When all the worlds are lost in snow I have to move this meaning through Disperse the force so far engendered All near the steam and summer view and then remain
Where steeples crash in fire and thunder Where sheets of steel obscure the land Where word and sense are torn asunder Here was the place I chose to stand Just when I think I'm going under I remain
Well all the waves of spin are foaming And fake muezzin steam and brew Formed in the fire of all their longings This is the way I took it through Just when I think I'm going under This is the way I thought it through This is the way I took it under...
I can't remember when I was young
I can't explain if it was wrong
My life goes on but not the same
Into your eyes my face remains
(I've been so high)
I've been so down
(Up to the sky)
Down to the ground
I was so blind, I could not see
Your paradise is not for me
Autour de moi
Je ne vois pas
Qui sont les anges
Surement pas moi
Encore une fois
Je sui cassee
Encore une fois
Je n'y crois pas
There is a light above my head
Into your eyes my face remains
I can't remember when I was young
Into your eyes my face remains
------------------------------------
This is my favorite Madonna ballad. Although I have always liked the song it wasn't until my father passed that I feel I truly "got" what it was about. In fact, more than any other piece of music, Paradise helped me through the process of grieving and letting go, but never forgetting. It was then that Paradise went from being a great Madonna ballad to a song I connected with on a very deep, visceral level. And so sometimes when I think about my dad, such as tonight (for whatever reason), I like to play this song. And I thought I'd share it with you guys. It truly is a beautiful song, and that truly is an understatement.
Words
They cut like a knife
Cut into my life
I don't want to hear your
Words
They always attack
Please take them all back
If they're yours I don't want any more
You think you're so smart
You try to manipulate me
You try to humiliate
with your words
You think you're so chic
You write me beautiful letters
You think you're so much better than me
But your actions speak louder than words
And they're only words unless they're true
Your actions speak louder than promises
You're inclined to make, and inclined to break
Words
They cut like a knife
Cut into my life
I don't want to hear your
Words
They always attack
Please take them all back
If they're yours I don't want any more
You think you're so shrewd
You tried to bring me low
You tried to gain control
with your words
You think you're so sly
I caught you at your game
You will not bring me shame
with your words
Too much blinding light
Your touch
I've grown tired of your
Words
A linguistic form that can meaningfully be spoken in isolation
Let's talk about David Lynch. I've mentioned before that I'm a big Lynch fan, but more than that I actually consider him a personal hero of mine. I love the way he can bend reality within film and create purely cinematic experiences to which you're riveted. You may not know what the hell is happening within the movie but damn if you can't take your eyes off the screen anyway! No one else can reach such sublimely surreal heights while still feeling completely rooted in reality. Many have tried, many have failed.
Lynch is a jack of all trades. In recent years he's moved away from film (sadface) and more and more into music. He's always had a hand in music and its come to the fore with his recent work. I'm not quite so enamored of his music. When solo, his stuff is more like abstract mood pieces, not unlikable but not essential by any means. His work with Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise for Twin Peaks and later songs he did with Danger Mouse are much better, in my opinion. That said, I admire that he likes to try new things, that he isn't afraid to venture into less lucrative endeavors. He's one of the most iconic directors around today and here he goes and all but abandons film to focus on small indie music projects. I may not love his music but I love that he does it anyway! He's intensely creative in a variety of ways, and uses that creativity to do his own thing. He doesn't let others' demands drive him as an artist.
Also, he was a bit of a dreamboat back in the day.
I also admire him as a person. Lynch is big on Transcendental Meditation. I couldn't meditate to save my life but it's clear from interviews that it has had a huge impact on him. He brims with positivity and a sort of contentment you don't often see in people. For some it can be hard to square the friendly, affable man with the dark, often violent imagery you see in his films. It seems clear that his openness stems from meditation and I imagine the clarity he says he gets from it has helped him acknowledge the darker aspects of life so often depicted in his films and still be the outgoing, kind person he is. If you ask me that's pretty damn cool.
Truth be told, I think he's still a bit of a dreamboat. (Don't judge!)
So why am I fanboying out over David Lynch today? Yesterday The A.V. Club ran an interview with him for Hatesong, their column in which they talk to someone about their most hated piece of music. It grabbed my attention because, duh, it's David Lynch! But his choice for his most hated song also intrigued me. He chose It's A Small World from the Disneyland attraction of the same name. Now I love me some Disneyland, and I even have a little place in my heart for Small World (emphasis on little), but I was curious what he had to say about it. IASW is a pretty stereotypical song to hate; it seems everyone bitches about it's incessant, repetitive hook. But I just knew Lynch would bring something new to the table in griping about this most catchy of songs, and he didn't disappoint. You can check it out here. I'll let you enjoy discovering why the song haunts him to this day, but I have to point out how awesome it is that they actually had to use a code word for the song while talking about it with him. Dude really hates It's A Small World!
Nightmare fuel?
As a nice little bonus, here's The World Spins, one of his collaborations with Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise for Twin Peaks. The first time I heard this song was in Twin Peaks, married to one of the most harrowing and heartbreaking television scenes I've ever witnessed. It had a huge impact on me. I'm not sure how I'd feel about this song had I first heard it on it's own, minus the Peaks visuals. I might've hated it. But it will always be connected to Peaks for me, and it never fails to move me when I listen to it now.
As another bonus, here's FlavorWire's rank of Lynch's best work, top to bottom. I don't agree with all of it but they make some good points. In the meantime, if you haven't watched a Lynch film in a while, get thee to the video store!
I got off work from a sixteen hour shift at 6 a.m. this morning. Separately, my mother and my niece & her fiance are moving. One move is hectic, two is insane. There's also the fact that my niece's wedding is less than a month away, so my family is kinda going nuts with stress from that. And then there's work. As always, busy, busy, busy! And in the middle of it all I try to have a personal life, plus run the blogs. I was nearly at the end of my rope. But there's relief in sight! Not only is today Memorial Day, it's also the first day of my week-long vacation! These first few days will be spent here at home, taking care of a few home improvement projects. And later this week it's off to Holiday World with two of my very best friends to ride roller coasters! (At nearly three hundred ridden, coasters are yet another hobby of mine.) That shortening rope I was reaching the end of has suddenly sprouted a few more feet, and I don't think I'll be reaching the end of it at all! Hooray! Over the next week, in addition to completing those small home projects and riding roller coasters, I plan to go a little wild! It's my week and I've earned it! As you may have guessed I'm feeling a bit feisty already, and have been bumping some jams and dancing 'round the house like nobody's business! Care to join me?
I'm A Sinner - Album Version - MDNA (2012)
Like the sun, like the light, like a flame
Like a storm, I burn through everything
Like a bomb in the night
Like a train thundering through hills, let it rain
I'm a sinner, I like it that way
I'm a sinner, I like it that way
All the boys, all the boys and girls
wanna be like us tonight
All the boys, all the boys and girls
ride the magic bus tonight
I'm a sinner, I'm a sinner, I'm a sinner I like it that way
Like the moon with no light of my own
Search the sky for a place to call home
I woke up with my hand in the fire
Get my kicks when I'm walking the wire
I'm a sinner, I like it that way
All the boys, all the boys and girls
wanna be like us tonight
All the boys, all the boys and girls
ride the magic bus tonight
I'm a sinner, I'm a sinner, I'm a sinner
I like it that way
Praise the Lord and I like it that way
Hail Mary, full of grace
Get down on your knees and pray
Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross
Died for our sins, it's such a loss
Saint Christopher, find my way
I'll be coming home one day
Saint Sebastian, don't you cry
Let those poison arrows fly
Saint Anthony, lost and found
Thomas Aquinas, stand your ground
All the saints and Holy men
Catch me before I sin again
I'm a sinner, I'm a sinner, I'm a sinner
I like it that way
You're a sinner, you're a sinner, you're a sinner
You like it that way
We're all sinners, we're all sinners, we're all sinners...
Justify My Love - MDNA Tour 2012 Video Interlude
Justify my love
I'm not afraid of who you are
We can fly
C'mon baby... you can fuck with me
Pleasures... Dreams...
Naked...
Fears...
You put this in me
So now what?
So now what?
Wanting...
Waiting...
For you to justify my love
Hoping...
Praying...
Kiss me
That's right, kiss me
Wanting...
Needing...
Waiting...
For you to justify my love
I'm open
Ready
For you to justify my love
Wanting...
Waiting...
Praying...
To justify my love
Love me
That's right, love me
Bedtime Story - Re-Invention Tour 2004 Video Interlude
Today is the last day that I'm using words
They've gone out, lost their meaning
Don't function anymore
I'm leaving logic and reason
to the arms of unconsciousness
Leaving logic and reason
to the arms of unconsciousness
I'm travelling, leaving logic and reason
I'm gonna relax in the arms of unconsciousness
And inside we're all still wet
How can I explain how I feel?
Let's get unconscious, honey
Let's get unconscious Let's get unconscious, honey
Let's get unconscious
Do I know you from somewhere? Why do you leave me wanting more? Why do all the things I say sound like the stupid things I've said before?
So begins Skin, track number five on Madonna's 1998 album Ray of Light, co-produced by the brilliant William Orbit. I called it a track instead of a song, because the word song implies a four minute ditty made of a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-fade structure and that's most definitely not what Skin is. Opus is a more fitting descriptor, I do believe. But let's back up a bit.
Some people wonder how Madonna has lasted so long, and why her fans are so ardent in their support of her to this day. Those people only know the Madonna of Like a Virgin, Vogue, Express Yourself. Iconic as those songs are, they're barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Madonna and her music. See, somewhere around the late 80's Madonna went from being a singles artist (that is, an artist who throws together albums built around hit singles rather than a coherent musical statement), to an albums artist (an artist who builds albums around themes or concepts, hopefully with a few possible hit singles in there, as well). To recognize that Madonna's musical themes have steadily deepened and her talents as a lyricist and vocalist have grown ever stronger, you have to listen to her albums, not just her singles. Perhaps no album exemplifies this better than Ray of Light, an album that garnered critical praise and strong sales (not to mention a handful of Grammy's), but launched only two smash hits (Frozen and the title track).
With that understood, and with the acknowledgement that it is a subject I will almost certainly come back to in a future post, let's move on to Skin. It wasn't a single, and rightly so. Clocking in at well over six minutes, and approaching the subject of emotional and sexual connection from a dark, psychological point of view, it was never meant to be played on the radio. That's not to say the song is dirty or raunchy -- quite the opposite, actually. It takes a poetic, but as I said, very dark, look at the excitement and frustration of trying to connect with another person on an emotional level, with sex lingering in the background.
Amid a wash of slow, deep synths and subtle bleeps, Madonna opens with the lyrics I quoted at the start of this post, "Do I know you from somewhere..." Later we will learn this is actually the chorus of the song. Her vocal is calm, with a hint of confusion and frustration, perfectly matching the lyrics. As she finishes this intriguing vocal intro, the synths go quiet and the electronic bleeps steadily descend in key. Just as they start to bottom out, a deep, thudding beat starts to build and tinkling chimes come in. Heavily fuzzed vocals from Madonna, buried under the beat, whisper "Put your hands on my skin..." repeatedly, and you can hear her sighing heavily. The beat and chimes get faster and then - bam! - the beat kicks in proper. Into the first verse we go...
Kiss me, I'm dying Put your hand on my skin I close my eyes, I need to make a connection I'm walking on a thin line I close my eyes, I close my eyes
Clearly we're not dealing with your average hook-up song! Throughout the verse heavy Middle Eastern influences can be heard (and this was about three years before hip hop would pick up on these sounds and take them into the US mainstream). Her vocal is both delicate and demanding, her enunciation of each word sang as if the entirety of her existence depends on this one moment. On the last line of the verse the steadily thudding beat drops out and a new, much faster, skittering beat comes in. We go into the chorus...
Do I know you from somewhere? Why do you leave me wanting more? Why do all the things I say sound like the stupid things I've said before?
During the chorus we go back into the more sweeping synths of the song's opening, but this time they're paired with the skittering beat. Darting around Madonna's vocal and the synths are more frenzied bleeps, plus some teetering, squelching sounds (think a firefly on speed). You start to realize that the layers of music, of pure sound, are dense. This is great use of "wall of sound", with every angle of the aural field put to use. Sounds aren't just moving from left to right, but front to back, back to right, and up to front again. It's astonishing. The chorus ends and we have a brief pre-verse coda where a thundering percussive piece comes in and a fuzzed loop of Madonna saying "Kiss... kiss...kiss..." can be heard in the background. Then, into the next verse!
Touch me, I'm trying to see inside of your soul I've got this thing, I want to make a correction I'm not like this all the time You've got this thing, you've got this thing
You'll notice the lyrics are playing on the those of the first verse. A story is building. Roles are being established. Excuses are made but the flirtation continues. Madonna's vocal delivery is becoming more demanding, almost urgent. In the background the Middle Eastern sounds are built upon with a snake charmer wafting into the musical ether. We also start to hear heavily processed electric guitar licks stinging the end of some lines. Momentum is building. We go back into the chorus, the synths still carrying the same melody but now in staccato. More chimes have come in, these a little quieter than those we heard earlier, and surprisingly mellow compared to everything else going on in the song. Are we being subliminally told that there is a certain magic in the air when two people meet, even when everything else around them, and perhaps even themselves, are frenzied?
And to think, everything up to this point in the song has just been the warm up. After the chorus we have another coda of thundering percussive elements along with some processed electric guitar. Those bleeps from the beginning, the ones that had bottomed out, come raging back in, no rhyme or reason to their arrangement. The mellow chimes have disappeared. A tinge of desperation in her voice, the bleeps again starting to descend, the beat still skittering along, Madonna sings...
Kiss me, I'm dying Put your hands on my skin I close my eyes, I need to have your protection I close my eyes, I close your eyes
As the verse goes on Madonna's voice goes into heavy reverb, eventually echoing around back into itself. You can hear heavy breathing deep in the background. The moment has become confusing for our narrator, emotions are running high. On the last line the beat drops and a drone-like synth descends sharply while Madonna whispers, "Kiss.. kiss... kiss... kiss me", a reprise of her earlier whisper, but this time with some specificity: it's herself she wants to be kissed. The droning synth pitches upwards as she finishes her whisper and the beat comes raging back in. It's one of those dramatic, jaw dropping musical moments; the kind that give you chills, the kind that remind you why you love music so much in the first place. It's the work of experts at the top of their game. But we're not done yet! After that showstopping coda we again go into the chorus, this time repeated twice.
Do I know you from somewhere? Why do you leave me wanting more? Why do all the things I say sound like the stupid things I've said before?
One might expect the song to simply fade to end from here. Madonna and Orbit have other things in mind. After the previous chorus repeats (this time accompanied by a sort of forlorn siren wailing in the distance), those thunder claps come back in, in addition to the buzzing fireflies. A whirring synth not previously heard in the song comes in, descending, spinning. The beat is at a fever pitch now, the thunder claps louder than ever, the bass pounding. Madonna continues her plea...
Kiss me, I'm dying Touch me, I'm trying I'm not like this all the time I'm not like this all the time
She sweetens these words with Middle Eastern chants at the end of certain lines. Everything is now at its peak: beat, synths, thunder claps, drones, electric guitar, bleeps, any and everything really. It's layers upon layers upon layers of sound. All with Madonna sing-screaming and chanting over them. One last element we haven't heard yet comes in, and it's possibly the least expected of all: a soul rhythm straight out of 1975, processed into a piercing siren, rising and falling as the thunder crashes and the percussion darts frenetically around it. The various musical elements eventually begin to slowly fade, a few at a time. The beat now laid a bit more bare, that snake charmer making his presence again known, things now calming down, Madonna continues...
Put your hand on my skin Put your hand on my skin I'm not like this all the time I'm not like this all the time
The track comes to it's final fade with multiple Madonnas whispering first in tandem and then over each other, "Kiss me... touch me... kiss... kiss... put your hand on my skin...", while heavy breathing can still be heard in the background. The very last things we hear are the distant snake charmer and a faint multitrack of Madonna whispering "Put your hand on my skin..."
Fin.
What did we learn from all this? Meeting someone new can be exciting and exhilarating and nerve wracking! And when you get right down to it, what we all want is to be able to connect with a person in a meaningful way. But sometimes we go about it stupidly and say stupid things. But it can still be magic. And it can seem dramatic and lifechanging, and sometimes it is. Sometimes it seems like a matter of life or death. (It's not -- but how poetic!) And, of course, one more thing: Madonna is a supremely talented musician and lyricist. Oh, so why did I name this post Flirtation Dance? That was the working title of the song!
You know as well as I do you can't be here and not listen to the song. If you've heard it before you already know the treat you're in for. If it's your first time, well, I envy you -- you're in for a wild, chaotic, sublime journey! (Seriously though, 15 years and literally hundreds of listens later, I'm still picking up on previously unheard sounds in this song. Amazing.)
