40 - Better Lock It In Your Pocket

Some songs just strike me a certain way.  This song has nothing to do with Halloween.  But the first time I heard it a few years ago, in the spring, that is the feeling it conjured up in me.  I found this duo through another band that will be featured in the near future.  They sang in tandem with the lead singer and it made for an interesting tune.  So, I looked them up, and liked what I heard.

This sister team has an interesting combination of vocals and sounds.  Today's song features a harpsichord and accordion (I think...I don't know what else sounds like the instruments featured, if you do...let me know!)  It's those instruments, or their sound and way they are played in this song, that make me think of this spooky day.

Song 40
        "Secret" from The Pierces on their album, "Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge"

There is this creepy, haunting spider like movement suggested in the instruments.  It slowly builds at the end of the song into a eerie rush to the final notes.  The girls vocals are equally chilling as they almost whisper out the lyrics in smoky voices full of, well, secrets.

I get this imagery of someone walking through an old house, or even haunted house.  Full of groady old pink toile wallpaper.  (Trust me, those are words, you might be surprised I knew what the 2nd one was.)  The song is about keeping secrets and borrows from the old saying of ol' Benji Franklin:

Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.

Which, in itself makes me think of pirates, another staple image of the day.  In the song, the lyrics are: two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead.  This ties into the sister's bond and how that sometimes they can't even trust each other. Or at least that's what I'm taking from it.  This is painted out in a little dialogue they have in the last third of the song.

So, if you enjoy Halloween...well, enjoy it.  If not, enjoy the day for what it is, the last day of the best month of the year!  I can't believe were only 5 days away from the middle of Autumn!  It's going too fast.

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

14 - You Must Pay for Your Crimes Against the Earth

Last day for this part...The Concept:  Feature a song a day for every day of the most magnificent season of Autumn.  The songs are ones that capture the thoughts/ideas/images/feelings of the season for me. 

It's my "Autumnal Playlist" if you will.

Okay, so.  Today's song is another one of those, "heard it in a movie trailer," songs.  This particular song is quite epic.  And after looking up the lyrics and knowing the plot, having read the book the movie was based on, it fit like a glass slipper on a chore laboring beauty.  The band, was one I was vaguely aware of...but never explored.  Like Elbow...once I started sampling...I got everything.  Then I kept hearing their stuff in movies and trailers.  I'm speaking about the epic British band...Muse.  The movie trailer, was Watchmen.

Song 14/Day14

"Take a Bow," as covered by Muse from the album, Black Holes and Revelations.

This song takes me to a different type of Autumn.  A darker one where evil must be triumphed over.  It's in my head of course.  I think it's mainly because they use the word 'hex' in the song...and that makes me think of two things.  Pennsylvania Dutch Barns and Halloween.  Oddly...both make me think of Fall.  So all thoughts lead to Fall.

The intro to the song just paints the images of swirling leaves and grey skies.  The evil leader of the enemy forces surveying his troops.  Haughty and cocksure.  Then, the people riot.  They revolt.  They fight back to take back their land and lives.  It's chaos and confusion.  In the end...the enemy leader is on trial...with a certain outcome.

Like I said, it's a darker Autumn.

I really like the lyric

And our freedom's consuming itself
What we become is contrary to what we want
Take a bow

Muse does a lot of massive epic storytelling with their albums.  It's not for everyone, but I think it's worth the exploration. 

Really short post today.  Sorry folks.  Sleep has been elusive and sickness threatens.  So it's off to bed before today actually starts.

"Take a Bow" from Muse...seriously, check 'em out if you don't know what you're missing.

-Jesse