14 November 2007

Another Nail For My Heartbreaker

I've been sorta' kinda' listening to the Spill Canvas lately. Sort of, kind of. For a long time, the only song of theirs that I had was "Lust a Prima Vista," which I listened to a bunch during my Junior year, because it was sent to me by...well, we'll get into that another time. I recently downloaded the rest of their three records, but only really listened to them in a "I'm-putting-this-on-as-background-music-I'll-give-it-a-better-listen-later" sort of way.

Today, the song title "All Hail The Heartbreaker" (from their first records, Sunsets and Car Crashes) caught my eye and I looked up the lyrics. And then listened to it. And I'm slightly torn.

Of course, it's one of those "I've-Never-Loved-Like-This-Look-What-You-Did-To-Me-You-Bitch/Bastard" sort of things. And the first half of the song is dreadful in the same manner. Take the second verse, for instance:

I had the notion that you'd make me forget the world
But your undecisive mind shows me that
You are "just another girl"
I had the feeling that those looks you gave me were real
What if I ripped your heart apart at the seams
Maybe then you'd know how I feel


Or this:

I will sleep another day
I don't really need to anyway
What's the point when my dreams are infected
With words you used to say


Hmm. I was writing stuff like that during my last major break-up. When I was 18. And still in high school. (Also, "undecisive"? What is that??)

And yet, pieces are okay. The refrain is heartfelt:

So tonight I'll sit and pick apart your pictures
And overanalyze your words
....
It's taking everything in me
Just to forget your sweater so far


And then, the second half of the song seems to redeem itself, at least lyrically:

So don't go worrying about me
It's not like I think about you constantly
So maybe I do, but that shouldn't affect
Your life anymore
...
I'll let you get the best of me
Because there's nothing else that I do well
I'll be the giver and you'll be the taker
I guess that's how this one's gonna go I'll be the giver and you'll be the taker
You've got me down on my knees and I proclaim:
All hail the heartbreaker


Because I've felt like that. Because we've all felt like that.

But unfortunately, the presentation, which could have saved the whole thing, just falls short. It starts out in an acoustic, Dahsboard Confessional vein, and yet...no. I can't stand the delay in "I've never fallen so.......hard." The end, which should be the strongest part of the whole song, just falls flat for me, with a complete lack of catharsis. Even the parts that I like just sound like predictable acoustic-emo-punk...crap. (Quick, Katy, more labels!)

I really want to like this song. I want to take it in and feel it and use the lyrics and make it mine. Or maybe what I really want to do is just to rewrite the damn thing so it sounds better.


A few artists down from The Spill Canvas, though, we have Squeeze, and one of my favourite songs ever, "Another Nail In My Heart."

I had excuses, those little boy lies
Then she computed by watching my eyes
And told me firmly
She couldn't stand it, I'm bad on the heart
She dropped her makeup and I found the bar
Now it concerns me
I've had a bad time
Now love has resigned
I've been such a fool
I've loved and good-byed
So here in the bar
The piano man's found
Another nail for my heart
And here in the bar
The piano man's found
Another nail for my heart


It's heartbreak, and yet, so completely different, both lyrically and musically. Loves it.

I don't know. You tell me what to think.



PS: COMATOSE IS AN ADJECTIVE, NOT A NOUN, FUCKWITS.

Sorry. Had to get that out.

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