Me & the Moon
Ms. B
I've been listening to Andrew McMahon's music for so many years now, over the span of three of his bands, that my "favorite" Andrew song changes on a virtually monthly basis. This month's song of choice dates back to 2003, the release year of the second album of Andrew's first band, Something Corporate. The song is called "Me and the Moon."
The more I listen to this song, the deeper I fall in love with it, and the harder it becomes to articulate the reasons that I love it so much. Andrew's knack for writing beautifully poetic lyrics is definitely a major factor; he showcases several of what I believe are his best lines in this song:
"...but reasons, like seasons, they constantly change
And the seasons of last year, like reasons, are floating away:
Away with this spilled milk,
Away with this dirty dishwater, away..."
Andrew also has a tendency to make the topics of his songs poetically vague; this song appears to be about a woman who is the victim of domestic abuse. Whether she fantasizes about getting away from it all, or actually *does* make a pull to escape, is less certain.
The unique melody of this song is another contributing factor to this song's greatness. We've talked about "resolution" (or "rightness") in music; this song has almost none of that. The tension that exists, both as a result of the touchy subject matter and the lack of resolution in the melody, is tangible. It begins instantly, with the opening amplified cluster chord, and continues into each verse, each refrain, and the final cello chord that doesn't go where your brain wants it to. Though Andrew was only 21 when he recorded this song, it shows a musical maturity far beyond his years that, to me, defines him as one of the greatest pop musicians of all time. Take a listen and hear for yourself:
Works Cited
SoCo. Digital image. FanArt.TV. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Something Corporate - Me & the Moon (with Lyrics & HD)." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment