Round The Bend

Sea Change is a breakup album. In such cases, the order of the songs is very important. For example, the Japanese release of this album includes "Ship in a Bottle" as a final track, which offers resolution that is lacking in the American release.

I believe that this song is about the moment in trying to get over a person when an emotional corner is turned. "People pushing harder....faces tell" seems to be describing the animosity than can develop between two people who don't give each other space.

"It's your time now" seems to indicate that the woman for whom the narrator is pining will soon turn the emotional corner, and the narrator can then begin to live without her.

I read an article recently where British researchers had identified "The Drugs Don't Work" by The Verve as the saddest song ever. I think anyone who listens to "Round the Bend" by Beck would respectfully disagree.

In many ways, this is the quintessential song for "Sea Change", a true "breakup album" as bjengles3 stated. It uses a minimal amount of music or lyrical ambiguity to paint a picture of despair.

Above all, "Round the Bend" is about how cruel people can be to each other. When Beck says "People pushing harder, Up against themselves", he is not being cynical or judgmental, he's making an observation.

The first lines of the song, "We don't have to worry, Life goes where it does" are simple, direct, and brilliant. Beck makes it clear from the rest of the lyrics that he wishes he really believed that.

I love this song.

it's got a similar sound to Nick Drake hence the strings, i love both River Man and this but the mood is different.. the storyteller on RM is like this kindly and mildly smilling pal who apparently knows more than the rest, differently from the one from Beck's song who's totally lost and sad in terms of his thoughts. there was a very great comment on this website on Beck's Movie Theme, about "Beck having figured out everyting about the world and not being happy with the result", i see it so perfectly in this and other Beck songs. it's just in his voice - it can be crazy, calmly ironic but so sad and deep at times.

this track's strings are reminiscent of Drake's first album Five Leaves Left, especially those on "Way to Blue".

Beck seems to pay tribute to Drake with his song titles. like "Sunday Sun" (instead of "Saturday Sun"), or "End of the Day" (rather than "Day is Done"). the songs themselves don't equate in any obvious way. overall feel of the arrangements and style, though: definitely some parallels.

sea change is often overlooked by the mainstream crowd but it is a very moving album. i recommend it. thats all. :)

i picture myself floating in a pond surrounded by trees under the moonlight whenever i lissen to this song

This song centers me and soothes me. I turn it on when I'm stressed out and I feel my shoulders relaxing. I love this album. My daughter and I sleep to it sometimes.

What? I've always thought Round the Bend was an amazing resolution to an album. Actually in my mind it's only rivaled by Brain Damage/Eclipse on Dark Side of the Moon.

Yeah! Now that you mention it, sbauernilsen, it does sort of. I think it's written in the same key and the chords progressions are similar.

I don't know what it is, but I find the music incredibly sexy.