How about the also rans, you ask? Let's start with one of their politically-undertoned masterpieces, Shopping. Ah yes, remember when both Guiliani and Bush encouraged a post-9/11 America to get out there and keep shopping? This is BNL's brilliant, in my humble opinion, response. My favorite part is the "LA LA LA LA LA LA" segment that with my parenting & teaching experience calls to mind someone shoving their fingers in their ears and drowning out what he doesn't want to hear. Hmmm... Another fine one from E2E would have to be Another Postcard, which you might know as that Chimpanzees song. (Or as Red just called it, the "panzee card" song.) Classic BNL silly lyrics, catchy beat, complete uniqueness. Fun, fun. It wouldn't be a complete post if I didn't include a song where Steve sings about the souring of a relationship, right? Have You Seen My Love is the winner for this album- again, the juxtaposition of the beautiful music and sorrowful lyrics blows me away. (Listen to me trying to sound all smart and stuff, with a big old word there!) And finally, you just gotta love Maybe Katie, and this 'bathroom sessions' version is just as perfect as can be. (Oh how I will miss their voices together. Good lord, I'm still mourning this breakup!!)
That brings us to the top dog (well, the one that would take the crown if For You wasn't able to fulfill his duties...)
Album: Everything to Everyone
Year of Release: 2003
Song: War on Drugs
Words & Music by Steven Page and Ed Robertson
She likes to sleep with the radio on
So she can dream of her favorite song
The one that no one has ever sung since she was small
She'll never know that she made it up
She had a soul and we ate it up
Thrown away like a paper cup
The music falls
The only flaw in her detailed plan
Is where she wins back the love of her man
Everyone knows that he's never coming back
He took her heart and she took his name
He couldn't stand taking all the blame
He left her only with guilt and shame and then she cracked
Won't it be dull when we rid ourselves
Of all these demons haunting us
To keep us company
In the dream I refuse to have
She falls asleep in a lukewarm bath
We're left to deal with the aftermath again
On behalf of humanity
I will fight for your sanity
How profound such profanity can be
Won't it be dull when we rid ourselves
Of all these demons haunting us
To keep us company
Won't it be odd to be happy like we
Always thought we're supposed to feel
But never seem to be
Near where I live there's a viaduct
Where people jump when they're out of luck
Raining down on the cars and trucks below
They've put a net there to catch their fall
Like it'll stop anyone at all
What they don't know is when nature calls, you go
They say that Jesus and mental health
Are just for those who can help themselves
But what good is that when you live in hell on earth?
When the very fear that makes you want to die
Ends up the same as what keeps you alive
It's way more trouble than some suicide is worth
Won't it be dull when we rid ourselves
Of all these demons haunting us
To keep us company
Won't it be odd to be happy like we
Always thought we're supposed to feel
But never seem to be
Hard to admit I fought the war on drugs
My hands were tied and the phone was bugged
Another died and the world just shrugged it off
What to say after that, huh? I find these words to be so incredibly powerful and melancholy, which seems to draw me in, and I can't help but find at least a little identification with the line, "Won't it be odd to be happy like we always thought we're supposed to feel but never seem to be." And the "when nature calls, you go" line shows how they infuse these humorous words/phrases into a song that carries absolutely no humor at all. Just watching this performance makes me long to see Steve sing in person again someday, and reminds me that even before he left BNL, he did in fact release a solo project, which came out in 2005, after this album but before the next up BNL release. So, guess who we'll be listening to sing solo next week??
Hoping not to fit the profile of wacko fan,
**Please note the new URL-- morninglightmama.com! Change your feeds and tell your friends!**
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