"WISE UP" AIMEE MANN (1999)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Magnolia

The movie didn’t inspire the music. P.T. Anderson clarified that Aimee Mann’s songs actually inspired the film. It’s about the rhythm and sounds of life – where the feeling of isolation is excruciating and unavoidable. The frog scene may be the most iconic moment, but, for me, the most memorable scene was the ensemble performance of “Wise Up”, when each cast member took turns singing the song. What would’ve been a disaster move in another movie just made perfect sense in Magnolia. It just worked. And it wouldn’t have been possible if Aimee Mann didn’t write and record such an incredible song.

It’s interesting that some of the most beautiful songs we know are also some of the most sad songs we know. “Wise Up” is one of them. There are many great Aimee Mann songs on the soundtrack, but what made this one unique was how Mann spanned a range of emotions in a single vocal performance, going from fragile to assured, hopeless to fearless, all within three and a half minutes. While “Wise Up” wasn’t written specifically for Magnolia, it seemed to perfectly convey the condition of each of the characters in the film so well, making it one of my favorite soundtracks of all time.

“YOU'RE SURE THERE'S A CURE. AND YOU HAVE FINALLY FOUND IT.”

"WISE UP" AIMEE MANN (1999)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Magnolia

Magnolia is one of those rare gems that benefits from a brilliant album. But the movie didn’t inspire the music. P.T. Anderson clarified that Aimee Mann’s songs actually inspired the film. It’s about the rhythm and sounds of life – where the feeling of isolation is excruciating and unavoidable. The frog scene may be the most iconic moment, but, for me, the most memorable scene was the ensemble performance of “Wise Up”, when each cast member took turns singing the song. What would’ve been a disaster move in another movie just made perfect sense in Magnolia. It just worked. And it wouldn’t have been possible if Aimee Mann didn’t write and record such an incredible song.

It’s interesting that some of the most beautiful songs we know are also some of the most sad songs we know. “Wise Up” is one of them. There are many great Aimee Mann songs on the soundtrack, but what made this one unique was how Mann spanned a range of emotions in a single vocal performance, going from fragile to assured, hopeless to fearless, all within three and a half minutes. While “Wise Up” wasn’t written specifically for Magnolia, it seemed to perfectly convey the condition of each of the characters in the film so well, making it one of my favorite soundtracks of all time.

“You're sure there's a cure. And you have finally found it.”

"WISE UP" AIMEE MANN (1999)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

Magnolia is one of those rare gems that benefits from a brilliant album scored for an equally brilliant film. The movie was all about these complicated characters, how their lives unraveled all while intersecting with one another in a serendipitous way. But it was also about the rhythm and sounds of life. The frog scene may be the most iconic moment, but, for me, the most memorable scene was the ensemble performance of “Wise Up”, when each cast member took turns singing the song. What would’ve been a disaster move in another movie just made perfect sense in Magnolia. It just worked. And it wouldn’t have been possible if Aimee Mann didn’t write and record such an incredible song.

It’s interesting that some of the most beautiful songs we know are also some of the most sad songs we know. “Wise Up” is one of them. There are many great Aimee Mann songs on the soundtrack, but what made this one unique was how Mann spanned a range of emotions in a single vocal performance, going from fragile to assured, hopeless to fearless, all within three and a half minutes. While “Wise Up” wasn’t written specifically for Magnolia, it seemed to perfectly convey the condition of each of the characters in the film so well, making it one of my favorite soundtracks of all time.

“You're sure there's a cure. And you have finally found it. You think one drink will shrink you 'til you're underground and living down.”

"WISE UP" AIMEE MANN (1999)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

Most soundtrack artists are brought on to help complete a movie. But in the case of Magnolia, P.T. Anderson’s vision for the film was inspired by Aimee Mann’s songs. The music was the impetus, not the end product. Every Aimee Mann song on the album is gold, whether it was written for Magnolia or it existed before the film, which is the case of “Wise Up”.

This track stands out from the rest for one reason only: it was the one song that became part of the script. In an unexpected sequence, P.T. Anderson had each of the main characters take turns singing the verses to Aimee Mann’s song. It was masterfully directed. Instead of feeling like a music video slotted into the film, it became one of the movie’s most powerful sequences. It built a much needed pregnant pause into the narrative. It showed a different dimension to each of the characters. It put the entire ensemble together on the same wavelength. And it all started from one song.

“Prepare a list of what you need before you sign away the deed.”

"ONE" AIMEE MANN (1999)

For Women’s History Month, I’m selecting some of my favorite songs from some of the most talented and influential women in music. From frontwomen to singer-songwriters to iconic performers, I’m picking one song a day on Mental Jukebox until the end of March.

Aimee Mann is one of the most underrated singer-songwriters of our time. Being at the helm of ‘Til Tuesday and their mega hit “Voices Carry” may have created a shadow too big to crawl away from. But there is no mistaking the power of one of the greatest soundtracks ever written and recorded: Magnolia. Mann wrote half a dozen brilliant songs on it, but the one song I’ll never forget is her creepy, dystopian and insistent cover of “One” to open the movie.

“One is a number divided by two.”

"SAVE ME" AIMEE MANN (1999)

Sometimes the stars align where a brilliant film goes hand in hand with a brilliant soundtrack. That’s what happened with Magnolia, and Aimee Mann was the brainchild behind the music. “Save Me” captured the personas of those tortured souls we got to know in the film. The bass hovers uncomfortably high. And some of Mann’s notes linger uncomfortably long. those are the things that I love most about the song.”

“If you could save me from the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone.”