I was very sad to learn of the death of the legendary Tina Turner today, at the age of 83. She was truly one of a kind, with a rich and smoky powerhouse voice that inspired countless other artists and earned her millions of fans around the globe, me included. She was a courageous and great lady, and always a class act.
In honor of her passing, I’m reposting this 2020 article I wrote about Tina’s iconic song “What’s Love Got To Do With It”.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of my Favorite Songs, so thought I’d get back into the groove with my favorite Tina Turner song “What’s Love Got to Do With It“. Not only is it one of my favorite songs of all time, but Tina is also one of my all-time favorite female singers. And quite honestly, who doesn’t love Tina! One of the best live concerts I’ve ever seen was Tina Turner on her What’s Love? Tour in September 1993 (with Chris Isaak opening for her at the Cal Expo Amphitheatre in Sacramento, California).
Born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee in 1939 (hard to believe she’s now 80!), Tina Turner lived part of her rather troubled childhood (thanks to dysfunctional parents) in the town of Nutbush (which she immortalized in her 1973 hit “Nutbush City Limits”), but moved to St. Louis when she was 16…
The other day my singer-songwriter friend Jake, aka The Frontier, shared a clip of himself playing an acoustic version of the Duncan Sheik song “Barely Breathing” on social media, which reminded me of how much I love it. Not only is it a great song both musically and lyrically, but wow, what a heartthrob Sheik was at the time! The pleasing but melancholy song was written and sung by Sheik, who also played acoustic and electric guitars, E-Bow and piano, with Pino Palladino on bass, Jean-Michel Biger on drums, and Fran Banish on slide guitar. The track was produced by Rupert Hine, who also played percussion and sang backing vocals.
Released in May 1996, a few weeks in advance of his self-titled debut album, the song was a sleeper hit. After languishing in the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 for several months, “Barely Breathing” finally peaked at #16 in early 1997, and went on to spend an astonishing 55 consecutive weeks on the chart, ultimately ranking #18 on the Hot 100 year-end chart for 1997. It fared better on some other charts, reaching #1 on the Adult Alternative chart, #2 on the Adult Top 40, and #12 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. It was also ranked number 88 on VH1‘s list of 100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s. The song ranks among my personal top 10 favorite songs of 1997, as well as one of my top 100 songs of the 1990s.
The lyrics describe the feelings of a guy who has finally come to realize that his girlfriend’s manipulative and disingenuous displays of emotion do not equal love. He beats himself up for being so naive (“Must have been that yesterday was the day that I was born”), and knows he has to leave the relationship before he suffocates.
I know what you're doing
I see it all too clear
I only taste the saline
When I kiss away your tears
You really had me going
Wishing on a star
The black holes that surround you
Are heavier by far
I believed in your confusion
So completely torn
Must have been that yesterday
Was the day that I was born
There's not much to examine
There's nothing left to hide
You really can't be serious
If you have to ask me why
I say goodbye
'Cause I am barely breathing
And I can't find the air
Don't know who I'm kidding
Imagining you careAnd I could stand here waiting
A fool for another day
I don't suppose it's worth the price
It's worth the price, the price
That I would pay, yeah yeah, yeah
Everyone keeps asking
What's it all about?
I used to be so certain
Now I can't figure out
What is this attraction?
I only feel the pain
There's nothing left to reason
And only you to blame
Will it ever change?
'Cause I am barely breathing
And I can't find the air
Don't know who I'm kidding
Imagining you careAnd I could stand here waiting
A fool for another day
I don't suppose it's worth the price
It's worth the price, the price
That I would pay, yeah yeah, yeah
But I'm thinking it over anyway
I'm thinking it over anyway
I've come to find
I may never know
Your changing mind
Is it friend or foe?
I rise above or sink below
With every time
You come and go
Please don't come and go
'Cause I am barely breathing
And I can't find the air
Don't know who I'm kidding
Imagining you careAnd I could stand here waiting
A fool for another day
But I don't suppose it's worth the price
It's worth the price, the price
That I would pay, yeah yeah, yeah
But I'm thinking it over anyway
I'm thinking it over anyway
Well, I know what you're doing
I see it all too clear
Sheik received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Barely Breathing”, but lost to Elton John for his song “Candle In The Wind 1997.” It was his only song to chart, however, he’s had a long and successful career as a composer of music for plays, musicals and movie soundtracks. Some of his major works include original music for the 2002 New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night, the music score for the film A Home at the End of the World in 2004, the score for the film Through the Fire in 2005, and the music for the Broadway musical Spring Awakening, for which he won the 2006 Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestration. More recently, he wrote the music for the 2019 Lynn Nottage musical The Secret Life of Bees, an adaptation of the 2002 novel by Sue Monk Kidd, with lyrics by Susan Birkenhead.
I watched the film The Music Man last night on Turner Classic Movies, and was reminded of how much I love the song “Till There Was You”, both the version sung by Shirley Jones in the film, and the later cover by the Beatles. After reading a post by Randy of MostlyMusicCovers blog for yet another blog PowerPop, about the Beatles’ song “Ain’t She Sweet”, I decided to write a post about “Till There Was You”.
The Music Man, which along with Singin’ in the Rain is my favorite movie musical, began as a stage musical written by Meredith Willson. The show opened on Broadway in December 1957, and became a huge hit, running for 1,375 performances and winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The film version, released on June 19, 1962, also went on to become one of the biggest films of the year and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. (I still remember seeing it in the theater as an 8-year old kid, and loving it.) The film’s composer Ray Heindorf won the film’s sole award for Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment.
Both stage musical and film were directed by Morton DaCosta, with actor Robert Preston playing the title role of the charming traveling salesman and con artist Professor Harold Hill both on stage and in the film. The film also starred the stunning Shirley Jones as town librarian Marian Paroo, along with Buddy Hackett, Paul Ford, Hermione Gingold, Pert Kelton, and a young Ronny Howard.
“Till There Was You” appears late in the musical and film, when Marian reluctantly agrees to meet Harold at the footbridge during the ice cream social, a big event in the small town of River City, Iowa where the story takes place (the footbridge was a spot where couples met for romantic encounters). After having previously spurned all of Harold’s attempts to woo her, Marian makes a 180-degree turn with regard to her feelings about him, telling him how much he’s come to mean to her, which she expresses in the song. Jones had a beautiful singing voice, which earlier had landed her coveted roles in the film musicals Oklahoma! and Carousel (she also won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for portraying a prostitute in the 1960 film Elmer Gantry), and her rendition of the song is deeply moving and heartfelt.
Turn your speaker volume up for this movie clip, then be sure to turn it back down for the Beatles’ version:
The Beatles version was produced by George Martin and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in July 1963. It was released that November in the UK as part of their second album With the Beatles, and was also included on their American debut album Meet the Beatles!, released in the U.S. in January 1964 (it was the first album I ever bought, as a 9-year old besotted with the Fab Four). It was the only song from a Broadway musical ever released by them. For the recording of the song, Paul McCartney sang vocals, accompanied by George Harrison and John Lennon playing acoustic, classical guitars in a Spanish style over a bolero bongo beat played by Ringo Starr. I like how Paul sings “soar” in place of “saw” in the lyrics.
Interestingly, Paul first heard “Till There Was You” from a 1961 cover version by Peggy Lee, when it was played by his older cousin Bett Robbins. He said that he “had no idea until much later” that it was from The Music Man. The song was part of their pre-recording repertoire in 1962, and they performed it at the Star Club in Hamburg. Also, Meredith Willson’s widow later remarked that her husband’s estate eventually received more income from the royalties of the Beatles recordings of “Till There Was You” than it originally received from the actual play. (Wikipedia)
There were bells on a hill
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
'Til there was you
There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
'Til there was you
Then there was music and wonderful roses
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
'Til there was youThen there was music and wonderful roses
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
'Til there was you
'Til there was you
I was a pretty big fan of American rock band The Cars during their heyday that lasted from 1978-88. Formed in Boston in 1976, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), and David Robinson (drums). Ocasek and Orr shared lead vocals, and Ocasek was the band’s principal songwriter and leader. Emerging from the late-70s new wave scene, they were among the bands who were instrumental in merging 70s guitar-oriented rock with the newer synthesizer-oriented pop that became dominant in the early to mid 80s.
I love many of their great songs, including “Drive”, “Shake It Up”, “Just What I Needed”, “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “You Might Think” and “Magic”, and one of my favorites of them all is the gorgeous title track from their brilliant fifth album Heartbeat City (which also contains “Drive”, “You Might Think” and “Magic”). That album, which was produced by legendary music producer Mutt Lange, is filled with so many fantastic songs, it could almost be a ‘greatest hits, volume 2’ album for The Cars. I bought it when it came out, and nearly played it to death. I still cherish my vinyl copy.
“Heartbeat City” was released as the album’s sixth and final single in September 1985, a year and a half after the album’s March 1984 release. Shockingly (to me at least), the single did not chart in the U.S., though it did reach #78 in the UK and #75 in Australia. I suppose the album and string of singles had probably run their course by then. Interestingly, prior to its release as a stand-alone single, “Heartbeat City” was the B-side to “You Might Think” in the U.S. and “Why Can’t I Have You” in the UK.
The song is a sonic feast for the ears, opening with ominous industrial synths that are soon joined by a pulsating, reverby guitar line. The music then expands with a powerful hypnotic drumbeat, accompanied by a thumping bassline, beautiful chiming and jangly guitar notes and magical atmospheric synths, while that pulsating guitar line continues throughout the song. It all serves to create an enchanting soundscape for Ric Ocasek’s distinctive vocals as he plaintively sings of a woman named Jacki who went away, but made him happy when she eventually returned to Heartbeat City: “I’m glad you made it. I can’t complain. I missed you so badly when you jumped that train. Oh Jacki, what took you so long, on just a holiday. I thought you knew the way.” The ethereal backing vocal harmonies are sublime, adding to the song’s overall captivating sound.
I was reminded about the great song “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love” by Canadian singer-songwriter Jane Child the other day when my friend Dale tagged me in a tweet about it. The song was released in January 1990 as the second single from Child’s self-titled debut album Jane Child, and was a huge hit, spending three weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 that April (it was kept from the top spot by Tommy Page’s “I’ll Be Your Everything” and Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”). I’ve always loved the song, which is one of my top 10 favorite tracks of 1990.
Child’s rather quirky fashion style back then, which included a hairstyle that was spiked on top with ankle-length braids, along with a rather imposing nose chain piercing, was inspired by her love for African and East Indian cultures, as well as the punk movement. Child wrote “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love” shortly after having relocated from New York City to Los Angeles. The song, along with all the tracks on JaneChild, was solely written and produced by Child, who also sang all the vocals and played all the instruments, except for the guitar parts. Well, she does a superb job, crafting an exuberant synth-driven soundscape built around an irresistible head-bopping groove. Her powerful, emphatic vocals are fantastic, adding more fuel to the song’s exhilarating combustible vibe.
Child has stated that this was not intended to be a happy love song, but more a reflection on the Freudian concept of the pleasure vs. pain principle, generally defined as the instinctive seeking of pleasure and avoiding of pain to satisfy biological and psychological needs. (Wikepedia) In the lyrics, she sings to a man who drives her wild with sexual and romantic desires, while insisting that she’s going to resist his powerful charms to protect her own well-being.
Ain't no personal thing, boy
But you have got to stay away
Far, far away from my heart, my heart
Don't you know what your kiss is doing
Let me tell it to you from the start, boy
I don't wanna fall in love, no, no
Love cuts just like a knife
You make the knife feel good, baby
I'll fight you to the end, baby
You've been hanging around boy
And you have started sinking in
Ooh baby, you're way out of line now
Unaware how this all got started
Let me tell it to you one more time, boy
I don't wanna fall in love no, no
Love cuts just like a knife
You make the knife feel good, baby
I'll fight you to the end
I don't wanna fall in love no, no
Love cuts just like a knife
You make the knife feel good, baby
I'll fight you to the endI learned something about myself
Last night with you I knew
I didn't want nobody else
And your scaring me to death now, baby
I don't wanna fall in love no, no
Love cuts just like a knife
You make the knife feel good, baby
I'll fight you to the end
Given my hiatus from writing reviews (notwithstanding my recent 30-day song challenge), it’s been over three months since I’ve written a Fresh New Tracks post. Now that I’m feeling more rested, I’ve decided to dip my toes back into the turgid waters of review-writing, steadfast with determination going foward to not allow myself to become overwhelmed or burned out. With that in mind, today I’m featuring new songs by three great bands I’ve previously written about on this blog – British rockers Black Bear Kiss, and two female-fronted rock bands from Texas, The Metal Byrds and Tough on Fridays.
BLACK BEAR KISS – “Chasing All I Know”
Black Bear Kiss have been a favorite of this blog for over four years, since June 2018 when I reviewed their terrific debut single “Hooks”. Over the succeeding four years, they’ve released a number of fine singles, most of which I’ve also reviewed. With their exhilarating, guitar-driven rock sound, strong charisma and rowdy live performances, they’ve built a loyal following in their home base of the West Midlands/Shropshire region of England and beyond. In June of last year, the band was shaken by the tragic and sudden passing of one of their guitarists Rob Jones from a previously undisclosed heart ailment. Now soldiering on as a four-piece, Black Bear Kiss consists of Chris Leech on lead vocals, Colin Haden on guitar, Rich Sach on bass, and Chris Bagnall on drums.
To honor Rob, as well as to help raise funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), a charity aimed at raising funds for cardiac screening, research and the support of families affected, the band released a single “The First Time” this past February. Now they return with their latest single “Chasing All I Know“, which was one of Rob’s favourite songs. The track was recorded at the iconic Foal Studio in Wales, with Rob’s cousin Mike playing rhythm guitar using Rob’s own Gibson Les Paul. About the song, band vocalist Chris Leech explains: “We all have different pressures in our lives. This track is about feeling like you’re at the centre of everything and trying to get back to a place or feeling that you know – it’s also got some grunt which is what we are all about!” Black Bear Kiss delivers their signature driving rhythms we’ve come to love and expect, overlain with roiling riffs of grungy guitars and thumping drumbeats. Leech’s expressive vocals sound better than ever as he fervently sings “There’s all these people standing by my side. I just want you to tell me it’s alright. I’m at the center of it, I’m chasing, I’m chasing all I know now, whoa.”
The Metal Byrds are a female-fronted rock band based in Austin, Texas, who play a hard-hitting style of rock, infused with healthy doses of rock’n’roll and power pop, along with enough metal in the mix to give their songs a dark, edgy quality. Formed in 2018, the band has undergone a few personnel changes, and now consists of founding members London-born singer-songwriter Suzanne Birdie and guitarist Sly Rye, along with bassist Mac Jacob and drummer Charlie Breeze. Over the past three-plus years, they’ve released three EPs – The Song Byrd in April 2019, Byrds on a Wyre in June 2020, and Life in 20 in October 2020 (which I reviewed) – and an album simply titled 4, in September 2021. On July 15th, they released “Vicious Circle“, the lead single from their forthcoming album BIRDIE LANE, due for release later this year.
The song is an exhilarating banger, driven by a hard-charging rhythm, courtesy of Mac’s brilliant chugging bassline and Charlie’s pummeling drums. Sly lays down an aggressive onslaught of gnarly riffs, highlighted by a blazing guitar solo in the bridge. And Suzanne’s powerful, resonant vocals are in fine form as she fervently wails the lyrics describing the torture of insomnia, keeping her awake with worries and anxiety that she’ll never be able to sleep: “Here we go again, a vicious circle. Can’t get it started. Round and around again.” It’s a fantastic song, and I think it’s one of their best yet. The wonderful video shows Suzanne suffering the agonies of insomnia, interspersed with rather humorous scenes of her bandmates performing the song while on her bed, adding to her sleepless misery.
Hailing from Georgetown, Texas, not far from Austin, grunge pop-rock trio Tough on Fridays have been on an upward trajectory since forming in 2017. Now consisting of Caleigh Oceguera on vocals & guitar, Carly Fairchild on bass & vocals, and Chris Schreck on drums, they’ve garnered an enormous base of loyal fans through their memorable music, relatable lyrics and high-energy live shows. Blending elements of indie, alt-rock, pop and grunge, they create their own unique style of edgy rock ‘n roll. Since 2017, they’ve released numerous singles and EPs, which culminated in the release of their outstanding debut album A Fantastic Way to Kill Some Time, in September 2020 (my review has been viewed more than 1,100 times, making it the fourth most-viewed album review I’ve written.)
In the two years since, they’ve released several singles, the latest of which is “Growing Pains“, which dropped August 15th. The song has a pleasing folk-rock vibe, highlighted by Caleigh’s lovely strummed guitar work, while Carly and Chris keep the lively rhythm on their bass and drums. The subtle piano keys are a nice touch, adding to the song’s melodic sound. Caleigh’s slightly echoed vocals have a vulnerable quality, providing a rather melancholy undercurrent to the track as she plaintively sings the lyrics directed to a former loved one that she’s moving on from the relationship: “Growing pains. Sick of hearing how I’ve changed. Cause I’ve outgrown you, I don’t need you. Cause I’m pulling all your weight. Done cleaning up the mess you’ve made. You always made./ Am I bitter? Just feeling better.” It’s a wonderful, beautifully-crafted and masterfully-arranged track that nicely showcases Tough on Fridays’ continued growth and musical maturity.
Well, I’ve reached the end of my 30-day Song Challenge, and the subject for Day 30 is “A song that gives you hope“. There have been many wonderful songs of hope and inspiration released over the years, but I’ve chosen a more recent song, “Brighter Days” by Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Jamie Alimorad. Jamie is a talented, hard-working and charismatic guy who I’ve been following for about three years, and I’ve written about him twice, most recently this past January when I reviewed his marvelous single “Give a Little Lovin'”. “Brighter Days” is taken from his excellent 2019 album This Is Tomorrow Calling, which I also reviewed.
The song has a breezy, upbeat groove and an infectious dance beat, with a bit of a country-rock vibe thanks to twangy guitars and some great vocal harmonies. Jamie has a terrific singing voice, and does a fine job conveying his earnest message of not letting our problems and worries overwhelm or defeat us, and trying to remain positive in the belief that things will get better. A phrase in one of the lyrics is used for the album’s title, and really encapsulates its overall theme of love and resilience. “When living’s hard and you think you’re better off dead, this is tomorrow calling, there are brighter days ahead.”
The walls are closing in
It's getting hard to breathe
Thinking of cashing in my chips
Don't have an ace up my sleeve
But I hear a little voice inside me say
Before I go and throw it all away
When it rains it pours
Such as the weatherman said
This is tomorrow calling
There are brighter days ahead
When living's hard
And you think you're better off dead
This is tomorrow calling
There are brighter days ahead
I look at my reflection
All I see are broken dreams
But I hear a voice say look a little deeper
It ain't what it seemsThere's a light behind a house full of scars
Crack the shell and find out who you really are
When it rains it pours
Such as the weatherman said
This is tomorrow calling
There are brighter days ahead
When living's hard
And you think you're better off dead
This is tomorrow calling
There are brighter days ahead
In the darkness there's a heaviness that ways me down
I moan like a rescue dog in the lost and found
No one in this stormy world to turn to
Except for that little voice like a patch of blue
When it rains it pours
Such as the weatherman said
This is tomorrow calling
There are brighter days ahead
When living's hard
And you think you're better off dead
This is tomorrow calling
There are brighter days ahead
The video for “Brighter Days” was filmed as a live performance and mini-documentary at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of The Darkness Walk in Santa Monica on October 19, 2019. More than 2,200 people and 200 teams participated in the walk.
The subject for Day 29 of my 30-day Song Challenge is “A song that breaks your heart“, and there are few songs I can think of that are more heartbreaking than “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by the legendary Bonnie Raitt. Aside from the death of a loved one or a beloved pet, unrequited love is probably one of life’s most painful experiences. Many of us – me included – have been in romantic situations where someone we loved did not feel the same toward us, and vice versa. And sometimes, our guilt from the pain we’ve caused by not loving someone who loves us can feel almost as bad as not having our love returned by another.
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” was co-written by Nashville country music songwriters Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin, who took many months and numerous rewrites until they were happy with the song. In an interview with Peter Cooper for the Nashville Tennessean, Shamblin remarked: “We wrote, most every week, in Mike’s basement, and we’d worked on this song for more than six months. One day, he said, ‘Come up to the living room,’ where his piano was. He sat down and started playing this melody, and it was one of the most moving pieces of music I’d heard. I mean, it hit me in a hard way … Instantly, I knew it was the best thing I’d ever been a part of.”
They originally wrote the song as a fast, bluegrass number, but upon slowing the tempo down considerably, they realized the song became even more powerful and compelling. They had three artists in mind for the song – Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler and Linda Ronstadt – with Raitt eventually winning out. She recorded the song for her eleventh studio album Luck of the Draw (1991), with both song and album co-produced by Raitt and record producer Don Was. She recorded the vocal in just one take, later saying that the song was so sad that she could not recapture the emotion: “We’d try to do it again and I just said, ‘You know, this ain’t going to happen.‘” (Wikipedia)
Over a sparse soundscape of gentle instrumentals, highlighted by a beautiful piano accompaniment by Bruce Hornsby, Raitt sings of the heartache of unrequited love with a sad, understated resignation, while maintaining her own self respect.
Turn down the lights
Turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head
Lay down with me
Tell me no lies
Just hold me close, don't patronize
Don't patronize me
'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don'tI'll close my eyes, then I won't see
The love you don't feel when you're holding me
Morning will come and I'll do what's right
Just give me till then to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight
'Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't
The song was a fairly big hit for Raitt, reaching #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached #4 on Canada’s Adult Contemporary chart.
And here’s her stunning performance of the song, with Bruce Hornsby on piano, at the 1992 Grammy Awards
Interest in my 30-day song challenge seems to be waning, as the number of views and likes have generally declined over time, but I’ll press on to the end. The subject for Day 28 of my 30-day Song Challenge is “A song that makes you want to fall in love“. There’ve been hundreds, if not thousands, of love songs released over the years, for love has long been the primary subject of many a song. Some of the great – or at least most popular – love songs include “At Last” by Etta James, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley, “She Loves You” by the Beatles, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” with versions by Marvin Gaye, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, and James Taylor, “Crazy For You” by Madonna, “Lovesong” by The Cure, “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton and later Whitney Houston, “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis, “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden and “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, to name but a few.
But the song that really makes me want to fall in love is “The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala. As I wrote in my article ranking the song at #25 on my Top 100 Songs of the 2010s, “the achingly beautiful song about young lust and love makes me wish I was 18 again, and is so fucking gorgeous it stirs the hopeless romantic in me, bringing a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat every time I hear it.” Despite the wrenching emotional roller-coaster ride of anxiety, longing and potential heartache, there’s nothing else in life that compares to the thrill of falling in love with someone new and exciting. I love this song so much I can listen to it on an endless replay loop.
The lyrics express a guy’s intense longing for a girl he can’t have, which Tame Impala front man Kevin Parker so beautifully expresses with his enthralling vocals:
Someone said they left together I ran out the door to get her She was holding hands with Trevor Not the greatest feeling ever Said, “Pull yourself together You should try your luck with Heather” Then I heard they slept together Oh, the less I know the better The less I know the better
Oh my love, can’t you see yourself by my side No surprise when you’re on his shoulder like every night Oh my love, can’t you see that you’re on my mind Don’t suppose you could convince your lover to change his mind So goodbye
She said, “It’s not now or never Wait 10 years, we’ll be together” I said, “Better late than never Just don’t make me wait forever” Don’t make me wait forever Don’t make me wait forever
Oh my love, can’t you see yourself by my side? I don’t suppose you could convince your lover to change his mind
I was doing fine without ya ‘Til I saw your face, now I can’t erase Giving in to all his bullshit Is this what you want, is this who you are? I was doing fine without ya ‘Til I saw your eyes turn away from mine Oh, sweet darling, where he wants you Said, “Come on Superman, say your stupid line” Said, “Come on Superman, say your stupid line” Said, “Come on Superman, say your stupid line”
The entertaining official video brings the song to life with an imaginative and humorous blend of romance, surrealism and colorful animation. It shows a high school basketball player lusting after a cheerleader, who soon begins a relationship with the team’s gorilla mascot named “Trevor”, who’s referenced in the lyrics. The video was filmed in Barcelona at the visual arts collective CANADA, and the two primary characters are played by Spanish actors Laia Manzanares as the cheerleader and Albert Baro as the basketball player.
Rather ridiculously, the video has been age-restricted by YouTube due to a couple of provocative scenes, so click on the “Watch on YouTube” link to watch it.
Or, just listen to the song in this audio only video:
The subject for Day 27 of my 30-day Song Challenge is “A song by an instrumental artist“, and once again, the possible choices are immense. Musicians and composers have been creating instrumental music since the dawn of time I suppose, with classical music, followed by jazz, being the two most widespread forms of instrumental music composed up until the beginning of the so-called ‘rock era’ in the mid 1950s. After that, instrumental music created by more mainstream artists became popular, and from the mid 1950s through early 1980s, scores of singles like “Tequila”, “Sleep Walk”, “The Theme from ‘A Summer Place'”, “Green Onions”, “Stranger on the Shore”, “Love is Blue”, “Classical Gas”, “Grazin’ in the Grass”, “Frankenstein”, “Love’s Theme”, “T.S.O.P.” and “Chariots of Fire” became huge hits. Why instrumental songs failed to become hits after that has been a subject of debate, which I won’t delve further into here, other than to say that I think it’s unfortunate.
That said, there are still lots of musicians and artists out there who are creating some great instrumental music, and I’ve featured many of them on this blog over the years. One of my favorites, and also the very first I wrote about as a new blogger way back in March 2016, is David Oakes. Born in England and now living in Wales, he’s an imaginative and prolific musician and composer of electronic alternative rock music, ranging from gentle synth-driven compositions to aggressive guitar-driven hard rock, and everything in between. I really like his music, and have written about quite a lot of it (you can read some of those reviews by clicking on the links under “Related” at the end of this post).
David’s been actively involved in making music since his late teens, when he started playing in various bands. From 2001-06, he and his younger brother were members of the rock band KOTOW, for which he played drums. He went on to study guitar and music theory at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildord, England from 2009-12, after which he started composing and recording music as a solo artist. Since 2012, he’s released an astonishing 10 albums! One of his non-album singles is “The Drop“, which I’ve chosen for my latest song challenge.
It’s an intense song, with a strong chugging bass line overlain with gritty staccato guitar and relentless pummeling drumbeats, highlighted by some tasty melodic riffs of metal guitar riffs. As with all his music, David played all the instruments, and recorded, produced and mixed the track.
The equally intense, horror-film like video, produced by Dark Fable Media, shows David playing the song on his guitar in the woods, where he encounters a man in a frightful-looking mask. The masked man attacks him, whereupon they struggle until David stabs him and runs off. The story seems to be a kind of nightmare, as all three men shown in the video are the same guy, stuck in a disturbing time loop. The entire video is filmed in black and white, with the only color shown being the red blood on the knife and the stabbed man’s hands.
Here’s David’s latest release Ten Years A Dave, featuring what he feels are his ten best tracks over the past ten years, including “The Drop”.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 