2006
(Or, the year I started to notice some chinks in the alternative music armor)
5. “Lips Of An Angel” – Hinder
It's really good to
hear your voice saying my name / It sounds so sweet / Coming from the lips of
an angel / Hearing those words it makes me weak
We all know the song is about sweet, seductive infidelity with
a former love but the lyrics aren’t why I enjoy listening to it. I may have a lot of faults as a potential
boyfriend but being unfaithful would never be one of them. Besides, I have a different word association
for this song: racquetball. When “Lips
of an Angel” came out, my friend Tom and I played racquetball at Governors
State on a semi-regular basis. I really enjoy playing tennis and this was the
best alternative in the winter. If your
opponent in racquetball impedes your ability to make a play on the ball, you
are allowed to claim a “hinder”, which essentially allows for a redo. Naturally, this happened on a few
occasions. We eventually made the
connection between that call and the band. One day, one of us decided to belt out the
lyric “It’s really good to hear your voice” in substitution of “hinder.” From that point forward, it became mandatory to
use that line whenever you wanted to claim a hindrance, and you had to do it in a grungy voice so as to
imitate the lead singer. I really do miss
those days; I never get to play racquetball, or tennis for that matter, anymore.
4. “Chasing Cars” – Snow Patrol
If I lay here/ If I
just lay here / Would you lie with me / And just forget the world?
Have you ever heard a song that you just knew was going to
explode? I first heard this song on TV
during a promo for Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve never watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy but I knew it was fairly
popular. I knew the prime time TV
exposure that “Chasing Cars” had just received was going to catapult it across
the airwaves. Its inclusion on a list of
alternative music is a bit questionable but that demonstrates the kind of
crossover power the song possessed. A
variety of stations and entertainment venues played the song…all the time. That type of force-feeding will often turn
people off a song. It’s the rebellious
little kid in all of us. Oh, I’m supposed to like this song? Is that why you keep playing it? Well, screw you. I’m an original. There may have even been a time when I too
was sick of “Chasing Cars” but I came back once the song ran through its
course. It must be something about the
slow, dreamy buildup that whisks me away.
There’s a romantic notion of lying there next to someone when nothing
else matters except the two of you together and that very moment. I’d like to believe that I can capture that
essence one day. Until then, I’ll keep
chasing after it.
3. “Rooftops” – Lostprophets
When our time is up /
When our lives are done / Will we say we've had our fun / Will we make a mark
this time / Will we always say we tried
Who among us hasn’t wanted to stand on a rooftop and scream
their heart out? My generation is here
to stay and now you know. I don’t have any deep personal connection with this song so
I’ll instead focus on an adventure that occurred in 2006: my first trip to a
strip club. A group of us from the
softball team I was on at the time decided we needed to cross this off our
bucket list. Our destination was The Silver Slipper Saloon. As I mentioned in 2004’s installment, the
team was comprised of people from Peotone and Braidwood. Some of the Braidwood guys were pretty nerdy,
even by my standards. There was a draw
to see who would be forced to ride in the “other” car with those guys and my
prevailing luck naturally saw to it that I would be that person. After a lengthy ride of listening to
conversation about computers and online gaming, I was ready to see some naked
ladies. I had no idea what the pricing
structure would be but I brought in a set amount of cash that I hoped would be
enough to last the entire night. I wisely
left my wallet in the car so I wouldn’t be tempted into spending an exorbitant
amount of money. Even before I got in, I
was forced to dip into my funds. It
turned out that one of the “other” guys hadn’t brought any cash with him (say
what?) and therefore couldn’t meet the cover charge. I covered him because I’m a nice guy and
didn’t want anyone to be deprived of a little fun. Incidentally, this is the same guy who later
refused a lap dance because “he was driving.”
Gee, I’m sure glad I helped you
get in. Why exactly did you come? A portly fellow from our group named Hipple
was the first one to receive a lap dance.
As we curiously watched from a distance, he and the stripper sat there
and they were…talking? What the hell
could they possibly be talking about we all asked aloud. Is she an online gamer too? As newbies, none of us were really sure how
the transaction was supposed to be completed but we knew a step or two had to
be missing. It wasn’t until Hipple
returned that we discovered dances are by the song so she had to wait until the
next song began. I’m sure I was probably
the thousandth person to think I was being clever when I suggested that someone
request something like “Freebird” before my lap dance. I made it through the night on my
predetermined budget; I didn’t need to run out to the car after 30 minutes to
grab my debit card but I saw it happen. I found that it was
more cost effective to sit by the stage shelling out singles or fives rather than receive individual lap
dances. I even got to sit next to someone
who bore a striking resemblance to 50 Cent.
I can say I had a good time but I don’t really have any desire to do it
again. I went just once more the
following year and I’ve turned down countless other offers to go since. You just feel so…unclean…coming out of those
places. I’d need to do some volunteer
work just to cleanse my soul and appease my conscience. Plus, let’s be real. A little piece of me dies every time I open
my wallet. Sorry, strippers, I’ve
decided you’re not worth it. P.S. Mom, I'm still a good kid.
2. “The Diary Of Jane” – Breaking Benjamin
As I burn another page / As I look the other way / I still
try to find my place in the diary of Jane / So tell me how it should be
This is my favorite Breaking
Benjamin song. I liked it immediately from
the sound to the lyrics. I feel bad that
I don’t have any interesting story related to share about this song, but I’ve
already written a lot above so I can guess I’ve earned the right to breeze
through this one. I will say that
anytime someone devotes the time to write about you, either directly or by
reference, I think that’s a pretty cool thing.
I’m not talking about a few thoughtless sentences on Facebook that any
hack could compose in a matter of minutes.
I mean an actual entry into something like a private diary or online
blog. Writing is a form of expressing
yourself and the subject matter should feel honored that they had enough of an
impact to make it onto the pages of someone’s work. You don't come across many people who write out their thoughts and feelings these days unless they're trying to make some money out of it. You certainly don't see many guys who do it, and I like to think that sets me apart. Maybe in a good way, maybe in a bad way. You can decide.
1. “Over My Head (Cable Car)” – The Fray
I never knew that everything was falling through / That
everyone I knew was waiting on a queue / To turn and run when all I needed was
the truth / But that's how it's got to be / It's coming down to nothing more
than apathy
I play the song when courting a girl or preparing for a date with one as a means of reverse psychology to convince myself that I’m actually not in over my head. Contrary to what the lyrics may
lead you to believe, the song isn't about a relationship with a woman. It's about lead singer Isaac Slade’s other brother (nicknamed Cable Car) with whom he’d had a falling out. You mean all those times I was incorrectly applying the
song? No! I won’t accept that. Tom and I both came to the conclusion that
this song had tremendous staying power.
It’s the kind of song I could hear a hundred times and never tire of,
and I never have. By comparison, The
Fray’s follow-up single, “How to Save a Life”, followed the aforementioned path
of “Chasing Cars”. Their self-titled
album is one that I often find myself coming back to. I think I’m a sucker for alternative music
infused with a piano. Perhaps it’s
because I’ve always had a dream of learning that instrument. If “Over My Head” comes on when I’m listening
to music at work, you’ll likely see me tapping my fingers on the desk as if I’m
playing the piano along with the song.
It’s often an involuntary action; I hear the song and my fingers go to
work. Fun fact: the kid in the video is actually Slade’s younger brother.
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