, occasionally fret-buzzing acoustic guitar, the single piano overdub, the complete absence of drums, and Meloy's sheer earnestness make this – to me – one of the most beautiful love songs I've ever heard (“This is the story of the boys who loved you/Who love you now and loved you then”), and one of the best pure love songs I've ever heard, short of the Beach Boys' God Only Knows (which I consider one of - if not the - greatest pop song ever written). When people sit down to express their thoughts on paper, this is the elusive vision of love that they are trying to capture. And what is especially powerful is that the song is so powerful without ever actually referencing the narrator's relationship to the third party described in the song. I could gush, too, over the wordplay – not simply using ten-dollar words like 'sinews' and 'ventricles' for the sake of using them, but because they fit; and the wonderful slanted rhyming of 'key' with 'Pyrenees,' and 'me' with 'symmetry' – but this is simply peripheral detail a song that speaks clearly, completely, and totally for itself. | |
| The Decemberists – Sixteen Military Wives Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Given the content of the (absolutely hilarious and insightful) video for this song, as well as how the track is played off in concert (and the band's rather obvious political orientation), there's no way that this isn't an anti-war song - or, at least, PARTLY an anti-war song. I can appreciate the sentiment decrying celebrities who speak out for a cause (although it's a somewhat ironic statement given that the band is, once again, quite open about their politics - however I think there's a line drawn between informed and uninformed opinion). However, while it's likely an anti-war message (or, to be more accurate, an attack on perceived American hegemony and imperialism), I think that it is more importantly addressed toward (or about) people on the peripheral - the media, charged with informing, who instead simply says 'la da da da da, etc' instead; the indifferent academics, and so on. So in a sense, it's really an attack on those who Colin believes are guilty of complacency or (in the case of the media, which I think is a statement central to the song) encouraging complacency. After seeing the song performed live (on the eve of the '06 midterm elections), based on Colin's in-song banter, I also began to get the impression of a further subtext - that of the worthlessness, meaninglessness and hostility of political dialog and debate in the modern United States. Neither side is debating the issues, it's simply a case of both sides pointing angrily at eachother and yelling (metaphorically, and progressively louder and more angrily) "la di da di da da, etc.," |
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| The Decemberists – Culling of the Fold Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Basically, I was planning on adding the same sentiments - I haven't heard the studio version of this song (I've been searching for days now), but at the 11/06/06 concert in Toronto, Culling of the Fold may very well have been the highlight of the night (with maybe the Perfect Crime #2, Red Right Ankle and Sixteen Military Wives in competition). Absolutely astounding passion and energy, and played with such reckless abandon. Morbid, morose, but fun, and undeniably brilliant.; I especially loved the simulated hanging with the microphone cord and the destructive performance as Colin got to bounce around on stage sans instrument. God I need to find a copy of the studio version. |
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| The Decemberists – The Perfect Crime #2 Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Before this week, I would have agreed that this track isn't just one of the weakest songs on The Crane Wife, but also perhaps one of the worst songs in the Decemberists catalog (though I can't say definitively whether there is even a single Decemberists number that I actively dislike) - but after seeing them perform this one live, my opinion has absolutely turned 180 degrees. The album version, granted, isn't that great, but if you get a chance to hear this cut live, you'll know what I mean - absolutely raucous, devastatingly energetic and just very... I suppose "raw" (but not in the same type of 'raw' as I mean when I discuss other songs by the band). Here's hoping that - at some point - these guys put out a live album. |
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| Broken Social Scene – Backyards Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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I read somewhere that this was actually put together by the band as a final project for one of the members' (either Emily or Leslie, I'm not sure) university degree in performing arts. They better have gotten perfect, because this is an absolutely spellbinding song... It struck me almost right away as a prequel or sequel to Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl. It has the same sort of melody and instrumentation... But great song. |
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| The Weakerthans – One Great City! Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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I'm not sure if this is specifically even about Winnipeg; Winnipeg is just a sort of microcosm of any city in the world (or maybe just Canada). We all have a sort of love-hate relationships with our hometown, and this song kind of plays off on that idea. It is an absolutely beautiful song, though. |
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| Cake – Opera Singer Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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I always appreciated the (intentional, perhaps?) irony of John McCrea, with such a limited vocal range (that is actually more of a monologue speech than song), assuming the part of an opera singer. In any event, good song. |
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| Broken Social Scene – Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl Lyrics | 21 years ago |
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I can't believe anyone hasn't commented on this song yet. I love Broken Social Scene, and this is one of my favourite songs - a perfectly distilling the band into one song of beautiful pop music; proof that "pop" doesn't have to mean what's popular... Its about finding the perfect mixture of melody, and rhythm to craft a beautiful aural experience (with this perhaps the greatest pure pop song since the Beach Boys released God Only Knows). I love the gentle banjo and the heavily phased and flanged vocal part. And when the gauzy strings pick up in the background, carrying the melody, it literally sends a shiver down my back. As for meaning, I'd say it's pretty straightforward, a sort-of soap opera of post-adolescence girlhood. Backstabbing, girl-talk, et al. But God it's just such a beautiful song that I'm not sure it matters. |
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| The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Belly Button Window Lyrics | 22 years ago |
| Hendrix's bassists' wife was pregnant (I don't think it was Noel Redding, but another one whose name escapes me) and Jimi thought it was like the coolest thing ever, and he was convinced that the fetus could see out through the belly button - hence, "Belly button window." Nothing sinister about it, and a beautiful (if somewhat underproduced, due to his early death) song. | |
| Neil Young – Old Man Lyrics | 22 years ago |
| It's about the janitor/custodian guy on his ranch. Sad character, and a real sad, melancholic number. Haunting. | |
| Neil Young – The Needle And The Damage Done Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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Supposedly, as the story goes, one of the members of Crazy Horse (whose name escapes me at the moment) got addicted to heroin. So Young kicked him out of the band, gave him a plane ticket and $50 to go to LA, enter rehab and clean himself up. Instead, he spent the money on more heroin and ended up Oding. Very sad. And the "milk blood" line is about how junkies draw their own blood and re-inject it to get a mild high. If you like this song, you'll like the whole album Tonights The Night - another band member ODed, so everyone in Crazy Horse just got piss drunk and recorded the whole album in pretty much one take. All kinds of slurred words, missed tempos and stuff - but it's absolutely amazing nonetheless. |
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| The Who – Fiddle About Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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Taken out of context of Tommy, this song is absolutely hilarious, in a disgusting, perverted kind of way. It doesn't really make sense unless you listen to it as part of Tommy. Then you'll understand what's going on. But still... kind of funny, in a twisted way. |
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| The Who – Behind Blue Eyes Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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Pete said he wrote this song about some a*shole record executive, but when he was done, he said he kind of realized that it applied to himself too. Amazing song though. One of The Who's best. |
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| Elton John – Tiny Dancer Lyrics | 22 years ago |
| This is an ode to a groupie - but it was used absolutely beautifully to convey the feeling in Almost Famous. An amazing song and an amazing film. | |
| Queen – Another One Bites The Dust Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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Retsam dna drolrevo ruoy, nataS ma I. Just proving a point - but a very cool song, nonetheless. |
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| The Doors – The End Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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I think it's vaguely amusing that everyone is dissecting this song so seriously. Jim Morrison, if nothing else, is proof of a single thing - just because you're a poet, it doesn't necessarily make you a good poet. I love this song, and yes there is a reference to Freud's idea of the Oedipus Complex, but it's all just stream-of-conscious type stuff that starts out making sense but drifts off into a pointless poetic rambling... |
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| Tool – Parabola Lyrics | 22 years ago |
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I hate parabolas. Possibly the worst thing we EVER had to do in math class. This song, however, is awesome - as is most Tool. |
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