|
|
| |
 |
| |
1.
'Hey There Delilah'
Plain White T's
'Hey There Delilah' is the third single released from pop band Plain
White T's 2005 album, All That We Needed. In June 2007, over two years
after the song's initial release, it became the band's first mainstream
hit in the United States, eventually reaching the top spot on the
Billboard Hot 100 in July. From July 3, 2007 through July 28, the
song was the number one most played song on the radio, and the number
one downloaded song.
The song, was inspired by Delilah DiCrescenzo, a Columbia University
graduate, and steeplechase runner training for the 2008 Olympic trials. |
 |
There was never a relationship between Tom Higgenson and DiCrescenzo,
but Tom was inspired to write a song about her soon after a mutual
friend introduced them.
It took over a year for Tom to write the song. However, the real life
Delilah, who wasn't interested in Tom because she was already in a
relationship, was not sure how to deal with the pressure of having
a song written about her. |
| |
2.
'Learn To Fly'
Foo Fighters
'Learn to Fly' is the first single from the Foo Fighters' third album,
There Is Nothing Left to Lose. It was released on two different singles
in the UK in 1999. 'Learn to Fly' is one of the band's most successful
singles, including a top 20 peak on the Billboard Hot 100.
The music video for the song takes place on an airplane, parodying
the movie Airplane! Two airline mechanics hide what appears to be
intoxicants in the coffee-maker (it is revealed in the band's official
website that the package is actually labeled 'World Domination brand
'Erotic' Sleeping Powder', which end up incapacitating everyone who
drinks the coffee!
|
 |
The band, having avoided the coffee, finds themselves forced to land
the plane. For the video, each band member (Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel
and Taylor Hawkins) portrays himself as well as several other roles,
including flight attendants; passengers (Grohl wears the wig from
the 'Big Me' video while playing a young girl with braces), and pilots.
The video was filmed in London, England in a cabin crew training airplane.
The video won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.
But enough about the video, the song is a brilliant track, the sound
clearly Foo Fighter-ish! |
| |
3.
'Where the Streets Have No Name'
U2
'Where the Streets Have No Name' is the opening track and third single
from U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree. It has become one of the band's
most popular songs. It charted at number 4 on the UK singles chart.
This particular U2 track had a particularly difficult birth: it was
almost rejected by the band, and nearly did not survive until the
album's release. Prior to the recording of The Joshua Tree, The Edge
came up with the famous guitar and |
 |
organ
introduction. On presenting the idea to the band, bassist Adam Clayton
admits that he "perhaps did not fully appreciate the hours of
work that had gone into this idea," feeling in particular that
the time signature of the introduction seemed less like an inspired
idea, and really "just seemed like a good way to mess the band
up."
Clayton now says the song is a pleasure to perform, just as much as
it's a pleasure for U2's listeners to hear it! |
|
4.
'Happiness in Slavery'
Nine Inch Nails
'Happiness in Slavery' is a song by the American musical group Nine
Inch Nails. It is available on the Broken EP and was also released
as a promotional single in November 1992.
Nine Inch Nails' performance of 'Happiness in Slavery' at Woodstock
'94, from the Woodstock '94 album, won the Grammy Award for Best Metal
Performance in 1996.
The video for 'Happiness in Slavery' features performance artist Bob
Flanagan ritualistically washing himself and removing all of his clothing
before strapping himself into a machine that subsequently tortures
and kills him. |
 |
Meanwhile, Trent Reznor watches and screams the lyrics from behind
a metal gate, which opens at the end of the video, leaving Reznor
to enter the room himself. The video was widely banned. An infamous
urban legend exists that the torture footage is real, except for the
final killing of Flanagan. In truth, Flanagan often fought the pain
of cystic fibrosis by inflicting extensive damage on his own body.
Freaky, wouldn't you agree? |
| |
5.
'Life Is Short'
Butterfly Boucher
Grungy in sound
with an introspective wordplay, 'Life Is Short' by Australian singer
and songwriter Butterfly Boucher simply rocks. Off her 2003 debut
album, Flutterby, the song got attention after making it to the
soundtrack of the hit medicine show, Grey's Anatomy. Even though
Butterfly Boucher has yet to make a mark in the United States, her
songs are worthy of critical acclaim.
|
 |
'Life Is Short' is a musical gem. It's straight cut and rough
in sound and yet clean in production. The drumming on this song
in particular stands out. It reminds one of our very own Gumby
who is the fastest drummer in town.
Lyrics, penned by Butterfly herself are crisp, sharp and pensive
as they go, "When it doesn't rain it snows/Yeah the cookie
crumbles but in who's hand?/Oh I am young but I have aged/Waited
long to seize the day/All things said and plenty done...life's
too short".
Butterfly Boucher is currently working on her second studio
album, which is slated for release in 2008. Here's hoping that
she makes it big. But in the meantime, check this track out. |
| |
|
|
