The Genius of Wolf Parade Cont'd

So, I don't want to be too repetitive on this blog, but I think Wolf Parade is just too important to not discuss. I don't think anyone realizes how amazing but overlooked this band is. I'm so incredibly eager to share their music to everyone. It's so satisfying and substantive, and these next two songs are probably their trade marks (at least off of the "Apologies to Queen Mary" album). The first song I want to share is probably their most famous song, "I'll Believe in Anything." Though it's not my personal favorite song off the album, it's truly remarkable and deserves all the credit it gets. Sit back, listen, follow the lyrics/watch the vid if you must, but most importantly, let it take your breathe away.


Lyrics to I'll Believe In Anything :
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
and your ghost

We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Fight the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves

but I'll believe in anything
and you'll believe in anything
said I'll believe in anything
and you'll believe in anything

If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd take you where nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
said nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn

and I could take another hit for you
and I could take away your trips from you
and I could take away the salt from your eyes
and take away the spitting salt in you
and I could give you my apologies
by handing over my neologies
and I could take away the shaking knees
and I could give you all the olive trees
oh look at the trees and look at my face and look at a place far away from here

Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Give me your eyes
I need sunshine
Your blood
Your bones
Your voice
and your ghost

We've both been very brave
Walk around with both legs
Fight the scary day
We both pull the tricks out of our sleeves

but I'll believe in anything
and you'll believe in anything

If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd share a life and you'd share a life
If I could take the fire out from the water
I'd take you where nobody knows you
And nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn
I said nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn either way
About your blood
your bones
your voice
and ghost
because nobody knows you
and nobody gives a damn either way

and now I'll believe in anything

Wow, powerful much? I'm going to try and not say too much about this song, because I think it's powerful nature speaks for itself. It starts off with this simple triadic figure in the synthesizer. This triadic figure outlines C major which to me is such an great choice for this song. It's the simplest of keys, but yet, WP is able to build so much momentum that it inevitably overtakes you. Like in true WP musical nature, it starts out simple with the outlining of a C Major triad, and then the layering happens. By the end there's just this one huge wall of percussive, building, sublime sound. The pulse never changes, but the number of voices (music lines within the song) add, subtract, and change.

The lyrics are actually not too obscure, even for Spencer Krug who's known for his poetic strengths. I think it's not to far off to assume that these lyrics describe desperately needing someone's physical presence when it's impossible (even going as far as needing their "ghost"). The music inevitably reflects that with its drive and build. The lyrics are repetitive (especially the "give me your eyes" chorus) but each time the lyrics are stated, the music gets more intense, more agitated, more different and thus you can really feel the intense passion and longing that the words represent. By the end of the song, the repetitive lyrics are so exhausted that the guitar and drums are just hammering away...but continues to draw the listener until it comes to an abrupt end, which in my mind, is the only right way to end this anthem. Now listen again and see if any of this makes any difference to you.

The second song to be discussed happens to be my personal favorite. It's a Dan Boeckner song that is the ultimate upper/downer (will discuss the lyrics in a bit). I can literally listen to this song ad naseum, and with each listen it gets better. Truly rocktastic. Give it a listen:



Lyrics to Shine A Light :
(Guitar Intro in Octaves)

(A-Section)
I keep my head up tight
I know my plans at night
And I don't sleep I don't sleep I don't sleep 'til it's light
Some folks float some are buried alive
There is an awful sound
This haunted town
It will not it will not it will not just be quiet
Some ghosts sink some will get called to the light

(a-Section)
I spend boring hours in the office tower
In a bus on a bus back home to you and
That's fine I'm barely alive
It's just a matter of time
No one gets out alive
And I'm content, I'm content, I'm content to be quiet
Some will sink some will get called to the light

(B-Section)
You know our hearts beat time out very slowly
You know our hearts beat time they're waiting for something that'll never arrive
You know our hearts beat time out very slowly
You know our hearts beat time they're waiting for something that'll never arrive

(A-Section, pretty much)
I keep my head up tight
I make my plans at night
And I don't sleep I don't sleep I don't sleep 'til it's light
Some folks float and some are buried alive
With our little boots, we built another world
Gonna chain, chain, chain, chain, chain, chain to the light
That's fine our blood is alive

(B-Section, pretty much)
You know our hearts beat time out very slowly
You know our hearts beat time they're waiting for something that'll never arrive

The reason I like this song so much is simple: I can bounce around to it. Again, we see this repetitive nature in WP that is so interesting and fun to me. The form is basically AaBAB (the capital letters meaning much same lyrics, harmonies, etc., lower case meaning same harmonies, different lyrics). When the guitar first starts out, it just plays continuous octaves. The ear isn't really able to discern the key of the song until the Vocals, synthesizer, and percussion come in. At that point, the guitar kind of drops out of the main precedence but still provides the necessary rhythmic drive and harmony. Off beats (weakbeats), especially in the second statement of the A section, are given a lot of care and importance which is pretty ballsy, rather than just feeling a strong downbeat pulse for the entirety of the song. Though the musical layering isn't quite as apparent as in "Modern World" or "I'll Believe in Anything," voices are still added in repetitive stanzas (for example the oohh-ing in the second statement of A). I really believe that WP uses this to not only make a repetitive stanza more interesting, but to build intensity without really making a conscious effort to change the volume persay. The end just goes into this music romp in which no key is discernable, coming to a rather abrupt but expected end.

In terms of the lyrics, they're a bit obscure, and granted I'm not a poetic junkie. However, I believe this to be a positive "sounding" song with negative undertones. To me, the lyrics are about a person who is obviously unhappy with their life/job situation, but has to go about his mundane day putting on a mask of confidence (????). He's/she's just letting the time pass by slowly and waiting for change to come, even though they know that chances of any change are bleak. In its own way, waiting for something positive that may never happen is a hopeful sentiment, but that's a discussion that I won't delve into in a music blog. Again, these are my own interpretations, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts. Anyways, this song is so balls to the walls and I will probably never get sick of it. Like always, take another listen and see if these ideas have any bearing.

If you don't like this song, I'm pretty sure you're a boring person.