5 Songs / Dark Love Songs by Chicks That Feature Some Kind of Distressed Animal
5 Songs is a weekly series where we point out the strange, the grand, and the unique connections between our favorite songs. Let’s get weird.
Words by Chris Carosi
It’s a drag to think about love sometimes, and these 5 songs take into account the fragility of love in the form of li’l animals, and use them to expose truths about abandonment, sexual congress, and asphyxiation. You go, girls!
Goldfrapp / “Paper Bag”
Alison Goldfrapp urges on this soothing, Sinatra-esque song that she will, “Suck in the sun, baboons, and birds with the weight of you, dear.” Good luck with that shit, Alison.
PJ Harvey / “Long Snake Moan”
This song is Polly Jean at her snarling best. It’s a giant middle-finger to a suitor, “You wanna hear my long snake moan!” It’s hard to tell if it’s a ‘fuck you’ or a dare, but I know I would be doomed.
White Hinterland / “A Beast Washed Ashore”
White Hinterland / A Beast Washed Ashore
This entire song is about seeing a “dear” friend for the last time at a gathering to shore to watch a beached whale get taken apart. Dude, I know—romantic. Casey Daniel sings with urgent strings, “His bones are bleached, laid out on the truck. His teeth are brushed and his mouth is shut.” It’s an interesting (and Victorian) understanding of watching someone close move on.
Laura Veirs / “I Can See Your Tracks”
Laura Veirs / I Can See Your Tracks
This song is about abandonment too, but this time from the perspective of the one who decides to move on. Veirs promises, “I can hear snakes creeping ‘cross the scene. I’m quaking in my boots, but you won’t hear me scream.” It’s an ownership of fear in tough times. Nice. Also, one of the best opening tracks of 2010.
Björk / “Bachelorette”
And Finally, Björk punctuates romantic turmoil in this vital & threatening song, describing herself as a “fountain of blood in the shape of a girl” and “a path of cinders burning under your feet.” But most disturbing is her gentle delivery of this line over a sinister breakbeat: “If you forget my name, you will go astray like a killer whale trapped in a bay.” Brrr.
This is our first installment of “5 Songs”, so let us know what you think. Have any opinions on these songs? Have any other suggestions for this category? Have any categories you’d like to see us tackle? Leave a comment and let us know!
Love the idea for this feature, and I adore these songs! This has spurred me to pull out some of my old albums…