Here’s another track from TV On the Radio, who seem to have popped up a few times on recent Random Weekends. This is another cut from Dear Science, my favorite of their albums.
The appeal of TV On the Radio is the seeming incongruity between their electrified funk sound and the English major complexity of their lyrics. Today’s song is yet another metaphor-rich track that begs for in-depth analysis.
Don McLean is a special sort of one-hit wonder. For one thing, he had two hits. ‘Vincent (Starry Starry Night),’ his ode to Van Gogh, was in fact his biggest international success.
Stateside, of course, he is best known for ‘American Pie,’ a song that is not so much a hit as an iconic part of the culture. Chronicling the deaths of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper in a plane crash, the song is packed with coded imagery that serves as a tour of the 60s’ musical landscape.
This week of personal songs comes to an end with a very moving track about the end of life. Tift Merritt wrote this track from 2010’s See You On the Moon about her grandfather, who lost his wife of many decades.
I’ve obviously never faced this situation myself, but it speaks to me powerfully. One of the scariest things about being in a strong, loving relationship is the knowledge that one day one of you will leave.
Today’s SOTD is one of my very favorite songs. I’ve already featured it on the blog in its studio form so today I’ve chosen a live version that mirrors the original.
The first three songs I’ve written about this week discussed adolescent romance, adult romance and married life. Today’s song has many meanings but it fits into the narrative I’m going for this week because it focuses on children.
Author Nick Hornby (one of my favorites) teamed up with Ben Folds (likewise) on the 2010 album Lonely Avenue.
Hornby penned a bevy of powerful, emotional songs — along with some very funny ones — but the one that feels the most familiar to me is ‘Practical Amanda.’
