And, the world spins madly on…
The way these last days have been going, I can feel the world spinning out of control throughout the day. A little less at night, but spinning still.
It brings to mind one of my favorite Weepies’ song, World Spins Madly On, which is actually a good antidote for the prevailing feeling of helplessness. You may have subliminally soaked in their songs during an Old Navy or JC Penny ad while kicking back in your lazy boy. It’s possible. Like some lucky other groups the Weepies’ music seems to find its way onto tv and movie soundtracks.
In fact, upon researching their work for this post, I discovered that Weepies music was not only behind the shows, One Tree Hill and Dirty, Sexy Money, their song, “Can’t Turn Back Now” made it to one of Barack Obama’s ads during the presidential race.
Wow. Who knew?
The Weepies, though, ah the Weepies, have beautifully married two of my favorite art forms: music and poetry. Not just songs telling stories with the same tired words, but little musical poems that could stand up just fine with or without the music. It’s evident in their music that they love words. I’m pretty sure they even say so in one of their songs.
Brings to mind Joni Mitchell. She mastered the art of beauty times two in her songs and the literary music legend (the closest thing I have to an idol) even paints. Joni Mitchell embodies talent in triplicate. Does she dream in color pictures? The sound of open guitar tunings in the key of D? Shakespearean-like sonnets? Wouldn’t you like to be a fly inside her mind?
Back to the Weepies. If you’ve never heard them or heard of them, consider yourself lucky to have read this. A young (at least sounding) husband and wife who seem to consider the empty spaces in their compositions as much as the sounds. It’s all very elegant. Simple tunes. Simple lyrics. High, almost syrupy sweet voices, clever harmonies and music that I never tire of and listen to more than almost anything else on my iphone.
I knew they were artistically unique when in their repertoire they lyrically alluded to a Chagall painting.
“Sometimes rain that’s needed falls. We float like two lovers in a painting by Chagall. All around the sky and blue town, holding these flowers for a wedding gown. We drift so high above the ground. Satellites surround us.”
When esconced in Weepies’ flavored music, that phrase knocks me out. Especially since we had a framed print of that very painting in my childhood home’s living room.
Maybe it’s just the nostalgia.
Listen to it and let me know if it moves you, too.
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Thanks, Mike. It’s fixed now.
Never heard of the weepies, but you have piqued my interest. Is it float “like” or “live”. I suppose it’s a typo.