Songs #6-10
See songs #1-5 below.
6. The Decemberists, “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”
I’m not generally a “lyrics person.” If I like the sound of a song, I may never even get around to figuring out what the mumbling lead singer is talking about.
However, songs like Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” present a weird exception to this rule. Song? Schmaltzy and terrible. Overall lyrics? Schmaltzy and terrible. Use of the word “vagabond”? ABSOLUTELY fantastic.
All of this to say that “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” contains not just one word that I find highly amusing in the right context, but a whole plethora of such words and phrases. Mariner. Belly of a whale. Lad of eighteen. Rake and a roustabout (!). Debonair. A poor consumptive wretch. Your gambling arrears. Magistrate. Urchins. Priory. Vestry. Muskets.
Not to mention the fact that the song features our protagonist’s dying mother pleading, “Find him. Find him. Tie him to a pole and break/His fingers to splinters. Drag him to a hole until he/Wakes up naked/Clawing at the ceiling/Of his grave.”
Ooooh. Hilarious verbiage AND vicious revenge. Love it.
7. Eels, “Things the Grandchildren Should Know”
Like the album as a whole, this song is more than just a little bit depressing. It is, after all, about a reclusive shut-in who is afraid of meeting people when he walks his dog and is just now realizing that he has taken on the very worst qualities of his now-dead father. Not a picker-upper.
Nevertheless, I read it as having a sheen of hope. “So in the end I’d like to say that I’m a very thankful man. I tried to make the most of my situations. And enjoyed what I had. I knew true love and I knew passion. And the difference between the two. And I had some regrets. But if I had to do it all again? Well, that’s something I’d like to do.” This dude is unhappy. But in the end, he concludes that life hasn’t been all that bad. Rationalization? Perhaps. But there’s something about the sentiment that I find immensely hopeful and beautiful.
And, for whatever reason, I always like my songs and movies to be less-than-perky.
8. Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
Boy, am I going to take some heat for this one. But the song (and Mariah’s whole thing this year) is just such a glorious slap in the face to the Lohans, Hiltons, Duffs, and Spears-Federlines of our pop world. “You want to see diva? I’ll show you diva,” Mariah seems to be saying. And diva she does.
9. Bruce Springsteen, “Reno”
In many ways this is probably not one of my favorite songs of the year. It and the whole album were quite nice, but not exactly things to write home about.
However, what puts Bruce over the edge is the fact that this song alone made Starbucks cancel their exclusive early contract with Springsteen. Ouch.
But did this cause Bruce to flinch and take out the offending lines? No, it did not. Do I suspect that MANY other artists would have so flinched? Yes, I do.
10. Ben Folds, “Gracie”
This song made my mom well up. And even cynical me is allowed one pretty little lullaby.
Other worthy contenders:
The White Stripes, “Take, Take, Take”
Wolf Parade, “I’ll Believe in Anything”
The New Pornographers, “Sing Me the Spanish Techno”
My Morning Jacket, “Gideon”
Death Cab for Cutie, “Soul Meets Body”
Death Cab for Cutie, “Someday You Will Be Loved”
Common, “Testify”
6. The Decemberists, “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”
I’m not generally a “lyrics person.” If I like the sound of a song, I may never even get around to figuring out what the mumbling lead singer is talking about.
However, songs like Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” present a weird exception to this rule. Song? Schmaltzy and terrible. Overall lyrics? Schmaltzy and terrible. Use of the word “vagabond”? ABSOLUTELY fantastic.
All of this to say that “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” contains not just one word that I find highly amusing in the right context, but a whole plethora of such words and phrases. Mariner. Belly of a whale. Lad of eighteen. Rake and a roustabout (!). Debonair. A poor consumptive wretch. Your gambling arrears. Magistrate. Urchins. Priory. Vestry. Muskets.
Not to mention the fact that the song features our protagonist’s dying mother pleading, “Find him. Find him. Tie him to a pole and break/His fingers to splinters. Drag him to a hole until he/Wakes up naked/Clawing at the ceiling/Of his grave.”
Ooooh. Hilarious verbiage AND vicious revenge. Love it.
7. Eels, “Things the Grandchildren Should Know”
Like the album as a whole, this song is more than just a little bit depressing. It is, after all, about a reclusive shut-in who is afraid of meeting people when he walks his dog and is just now realizing that he has taken on the very worst qualities of his now-dead father. Not a picker-upper.
Nevertheless, I read it as having a sheen of hope. “So in the end I’d like to say that I’m a very thankful man. I tried to make the most of my situations. And enjoyed what I had. I knew true love and I knew passion. And the difference between the two. And I had some regrets. But if I had to do it all again? Well, that’s something I’d like to do.” This dude is unhappy. But in the end, he concludes that life hasn’t been all that bad. Rationalization? Perhaps. But there’s something about the sentiment that I find immensely hopeful and beautiful.
And, for whatever reason, I always like my songs and movies to be less-than-perky.
8. Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
Boy, am I going to take some heat for this one. But the song (and Mariah’s whole thing this year) is just such a glorious slap in the face to the Lohans, Hiltons, Duffs, and Spears-Federlines of our pop world. “You want to see diva? I’ll show you diva,” Mariah seems to be saying. And diva she does.
9. Bruce Springsteen, “Reno”
In many ways this is probably not one of my favorite songs of the year. It and the whole album were quite nice, but not exactly things to write home about.
However, what puts Bruce over the edge is the fact that this song alone made Starbucks cancel their exclusive early contract with Springsteen. Ouch.
But did this cause Bruce to flinch and take out the offending lines? No, it did not. Do I suspect that MANY other artists would have so flinched? Yes, I do.
10. Ben Folds, “Gracie”
This song made my mom well up. And even cynical me is allowed one pretty little lullaby.
Other worthy contenders:
The White Stripes, “Take, Take, Take”
Wolf Parade, “I’ll Believe in Anything”
The New Pornographers, “Sing Me the Spanish Techno”
My Morning Jacket, “Gideon”
Death Cab for Cutie, “Soul Meets Body”
Death Cab for Cutie, “Someday You Will Be Loved”
Common, “Testify”
posted by OleNelson at 2:43 PM
4 Comments:
Mariner's Revenge Song was a close, close, close #2 for the Decemeberists' spot on my list - "his ribs, our ceiling beams - his guts, our carpeting" makes me giggle every time I hear it.
I find it quite ironic that after all my years of Mariah-liking (and taking flack for it), now Mari and Travis are big fans of "MC" -- and I could care less about her. You two are trying to torture me, aren't you?
It's pretty sad that I only recognize 2 of the 10 songs on your list -- and I've only heard Gold Digger like twice, so can't really comment on it. I imagine I've heard some of these other songs, but I listen to The Current a lot, they don't repeat songs much, and I'm not good at paying attention to what was song #2 in a 4-song set.
Travis -- honorable mention to two Death Cab For Cutie songs, but no mention of "I Will Follow You Into The Dark"????? What on Earth???? That's one of the sweetest and prettiest songs I've ever heard.
Give me some time, I'll come up with my Top 10 at some point.
There won't be a Mariah song in my Top 10.
But there may be a Kelly Clarkson song.
D'oh.
I like Mariah, too. I even watched Glitter a week or so ago. It was hi-larious.
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