Ten Best Songs of 2008 – #1
For awhile I had the Dylan song at #1. It seemed appropriate given his stature and the epic nature of the tune. But it also felt a little obvious, a little safe. So from a 46-year veteran I turned to a group of kids barely out of college who happened to put out the album that delighted me the most in 2008.
Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut is an unexpected, wonderful blend of Afrrican rhythms and chamber pop. Though their music borrows from a number of eclectic sources (most notably Paul Simon’s Graceland) it manages to sound completely new. Of all the great bands I discovered in 2008, I’m most excited to see what these guys come up with next.
Every song on Vampire Weekend is a rousing success but my favorite track by far is ‘M79,’ a mysterious little ditty near the middle of the album that’s named after a crosstown New York bus line. The instrumentation on this song is nothing short of sublime. Any alternative rock song that opens with a combination of harpsichord and string section is a winner in my book.
Lyrically, I’m not sure what the hell is going on here. I love odd little phrases like “pollination yellow cab” (which evokes in my mind an image of a taxi hopping from place to place like a bee in a flower patch) and “watch your step along the arch of glass” (no guess on that one). Lead singer Ezra Koenig also name-drops minor league baseball player Jackson Crowther, no doubt a first in recorded musical history, as well as Buddha.
But it’s not the evocative lyrics that place this song atop my year-end list… it’s the strings. Those gorgeous strings, on loan from a Mozart concerto or a Wes Anderson soundtrack. They elevate this intimate little song into something that already feels timeless.
While you’re waiting like a factory line
I’ll ride across the park
Back seat on the 79
Wasted days you’ve come to pass
So go, I know you would not stay
It wasn’t true, but anyway
Pollination yellow cab
You walk up the stairs
See the French kids by the door
Up one more flight
See the Buddha on the second floor
Coronation rickshaw grab
So go, I know you would not stay
It wasn’t true, but anyway
Racist dreams you should not have
No excuse to be so callous
Dress yourself in bleeding madras
Charm your way across the Khyber pass
Stay awake to break the habit
Sing in praise of Jackson Crowther
Watch your step along the arch of glass
And here’s a link to a nice live version of the song as performed by the band and a trio of Julliard students on strings.
Meet Me In Montauk 
I agree, it’s delightful!
I need to listen to this album again. I heard some of the tracks, and it didn’t immediately grab me, but this tune is quite delightful.
I had Mansard Roof at #1… but really you can’t go wrong with half the songs on this album. Nice choice.
I won’t pretend that I get the lyrics, but I agree that the song is very easy to listen to. Thanks for sharing.
Another connection to The Wrestler š Rourke’s adult daughter, played by Evan Rachel Wood, has a poster of Vampire Weekend hanging on the wall of her living room. No mention is ever made of it, it’s just another little detail that helps us know that character. I have so many ideas about this group without ever having listened to the album in its entirety.
Still, this song, and all those (positive) associations I do have, make me think that it’s the perfect choice for the #1 spot on a list of songs for 2008. Much more appropriate than a veteran, such as Dylan. The strings are gorgeous and the song delightful.
From: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_is_Jackson_crowder_in_vampire_weekend_song
Although Jackson Crowther WAS a minor league baseball player, apparently he’s not the Jackson Crowder in the song. Here’s a quote from a Washington Post article explaining:
“Oh, and a brief bit of trivia was explained by keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij. In the song “M79,” there’s a lyric “singing praise for Jackson Crowder.” If you’ve been curious about who exactly Jackson Crowder is and your Google searches have been fruitless, here’s the explanation. He was just a dude that went to high school with Batmanglij. They rode the bus together. Along with one of the bartenders at the 9:30 club. (Batmanglij grew up in the D.C. area.)”