Friday, March 14, 2008
A Song to ‘Kick Start My Rockin’ Rollin’ Heart
Jimmy Eat World went pop in 2001, or at least, that is when the band got its first break. A third full-length release, Bleed American, named after its opening title track (although re-released as self-titled after 9/11), hit record stores in July that year, courtesy of Dreamworks Records.
I had never heard of the band before, when my editor passed it on to me to review. But on first listen I instantly became a fan. The album’s positive lyrics, driving drum-beats, sweet vocal harmonies, and heavy baselines were enough to lure even the most skeptical listener to a completely rockin’ good time.
As a Dreamworks release, it was definitely mass marketed. The record received rave reviews in major publications, such as Rolling Stone, and the band began appearing on shows such as Total Request Line on MTV. The hit song of the year -- which seemed to play on every radio station in town, and that eventually brought a houseful of teenagers and college coeds to the Verizon Wireless the following fall -- was “The Middle.”
“The Middle”, however, although catchy and wonderfully upbeat, is not the song that engages me the most. My favorite on the album, the one that makes me want to turn the radio up and sing along out loud, whether I’m washing the dishes, driving someplace with my boyfriend, taking a shower, or hanging out with friends on a Friday night, is “A Praise Chorus,” the third track on the album.
The lyrics are articulate, but they are not political. Written in second person, it perfectly speaks to individual persons in a positive manner. The lyrics ask questions of the listener, such as “Are you gonna live your life wondering, standing in the back, looking around? Are you gonna waste your time thinking, how you’ve grown up, or how you missed out?”
The song is definitely formulaic, in that is uses merely four power guitar chords: A, D, and E Major, which are standard pop chords and appear in a number of popular songs, as well as F sharp minor, a secondary though still common sound choice. These exact four chords have appeared together in pop songs across generations, including “Maybe Baby” by Buddy Holly; “Please Mister Postman” by the Beatles; “Jimmy Jazz” by The Clash; and “Message in a Bottle,” by The Police.
The song structure is also typical. It utilizes the verse-prechorus-chorus style, with one slight alteration: the song has a bridge, rather than a solo instrumentation. This is incredibly effective for the song, because by providing a bridge, that is, a one-part alternative perspective on the lyrics and music containing the same message, the band created space to allow for two lyrical hooks, which work well together.
One repeated phrase throughout the song is “Wanna fall in love tonight.” The chorus ends with this, while the bridge is a repetition of the words “Crimson and clover, over and over.” The bridge’s catch phrase is repeated as dynamics build, and lead vocalist Jim Adkins raises his voice over the refrain to fully shout in singing tune, “Don’t, don’t, don’t let’s start! Why did we ever part? Kick start my rockin’ rollin’ heart!”
With a line like that, containing all the energy, positivity, and momentum brought from the first half of the song, it becomes time get up, turn it up, dance around, and sing along as loud as you can: “I’m on my feet/ I’m on the floor/ I’m good to go/ So, come on, Davey/ Sing me something that I know/ Wanna always feel like part of this was mine/ Wanna fall in love tonight.”
Jimmy Eat World went pop in 2001, or at least, that is when the band got its first break. A third full-length release, Bleed American, named after its opening title track (although re-released as self-titled after 9/11), hit record stores in July that year, courtesy of Dreamworks Records.
I had never heard of the band before, when my editor passed it on to me to review. But on first listen I instantly became a fan. The album’s positive lyrics, driving drum-beats, sweet vocal harmonies, and heavy baselines were enough to lure even the most skeptical listener to a completely rockin’ good time.
As a Dreamworks release, it was definitely mass marketed. The record received rave reviews in major publications, such as Rolling Stone, and the band began appearing on shows such as Total Request Line on MTV. The hit song of the year -- which seemed to play on every radio station in town, and that eventually brought a houseful of teenagers and college coeds to the Verizon Wireless the following fall -- was “The Middle.”
“The Middle”, however, although catchy and wonderfully upbeat, is not the song that engages me the most. My favorite on the album, the one that makes me want to turn the radio up and sing along out loud, whether I’m washing the dishes, driving someplace with my boyfriend, taking a shower, or hanging out with friends on a Friday night, is “A Praise Chorus,” the third track on the album.
The lyrics are articulate, but they are not political. Written in second person, it perfectly speaks to individual persons in a positive manner. The lyrics ask questions of the listener, such as “Are you gonna live your life wondering, standing in the back, looking around? Are you gonna waste your time thinking, how you’ve grown up, or how you missed out?”
The song is definitely formulaic, in that is uses merely four power guitar chords: A, D, and E Major, which are standard pop chords and appear in a number of popular songs, as well as F sharp minor, a secondary though still common sound choice. These exact four chords have appeared together in pop songs across generations, including “Maybe Baby” by Buddy Holly; “Please Mister Postman” by the Beatles; “Jimmy Jazz” by The Clash; and “Message in a Bottle,” by The Police.
The song structure is also typical. It utilizes the verse-prechorus-chorus style, with one slight alteration: the song has a bridge, rather than a solo instrumentation. This is incredibly effective for the song, because by providing a bridge, that is, a one-part alternative perspective on the lyrics and music containing the same message, the band created space to allow for two lyrical hooks, which work well together.
One repeated phrase throughout the song is “Wanna fall in love tonight.” The chorus ends with this, while the bridge is a repetition of the words “Crimson and clover, over and over.” The bridge’s catch phrase is repeated as dynamics build, and lead vocalist Jim Adkins raises his voice over the refrain to fully shout in singing tune, “Don’t, don’t, don’t let’s start! Why did we ever part? Kick start my rockin’ rollin’ heart!”
With a line like that, containing all the energy, positivity, and momentum brought from the first half of the song, it becomes time get up, turn it up, dance around, and sing along as loud as you can: “I’m on my feet/ I’m on the floor/ I’m good to go/ So, come on, Davey/ Sing me something that I know/ Wanna always feel like part of this was mine/ Wanna fall in love tonight.”
Labels: Jimmy Eat World, Music, Sociology
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