Love Songs: A Musical Disconnect

Some love songs are incredibly sad, and there isn't anything wrong with that. We've all been through a bad patch where all we want to do is eat ice cream and crank up some emo music. Some songs, like "End of the Innocence," have a wonderfully evocative melody to go along with the rather melancholy lyrics.

However, what happens when the music is very peppy but the song lyrics indicate that the singer is just a drink or a "Dear John" letter away from sticking his or her head in the oven? First, the listeners are tricked into getting the music stuck in their heads, which causes them to listen to the songs over and over and over again. These people might even start dancing around to the songs, not realizing the sad, troubled relationships hidden behind the bouncy tunes. This leads us to discussing the strange musical disconnect between depressing lyrics and music that could easily be piped out of an ice cream truck. This disconnect becomes even stranger when you realize that the song in question is (supposedly) a love song.

Consequently, if you are looking for a passive-aggressive way of telling someone that "Things just aren't working out," try dedicating one of these songs to him or her.

Before I list some of the more incongruous pairings of depressing lyrics/ happy music, a quick disclaimer: I really like some of these songs. "Getting Better" and "Let My Love Open the Door" are on permanent repeat on my iPod. However, even I must admit that these songs can be a real downer if you start paying attention to the lyrics.

"Alone Again, Naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan - You are probably thinking, "There is NO WAY that the music to this song is happy. It's called 'Alone Again, Natually' for heaven's sakes!" In response, I must admit that I had the same reaction. When I first read about the song in I Hate Myself and Want to Die, I could not believe that a song that was so blatantly depressing could have a happy melody. However, I was wrong.

Not only does the music make you want to bop your head and shuffle around in a rhythm-free way, it almost (almost) obscures the singer's tale of woe. The song starts with the singer threatening to throw himself off of a tower because he was left at the altar. The song is all downhill from there. He believes that God has abandoned him. Then his parents die, leaving him "alone again, naturally." To quote Neil Patrick Harris from his awesome Rifftrax for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: "Not an atom of hope left."

"Punch and Judy" by The Cascades - Most of The Cascades' songs are about broken relationships, but the music is straight out of the bubblegum pop songbook. While all of their songs are depressing, "Punch and Judy" deserves a special mention because, when you get past the tune, you realize that the singer is stuck in a verbally (and possibly physically) abusive relationship. To get the full effect, check out the videoke version on YouTube.

"Let My Love Open the Door" by Pete Townshend - First, this is an awesome song. No question about it. And it is one of my top 10 songs of all time. That said, the original, fast-tempo version sounds very upbeat, but the lyrics tell us a very different story. It is basically about a man trying to convince the object of his affection to give him a chance. This isn't a bad story by any means, but it doesn't quite fit with the upbeat music. Perhaps that is why I have a very strong preference for the slower version of the song.

"Getting Better" by The Beatles - "Getting Better" makes an interesting contrast between the band's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" days and their deeper, more cynical songs. On one hand, the music is just as upbeat (if somewhat rougher) as their early songs. However, instead of lyrics like "She loves you (yeah yeah yeah)," they are singing about a guy who, quite frankly, sounds like a jerk. Yes, he is trying to reform, but it is a little disturbing to hear the "angry young man" sing about how he used to beat up his girlfriend. (Why are there so many seemingly happy songs about abusive relationships? Is this part of an obscure 12-step program?)

I Need a Snow Day, Stat!

Even as the mid-Atlantic coast is getting pummeled by Old Man Winter (I'm sure people in Washington, D.C. are cursing Puxatony Phil even as I type this), I am a little envious. While snow can make life much more difficult, there is something rather soothing about snow if you are sitting in a warm apartment and not stranded on the side of the road or inching along the interstate. Even if the snow day didn't come on a school day and cancel classes at the university, it would give me a good excuse to sit at home and relax for a bit. Oh well, I should count my blessings that Boston hasn't gotten hit by a snow storm recently...

Updates

I have been a very bad blogger lately, and I apologize for the lack of weekly posts. Right now, I am in the thick of the semester with classes I TA for, and I am also trying to get my proposal done for my tentative hearing next month. When you add in my other, non-university job, things get a little chaotic :). However, after February 12, I should be back on track with regular updates...

Book Review: "Twitterature"

There are many things that seem great on paper but fail to live up to their potential. This sentence sums up my thoughts on Twitterature: The World's Greatest Books in Twenty Tweets of Less by Alexander Aciman and Emmett Rensin. In theory, the idea seems like it would be vastly entertaining; the very idea of condensing the classics into tweets seems ripe for humor. Unfortunately, to say that the book was underwhelming might be a little too kind.

Let me start with what Aciman and Rensin get right. The book occasionally has a keen sense of humor. The book's glossary is entertaining and informative, particularly for those who aren't completely conversant in the text/ tweet speak. Also, some of the individual tweets of the books are pretty funny. Take, for instance, the following tweet from Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (the Beatles album - yes, I know it's not a book, but the tweeted version is one of the best things in Twitterature, so I'm going with it): "I used to be an abusive tyrant. Rockin' out, getting high, beating my woman. But now I'm better. Or at least no worse." While this might seem horrific if you aren't familiar with the song, it is actually a pretty accurate description of "Getting Better."

Despite these high points, Twitterature is a disappointing and often maddening read. Rather than trying to mimic the styles of the authors of the different books, Aciman and Rensin uniformly use modern language, which is disconcerting to say the least. Reading Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird tweet, "Tom accused of raping a woman, but I'm pretty sure they just got it on. Can't a brother get some tush?" just seems wrong. Using modern vernacular, rather than putting forth the effort to try to write in the style of the books and their characters, robs Twitterature of potential humor and just seems lazy. An additional shortcoming is the authors' apparent obsession with cursing and potty humor. (Given that Aciman and Rensin are undergrads in college, this shouldn't be surprising.) While some cursing and scatological humor can be effective and funny when used in moderation, the constant use of "WTF" and "Oh sh*t" gets old very quickly.

Consequently, if you are looking for book synopses that read like they have been written by Mike Myers during his Love Guru phase, then this book is for you. However, if you want well-written, witty, and entertaining takes on the classics, you had best look elsewhere. (May I suggest ShrinkLits, Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float: Classic Lit Signs on to Facebook, or The Five Minute Iliad and Other Instant Classics?)

The Kennedy Center Honors

Unlike many ceremonies and awards shows, The Kennedy Center always does an excellent job providing a retrospective of the honorees' achievements and work. Yes, the Kennedy Center Honors have had a few bumps (even I felt bad for Jessica Simpson when she tried to pay tribute to Dolly Parton), but the presentation is consistently thoughtful and touching.

In addition to the "awww" factor (just see how happy and moved the honorees are when they watch the presentation and try not to tear up a little), the show's producers have been very good at getting some excellent talent for the ceremonies. This is particularly true when it comes to honoring theatre composers, lyricists, and performers. Not only do these presentations usually include the de rigueur biographical video and speeches, but they typically have a selection of numbers associated with the honoree. Furthermore, these numbers are often performed by some of the original cast members. Where else will you get to see Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Joel Grey, and Alan Cumming dancing to "New York, New York"?

Here are a few of my favorite theatre moments:

Kander & Ebb (1998)


This is one of the most amazing performances ever. Even though Liza is a little shaky, it is still an awesome movement. As an added bonus, you can also see how excited Bill Cosby and the Clintons are during the performance. Even though I don't typically like audience reaction shots, the Kennedy Center Honors are the exception to this.

Julie Andrew (2001)


Not my favorite set of performances, but Julie Andrews's palpable graciousness is incredible to watch.

Mel Brooks (2009)


There is so much to enjoy. Even if you (like me) get a little weirded out during "Springtime for Hitler," this clip just cracks me up. An added bonus, you can play "Hey, look who that is!" during the audience reaction shots.

Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Ring Out, Wild Bells": A Poem for New Year's Eve

"Ring Out, Wild Bells" (from In Memorium A.H.H)
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

While New Year's Eve is certainly a time for celebration, I have always had a greater fondness for New Year's Day. The idea of being able to make a fresh start holds enormous appeal, and a new year gives us the opportunity (at least in theory) to get rid of all of the problems and baggage from the previous year.

"Ring Out, Wild Bells" is perhaps the perfect poem to end the year. Besides calling to mind the sounds of celebration, it also reminds us the importance of ringing out the old, destructive tendencies that we have while replacing them with more benevolent behaviors and ideas.

Here's to 2010 - may it have a larger heart and a kindlier hand than the past year.

More of My Favorite Christmas Songs (2009 Edition)

Despite my curmudgeonly ways, I love Christmas music. One of the greatest things about the iPod is that I can listen to Christmas music in public in the middle of summer without anyone looking at me strangely. Sadly, some of my most played songs on my iPod are Christmas songs. Here are a few more of my favorites:

"Joy to the World!" by The Butties



You don't think that the world needs a Beatles cover band? And that, if it should exist, it shouldn't be fronted by the guy who plays Ted on Scrubs? Just listen to this song and try not to smile.


"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/ We Three Kings" by The Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLachlan



I love this stripped-down mash-up of these two songs. Not only do they go together surprisingly well, but the bluesy tone taken by the singers and the musicians give it a quality that isn't often found in really good Christmas songs (usually, when Christmas songs take this route, it sounds like they are trying too hard to be cool).

"Another Christmas Song" by Stephen Colbert

No matter how many times I see the video or hear this song, I always crack up a little. Besides Colbert's manic joy, the lyrics are a delightfully metacognitive take on the commercial viability of Christmas songs. Colbert pleads with us to buy his song while including every Christmas cliche possible (sample lyric: "Chestnuts glisten on a silent night/ Sleigh bells kissin' by candlelight/ The tree is frozen, the winter's bright/ Who'd have thought the wise man looked so white?"). Genius.