Trust Me.
Paying my forfeit for the spectacular crash and burn last week in Operation: Big Sister (because we're watching them), jamethiel_bane asked me for 'A music post! Comprising of 4 songs you LOVE that say something personal to you.'
(In no particular order, four very different songs by three artists)
Fall Out Boy - Hum Hallelujah
i could write it better than you ever felt it/so hum hallelujah/
just off the key of reason/
i thought i loved you/it was just how you looked in the light
It's funny that this category of songs is what Jame asked for, actually, because this song came up on random as I was driving home from Chris' just now, so I have half a 'why I love this song' fresh in my head right now. Firstly, there's the lyrics. I have to admit that FOB were slower to click for me, lyrically, and I was kind of listening through infinity on high going "I love this song, I love this song, but... where's the song that hits you right in the chest and makes you go "...YES."?' and conveniently enough, like about five minutes later I heard Hum Hallelujah for the first time and kind of went "OH. WELL HI THEN." The bits I quoted above are the main lyrical kick for me, the sample of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah works for me in a way that feels both respectful and natural (okay: it makes me flail, but that's essentially the same thing), and there's just such a drive to this song. Hearing it while paying attention absolutely clicked for me why this is so often the song people mention as the song that really hit them live, too. It's not necessarily my favourite FOB song (that honor belonging, I think, to either Bang the Doldrums, about which tl:dr, or I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears..., which I have loved unreasoningly since the first time I heard it), but it's one of them. It's an inherently comforting song, to me.
My Chemical Romance - You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison
Too much, too late, or just not enough of this/Pain in my heart for your dying wish/I'll kiss your lips again!
I went back and forth for a REALLY long time on which MCR song to put up here. I think I'm going to stick with this one, because this is the song that made me go weak-kneed against the barrier (which, wow, so not a good time for that to happen, hee) and think "OH HELL FUCKING YES" about this band most emphatically. I don't think I knew this song at all before I heard it live (I basically mainlined the Black Parade in the three weeks before the show, and yes, I have been kicking myself ever since for being so slow to get into this band), and I think I spent most of it absolutely spellbound while my brain ran around in tiny circles between my ears going "!! YES YES YES WHOOO!" It probably helped a lot that Frank picked up the handcuffs someone tossed on stage at this point and started waggling them at Gerard. Then there's the freaking DRUMS. I can't sit still for this song, no matter how impolite it may be. I love the way that Gerard always sings "come with your arms raised HIGH" and his hands go DOWN at the directive. Theatrically, lyrically, musically, it all works for me. The loyalty-to-your-friends theme through it is just something else that endears it to me. And, honestly, I am always going to have a soft spot in my heart for songs that just make you want to get your feet off the ground. Too many late-teens mosh pits in my youth to walk away from that completely.
Panic at the Disco - Northern Downpour
And then she said she can't believe/Genius only comes along/In storms of fabled foreign tongues/Dripping eyes, and flooded lungs/Northern downpour sends its love
Something completely different here. This is off the new Panic album, and it just blows my freaking mind. I am really not that good at explaining WHY I like music, but if nothing else this is one of the songs I would love to have everyone I know download and at least give it a shot, because it's beautiful and smart, it makes pop culture references, the instrumentation steals my breath, they sing the ending in a round, and just-- wow. This was one of the immediate, obvious standouts on Pretty. Odd. and it kills me that more people aren't getting to experience it. It's a pretty visceral reaction, and I just can't wait to hear it live, you know? I pretty much want to quote the entire song, honestly, because-- "i missed your skin while you were East/you clicked your heels and wished for me", for example. Yeah. My crush on Ryan Ross' brain, it is pretty much OUT OF CONTROL.
Panic at the Disco - There's a Good Reason These Tables are Numbered, Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of it Yet
when you're in black slacks with accentuating off-white pinstripes/everything goes according to plan
What can I say. Ryan saying "don't smoke!" at the appropriate part in this when they perform it live. The dance break in the middle in the live in Denver DVD (BRENDON URIE'S JAZZ HANDS). The way I have a fierce need to snap my fingers along to this entire song, the addictive lyrics, the vivid narrative of it, it's just- you know, awesome. It's one of those songs that whenever it comes on, I have to turn up the stereo/iPod and tend to have to hear it on repeat.
I'm probably not entiiiirely fulfilling the letter of what Jame asked for - these are songs which speak to me and grab me, personally, but they're not all or always about something in particular for me, but I think this is the best I'm going to manage tonight. I hope they'll speak a bit to some people, at least. (And as always, if you love them, please support the artists where and how you can.)
Runners up (who I will upload later if people want): I'm Not Okay - My Chemical Romance (the trust me, oh my god that kills me every time. every time.), Camisado - Panic, Kill All Your Friends - My Chemical Romance, Bang the Doldums - Fall Out Boy, Wine Red - the Hush Sound (with so many bonus points for classical referencing, oh my god), Don't Wake Me Up - the Hush Sound, Guilty Pleasure - Cobra Starship, Send My Love to the Dance Floor - Cobra Starship, Mad As Rabbits - Panic, Headfirst for Halos - My Chemical Romance, the Sharpest Lives - My Chemical Romance, House of Wolves - My Chemical Romance, Dead! - My Chemical Romance. Okay, fine, ALL OF THE BLACK PARADE AND PRETTY ODD, MORE OR LESS.
Okay she also asked for bandom bands and this totally is that, except I didn't want to push my luck about getting people to click the cut. But please, trust me - I believe utterly in these songs, and I think they're well worth the time.
And tomorrow I have a course in at Head Office all day, and then I'm going to Chris', so I probably won't be around other than on text/rapid email checking late evenings for a day or three. (Oh GOD I just hit 3000 emails in my inbox just now. Um. Crap. I think I need an intervention, or possibly like a week or two off. *headdesks*)
(In no particular order, four very different songs by three artists)
Fall Out Boy - Hum Hallelujah
i could write it better than you ever felt it/so hum hallelujah/
just off the key of reason/
i thought i loved you/it was just how you looked in the light
It's funny that this category of songs is what Jame asked for, actually, because this song came up on random as I was driving home from Chris' just now, so I have half a 'why I love this song' fresh in my head right now. Firstly, there's the lyrics. I have to admit that FOB were slower to click for me, lyrically, and I was kind of listening through infinity on high going "I love this song, I love this song, but... where's the song that hits you right in the chest and makes you go "...YES."?' and conveniently enough, like about five minutes later I heard Hum Hallelujah for the first time and kind of went "OH. WELL HI THEN." The bits I quoted above are the main lyrical kick for me, the sample of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah works for me in a way that feels both respectful and natural (okay: it makes me flail, but that's essentially the same thing), and there's just such a drive to this song. Hearing it while paying attention absolutely clicked for me why this is so often the song people mention as the song that really hit them live, too. It's not necessarily my favourite FOB song (that honor belonging, I think, to either Bang the Doldrums, about which tl:dr, or I've Got All This Ringing In My Ears..., which I have loved unreasoningly since the first time I heard it), but it's one of them. It's an inherently comforting song, to me.
My Chemical Romance - You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison
Too much, too late, or just not enough of this/Pain in my heart for your dying wish/I'll kiss your lips again!
I went back and forth for a REALLY long time on which MCR song to put up here. I think I'm going to stick with this one, because this is the song that made me go weak-kneed against the barrier (which, wow, so not a good time for that to happen, hee) and think "OH HELL FUCKING YES" about this band most emphatically. I don't think I knew this song at all before I heard it live (I basically mainlined the Black Parade in the three weeks before the show, and yes, I have been kicking myself ever since for being so slow to get into this band), and I think I spent most of it absolutely spellbound while my brain ran around in tiny circles between my ears going "!! YES YES YES WHOOO!" It probably helped a lot that Frank picked up the handcuffs someone tossed on stage at this point and started waggling them at Gerard. Then there's the freaking DRUMS. I can't sit still for this song, no matter how impolite it may be. I love the way that Gerard always sings "come with your arms raised HIGH" and his hands go DOWN at the directive. Theatrically, lyrically, musically, it all works for me. The loyalty-to-your-friends theme through it is just something else that endears it to me. And, honestly, I am always going to have a soft spot in my heart for songs that just make you want to get your feet off the ground. Too many late-teens mosh pits in my youth to walk away from that completely.
Panic at the Disco - Northern Downpour
And then she said she can't believe/Genius only comes along/In storms of fabled foreign tongues/Dripping eyes, and flooded lungs/Northern downpour sends its love
Something completely different here. This is off the new Panic album, and it just blows my freaking mind. I am really not that good at explaining WHY I like music, but if nothing else this is one of the songs I would love to have everyone I know download and at least give it a shot, because it's beautiful and smart, it makes pop culture references, the instrumentation steals my breath, they sing the ending in a round, and just-- wow. This was one of the immediate, obvious standouts on Pretty. Odd. and it kills me that more people aren't getting to experience it. It's a pretty visceral reaction, and I just can't wait to hear it live, you know? I pretty much want to quote the entire song, honestly, because-- "i missed your skin while you were East/you clicked your heels and wished for me", for example. Yeah. My crush on Ryan Ross' brain, it is pretty much OUT OF CONTROL.
Panic at the Disco - There's a Good Reason These Tables are Numbered, Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of it Yet
when you're in black slacks with accentuating off-white pinstripes/everything goes according to plan
What can I say. Ryan saying "don't smoke!" at the appropriate part in this when they perform it live. The dance break in the middle in the live in Denver DVD (BRENDON URIE'S JAZZ HANDS). The way I have a fierce need to snap my fingers along to this entire song, the addictive lyrics, the vivid narrative of it, it's just- you know, awesome. It's one of those songs that whenever it comes on, I have to turn up the stereo/iPod and tend to have to hear it on repeat.
I'm probably not entiiiirely fulfilling the letter of what Jame asked for - these are songs which speak to me and grab me, personally, but they're not all or always about something in particular for me, but I think this is the best I'm going to manage tonight. I hope they'll speak a bit to some people, at least. (And as always, if you love them, please support the artists where and how you can.)
Runners up (who I will upload later if people want): I'm Not Okay - My Chemical Romance (the trust me, oh my god that kills me every time. every time.), Camisado - Panic, Kill All Your Friends - My Chemical Romance, Bang the Doldums - Fall Out Boy, Wine Red - the Hush Sound (with so many bonus points for classical referencing, oh my god), Don't Wake Me Up - the Hush Sound, Guilty Pleasure - Cobra Starship, Send My Love to the Dance Floor - Cobra Starship, Mad As Rabbits - Panic, Headfirst for Halos - My Chemical Romance, the Sharpest Lives - My Chemical Romance, House of Wolves - My Chemical Romance, Dead! - My Chemical Romance. Okay, fine, ALL OF THE BLACK PARADE AND PRETTY ODD, MORE OR LESS.
Okay she also asked for bandom bands and this totally is that, except I didn't want to push my luck about getting people to click the cut. But please, trust me - I believe utterly in these songs, and I think they're well worth the time.
And tomorrow I have a course in at Head Office all day, and then I'm going to Chris', so I probably won't be around other than on text/rapid email checking late evenings for a day or three. (Oh GOD I just hit 3000 emails in my inbox just now. Um. Crap. I think I need an intervention, or possibly like a week or two off. *headdesks*)