Thursday, April 4, 2013

Music Thursday - Top Three Breakup Songs

As it happens I am actively engaged in mood management using  music in the past few days so when interesting question about favorite breakup songs emerged I was more than eager to jump to list making (I can almost see myself as Rob Gordon) so here are the winners:

Second runner up: Matchbox 20 - Rest Stop


This great video holds a prelude to the story but even without it this song (and wonderful music arrangement) is one of the best on the subject.

"She said, while you were sleeping
I was listening to the radio
And wondering what you're dreaming when
It came to mind that I didn't care
So I thought, hell if it's over
I had better end it quick
Or I could lose my nerve
Are you listening, can you hear me"

We brew our discontent for longest times, but breakup itself is a mere moment of courage, to open mouth and let the words that are already inside flow out and do their thing. As I sampled both giving and receiving end of this setup I can tell you that this is no small feat - to see and hear this firsthand and live to tell the tale. Wise-asses selling the story of being given lemons and making a lemonade should wish to make this their starting point.

You can find rest of the lyrics here if you care to make sure you get what he's saying.

First runner up: A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover


I'll let you in on a secret: I really dislike female vocals. I almost never listen to any and there are few (single digit number) female vocals I do listen to and that can be only characterised as tepid tolerance. But I love A Fine Frenzy and I love this song. It is very feminine and gives real impression of pragmatic side of the story, which is - Just like with Lotto: "You Got To Be In It To Win It!"

Half-hearted attempts are wasteful and detrimental.

"Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do"

Transgressions against trust are the worst kind of transgressions because they not just fuck the person up in future relationship realm but in every life realm there is.

First place: The Strees - Dry Your Eyes


In this one Mike Skinner has outdone himself.

The plasticity of this song is uncanny and mere observation needed to write this one is paramount. Not to mention finer notes of functional understanding of human behavior:

"Trying to pull her close out of bare desperation, 
put my arms around her to try to change what she's saying.
Put my head level with hers so she might engage in.
Look into her eyes to make her listen again"


And strings across the musical landscape leave no survivors.

This song is also the song I see  most of myself in. I also try to revert water onto my mill even when all hope is lost - tinkering, turning over, re-fitting and re-adjusting - forgeting that peple seldom value efficiency over magic. It is a lesson I learn over and over again that no matter how finely you can tune your violin it takes more than your skill to play it.

So, those are mine - Top three breakup songs - how about yours?

Usually people do not comment here but below the link on my Facebook page and you're all welcome to participate.

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