Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
I was thinking about this on the way to work this morning. Songs that are deceptive in that they sound like one emotion/feeling/vibe/whatever but are actually something different when you read/pay attention to the lyrics. I thought of two candidates off the bat.
Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks It's a peppy little number. You get to yell along with the "hey!" parts. Pretty nice for a song about a couple getting old and the woman sinking into dementia then death.
Eels - Last Stop This Town I will put this one more under the title of whimsical especially with the video. A pretty big hit for them for a song where he talks to his sister who had just killed herself asking her to come back and visit him.
First thing that came to mind was Come Sail Away by Styx. Back in the day people loved to bop and sing along to this one and then you realize it's not Come Sail Away like "let's go have a good time" but Come Sail Away like "life is meaningless, all our dreams have been dashed, let's all get in a boat and sail to the end of the world like miserable wretches."
THEN just when you've got that part figured out, the aliens come and take everyone aboard their starships and head for the sky.
My greatest example is more about the many cover versions than the original, but I always think it is one of the most misinterpreted Neil Young songs. I think it must be the pacing and drums that make people think "Out on the Weekend" is a happy song. Almost every cover I've heard of it interprets it that way. Apparently people don't get Neil's vocals or the lyrics.
Post by FuzzyWarbles on Feb 8, 2013 13:39:30 GMT -5
One recent one that comes to mind is Cat Power's "Ruin". Even though it speaks of famine it has a really uptempo beat and melody with a bit of a salsa on the keys. I always find myself dancing and singing, "some people ain't got shit to eat".
Eels - Last Stop This Town I will put this one more under the title of whimsical especially with the video. A pretty big hit for them for a song where he talks to his sister who had just killed herself asking her to come back and visit him.
I'd say almost everything on Electroshock Blues is kinda like that. Eels can be slit-your-wrists brutal when you pay attention to the lyrics!
Since I'm obsessed with these guys this song springs to mind it's a hopeful and pretty little song about embracing intense hatred!
Van Halens "jump". Its not the lyrics that make it depressing, its DLRs inspiration. Apparently he was watching the news one night and they were covering a man who was about to commit suicide. People were yelling up to him "dont jump" and DLR thought to himself, "jump".
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go on an overnight drunk, and in 10 days I'm going to set out to find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it. Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome.
Post by problem dog on Feb 8, 2013 13:49:21 GMT -5
This one has always sounded way too happy to me. In a good way, of course.
But I think Big Black Car wins the award for most dissonance between the lyric sheet and recorded song. Carefree lyrics sung by a guy who sounds like he's too depressed to get out of bed.
02/08 Tool 02/11 Jeff Mangum 02/17 of Montreal 02/29 Blind Pilot 03/31 The Naked & The Famous 05/14 M83 and I Break Horses 05/19 Flaming Lips, Young the Giant, Dawes and AWOLNATION 06/07 Bonnaroo 2012!!! 06/13 Roger Waters 07/28 Toadies
Post by monkybunney on Feb 8, 2013 19:50:12 GMT -5
Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock. Seriously, remind yourself what goes on in prisons and listen to that song again. It's actually pretty disturbing. Especially: "Number forty-seven said to number three: You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see. I sure would be delighted with your company, Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me. Lets rock, everybody, lets rock. Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin to the jailhouse rock.
The sad sack was a sittin on a block of stone Way over in the corner weepin all alone. The warden said, hey, buddy, don't you be no square. If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair. Lets rock, everybody, lets rock. Everybody in the whole cell block Was dancin to the jailhouse rock.
The ultimate P.T. Barnum sucker tune. I must have heard it 50 times or more before I actually paid attention to the lyrics: Hey dipshite, it's about not paying attention to the words of any pop song!