Colin Hay has come a long way since co-forming and providing lead vocals for the men down under Men at Work in the 1980s. But you know what they say (okay, I don’t think anyone says this), a good vocalist is always appreciated in the music community. That is not so much an aphorism, but rather a fact that I hope to be true. For Hay, it is very true.
Hay has Zach Braff (who played J.D. in the popular medical comedy “Scrubs”) for a career revitalization. Braff is one of those guys who appreciates a good vocalist. He started using Hay’s solo material – which is a delicate blend of acoustic rhythm, deeply emotion lyric, and somber vocal splendor, in his work. Since a lot of young folk like Braff (and a lot of people in general loved “Scrubs”), Hay’s music suddenly found a new, younger group of listeners, like myself. I knew of Men at Work, but, I did not know of Colin Hay until I heard “Overkill” on “Scrubs.”
I was hooked. I did have in mind far loftier goals for a post today, but I have been quite busy. This, though, will certainly do. While I have not published a Lyric of the Day in what seems like forever, I think that some lines from “Waiting for My Real Life to Begin,” one of my favorite songs by Hay, would be appreciated by the masses. I am going to see Colin Hay at Town Hall in NYC in April, by the way, and I am PSYCHED!
This song was in “Scrubs” in case you were going, “where have I heard this song before.” My favorite lyrical part of this song is the beginning.
“Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I’ll keep checking the horizon
I’ll stand on the bow, feel the waves come crashing
Come crashing down, down, down, on me
And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in
But don’t you understand
I already have a plan
I’m waiting for my real life to begin”
Just listen to the song and let the waves crash down on you. The song touches on a hint of a grand existential wait. It does seem that our protagonist will forever be by the shore waiting for his ship to come in, but, perhaps there is some peace in this situation – some beauty in the monotony. Or, perhaps, I have been reading too much Camus. Any which way, please enjoy this song!
We embark on a journey back in time. A sojourn in the bright-eyed days of 2009. Oh, the nostalgia is killing me. The Music Court has not clicked the category option of lyric of the day for way too long. And, this in unacceptable. Every category should get love. So, for today’s post, we concentrate on a lyric that can set your night right. And, we rhyme. Because, that’s what we do here. Rhymes and old times with musical chimes. Shut up and get to the song. Okay!
Joe Pisapia is often referred to as “that balding guy from Guster,” but he is certainly much more than that. This multi-instrumentalist is a talented singer-songwriter that has been an essential part of Guster since he jumped on-board 7 years ago. Recently, after completing Guster’s new album Easy Wonderful, he left the band to explore a project with musician, k.d. lang.
A solo release in 2002 by Pisapia is often looked over by fans of Guster. But, if you want a good listen and you are a fan of Guster, definitely check out Pisapia’s work on Daydreams.
Here is my favorite lyric from my favorite song, “Dancing Partner”
To set the scene, Pisapia’s character goes to visit his grandmother (I think) in a nursing home and they discuss how it has been 27 years ago since her husband passed away and how she refuses to dance with anyone now because her dancing partner is away.
It is a sad song. Pisapia’s smooth, innocent voice is a perfect compliment to the piano rhythm that is jumpy and bubbly. But, as the song hits the chorus the piano draws out and we are left with extended vocal and piano notes that help the song. Here is the lyric
“Driving home so late that night
My mind still recollecting
All the many things we talked about
Like living with and then without
I wondered to myself if I would
Ever love someone that way
And in the echoes of that night
I still can see her as she’s saying,
When they play that music
I turn the other way
Since my dancing partner’s away”
That last segment is repeated throughout the song and it just works so well. I like the story above everything. It is personal and allows the listener to explore one single scene/conversation of dealing with loss. Just well done.
Did you know that Robert Smith of the Cure can play guitar, bass, flute, trumpet and violin? Yes, the 51-year-old rocker is not just a pioneer of New Wave rock, but, he is also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. I think many overlook Robert Smith’s ability. A constant member of the The Cure since their start in 1976, Smith ensconced into the lead vocals and principal song writing role a long time ago and has shown consistent success. His melancholic, somewhat depressing, style of song writing compared with his stage dress has been looked at as an early style of “Goth,” everything. But, don’t tell that to Smith.
“It’s so pitiful when ‘goth’ is still tagged onto the name The Cure,” he said about the relationship.
The Cure’s modus operandi may seem quite “Goth,” but, like most predecessors of style, it does not mean that they are actually what they created. Smith is actually an incredibly talented musician whose gloomy, punk performance style is infectious. He is also a particularly cogent lyricist. Hence, his spot as #67 on our lengthy top 100 lyricist list.
The above video is of The Cure’s “Killing An Arab,” a frenetic punk allusion. Smith, a sucker for good literature (well, I mean who isn’t), displays his ode to “The Stranger,” the existential classic by Albert Camus, in this song. Here are some lyrics to abate your insatiable lyric appetite.
“Standing on a beach
With a gun in my hand
Staring at the sea
Staring at the sand
Staring down the barrel
At the arab on the ground
See his open mouth
But hear no sound
I’m alive
I’m dead
I’m the stranger
Killing an arab”
Here, Smith places us on the beach with Meursault, the protagonist of “The Stranger,” after he has killed the Arab. Do you want a reason for why he did it? Well, I am sorry that I can’t provide you with one. Still, an excellent read and a true existential masterpiece. English major 101. Give me an e-mail and we can discuss the contents. I have only written two essays on Camus’ novel. Well, we are not supposed to be talking about literature here. This is just supposed to be the poetry of song writing. It is a great lyric in that it portrays the utter crisis that Meursault finds himself in, unknowing and rather uncaring.
On to the next lyric…one of my favorite Smith lyric.
“The most perfect of songs, few words, little music.” Smith said this about “Accuracy” and he is absolutely right. It is short and, well, not so sweet. But, its surrealist lyric is most definitely a thing of beauty.
“We sit in the same room
Side by side
I give you the wrong lines
Feed you
Look into my eyes
We both smile
I could kill you
Without trying
That’s accuracy
Practice all day for accuracy
Mirror mirror on the wall…”
This is the entire lyric. Could it be a lyric exploring a concupiscent attraction? A, sort of, surreal look into fatal longing and pin-point seduction. The odd archery of love. It is brief, but, it invokes numerous questions, and, good lyrics do that. For that, Smith has worked himself 33 spots in on our descending list.
I don’t know if the crowd who came to see an obscure band in the basement of Temple De Hirsch in Seattle in the late 50′s really respected what they saw. Well, considering that this particular band was fired because of too wild playing, I am sure just one or two true rock n’ rollers in the crowd really enjoyed the concert. Around 10 years later, the band’s young guitarist played in front of a slightly larger crowd at White Lake, NY and propelled himself into the prestigious slot of the top 5 guitarists of all time. I am talking about the sultan of amplified guitar skill himself, Mr. Jimi Hendrix. And, after he received a $5 acoustic guitar from one of his father’s acquaintances, he simply did not turn back. Well, he did eventually switch to electric. Hendrix single handedly re-shaped the electric guitar and how it is even heard today. That is how influential he was…and that was only with the guitar.
Okay, now listen…I can go into an entire Hendrix biography and trust me I wouldn’t mind doing it. But, I will contain myself and show all readers that I can resist sharing tidbits of music minutia. Okay, maybe just one.
Did you know that Hendrix formed a band called the Blue Flame in 1966? The Blue Flame featured a 15-year-old guitarist named Randy Wolfe. It also featured a bassist who shared Wolfe’s first name. Hendrix, anticipated confusion and began calling Wolfe Randy California because he had just moved from there to NYC. Randy California would go on to form the band Spirit with his stepfather, drummer Ed Cassidy. Spirit, perhaps, is best known for being a huge inspiration to Led Zeppelin. Ed Cassidy often played extended drum solos with his bare hands which influenced John Bonham, Zeppelin’s drummer, to do the same. Also, Spirit’s “Taurus” is often cited as being “Stairway to Heaven” without the huge success. The famous Zeppelin riff is eerily similar to Spirit’s classic. Personally, I think “Taurus” is a better song. Shoot me. Now, back to Hendrix
The reason this post is being written is not to celebrate Hendrix’s guitar ingenuity. That post can be read here: http://musiccourt.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/court-polls-defense-for-jimi-hendrix/. This, instead, celebrates an art that Hendrix fans do not usually comment enough on. Hendrix was a pretty skilled wordsmith.
Let’s look at one of my favorite Hendrix compositions, “The Wind Cries Mary.” Supposedly, Hendrix wrote this song after he and his then girlfriend Kathy Etchingham had an argument over her cooking. Kathy, I am so very happy your cooking did not please Jimi. Kathy, whose middle name is Mary, stormed out of the house and Jimi was left with a decision, eat the unpleasant food or write the song. Just kidding of course. Maybe Jimi was just not very hungry. Here are some lyrics:
“After all the jacks are in their boxes
And the clowns have all gone to bed
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Footprints dressed in red
And the wind whispers Mary
A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday’s life
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Somewhere a king has no wife
And the wind, it cries Mary”
Hendrix demonstrates a great adroitness for metaphor and sensitive repetition. I, obviously am partial to the court references, but, they work quite well in the song. “Somewhere a queen is weeping, Somewhere a king has no wife.” These two lines in the second verse are by far the best in the song. The words elevate the song to an ethereal level and help represent Hendrix’s situation mystically. And they said Hendrix was only good at the guitar. Well, the guitar definitely helps.
Stevie Nicks has said that her vocal style evolved from female singers like Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. She was inspired after seeing Joplin live. Nicks’ career success has inspired such modern artists as The Dixie Chicks, Michelle Branch, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crown, Tori Amos, and the list just goes on. If one judges artists by who they were inspired by and who they inspired themselves, Nicks is a prime example of a tremendous musician. Artists obviously aren’t judged this way, but, in Nicks’ case at least the conclusion is true. Nicks is a fantastic musician and her musical, lyrical, and even clothing and jewelry style has been an influence to many modern musicians. In this post, we will specifically focus on her lyrics.
Nicks was born in Phoenix, Arizona, to a corporate executive and a homemaker. Her grandfather, Aaron Jess Nicks, was a struggling country singer. He taught Nicks how to sing quite early in her life (try before the age of five). After receiving a guitar for her 16th birthday, Nicks wrote her first song “I’ve Loved and I’ve Lost, and I’m Sad But Not Blue,” and joined her first band while attending Arcadia High School in California. While attending Menlo Atherton High School as a senior, she met Lindsey Buckingham at a Young Life social event. He was playing “California Dreamin’” and she provided some harmony. They became a unit and eventually started recording duos together. They were signed briefly to Polydor records who helped release an album Buckingham Nicks in 1973. It was not a commercial success and the label dropped them. Nicks was sent into a stage where she worked several jobs and even wrote one of the songs I will be profiling today “Landslide” while debating whether to continue to pursue music. But, like every successful and lucky artist, Nicks and Buckingham caught their break on New Year’s Eve, 1974, after playing their track “Frozen Love” for Mick Fleetwood in Studio City, California. He originally only extended the offer to Buckingham, but, after Buckingham insisted they were a duo, Fleetwood caved and allowed Nicks to join the ride. This was most likely the best decision he ever made. No, seriously, passed the cliché, if he did not allow them to join no one would know the name Fleetwood (unless they were using the home company).
Why? Well, in 1975, with Nicks’ voice and lyric at the helm, the band released the eponymous Fleetwood Mac which hit number one and had three top 20 songs. After the album was released, Nicks ended her relationship with Buckingham and the band went into to the studio to record Rumours. The sessions for Rumours were lined with band tension, drug use and various other issues. This, oddly, was the formula for success. Rumours was released in 1977 and is now considered one of the better albums of all time. Once again, Nicks’ work was instrumental to this success.
She became a symbol. Yes, there were problems along the way (the band did eventually fall apart). Nicks’ personal love life and drug use did certainly
Like so.
take a toll. But, her music and lyric are extraordinary. They are rich with emotional symbolism and they are delightfully airy and ethereal. She is also known for the image she created for herself. This attributes to her status as an icon or, as Rolling Stone Magazine called her, “The Reigning Queen of Rock N’ Roll.” Nicks is known for her somewhat anagogic wardrobe that is Gothic and almost witch-like. Hence, witchcraft rumors that have followed her. Nicks humorously is known to have stated, “I am not a witch. Get a life!” Her dresser is full of chiffon skirts, lace, top hats and platform boots. Her style has been worked on by Californian designer Margi Kent since the 1970′s.
But, this is not an article about clothing. So, how about some lyrics. Let’s first explore “Edge of Seventeen,” which was released on her 1981 solo début album Bella Donna. The song focused in on the grief she was feeling because of the death of her uncle and the murder of John Lennon which occurred during the same week in December of 1980. It features a simple chord structure and great, noticeable riff. The lyrics hit you right away:
The white winged dove (Mark A. Hicks, illustrator.)
“Just like the white winged dove… sings a song …
Sounds like she’s singing…
whoo…whoo…whoo
Just like the white winged dove… sings a song
Sounds like she’s singing…
ooo…baby…ooo…said ooo
And the days go by….
like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own…
I begin again
Said to my friend, baby…Nothin’ else mattered”
Song:
Nicks has said that the “dove” in the lyric represents the spirit leaving the body after death. It is a wonderful portrayal of grief. Nicks stated in an interview with BAM in 1981, ” The most recent [song on Bella Donna] is Edge of Seventeen, which is also my favorite song on the record…. Edge of Seventeen closes it [the album] ~ chronologically, anyway ~ with the loss of John Lennon and an uncle at the same time. That song is sort of about how no amount of money or power could save them. I was angry, helpless, hurt, sad.” She portrays this with her rich symbolism quite well.
My favorite Nicks song is definitely “Landslide.” It was released on Fleetwood Mac’s first album. Nicks said in an interview, “”looking out at the Rocky Mountains pondering the avalanche of everything that had come crashing down on us…at that moment, my life truly felt like a landslide in many ways.” She wrote the song while sitting in a friend’s house in Aspen, Colorado. Good setting! Here are my favorite lyrics:
So, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down”
Song:
These lyrics are sung so delicately by Nicks that you cannot dislike them. But, the symbolism is certainly there. She feels like she is falling. She dedicates this song to her father. Great song. Great artist. Great lyrics.
