Monday, March 9, 2009

Soundtrack

I paid special attention today to the songs that got stuck in my head. There were a couple of old standards. I typically spend part of the day humming "Truly Scrumptious" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. While washing Cady Gray's face at bathtime, I became fixated on the line "Maggie, I wish I'd never seen your face" from "Maggie May."

But the song that maddened me most of the day was one I hear occasionally on one of the local rock stations. I didn't know any more about it until I looked it up just now. It's "Paralyzer" by the odiously-named Finger 11.

Now the song has a nifty instrumental hook, although the growly, shouty vocal is in a style that I typically detest. What lodged it in my head is the chorus, which has an very unusual lyrical structure. It's basically a couple of long sentences, no rhymes to speak of, just kind of wrapped around a roller-coaster melody line. I think the reason I can't stop singing it to myself when I start is that it's one complete thought. One clause leads to another with no break.

I don't know that I'm describing it very well, but if you've heard it, you probably know what I'm talking about. Is this as strange as I think it is, or can you give me some other examples?

Well I’m not paralyzed
But, I seem to be struck by you
I want to make you move
Because you’re standing still
If your body matches
What your eyes can do
You’ll probably move right through
Me on my way to you

2 comments:

the secret knitter said...

The hook always reminds me of Rilo Kiley's "The Moneymaker".

Anonymous said...

My husband is pretty sure that the riff for "Paralyzer" is a reworking of a Led Zeppelin song I can't remember the name of right now. I have a special hatred for that song because of it 1. has an awesome guitar riff that is really catchy and dancable but 2. lyrically, is incredibly stupid. I mean, "I hope this club will be closed in three weeks, that would be cool with me"? 3. Plus, the vocals are sung in a really boring, ubiquitous style that really grates on my ears.

However, in the same run-on sentence vein of music, the Rise Against song "The Good Left Undone" has a similar structure in the chorus. The difference here is that I think that the lyrics are a little poetic, even though I'm not a fan of the dude's voice.

All because of you,
I haven't slept in so long,
when I do I dream
of drowning in the ocean,
longing for the shore
where I can lay my head down,
I'll follow your voice,
all you have to do is shout it out...