sotw: this is the one

I should probably change this segment to song of the month. Or song of the year, with the way this blog is going. Oh well, maybe my weeks are just super long compared to the rest of the world.

Anyways, on to "This is the One". (Side note: I found out a few years ago that they play this song at Old Trafford when the ManUre players are taking the pitch. This was far more upsetting news to me than it probably should have been. It makes sense, as the Roses are from Manchester and Brown is unfortunately a red, but ugh. It makes me angry that they get such an awesome song while we have Elvis. Not that I dislike Elvis exactly, but I mean, come on.)

The Stone Roses lyrics have always had a sort of understated beauty to them in my opinion. They aren't too complicated (although the word "brigantine" is used in Waterfall; how often do you hear that in a song?) but they manage to convey very stark images or emotions when you hear them put to music. Being a travel whore, the lines "I'd like to leave the country / for a month of Sundays / burn the town where I was born" have always seemed to stick with me. (This is the SOUND of my soul!) This track isn't really one of their greatest lyrical moments, as it does get repetitive at the end. But it doesn't really need a lot of words; the way it's composed makes it a very powerful song anyways.

Ian Brown's voice is nearly impossible to hear , let alone decipher, for the first minute or so. But I've always liked the way the voice blends with the music: rather than sitting on top of the melody, it integrates with the melody, almost like an extra instrument in its own right. And the way the song is very quiet at the start and then has these bursts of sound is not only cool, it's great to tap fingers and toes (or legs or any other body part) along to. Definitely the "Good Part" of the song (see: YLNT). I also love the jangling sort of guitar sound that is so indicative of late 80s Britrock. Overall great melody and great composition.

This whole album is fantastic actually; definitely one of my favorites. Most people point to "I am the Resurrection" and "I Wanna Be Adored" as the staple Stone Roses songs, and while both are great, my favorites have always been this song, She Bangs the Drums, and Waterfall. Check them out if you have no idea what I've been rambling about in this post.