"MER DU JAPON" AIR (2007)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 1

Air got its leggings from soundtracks off of three Sofia Coppola films: The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette. They are chill-out at times and dance floor-ready at other times. But all of their musical output is subtle, intricate and sophisticated no matter which end of the electronic spectrum they choose to lean into. Pocket Symphony is one of my favorite Air albums because it adds an unexpected layer of traditional Japanese instruments beyond the drum machines, synthesizers and assorted percussion instruments that are part of Air’s known arsenal. My favorite track off the album is “Mer Du Japon”.

Rather appropriately, many Air tracks create a sense of buoyancy and depth. On “Mer Du Japon”, it feels like we’re cruising along the surface of the Japanese Sea at breakneck speeds in one moment, diving deep toward the sea floor in another, and gasping for air in another. The koto, a Japanese floor harp, joins forces with the shimmery synth waves, pristine piano arpeggios and menacing bass line. The sound of waves sashaying along the shoreline can be faintly heard toward the end, signifying that our little trip has also come to an end. We have reached land.

“J'en perds la raison dans la mer du Japon.”

"HALLELUJAH" LEONARD COHEN (1984)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 30

I’ve really enjoyed looking back at some of my favorite song lyrics this month. They’re reinforced for me the whole reason why I started this blog to begin with. For my last pick, it feels appropriate to go big with an epic song. And not just an epic song, but one with lyrics that are on a whole other level. Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” fits the bill. Written like a beautiful amalgamation of prose, poetry and satire, the lyrics trigger all kinds of thoughts and emotions. No one ever said it quite like Cohen, but what he had to say resonated deeply with countless fans, critics and musicians alike.

“Now, I've heard there was a secret chord that David played, and it pleased the Lord. But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift. The baffled king composing Hallelujah.”

"FINEST WORKSONG" R.E.M. (1987)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 29

I miss 80’s R.E.M. It seems the band has seen a recent resurgence. And as music fans recall some of the band’s greatest moments, I’m reminded how deep and prolific their catalog was. Murmur, Reckoning, and Fables of the Reconstruction are all classics. But my favorite album from the band is Document – and “Finest Worksong” is my favorite track from the record. Up until Document, R.E.M. made a name for themselves on college rock radio stations as mid-tempo rockers. But on Document, they expressed that mid-tempo agenda with a variety of intensities and sonic power. “Finest Worksong” is an ode to doing what we gotta do, and sometimes that’s all you can ask for in a rock song.

“Take your instinct by the reins. Better best to rearrange. What we want and what we need has been confused, been confused.”

"NANTES" BEIRUT (2007)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 28

Few artists take me away like Beirut. I put on a Beirut album and immediately I’m swept away into another land and another time. Listening to a series of Beirut songs back to back is like flipping through a dusty pile of old postcards from distant places. Each track on The Flying Club Cup album evokes a different city or region in France. Nantes is a small port city off the Atlantic coast. When I listen to this track, I feel like I’m there. I’m transported to an outdoor cafe at night by the sea listening to a man drowning in his sorrows over a lost love.

“Well it's been a long time, long time now since I've seen you smile. And I'll gamble away my fright. And I'll gamble away my time. And in a year, a year or so this will slip into the sea.”

"STREET SPIRIT (FADE OUT)" RADIOHEAD (1995)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 27

The Bends has stood the test of time as my favorite Radiohead album mainly because of its collection of muscular, guitar-driven bangers. They seem to come relentlessly one after another. “Planet Telex”. “The Bends”. “Bones”. “Just”. “My Iron Lung”. “Black Star”. And “Sulk”. But by shifting down the gears, the quiet wallow of “Street Spirit” was an anthemic closer on an album full of monster riffs. “Street Spirit” is a slow, much needed downward spiral. The lyrics, gripping yet not fully understandable. The music, overtly chilling and isolating.

“Rows of houses, all bearing down on me. I can feel their blue hands touching me. All these things into position. All these things we'll one day swallow.”

"I'LL SAIL THIS SHIP ALONE" THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH (1989)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 26

One day during high school, I turned on my new favorite radio station WDRE, the new WLIR. A song came on that had a different tempo, instrumentation and demeanor than the majority of the songs that the station played. It was The Beautiful South’s “I’ll Sail This Ship Alone”, my introduction to the band. It seemed to occupy that rare space of beautifully gut-wrenching. The melody was phenomenal. The juxtaposition of piano and horns was sublime. And the abrupt ending gave it that punch that comes with an unexpected conclusion.

“Well they said if I wrote the perfect love song, you would take me back. Well I wrote it, but I lost it. And now will you take me back anyway?”

"WHAT'S GOING ON" MARVIN GAYE (1971)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 25

It goes down in history not just as one of the greatest protest songs of all time, but one of the greatest, period. It prompts many of the same problems, questions and emotions that we continue to struggle through today. Police brutality. Racism. War. These things haven’t left us. Gaye was calling our attention to themes that continue to surface – and the song gave us permission to ask the hard questions. The rare strength of “What’s Going On” is its unique ability to be timely and timeless at the same time.

“Father, father. We don't need to escalate. You see, war is not the answer. For only love can conquer hate. You know we've got to find a way to bring some lovin' here today.”

"SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER" SUFJAN STEVENS (2015)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 24

Carrie & Lowell was a return to form for Sufjan. Not that the last couple of albums that preceded it were bad. But it seemed the artist was free from the need to experiment electronically and ready to return to a minimalist, folk-driven sound, perhaps most reminiscent of the stark simplicity of Seven Swans. By stripping away the instrumentation, all attention went to the lyrics throughout this deeply personal album about his recently deceased mother and step-father. “Should Have Known Better” feels like a late night of insomnia flipping through old photo albums that are equally treasured and torturous.

“I should have known better. To see what I could see. My black shroud holding down my feelings. A pillar for my enemies.”

"BEING BORING" PET SHOP BOYS (1990)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 23

Now onto one of my favorite songs from the Pet Shop Boys. The duo peaked early, but I consider Please, Actually, Introspective and Behaviour all to be some of the finest synth pop albums ever recorded. “Being Boring” saw less commercial success than some of their big singles, but the track was laden with some of Lowe’s most pristine synth riffs and Tenant’s finest lyrics. The song looks back at growing up and observes the change of perspective and values in hindsight.

“And we were never being boring. We dressed up and fought, then thought: "Make amends". And we were never holding back or worried that time would come to an end.”

"ANNA BEGINS" COUNTING CROWS (1993)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 22

One of the greatest debut albums of the decade, August and Everything After was our glimpse into a band that did things a little differently. Counting Crows forged a unique identity bent on heartfelt vocals, unexpected time signatures and a wall of sound that could flood your heart. “Mr. Jones”, “Rain King” and “Round Here” all got airplay on college rock stations, but my favorite was “Anna Begins”. It’s a bit of a hidden gem for me. Its lyrics resembling a paperback novel or pages out of a personal journal more so than a rock song.

“Her kindness bangs a gong. It's moving me along. And Anna begins to fade away. It's chasing me away, she disappears. And oh, Lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing.”

"YOU WOULD HAVE TO LOSE YOUR MIND" THE BARR BROTHERS (2017)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 21

The night I saw The Barr Brothers at Williamsburg Music Hall in 2017, I felt like my entire being was floating up into the night sky. There’s a buoyancy in the band’s songs that I find no use in resisting. I just let the songs take me wherever they will. The Queens of the Breakers album uses every element in its arsenal to achieve this outcome. The reverb-soaked vocals. The calculating bass lines. The hypnotic harp work. And the words, they do wonders for your soul if you have a few minutes to spare.

“Loosen up and lose your mind. You never know what you could find on the other side. A hundred thousand butterflies floating in the orange skies above my head.”

"I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE" CAROLE KING (1971)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 20

Tapestry is the great American songbook – and “I Feel The Earth Move” leads the way. Carole King’s songs have the distinction of helping us to feel what she’s feeling and to facilitate the transference of those feelings in us. “I Feel the Earth Move” is one of my favorites on the album. There’s an edge coupled with a rare set of emotions. Aggression with soul. You can hear the pounding of those piano keys as if you were lucky enough to have King sing and play it in your own living room.

“I feel the earth move under my feet. I feel the sky tumbling down. I feel my heart start to trembling whenever you're around.”

"AVALON" ROXY MUSIC (1982)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 19

I’ve been binging on Roxy Music lately, spurred on mostly by their big reunion tour. I’ve come to the hard, sober conclusion that I like the idea of Roxy Music more than I like the actual band. Scattered across several innovative and influential albums, there really are only one or two songs from each album that I really like. It’s a bit ironic that it’s the most mainstream of their albums – Avalon – that’s the one that I love from beginning to end. The production qualities on the title track are phenomenal with its rich, vast soundscape, and Ferry’s lyrics, equally sublime.

“Now the party's over, I'm so tired. Then I see you coming out of nowhere. Much communication in a motion. Without conversation or a notion. Avalon.”

"SEASONS (WAITING ON YOU)" FUTURE ISLANDS (2014)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 18

How many bands sing and play with all their soul? How many bands put everything they have into the music because it’s all they got and it’s all they live for? Probably not many. Future Islands is one of them. They’re proof that synthesizers still have soul. Proof that you don’t have to act like or look like a rock band to make some noise in this industry. And if you absolutely love what you do, you can make people love it, too. “Seasons” is strangely contagious and utterly ambitious. Hands down, one of the best songs from the last 10 years – and it all starts with the lyrics.

“Seasons change, and I tried hard just to soften you. The seasons change, but I've grown tired of tryin' to change for you.”

"EYES WITHOUT A FACE" BILLY IDOL (1983)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 17

Part English, part French, Billy Idol and his longtime collaborator Steve Stevens wrote one for the ages in 1983. “Eyes Without A Face” is a ballad that rises in tension from the first verse to the second verse into the bridge, where the song’s delicate demeanor explodes into something a bit more, well, Billy Idol. The guitar hook and Idol’s snarl return to remind us Billy is still Billy. All is well. He and Stevens just needed to slow down the RPMs a bit to let the melody, arrangements and Perri Lister’s backing vocals take the spotlight even it was just for a few minutes. And, boy, were they absolutely worth it.

“I spend so much time believing all the lies, to keep the dream alive.”

"WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS" THE BEATLES (1968)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 16

Penned by George Harrison, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is one of my favorite Beatles songs. Melodic, but strewn with unexpected chord progressions and a descending bass line. Harrison is on the Hammond organ and Lennon is joined by Eric Clapton on guitar, which adds a muscular sound to the original studio track. But the greatest thing about the song are the words. A song of universal love, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is ridden with words that seem to exude misery and hope simultaneously. Lyrically, it is one of The Beatles’ finest. It’s a shame Harrison didn’t contribute more to their catalog.

“I don't know how you were diverted. You were perverted too. I don't know how you were inverted. No one alerted you.”

"PIAZZA, NEW YORK CATCHER" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (2003)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 15

There’s an absurd charm to these lyrics. A song about a Major League all-star written like the lyricist doesn’t understand the first thing about baseball, or sports in general. This perspective portrayed Mike Piazza as a tragic, everyday man, likened to all the eccentric folk characters that Belle & Sebastian have created over the years. You want to laugh at it and with it simultaneously. And how many songs can you say that about?

“How many nights of talking in hotel rooms can you take? How many nights of limping round on pagan holidays?”

"PULLED UP" TALKING HEADS (1977)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 14

The Talking Heads menacing anthem “Psycho Killer” is the most well-known track on the band’s debut record. But to overlook “Pulled Up” would be a terrible mistake. The song is one of the early blueprints of new wave. The instrumentation and demeanor was unlike anything else out there. Like on several other Talking Heads songs, Byrne’s paradoxical tendencies are on full display, most notably in the chorus. He seems simultaneously out of control and in control. He’s not just singing lyrics, those are emotions and expressions that are spewing from his mouth.

“I drift away to another land. Sleeping, dreaming, such a simple thing. I think of things that I might be. I see my name go down in history.”

"EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING" LAURYN HILL (1998)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 13

It’s hard to think of another song based on two chords that’s as gripping as this one. Those two simple chords formed an irresistible, unforgettable hook, forged by John Legend on piano and the Indigo Quartet on strings. It’s the heartbeat of the song, But what made “Everything is Everything” even more unique was Lauryn Hill’s lyrics. Hill wrote the song for “everyone who struggles in their youth” and criss-crossed genres so seamlessly, going from R&B to hip hop to soul. Perhaps this is what makes The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill so appealing. It’s not simply a hip hop record, it’s so much more.

“Now everything is everything. What is meant to be, will be. After winter, must come spring. Change, it comes eventually.”

"BRIGHT HORSES" NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (2019)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 12

Nick Cave is one of a handful of artists who I deeply regret not discovering sooner. The recordings are so powerful and moving, and I can only imagine how extraordinary it is to see him perform live. Each element in “Bright Horses” is filled with anticipation and a deep sense of yearning. The ethereal piano chords. The delicate string arrangements. The angelic backing vocals. And, of course, Nick’s baritone voice so full of life and vigor. The lyrics, so full of despair and disappointment, yet love still triumphs in the end.

“Oh the train is coming, and I'm standing here to see. And it's bringing my baby right back to me. Well there are some things too hard to explain. But my baby's coming home now, on the 5:30 train.”