Do you remember that time? You know, that one time. It was like, less than a year ago. Some yahoo on the Internet decided to post every dang day about 30 songs. For a month. That was one crazy yahoo? Wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?
Well it’s summer again (almost,) and I find myself with some time on my hands (almost.) And since this is a media blog, hey, it still works, tbh.
So if you can’t remember back to a year ago, I should explain – for the next 30 days, I will be documenting 30 songs that have had an impact on me in some way shape or form, and talking about what they mean to me. Like one of those essays you had to write in high school lit class, but a little bit cooler. Maybe.
Last year, I wrote about 30 songs, but guess what? I care about more than 30 songs. So I kept the thought in the back of my head to do it again. And here we are. I don’t have a lot of rules for myself, other than it has to be meaningful to me, and I try not to duplicate artists. (It’s not always foolproof though.) So, it’s time to get introspective. Again.
(Oh, and follow along on the playlist. It has everything from last year, but I’ll be updating it, don’t you worry.)
Day One: Waves – The Dear Hunter
I thought that I knew love
But it was just a wave crashing over us
Thinking about “the good times” can be hard, especially when things are particularly bad. Casey Crescenzo puts it best in this track. “Waves” is from a sequence of albums, known as “The Five Acts,” from the six-piece prog-rock band The Dear Hunter. Oh, I’ve talked about them before. If you know me well enough, you know my undying love for this band and its creativity. And “Waves” just happens to be my favorite song. Like, ever.
So, here’s some context. This song is from Act IV of the five acts, titled “Rebirth and Reprise.” We find ourselves in the throes of a narrative – a boy (called Hunter) born of a prostitute navigates the corrupt life in his small town by the lake, then grows up and enlists in World War I. Antics ensue, and he takes on the identity of a dead man who also happens to be his half-brother. Oh, and sometimes he wears a mask. Oh, and there’s a corrupt priest after him. Oh, and he’s in love with a prostitute. Small potatoes.
I’m sure all of this sounds completely relatable, right? Wrong. But it’s fine. Because once you listen to the music, you realize it kind of is. Take this snippet from “Waves:”
You knew the way things were
You knew the way they would be
We knew exactly how it’d end
How often have you been in a relationship, romantic or otherwise, and thought, “well, this can only end badly,” but continued with it anyway? See? Relatable. Especially since water plays a big part in the story of the Hunter. He grew up by the lake and often reminisces about the childhood innocence he lost there (“Can we return to the hymn of the lake?” is a line from the song “The Moon/Awake” from Act V.) When he, ahem, loses that innocence with a young prostitute (aptly named Miss Leading) the water analogy returns. “We fall beneath the sea in the back of my heart, and fail to breathe until we resurface again” (“The Bitter Suite III: Embrace,” from Act I.)
In Act IV, the Hunter is at an impasse with his lover Miss Leading. The water analogy in this song is a crashing wave that the Hunter is drowning in. The intensity of a new relationship can feel like that – a powerful breaker hitting your chest and pulling you under with all its thrill and excitement. The total immersion signals infatuation. The Hunter was all in on this relationship, and then he found out Miss Leading…wasn’t.
And I’m preparing for a burial at sea
But I can see the lighthouse
And I’m praying that these waters don’t take me
Cuz I can see the lighthouse
Casey Crescenzo, the frontman of The Dear Hunter, talks about how this song is about “learning from those experience that seem so earth-shattering at the moment.” (Billboard.com) Feelings like those are intense, especially in the middle of them. Even the way Crescenzo uses his vocals and consonance in this song drives this idea home. He hits the syllables hard, giving a sort of onomotopaeic flavor and making the words sound like they’re actually crashing waves.
It’s analogous of a turbulent relationship, but you could also equate it with an experience. Maybe you get excited about moving away for college and all those emotions hit you hard, then a few weeks later, you’re homesick and downtrodden. Or the same thing, but with a job or a big move. You might be in a certain mentality of how you think it will be, but it ends up being just a rush of emotion.
I highly recommend listening to all five acts together in order to get the full context. You seriously won’t regret it. The story is riveting, the music compelling, and the lyrics tantalizing.
Just to warn you, feelings might come in waves.
Audrey D. DeBoer 