Quote:
Originally Posted by David
One song of Christine's that seems to be everyone's favorite in terms of its verbal power is "Why," but I have always felt that song was kind of weak, lyrically.
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Lyrically, I don't think it helps that the hurt is melting away in two different verses. Still, the emotion in the last verse and the unadorned simplicity of the question is what I think really gets to people. Why don't you love me? Can't get much plainer or deeper than that and it's sung in a way that expresses the despair quite nicely.
Judging from her
ITMT voice and the way she did
Calumny, Chris could still pull off Why very nicely today.
As for Stevie, she didn't need monkeys in her song at all. Why not have words in there that suggest monkeys like "swinging" or "primeval" or, ah, "banana." Then dedicate the song to Jane and everyone would get the message. Rule of thumb: Don't put chimpanzees or laundromats in your songs and don't put Duesenbergs in there either, for that matter.
Certainly, you're right that what's awkward and what's not is a subjective call. I think the phrasing "hurts my everything" and "not make believe" work splendidly. They're childish, but the feelings she describes hark back to the emotional bruising and vulnerability we often experienced as children. She's saying, "I'm 50 years old now, but with one scornful brow, you can take me back to that little girl's insecurity." I think the words are brilliant for that song.
As to the very helpful Lindsey, it's none of his business. He shouldn't concern himself with Stevie's words at all. Just take care of the music and shut his trap. If he needs something to occupy his time he can concentrate on the artistic power of the lines "I am what I am: a family man."
Was Stevie over-reacting? Is Stevie, Stevie?
She did tickle me when, taking most of the credit for
The Chain, she noted that Lindsey went up and sang it exactly the way she told him for once in his life. That suggested to me that when he sings on her songs he usually changes not only the vocal arrangement, but the words too. Of course, I think that's very natural: to change a part that you're singing to make it fit what you're trying to express. But don't go wandering into other people's verses and trying to change them too.
Thinking of verse mangling. It's really nice on
Angel when Lindsey is singing "haunted song" all crazy and Stevie is singing straight. That's why I wish they would share verses on
SYLM, because by himself he is just messing the song up. If they sang together, with Stevie doing it traditionally, giving the words structure, his ironic interpretation would just add an accent to the lines running for cover and begging for sympathy, rather than distorting them altogether.
Michele