Somebody That I Used to Know

I'm not really a Top of the Pops kind of girl, and rarely know what's actually in the charts let alone enjoy any of it. I have really eclectic taste in music and enjoy a little bit of every genre (death metal aside, perhaps) but the charts often seem full of really samey, nothingy music. 

The fact that my last two downloads from iTunes were Leonard Cohen's new album Old Ideas and a 2005 Elbow album called The Seldom Seen Kid are a testament to the fact that I'm not a slave to popular music. The Leonard Cohen album is beautiful though, by the way, I particularly recommend Going Home, Show Me the Place and Lullaby from my first few listens and Elbow is a new love but I am smitten with The Bones of You, Grounds for Divorce and Audience with the Pope from that album - check them out! (Oh actually I couldn't resist pasting a couple below.)

 

 

Anyway, all of the above is why it amazes me that I actually really love the song that is number one in the charts just now. I first heard this song about six months ago and had no idea that it would become so popular. It really struck me and I got a bit addicted to it. Lately I started hearing it everywhere and then realised it was top of the charts.

 

I often 'fall in love' with a song. I find something that I like and get all tingly about it and listen to it over and over. Some stay forever but with many eventually the love fades and sometimes I look back and can't imagine what I ever saw in it. I must have listened to this song about 50 times - and it's not cos of the naked fella, honest.

It's not a song that speaks to me on a personal level at all. I don't have a bitter breakup to look back on and empathise with poor Gotye about. In fact, I'm good friends with one of my exes and, in a bizarre twist of fate that probably qualifies me for an appearance on the Jeremy Kyle show, now related to another (thanks to my dad for marrying his mum... ) It's just a really good quality song, great singing, great melody, great pace and some sort of magic ingredient that gives me shivers.

Lately, although I still really like the Gotye song, I think I might be falling in love with these guys from Walk off the Earth a little bit:

 

I am blown away by the sheer musicality of this - the raw talent and skill here. Plus I particularly like the guy on the right. You can see more of his good work on the left here:

 

Sorry for the utterly self-indulgent post (actually, I'm not, it's my blog!) I just never quite get over being amazed by the capacity that music has to make you feel things and to pick you up when you're having a tough day. And yes, I do include Leonard Cohen in that! This final video is one of the most uplifting songs I know, one of my favourites and one that I never fall out of love with, by the great man himself...

 

Comments

[caroline]

Thanks for posting all this. Will have a listen later. I love the Lullaby song too. It's getting a lot of play recently over here.

New music is something that I've got of in the past few years but I still love the way music can affect the mood. Recently I've been thinking about updating my ipod. Maybe I'll find some ideas here. xx