Music touches the soul in a way that nothing else can. Not even books. There are some songs that contain very special beginnings and endings that really move me. Here are the few at the top of my list....
1. The opening salvo of swirling organ and pounding backbeat leading into the snarling lyric "Don't start me talking, I could talk all night" that marks out "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello as the greatest pop song of all time.
Each time I hear this Abba-esque tune, I am inspired and uplifted. Costello is a wonderful writer - my all time favourite by a country mile - but he has never subsequently produced anything as sublime as this 1979 mix of melody and lyrical genius. I just love those first 25 seconds that start this song.
2. The final chorus of the 1974 version of "Seasons in the Sun" by Canadian Terry Jacks. Interestingly, it is the largest selling single in Canadian history. There are three verses with three attendant matching choruses. The section I find so inspiring is the final chorus. It's a sad lyric - (Originally entitled "Le Moribund" by Jacques Brel) - and the last chorus has Jack's gentle sibilant vocal over a catchy clip clop rhythm, an ever ascending melody, subtle harmonies and the result is pop heaven. I bought this back then, have played it ever since, and still find a lump in my throat as Jack's declares "All our lives we had fun, We had seasons in the sun, but the stars that we reached were just starfish on the beach...."
3. Roy Orbison had a voice unlike any other, and his death in 1988 robbed us of a man with the voice of an angel. I enjoy so much of his music but there is one moment that transcends everything else and that is to be found as the momentous 1964 classic "It's Over" comes to its climactic close.
Roy sings
"Setting suns before they fall
They come to you. That's all, that's all
But you'll see lonely sunsets after all.
It's over, It's over, it's over."
It's that final "It's Over" which sends a chill down the spine. His voice is in the upper register and the finality of the words is so powerful - just so awesome.
4. The end of Kirsty MacColl's "Soho Square." Readers will know how much I loved her music and how I miss her following her tragic death - age 40 - in 2000. The end lyric to this song goes as follows;
"But one day you'll be waiting there,Come summertime in Soho Square
And I'll be painting stars up in the sky, Before I get too old to cry
Before my birthday,I hope I see those pigeons fly
Before my birthday, In Soho Square on my birthday"
There is now a memorial bench to Kirsty in Soho Square and when I hear those heart-breaking lyrics it is profoundly moving. The orchestration that supports her lovely voice is wonderful but the sadness is tangible.
So, there you have some beginnings and endings that are absolutely central to my life. Have you similar?
Your selections are so touching. Leaving on a Jet Plane sung by Peter, Paul and Mary always made me cry when I was little.
Here's my absolute favorite for goosebumps tho - The Who. Baba O'Reilly. The scream. LOVE IT!!!
Posted by: Monica-Philadelphia | June 27, 2005 at 04:41 AM
Monica,
Yeah - it's the "goosebump" moment that is just so special, isn't it? I like a lot of John Denver's stuff and "Annie's Song" has some lovely moments in it. It was sad the way he split up with his wife after writing such a ballad for her. Still, he left a great musical legacy.
Posted by: David Vance | June 27, 2005 at 09:07 AM