Songs Are More Than Poems With Melodies

As you may have noticed, I'm a big fan of lyrics.  I have always loved the way words work together. They way the sound, the way they feel, the way they taste.  This started as a love of poetry when I was a kid.  When I was in 7th grade we had to memorize one of three Robert Frost poems.  They were "Fire and Ice", "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening". Each was worth a different amount of points which, looking back, doesn't make sense because the last two are the same length.  Anyway, we had some ridiculous amount of time to memorize one of them and recite it to the class.  I came back on Monday and with all three of them memorized, which kind of irritated my teacher, as I recall, but it gave me a crap ton of bonus points.  I have known many, many people in all my years in school that hated poetry, but I just don't get that.  Where else do words dance and play and get along as well as in poems?

Well in songs, of course!  Obviously songwriters are poets, that goes without saying.  But I think they're so much more than that.  They are able to elevate a mere poem to the level of a song.  They infuse it with magic and marry it to a melody and make it infinitely better.  I can write a poem, I have in fact written several, but I've never written a song. I wouldn't know where to begin to make sense of the process.  A poem can be anything, it doesn't have to conform to any rule (unless of course it's haiku or a sonnet or whatever), but what I'm saying is that it stands alone.  It can look and sound however the author wants it to.  But with a song, the words either have to fit existing music or music has to be written to fit existing words - are both ever written at once?  Either way, the two things have to get together and work together to become better.   Simply put, a song is greater than the sum of it's parts.

What Gives Music Value?

My husband said to me this morning that he doesn't think any of this new music has any value.  Of course, Florence + the Machine was on VH1 at the moment, so I didn't have a good argument right in front of me.  I just said, "That's not true."  So he challenged me for a name...ahh, the pressure of a name!! Naturally, I replied, "Matt Nathanson.  And the Foo Fighters' new record, and Red Hot Chili Peppers are doing some pretty good stuff..."

He says that they don't count, they've all be around a long time.  They're grown, they know from good music, they have soul.  He means this new generation - the ones that are dominating the airways.  The kids (gosh that makes me sound old!!).  Initially, I thought I'd skim through my iTunes collection and find a few up and coming artists and explain in great detail the value they are adding to the great musical landscape.  Then I started to ponder the term "value":

noun, verb, -ued, -u·ing. noun

1. relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.

2. monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade: This piece of land has greatly increased in value.

3. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange. (care of http://www.dictionary.reference.com/)

So what gives music value?  Is it, like beauty, in the eye (or ear) of the beholder?  I have to think that, like any other art form, the answers are as many and as varied as the people who listen to music.  Do I have to like an artist's work to think that it has value?  Of course not.  Take for instance, Bob Dylan.  One of the greatest lyricists of our time - he has forgotten more about song writing than most people will ever know.  Do I want to listen to his animal-in-pain vocals?  Not particularly, no.  However, his body of work has indisputable value.  But it's easy to look back at the great artists and say they have value.  That's not what we were questioning.

The question is: does NEW music have value?  I say yes.  Even if it isn't great, even if it isn't the start of a revolution, even if it won't change anything about the way future artists make music.  I think the real value in any art form (music, painting, photography, sculpture...all of it) is what it does to us internally. Does it make you feel something?  Yes?  Then it has value.  No?  Then maybe it has value to someone else.

If you listen to something or look at something that another person created and it affects you, that's when the value of it is created.  Because really, in the grand scheme of things, our own value as humans really only happens when we have an effect on other people.  It is the connection to each other that makes us and our relationships have worth - so why should art be any different?  Considering that at its core, art is a piece of the artist removed (either by clean surgical incision or ripped out by the roots) and given to other people.  By this definition, anything created from a genuine place, offered up, and accepted could be valuable, and probably is.

So what's this mean for today's music?  Well, before you think I've gone soft, let me be clear that not all music falls into this "created from a genuine place" category.  Let's be honest, there is a lot of shit out there that makes your ears want to bleed.  But just because I think that, doesn't mean everyone thinks that.  Do I think that the excrement that Miley Cyrus, Justine Beiber, Britany Spears, Katy Perry (I could go on) put out has value?  Absolutely not.  I think we should set fire to all of it and cleanse the airways.  But what about Coldplay?  Or Radiohead?  I dislike them both (well, post-Pablo Honey Radiohead)...a lot.  But I'm pretty much alone in that.  Lots of people think they're wonderful - so apparently they're affecting people somehow, so there must be some value there.  I don't see it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

In the end, I don't think it's fair to say that new music has no value.  I just think maybe you have to be closer to the source to be affected by it.  Maybe only the artists who are currently in their late 30's and 40's can really get to us these days because they are our peers.  A kid writing a song about how hard life is when he's 20 years old kind of makes me barf.  But I know that's only because I'm not 20 years old anymore.  And when I think about it, maybe those kids don't get how I can be so moved by some old dude crooning about his broken heart, or how I can be shaken to the core listening to two guys singing about life almost 50 years ago, or why I break out in cold chills listening to an 18 year old song about a fucked up childhood.

So I've come all this way just to say that my darling husband should have said, "This new music doesn't have any value to me."  And knowing him, that is probably a pretty accurate statement.

Lyrical Genius

I love lyrics.  To me, the lyrics are the most essential part of a song.  This is not to say that I don't appreciate a good guitar riff or a heart-thumping drum, because I do.  Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter" is a perfect example of a song that pulls (rips) at your heartstrings even though 90% of the lyrics are completely unintelligible.  And it's cool, I love that song, but I much prefer a song I can sing along with. 

The lyrics are almost always the part of a song I'm first attracted to.  So much so that a single line in a song - a single crafty, clever, perfect line can attract me to a song like a moth to a flame.  That's all it takes, one line, and if it's good enough and hits me just right, it can inspire me to look into an artist's entire catalogue in search of other moments of awesome.
I have some examples of lines that have caught my attention and drawn me in.  Sometimes that one line was all I found and I ended up abandoning my search, but other times, that single line led me to an entire world of amazing. 

Neon Trees - "Animal"
"Take a bite of my heart tonight." - I heard this one line in passing on the radio one day and became obsessed with hearing the song again.  I finally did and identified the artist and immediately bought their debut album Habits.  I didn't find any more lyrics on this record that struck me like that line, but the whole thing is catchy as hell and I really like it.  It is not in my usual vein with the synth and general '80's pop feeling, but Tyler Glenn is totally into it and I dig that.  They have a new one coming out 12/07/11 (which seems quick to me, but what do I know?), I look forward to hearing what they have to offer this time.

3 Doors Down - "Kryptonite"
"You took for granted all those times I never let you down." - I admit, the title of this song drew me in, but this line talked me into staying.  I only own a few songs by this band - I didn't find the substance this line promised me.  I love the songs I own, but they sound a lot like everyone else, you know what I mean?  They're good songs, I think they're a good band, but for the most part I'm content to just hear them on the radio and don't feel inclined to buy entire albums. 

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Breakdown"
"It's alright if you love me/It's alright if you don't/I'm not afraid of you runnin' away, honey/I get the feelin' you won't."
Ok, I admit it's not a single line, it's a whole verse, but it's Tom Petty!  I'm not sure if it's the actual words or the way he sings them, but I will skip back to the beginning and listen to this verse over and over and over (and over).  Love it.  After I heard this song, I was totally hooked on Tom Petty.

Toad the Wet Sprocket - "Walk on the Ocean"
"Somebody told me, this is the place/Where everything's better and everything's safe."
I first heard this song many years ago when it was new, so this is an early example of my lyric obsession.  This band has an overall unique, intriguing sound that I really like, but their lyrics are clever and intelligent too, which is a rare gift.

The Script - "Breakeven (Falling to Pieces)"
"Still alive but I'm barely breathing/Just prayed to a god that I don't believe in."
I heard this line and knew immediately that I'd own the song.  I do, and one other by them.  I like their new release too, so maybe someday I'll buy an entire album.

Matt Nathanson - "Queen of (K)nots" & "Bottom of the Sea"
Since Modern Love was the first album of his that I owned, it was the one that got me.  I was caught with "Cause you're someone else's baby, yeah you're someone else's crazy now" in "Queen of (K)nots", then he set the hook with "I'm tired of getting even, let's get odd, odd, baby" in "Bottom of the Sea".  This is prime example of a lyric that led me to a whole world of genius.

So my point here is this, if you hear a line that catches your attention, don't ignore it.  Go with it.  Find out what the song is, who the artist is, see if there is more where that came from.  Sometimes, there isn't.  But other times, your mind will be blown.

Angry Songs

Because I am in a terrifically crappy mood today (Happy Holidays, my ass), I thought I'd make of list of my top ten angry songs.  So just in case you are loving this time of year too, here is a little play list for us to share:

10. You Oughta Know - Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little Pill
      This was Alanis at her angry, angsty best.  The song doesn't fit all aggravations, but it is fun to sing loud when you're just pissed.

9. Crazy Bitch - Buck Cherry - 15
     Probably not really a great song in general, but any song with "fuck" in it 13 times is good on a bad day.

8. Stupify - Disturbed - The Sickness
    Really, almost any Disturbed song would fit here - it was a toss up.

7. Keep Away - Godsmack - Keep Away
    How fun is this one to scream??

6. Freak on a Leash - Korn - Follow the Leader
    I dig this song in any mood, but especially love it when I'm irked.

5. One Step Closer - Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
    "One step closer to the edge, and I'm about to break!!!!" - what more can I say?

4. Ain't My Bitch - Metallica - Load
    Obviously, heavy metal (although, it is a bit of a stretch to call Load "heavy") is written by angry people - thank goodness!!

3. Last Resort - Papa Roach - Infest
    "Do you even care if I die bleeding?" - perfect angry lyrics.

2. Fuck You - Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer
    This one needs no explanation.

1. Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
    If you don't own this song (in fact, the whole album) and crank it up every so often...then there is just no help for you.

I'm sure I missed some - any suggestions?

Maybe soon I'll post a "songs to cheer you up" list!

Inspired By or Stolen From?

So the other morning I was innocently eating my cereal watching VH1, hoping against hope that they would come to their senses and play 'Faster' for me.  No such luck.  They did, however, play this new song by Sara Bareilles, 'Gonna Get Over You'.  Have you heard this one?

It's just a peppy little pop ditty.  Frankly, nothing special, except for this one line, "I'll be alright, just not tonight."  Clever, huh?  And...um...sound familiar?

Yeah, so, a couple years ago this guy named Rob Thomas (you might know him from this band he sings for sometimes, Matchbox Twenty) released a solo album called "Cradlesong".  It is a beautifully crafted hour of music.  Really a great record.  The lead single from "Cradlesong" was a song about his wife called 'Her Diamonds'.  In that song, he sings, "She'll be alright, just not tonight." 

Coincidence?  Personally, I think not.

Good Lyrics Are Essential

You know how I'm always saying that so-and-so's* lyric's are perfect?  They aren't awkward or weird or forced, they just flow naturally?  Well, I have found of a perfect example of lyrics that are the exact opposite of that, just so you'll know what I mean.

Have you heard this relatively new Dawes song, 'Time Spent in Los Angeles'?  Personally, I don't like it, it's too whiny and sounds out of tune to me.  But, my biggest problem is this one line in the song.  This one awkward, weird, wrong line.  The rest of the song could be the greatest thing ever and I would still cringe when I hear it.

So what he sings is: "I always thought someone would love me, for the places I have been, and the dirt, that I've been gathering, deep beneath my nails."

ARGH!!!!  It just makes me uncomfortable to hear it.  My ears don't expect it, it just doesn't go.  And not in that good unexpected kind of way either.

What I want him to sing is: "I always thought someone would love me, for the places I have been, and the dirt, that I've been gathering, underneath my skin." 

Isn't that just better??

Also, another one that kills me (in a bad way) is 'Love and Understanding' by Cher.  She says, over and over, "The one thing there's just not enough of is love and understanding."  THAT'S TWO THINGS!!!!

I really like that song, but I literally deleted it off my iPod and out of iTunes all together because of that line.





*of course you know I mean Matt Nathanson, but I promised not to talk about him anymore (for a while) so I'm not going to