matt's music blog

Men Without Hats - Jenny Wore Black (Pop Goes the World, 1987)

james — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:59:22 +0000

Another amazing gem from Men Without Hats. This song comes to us from their amazing, possibly rock opera, if not then at least, concept album Pop Goes the World. Which details the lives of fictitious rock superstars, Jenny and Johnny, who are in the band The Human Race.

We start off with some solid Harpsichord, bass guitar, drum, and synth horns. Also, take care to listen to the cool call and response parts.

Jenny wore black
jenny wore white - WHITE!
and jenny was real
but almost not quite
and jenny was here
she was almost inside
and jenny was real
but jenny was frightened by the way
we looked at her
and jenny could see
she was only a child

The choruse contains some tasteful female backing vocals, and more cool harpsichord.
jenny concealed all but her smile
and when she smiled we said hey HEY!
you'll never see clear with tears in your face hey!
you'll never see clearly anyway
I said I loved you blindly, and I do
we're only two strangers in ways


The next verse is the same as the last. Take note of the cool voice agumentation on the “la la la”s

jenny wore black
jenny wore white, WHITE!
and jenny was real but almost not quite (la la la la la la)
and jenny was here she was almost on time
and jenny was real
but jenny was frightened by the way
we looked at her
and jenny could see within us for a while
jenny revealed all but her smile
and when she smiled we said hey HEY!
you'll never see clear with tears in your face hey!
you'll never see clearly anyway
I said I loved you blindly, and I do
we're only two strangers in ways
we should say

Finally we come to possibly my favorite part of this whole song. The bridge.
you always caught my eyes where
the dreams peter in
and I can't remember
wherever I've been
there's still holes for my eyes
where the dreams peter through
all I can remember
is when I was with you

Does this remind you of anything? Because to me it sounds like an allusion to the Beatles "Fixing a hole" And making musical allusions to the Beatles, is a really amazing feat, in my book.

The rest of the song pretty much continues like before. Another chorus then the end. Pretty much an amazing song.

Orchestral Movments in the Dark - Bloc Bloc Bloc (Crush, 1985)

james — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:29:29 +0000

I really like this song. And one of th things that I like a lot about it, is I have nearly no idea what it’s about. Okay, that not totally true. I mean, as far as I can tell, it’s mostly just a bunch of verses about what this guy wants to do. Shall we get into it then?

It starts off with a solid bass line, a little bit of reverb-y guitar, and hand claps. Also a little bit of synth on the top, and some shaker. Then, the first verse. Now before I get into the lyrics of the first verse, one of the things that I really like about this song is that there ISNT a chorus, it’s really just the verse part repeated over, separated by a little bridge part.

I want to go up to Detroit
I want to lie in the shade
I want to visit the president
And then I want to get laid

Then, right on cue and perfectly timed, enter the drums!

I want to go down to Memphis
I want to talk to the king
I want to tell him we’re sorry
And it won’t happen again

What does that mean? Is he going to tell Elvis that… he’s sorry that he died maybe? I have no idea, but it’s a really cool line regardless. A little bit of lead synth, and then back to the verses. Notice, we’ve also added an acoustic guitar strum to the beginning of each phrase. And, possibly my favorite part, the amazing call and response singing.

I’ve got a photo of James Joyce
It’s a photo by Man Roy
It’s not very very much like him
But it’s not for me to say

Who’s Man Roy? That’s what I want to know. I used to think he was saying “memory” A quick jump on on wikipedia reveals… Nothing! Who is this mysterious Man Roy? Why did he take a photo of Jame Joyce? We may never know! But on to the next verse.

She sacrifices her body
Almost every night
Just like a lamb to the slaughter
And she thinks it makes him feel right

Bridge, then lead synth, with the addition of some little saxophone hits.

You gave me so many problems
You made me crash in my car
I’ll have a martini cocktail
And then we’ll see where we are

So just be nice to your brother
I’ll take your sister to bed
And I can bloc bloc bloc till the weekend
But you’d better come back soon

“I take your sister to bed!” Ahhhhh. So great! What exactly does bloc bloc bloc, mean? Once again, I have no idea. I really think it’s a song in the Bob Dylan style. Verses that are really just cryptic descriptions of things, instead of being a coherent story line. But instead of being kitschy, it’s well implemented. And kinda silly. But good. I would strongly suggest checking out the rest of this album, as it is similarly good.

-James Out

The Incredible Machine - Will We? (The Incredible Machine, 2009)

james — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:05:15 +0000

The final in my Incredible Machine triad. I’m really tempted to keep on doing songs by them until Matt starts to get annoyed with me, and kicks me off. But unfortunatly there are so many good songs, and so little time. Anyway, Will We?

We start off with a killer banjo lick, and bass guitar, and jump right into it.

I’m going to write the song that breaks your heart today.
Trade pretty tears for pretty chords,
Leave you standin’
with nothing left to say.

Like a lemon, so bitter and sweet
Just desserts are not a fun dish to eat

“Like Lemon, so bitter and so sweet” Recalls the famous folk standard “Lemon Tree” And then “Just desserts are not so fun to eat” Just ties it together amazingly well. We move next to the chorus, which contains a bit of snare percussion (accenting the beat) and some backing vocals.

‘Cause I’m trying to see
What exactly it is you want from me
I guess we’ll never know
Will we?

The next verse is just more of the same goodness.

This is the hardest part I have to do today.
When I tell myself I never cared and
just imagine
this all away.

If this is a game then you’ve sure got me beat
Staring awkwardly down at my own feet

Oh no! Our scorned angry narrator is not possibly as scorned or angry as he would like to be. He’s torn between wanting revenge for a broken heart, and still having feelings for the person. I’d especially like to point out “If this is a game then you’ve sure got me beat” Next chorus is same as the last. The last Verse is most certainly my favorite. It goes on as usual, then during the list of things, we get this cool breakdown part. Complete with hand claps and tambourine.

I’m going to write that song that breaks your heart today
Trade pretty tears for pretty chords,
Notes that shake you to the core
Let’s see what I’ve got to say:

She’s the one gives me the blues
Her tiny toes In dancin’ shoes
With hair that’s like a summer breeze
a picnic under Autumn trees
I lost the game I’d like to play
I’m feeling so alone today
I’m feeling so alone today

We end with another chorus (tambourine included) and a nice little ending bit. All in all, a fantastic song. Lots of really good descriptive lyrics at the end, combined with a simple poppy sound, makes this one a real winner in my mind.

-James Out

The Incredible Machine - Jump Ship (The Incredible Machine, 2009)

james — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:42:03 +0000

Another amazing song from our friends at The Incredible Machine. This song is the opening track, and works really well to that effect, because it really sets the tone for the whole album.

We start off with a nice little harmonizing bit and then jump right into the song, with acoustic guitar.

We’re finally taking on water
Turns out I was the Captains’ Daughter
Personify us as sinking
Like the Loveboat with less drinking
I know I shouldn’t say it
But I feel the metaphor’s appropriate
Seems I just spend all my time
On a sinking ship that never hits the land line

“Personify us sinking, Like the love boat with less drinking” Is a really great line. The the song suddenly changes directions, and we get a bouncy little piano part, that reminds me of a song from a musical.

Okay,
I can say,
That this metaphor is probably sounding quite cliché
That’s okay,
It’s exactly how I felt when I was standing on the blue
Next to you,
And It feels just like there’s absolutely nothing I can do
Absolutely nothing
Absolutely nothing I can do
Absolutely nothing
Absolutely nothing I can do to get through to you.

I think that it’s safe to say that’s probably my favorite part of the whole song. “I can say, That this metaphor is probably sounding quite cliché, That’s okay” Is pretty amazing all on it’s own. The whole talking to the audience style. Then the epic build up during the “Nothing I can do” section is also really good. We move then to the next verse, which is similar to the first, in instrumentation.

In truth we were nothing like a sinking ship
Sinking takes a long time, plus you get a little wet
And even though we’re both sick of untrue metaphors
We keep repeating the same old shit we’ve said before

“Sinking takes a long time, plus you get a little wet” Very very true words. I really like having two people sing two different things at the same time, in a song. I think that it’s a really good technique to use, and if implemented correctly, can really dad depth to a song. This time it works very well. Marissa sings the first verse, while Jordan sings the second over top of it, coming to the climax at

I’ve got to jump ship to make this work,
I’ve got to jump ship to make this
work, I’ve got to jump ship to make
this work,
I’ve got to jump ship!

Then some intense instrumental sections, all ending, like the beginning, with some nice vocalizing harmonies. Like I said, this is a perfect way ton start out a album. It sets the bar high, and then easily clears it.

-James Out

The Incredible Machine - One Time at Choir Camp (The Increbible Machine, 2009)

james — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:12:57 +0000

When I try to think of a way to accurately describe The Incredible Machine, genre wise, I usually fail. The best that I can do is to say that they sound like a mixture of Barenaked Ladies, and They Might Be Giants, with a little Jonathan Coulton thrown in there too. Which is to say, semi silly, sort of geeky lyrics, presented in a very serious fashion. On the other side, very powerful and moving, very lyrically poetic love songs. Also, their command of harmonies, and the interplay between Marrissa’s and Jordan’s voices (The two members) is impressive. I have to say, since I got their album, not a day has gone by that I haven’t listened to it atleast once. And the fact that they are a local band, of which I actually know the members, helps too.

One Time at Choir camp starts off simply with a little piano, and the first verse.

I’m only trying to believe
That you and I weren’t meant to be
I’m much too difficult for you
I couldn’t follow their rules

The tempo kicks up, some acoustic guitar is added, and the piano becomes more bouncy. I’m always reminded of the Freezepop song Science Genius Girl (this isn’t the real music video). I think it’s the chording that sounds similar to me. I dunno. Maybe I’m crazy. Anyway, verse two!

I couldn’t say that I was happy
And you would be the one to know
On these summer nights we’d consecrate our flaws
In hopes our zippers wouldn’t show
Oh, how embarrassing

Oh man. “On these night we’d consecrate our flaws” What a great line. The second part of the verse contains really great higher, almost haunting, backing vocals from Jordan. Make sure to catch them when they come around.

I want you to dance
I’d like you to sing for me
Regardless of romance
I’ve still got your music to keep me,
company

Verse three continues in a similar manner, the the addition of more backing vocals.

It was the way you looked above me
And it wasn’t just your height
My silly sorrows weren’t enough to tie me down
I’m simply not the type to need
Oh, the comforts of sympathy

I want you to dance
I’d like you to sing for me
Regardless of romance
I’ve still got your music to keep me,
company

Then for the chorus the piano moves into a little pattern that sounds more like it would be at home in a classical composition. It repeats it’s self twice. The second time around, the addition of “I know too much” in between each line.

pavement, concrete on the street
will never touch her feet
as long as she has you to
lift her tiny shoes from

Then finally we get a cool solid piano and guitar part, accenting the first and third beat, giving you the impulse to tap your foot, or nod your head in time. Also, the “Wah-ah-oh”s in between each line, are really solid. The song climaxes, and ends in vocalization.

Stop screaming and believe me
that I was right for leaving

It’s over! Okay, so if that wasn’t an amazing song, then I don’t know what is. This is going to be the first of three that I’m going to review. Ideally I would do the whole album. But I think that it might be a bit much. I’d highly encourage you to see them live, if you can get a chance.

-James Out

Belle and Sebastian - Family Tree (Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, 2000)

james — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 21:14:21 +0000

It’s a wonder to me that I’ve gone such a long time posting on this blog, without doing a Belle and Sebastian song. Especially since they are possibly one of the greatest bands of all time. And it’s also kinda interesting to me, that the first song (I assure you that I’ll be posting on their other stuff too) that I’m doing is coming off a semi-obscure album, that not a lot of people know. Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, was released in between The Boy with the Arab Strap, and Dear Catastrophe Waitress, and was not very very well received. Understandably, coming off the heels of The Boy with the Arab Strap, it would be a tall order top that album. One of the reasons that I like this album in particular is because it features a lot of the band on vocals, that don’t normally get lead singing roles. But enough exposition on the history, let’s move on to the actual song it’s self.

We start off with a little guitar intro, a drum intro into the verse. I’d like to take this moment to point out that this song is sung by Isobel Campbell, who’s vocals can be previously heard on “Is it Wicked not to Care” Off of their album, Tigermilk. Anyway, the first verse contains possibly some of my favorite lyrics in all of their songs. I think you’ll see why.

Ive been feeling down
Ive been looking round the town
For somebody just like me
But the only ones I see
Are the dummies in the window
They spend their money on clothes
It saddens me to think
That the only ones I see are mannequins
Looking stupid, being used and being thin
And I dont know why I hang around with them

The way they act, Id rather be fat than be confused
The way they act, Id rather be fat than be confused
Than be me in a cage
With a bottle of rage
And a family like the mafia

Okay. So first of all, comparing shallow friends to mannequins? Totally genius. But also, “The way they act, I’d rather be fat, then be confused” Has got to be one of the greatest lines of all time. There’s a bit of tasteful vocalization, some nice backing piano and flute, and then the next verse.

Ive been feeling blue
And I dont know what to do
And I never get a thrill
And they threw me out of school
cause I swore at all the teachers
Because they never teach us
A thing I want to know
We do chemistry, biology and maths
I want poetry and music and some laughs
And I dont think its an awful lot to ask

So wont you please get up off your knees, and let me go
So wont you please get up off your knees, and let me go
Cause Im here in a cage
With a bottle of rage
And a family like the mafia

That perfectly describes my feelings about school “I want poetry and music, and some laughs” The next section could be described as the bridge I suppose, but it’s a bunch or repetitive phrases. Note the addition of a little trumpet part, that, like the flute, just hovers over the melody.

If my family tree goes back to the romans
Then I will change my name to jones
If my family tree goes back to napolean
Then I will change my name to smith
If my family tree goes back to the romans
Then I will change my name to jones
If youre looking at me to be an accountant
Then you will look but you will never see
If youre looking at me to start having babies
Then you can wish because Im not here to fool around
You can wish because Im not here to fool around
You can wish because Im not here to fool around

Pretty great song, if you ask me. I really like Belle and Sebastian’s ability to not only craft really cool sounding lyrics, but create really beautiful instrumentation. If you’ve never really given them a serious listen, I’d strongly encourage you too. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

-James out

Men Without Hats - Hey Man (The Adventures of Women and Men Without Hate in the 21st Century, 1989)

james — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:19:20 +0000

Many people know Men Without Hats for their very popular hit single, Safety Dance. And, unfortunately, like so many great 80’s synth-rock groups, it’s pretty much overshadowed their whole career. They’ve released a total of 8 albums all together, (the latest and final being No Hats Beyond this Point, released in 2003) and all of them are great. Also, they’re lead singer, Ivan Doroschuk, as a cool singing voice, I think.

I picked this song because I think it’s really great. The Lyrics are kinda goofy, but the guitar part is really cool, and it’s all around just pretty good. So, shall we?

We start out with a sinple drum part, and little rock-a-billy guitar part.

Somebody told me to live is a lie
But I know better got a woman inside
Tells me things that I should understand
‘Cause I know better even though I’m a man
So many things go in so many ways
Every single moment like a judgement day
Thank goodness things are gettin better for sure
I got the message
Love is the cure
Uh Huh
Oooh Yeah

Okay. I’m not realllly sure what that means. Except for that love is the answer to everything. The guitar and drums stay constant for the second verse, with the addition of a little backing guitar, accenting the chords.

Now I ain’t stupid but I can’t understand
Why so many things are gettin so out of hand
Think we should wonder what the problem could be?
All the world over sing “I wanna be free”
Don’t really matter what you think of me now
‘Cause I got the message
The message is wow
Got everything, got nothing to hide

I got.. What?
I got a woman inside
Uh Huh
Oooh Yeah

Did you catch that? A little reference to they’re song I got the Message. Next we get into the chorus. We’re joined by our friends the soulful backing singers, an organ, and a little synth trumpet.

I said, hey men.
Quit knocking your children ’round
I say, hey-hey men.
Quit mowin your women down
‘Cause it’s all in the way
That you look at who you are
So hey hey men
Quit looking so far
Oooh Yeah

A little bit of social commentary there, about abusing your children, and girlfriends. The song stays pretty similar, and moves into the third verse.

Land of the free is a poor alibi
I learned my lesson when I learned how to fly
Sounds so silly but I think its the truth
I got the message
The message is you
Somebody told me that we live in a dream
Sounds like something that you hear on T.V.
Got everything even though I’m a guy
Feels so good
I got a woman inside
Uh Huh
Oooh Yeah

Hmmmm. Is that more social commentary? “Land of the free is a poor alibi” Like… people use it to justify they’re actions? Also, “Somebody said that we live in a dream, sounds like something you’d hear on TV” is a pretty good lyric. From here on out the song pretty much continues on as normal. There’s a little bridge part that features come cool orchestral hits, and guitar and organ solos.

I’d really encourage people to look past Safety Dance, and check out their whole discography. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

The Decemeberists - The Hazards of Love, 2009

james — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:51:28 +0000

My next project is going to be an ambitious one, to be sure. But I think it’ll pay off. The Decemberists have known for writing amazingly good songs, all of which usually tell a story of some sort. With the realease of The Craine Wife, we saw them move closer to a concept album. And finally, with the release of The Hazards of Love, they’ve done it. So what is my task, you might ask? I’m going to go through each song, track by track, and try and figure out: 1) How many story lines there actually are, and 2) How they are arranged cronologically, acording to the stories. Ambitious and Daunting, but ultimatly, will pay off. I’m going to try and fit it all into one giant post, but it might need to be broken up. We’ll see. Also, I’ll be focusing mostly on lyrical content, and very little on the actual musical side of things.

I’ve started off by rolling the prelude and second track (hazards of love 1) all into one, through the magic of FL Studio. Since it’s goning to save us a lot of space, I’m just going to link you to the lyrics, and we’ll talk about them in dept.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-hazards-of-love-1-lyrics-decemberists.html

So the album starts off with the singer’s true love riding out, and coming upon a a wounded fawn. She, being full of charity, tries to set the fawn’s legs. But then, the taiga starts to change, and so does the fawn. This next verse is the one that is kinda vague and confusing. We find out that the subject of the song is Margeret (a major player in this story), and that she makes love to the fawn (hopefully in a human shape, although, once again, it’s not really clear on this point)

http://www.metrolyrics.com/a-bower-scene-lyrics-decemberists.html

So later, I’m going to guess a good 7 or 8 months, Margeret is being chastized by her sister. And she’s actually starting to show that she’s preggers. So she returns to the taiga, to find her lover.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/wont-want-for-love-lyrics-decemberists.html

This one is pretty simple. Margeret is setting out to find her love, in the taiga.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-hazards-of-love-2-lyrics-decemberists.html

This one is a bit vauge too. But I’m going to go ahead and guess that this is Margeret’s lover (who is still unnamed, and, as mentioned in the first song, used to be a fawn) who’s waiting for her, in the taiga (I’m really milking that word for all it’s worth)

http://www.metrolyrics.com/isnt-it-a-lovely-night-lyrics-decemberists.html

The next song, The Queen’s Approach, is an instruamental, so I’ll roll it into the next one, Isn’t it a Lovely night.

Once again, I think this is about Margeret and her lover. Pretty simple song.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-wanting-comes-in-waves-lyrics-decemberists.html

This one is one of my more favorite ones. Once again, there is very little naming, in this story, but I think that it’s a conversation between Margeret’s lover, and his mother (who’s called The Queen). So basically he’s trying to convince her to let him go and see Margeret. And then she’s trying to guilt trip him into not going. Finally she agrees to let him go, if he promises to come back at dawn, and then give his life to her.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-rakes-song-lyrics-decemberists.html

The next part is a little musical interlude, and then The Rake’s Song. The Rake’s song is a fairly innocolated song (as far as I can tell) because it has no bearing on the rest of the story line. It’s only mentioned again, in a later song, in a reprise. But We’ll get to that later. It’s about this guy that get’s married to a rich woman. Then when she starts having babies, he becomes dissilutioned with the idea. She dies in child birth, and not wanting to deal with the kids, he kills them off in various fashions.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-abduction-of-margaret-lyrics-decemberists.html

For some reason or annother, Margeret gets captured, and her captor has to now cross the river.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-queens-rebuke-lyrics-decemberists.html

Now we find that it’s by the Queen’s command that Margeret has been captured. This song is adressed to Margeret’s captor, sung by the Queen. We learn that it was through the Queen’s power that Margeret’s lover is changed into a fawn, durning the day time.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/annan-water-lyrics-decemberists.html

This one is also a bit tricky. It could be about a few things. It, once again, could be totally isolated from the main story line. Or, it could be sung by Margeret’s captor, who, is crossing the sea, with Margeret in tow, on the Queen’s request.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/margaret-in-captivity-lyrics-decemberists.html

This one is a bit more stright forward. It’s sung by Margeret’s captor. Margeret calls out to her love, but it seems to be in vain.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-hazards-of-love-3-lyrics-decemberists.html

This is a reprise of The Rake’s Song, sung from the point of veiw of his children.

The Next one, is simply a reprise of The Wanting Comes in Waves

http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-hazards-of-love-4-lyrics-decemberists.html

Once again, this one throws me for a loop. Obviously it’s about Margeret, who’s on the ocean, if you remember. But last time that I checked, she was with her captor. Maybe, he’s really in love with her. And that’s why he complied with the Queen’s request? And so, as the ship is going down, he finally confesses is love for her.

PHEW. And there you have it folks. A comprihensive interpertation of the story. Any comments or suggestions are very much welcome.

-James Out

Antonio Bandaris feat. Madonna - Oh! What a Circus (Evita: Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1994)

james — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:42:18 +0000

I know this is going to be a bit of a non-sequitor. Especially when you look at the other songs we’ve been talking about. It comes from the soundtrack to the movie version of Evita, a musical written by Tim Rice and Andrew Llyod Webber, based on the life of Eva Peron

This song is an intro to the musical, sung by the character Che, who is played by Antonio Banderas (who’s arguably the spirit of Che Guevara). Anyway, we start out pretty simple with a little Spanish guitar lick, and get right into the song.

Oh what a circus, oh what a show
Argentina has gone to town
Over the death of an actress called Eva Peron
We’ve all gone crazy
Mourning all day and mourning all night
Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right

Oh what an exit, that’s how to go
When they’re ringing your curtain down
Demand to be buried like Eva Peron
It’s quite a sunset
And good for the country in a roundabout way
We’ve made the front page of all the world’s papers today

“We’ve all gone crazy, mourning all day and mourning all night, falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right” Is a really great line. It sets the sort of cynical tone that Che exhibits through out the song. It picks up a little bit, adding maybe… a harp in the background, and we move back into the verse.

But who is this Santa Evita?
Why all this howling, hysterical sorrow?
What kind of goddess has lived among us?
How will we ever get by without her?

We start to pick up instrumentation here, with the addition of some more percussion, and a string section.

She had her moments, she had some style
The best show in town was the crowd
Outside the Casa Rosada crying, “Eva Peron”
But that’s all gone now
As soon as the smoke from the funeral clears
We’re all gonna see and how, she did nothing for years

Once again it reinforces the cynical attitude of Che. Then the chorus, which is all in Latin (sung by the crowd) and based on a real chant called “Salve regina” You can look it up if you want, but I’m guessing, unless you’re very well educated, you’ll have no idea what it says. So I’ll just omit those lyrics. Then, another verse.

You let down your people Evita
You were supposed to have been immortal
That’s all they wanted, not much to ask for
But in the end you could not deliver

A timpani roll and then Bang! We’re thrown in to the awesome rock-ballad section of the song. Abandoning Spanish guitars for electric, the addition of some rockin piano, and ethnic percussion, for a trap set.

Sing you fools, but you got it wrong
Enjoy your prayers because you haven’t got long
Your queen is dead, your king is through
And she’s not coming back to you

Show business kept us all alive
Since seventeen October 1945
But the star has gone, the glamour’s worn thin
That’s a pretty bad state for a state to be in

(Notice in the background of this section, the wailing guitar that accents the other electric)

Instead of government we had a stage
Instead of ideas, a prima donna’s rage
Instead of help we were given a crowd
She didn’t say much, but she said it loud

Sing you fools, but you got it wrong
Enjoy your prayers because you haven’t got long
Your queen is dead, your king is through
She’s not coming back to you

Then, suddenly, we go back to the chorus, in Latin. And with lush sweeping strings that reprise the melody, we are taken into Eva’s section.

Don’t cry for me Argentina
For I am ordinary, unimportant
And undeserving of such attention
Unless we all are, I think we all are
So share my glory, so share my coffin
So share my glory, so share my coffin

And as the song fades out, we’re left with Che’s final words:

It’s our funeral too

Over all, I pretty much love this song. Antonio Banderas does a wonderful job singing. I’ve actually, never seen the actual movie. But I’ve listened to the Soundtrack plenty of times, and enjoyed it quite a lot. I’d recommend it to anyone that likes musicals.

And, so, in parting, I’d like to attach a youtube video to the song, so you can actually see Antonio in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S39iFdZEiDA&feature=channel

-James out

Owl City - The Saltwater Room (Maybe I’m Dreaming, 2008)

james — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:03:04 +0000

I’m sure no one is surprised to see that I’m doing another post on an Owl City song. But this one is REALLY good. Okay, so they’re all really good. But I like this one especially for a few different reasons. So, let’s get into it, shall we?

We start off with a nice little guitar intro bit, that is back by a little string synth. Then, drum intro into the verse, which is pretty much the same, except for the addition of a a little xylophone mirroring the guitar part.

I opened my eyes last night and saw you in the low light
Walking down by the bay, on the shore, staring up at the stars that aren’t there anymore
I was feeling the night grow old and you were looking so cold
Like an introvert, I drew my over shirt
Around my arms and began to shiver violently before
You happened to look and see the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark underground
All the subways around created great sound
To my motion fatigue: farewell
With your ear to a seashell
You can hear the waves in underwater caves
As if you actually were inside the saltwater room

Okay. So, I’m not really sure if I can point out singular lyrics that I like, in particular. They are all pretty good. Poetic, and they paint a nice picture. We move on then, to possibly my favorite part of the song, the chorus.

Time together is just never quite enough
When you and I are alone, I’ve never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
We need time, only time
When we’re apart whatever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone?
So tell me darling, do you wish we’d fall in love?
All the time, all the time

I don’t know why, but every time I hear that part, it always send shivers down my spine. Literally. The trading off between the female and male vocals, is implemented PERFECTLY. We then move back into the verse.

Can you believe that the crew has gone and wouldn’t let me sign on
All my islands have sunk in the deep, so I can hardly relax or even oversleep
I feel as if I were home, some nights. When we count all the ship lights
I guess I’ll never know why sparrows love the snow
We’ll turn off all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow

Something that you’ll fine a lot in Owl City’s lyrics, which I find really interesting, is the travling theme. So once again, here is referenced a ship, and voyage. Also “I’ll never know, Why Sparrows love the snow” is a really interesting lyric, and I like it a lot.

We move back into the verse a few times, and it fades out. Another masterpiece of Owl City’s song writing ability. As always, I’d heavily encourage you to check out the rest of his music. As it is all amazing.

-James Out