Welcome to another Wussy Love Song Friday, where I’ll examine a song that tells an old trope from an unlikely point of view or turns a cliche on its head. Almost any song by Magnetic Fields could qualify for WLSF. With Stephin Merritt’s blend of irony, confession, and perspective, he easily reveals overlooked treasures of being a person. “The Book of Love” is no different. But while MF’s version pulls-off charming, haunting, and funny - and you should definitely check it out - I didn’t choose it for today’s song. I chose The Airborne Toxic Event’s version, first, because of the sounds they found in it. The way the strings harmonize on the chorus, the way Mikel sings up an octave after the first verse. You hear the strain in his throat and the meaning he feels in every word. If you listen to Mikel’s intro, you’ll learn the source of that meaning, and you’ll hear a rock star use the phrase, “this really pretty song.” It is, if nothing, a touching display of sincerity. Teaching music to children, I often wonder why it’s so hard to get them to be cool with making mistakes, the kind of mistakes necessary to learn improvisation. They want to play well, but when asked what sounds they’d like to make, they’re confused. I often wonder if we so fiercely drill into kids the need to be “right,” we beat the creativity out of them, and in so doing work against a fundamental part of human expression - sincerity. Getting a child to be okay with making mistakes and getting her in the habit of knowing what she wants is the beginning - maybe - of helping her disregard what others think and be true to herself. In any case, I chose this song in tribute to an under-appreciated virtue. I hope you like it. Sincerely, Sean https://youtube/watch?v=-CKat0z07kw
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 13:00:00 +0000