matt’s music blog

Say what you will about 90’s music. I think that, as a child of the 90’s, it will always hold a special nostalgic place in my heart. Especially music from the late 90’s. I’m sure that you know a few Savage Garden songs. If you listened to the radio at all, it seems almost impossible that you didn’t hear Truly Madly Deeply, and I Want You (both appearing on their self-titled album). And while these were certainly the tracks that got the most air time, they are by no means the best. Which brings us to our current song.

It starts out with pretty dancy drum loop and a bit of a guitar part. I’m going to warn you right now, the song really doesn’t get any more complex from here on out. It changes a bit for the chorus, maybe adding in a little bit of string synth. The real genius, in my opinion, lies in the lyrics of this song. Lets take a look at the first verse.

And we stare each other down like victims in the grind
Probing all the weakness and hurt still left behind and we cry
The tears of pearls
We do it. Oh we do it.

Now if that’s not an epic lyric, then I don’t know what is! Intensity is brewing. I especially like “victims in the grind” It reminds me of the opening video for Final Fantasy 8. Then we move on to someone questioning another person views.

Is love really the tragedy the way you might describe?
Or would a thousand lovers still leave you cold inside?
Make you cry…
These tears of pearls

Man these lyrics are good. Questions about feeling scorn about relationships. Is love as bad as you say? Or is it just because of your mindset? Then we move on to the chorus. I’d like to take this opportunity to say that when I first listened to this song, all those many years ago, I used to think they were saying “Stone man Pearls” not “Stolen Pearls” Listen closely, I think you’ll see why I was confused.

All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world

For some reason, the metaphor of mixed emotions being like stolen pearls is really cool to me. Very nice imagery. Moving on to the next verse, we hear a bit more of the story. The girl tried to live, but always had a bad experience. This guy tried to be the one to open up her heart, but ended up with tears of pearls.

Your kisses are like pearls, so different and so rare
But anger stole the jewels away and love has left you bare,
Made you cry…
These tears of pearls
Well I could be the tired joker pour my heart to get you in
Sacrifice my happiness just so I could win
Maybe cry…
These tears of pearls

Then, the music starts to diversify a little as we go into the bridge. Some more lyrics that are more imagery then anything else. We get through the bridge in time for a little solo, and a electric organ part that sounds like it would be more at home in a 70’s funk song. After that, we return  to the chorus a few more times.

Now see? Wasn’t that a good song? You know it was. I would encourage you to look up the rest of songs on that album. Except for Truly Madly Deeply, which really, isn’t that god of a song.

-James Out

I’m sure that you’ve heard Babylon, arguably David Gray’s most famous song. If you ever listen to the radio in the late 90’s, it’s bound to pop up. But that’s not the song we’re going to talk about. Today, we converse about the first track off of the White Ladder album, Please Forgive Me.

The thing that I love about this song, is the simplicity. It starts out with really basic progressions, and just builds on it.

It starts out with a run-of-the mill drum loop. Some simple string synths and a piano with a bit of reverb. Then bit picks up, repetitive high-hat hits, with a backing bass part. Then we get a little high string synth part. Then, at the sort of, apex, if you will of the lyrics, a little guitar part is added. After that, simple hand claps! Then we back down to just piano and strings, as we return to the first verse again. Then we get pulled back in, with a little drum breakdown part, and fade out.

All of that, is pretty text book song writing, in my opinion. But there’s something about it, that doesn’t really seem to be annoying, or really repetitive. Which is impressive, in my opinion, because, like I said, he’s really just taking the same chord progression over and over and over, and building more and more and more on it.

But, the real triumph  of this song, I think, is the really good lyrics that are hidden in the song. To take it at face value, it’s just your run of the mill love song. This guy is really in love with this girl, ect ect. But if we look closely, just in the first verse, he’s breaking out very… descriptive lyrics.

Feels like lightning running through my veins
Everytime I look at you

“Lightning running through my veins”! Very very nice. Also the last verse, the sort of climax of the song, really hits it home for me. There’s something about his voice, perhaps maybe the way he sings it. I don’t know but the last verse:

I got half a mind to scream out loud
I got half a mind to die
So I wont ever have to lose you girl
Wont ever have to say goodbye
I wont ever have to lie
Wont ever have to say goodbye

is very powerfully and movingly delivered. I must also confess, myself being a hopeless romantic, I have experienced the sentiments expressed in this song, and David Gray does an excellent job describing them. All in all, a good listen. Really, I would encourage you to check out the rest of the album. It’s got some pretty good tracks on it.

-James out