I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”. Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like. No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key. I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me. I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key). “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea. Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness]
This month on Minor Key Monday I make the talk about a song that is almost as sorrowful as its title:
As is often the case with many of my Minor Key Monday picks, I stumbled across Nick Cave through the movies–specifically Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire:
It was a pretty cool scene, so I went out and tried to track down some more of his stuff. And, as is often the case with cool songs I hear, the rest of Nick Cave’s catalog turned out to not really be my thing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s obviously talented, and usually quite dark (though sometimes the darkness is in the lyrics only–which doesn’t count for me) and definitely original. But maybe he was too original, to the point where he seemed to swim in genreless waters that more often than not were places I would rather not sail. Still, I found a few MKM gems in his catalog, none more so than today’s song. Of course, with a title like “The Weeping Song” it’s not like it was hard to find!
As I said, I’m not sure what genre to call “The Weeping Song,” but it is undoubtedly a nice little piece of sorrowful pop music. I have to give a lot of credit to the vocals, cleverly phrased, they are an expressive mixture of power and plaintive wailing. Not only that, but the song has a pretty cute video that goes along with it:
And, you know, despite the adorable dancing and pretend rowboat, that video really does have a lonely sorrowful vibe to it. Or maybe it’s just the power of “The Weeping Song” that is making me think so.
2 Comments
Nick Cave is awesome, and he and I don’t care if the rest of his catalog is your thing. That being said, this is a great song and a fine pick, so I guess we’re cool. This post got me wondering whether you’d like something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbpBxXEPQow
Hmm, that is pretty good, consider it liked–that sinister guitar line that repeats is pretty cool. And actually I probably like more than half of Nick Cave’s stuff, which is pretty good really. Just I usually have a problem listening to a whole album. For every The Weeping Song, there is a The Ship Song that, while a fine song, isn’t quite sorrowful enough.