themusic

Larkin Grimm - Dominican Rum

The delirious, manic edge to the music is immediately obvious, but the real fun starts when you pay attention to the lyrics. The glee that you hear is Larkin Grimm stacking images on top of one another, each more disturbing than the last. About the point she gets to “you’re going to die anyway, so let me kill you nice” I usually start pretending that I don’t speak English and it becomes a smoother ride.

Still and all, there aren’t a lot of voices with this kind of power around. Give her music a try if you haven’t already.

Sparks - Good Morning

Whimsical tune, tragic lyrics following the insecure arc of the morning after. Surprise, elation, hope! Confusion, anxiety, despair…  Don’t be fooled by the cuddly cloak of disco falsetto and hilarious thank-you-god staccato. This rhyme’s got teeth.

Eels - Hello Cruel World

I don’t listen to the Eels all that much, but for some reason this was the first track that popped into my head for sheep’s clothing.

I then spent the better part of two days listening to the track and analyzing the lyrics in detail to try to decide whether they were really bleak enough to qualify for the theme; there are trace amounts of optimism in the lyrics that give me reason for concern.

In the end I decided that between the finger snaps, the charming doo-doo-doo-doo backing vocals, the tympani, and the judicious use of jingle bells, the lyrics were bleak enough given the peppy musical character.

Hello cruel world - so this is you
a broken heart, a withered view
I’m looking out to face another day

The angry mob, the happy mass
this birthday cake may be the last
I’m looking out to find another way

Norman Rockwell colors fade
all my favorite things have changed
what the hell, hello cruel world

Ella Fitzgerald - Miss Otis Regrets (Cole Porter)

A suggestion from hud, and a great one. While I would say that the music is more gently wistful than happy, exactly, it serves to set you up perfectly for the doubletake that happens when you start really listening to the lyrics.

Infidelity, murder, a lynch mob, and impeccable manners, presented as only Cole Porter and Ella could.

Jefferson Airplane - Somebody to Love (as covered by the Ramones). The repeated chorus of “Don’t you want somebody to love”, the pace, and generally upbeat tune manage to mask some pretty depressing imagery. The Ramones play this one fairly straight, but I love hearing Joey’s distinctive accent on these well-worn lyrics.

When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joy within you dies

When the dawn’s rose may be dead yes
And your mind your mind is so full of red

Your eyes, I say your eyes may look like his
But in your head baby I’m afraid you don’t know where it is

Tears are running running down your breast
And your friends baby they treat you like a guest

Of Montreal - Voltaic Crusher / Undrum To Muted Da

These are some of this words:

I am a flaw, I’m a mistake
I am faulty, I always break
I tried, you don’t believe me, but I did
I tried to mature, be responsible, dot dot dot
But my heart is juvenile
And my character’s not so hot

Perhaps those last two lines suggest why the music doesn’t quite match the sentiment…