27 February 2011

{ interlude.01 } .. . i feel fine

distraction is nine-tenths of the law

Sometimes, a song sneaks up on me and whacks me from behind after years of amiable acquaintanceship. Like it’s finally showing me its true face. Or maybe, it’s more like a smack up the side of the head that I hadn’t been paying enough attention. I should have known where it was going. That initial feedback should have been the alarm behind the title. But I got suckered in by those three words. And now, when I hear Lennon starts to sing, he sure doesn’t sound fine at all. Where is the exuberance which the lads are famous for? All those yeah, yeah, yeahs and wooos that still sound so fresh, so innocent, and so optimistic?

Instead, Lennon’s tentativeness undercuts the declarations coming out of his mouth. He doesn’t really believe that his baby’s been good to him just because she says so. Even though she’s telling all the world. And his buddies are agreeing that she’s been good to him. It’s his moan that is the least convincing and the most revealing. I don’t hear joy, more like a discomfort, like wanting to get the hell away. And he hides behind the harmonies when he is singing that he loves her. all the enthusiasm coming from his mates.

The music has a jaunty riff, with great hooks on the guitars and the drums, like someone trying to convince himself that it’s all good. Yeah, you know, she’s really great. and she says she’s mine. And she’s telling everyone how glad she is that i buy her rings and everything. Jesus.

Sometimes the most obvious fact gets concealed because we’re willing to go along, get seduced by a sexy tune, believe what we need to believe. After all, it’s a love song.

Somehow, despite the about face, I dig this song even more.



spiral scratch
go down old hannah .. . { texas prison camp work gang }
funny face .. . { the muffs, blonder and blonder }
end of the night .. . { the smith westerns, dye it blonde }


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