Your Take: That Je Ne Sais Quoi

Layla by Derek & the Dominos. The opening guitar riff still gets the hairs on my back up, nearly 40 years later. Seven minutes of pure joy.

Still hard to believe that the beautiful piano coda was composed by EC’s drummer who later murdered his own mom with an ax.

The whole thing is beyond explanation for me…….

I have way too many songs that I could list, but for most of them, I cant really pin down why I love them. I would say he’s right. There’s something mysterious about it that kills you every time you hear it.

Every time I hear Joey+Rory’s “Heart of the Wood”, a little tear comes to my eye when they get to the money shot. I believe thats one of the best twists of a hook ive ever heard.

Another song that really touches me is DC Talk’s “What If I Stumble”. From the recitation of Brennann Mannings theory on atheism, to the lyrics. They’re one of the few bands, especially then, questioning their motives.

A song that I cant put my finger on why I love it, is “If Hollywood Dont Need You” by Don Williams. I can just listen to it over and over.

One song is “Falling” by Canada’s Bruce Guthro. Hauntingly beautiful. About a daying father returning to make amends with his stranged son. Also – “Angry All The Time” by Tim McGraw. Heartbreaking and real.

Chris: Did you see the addicition dance to Gravity on So You Think You Can Dance?

My chills song would be the Kasey Chambers cover of No Time to Cry, because of the lyrics and the way her voice breaks.

Chris D….you should really hunt down a Darrell Scott live version of “Youll Never Leave Harlan Alive”. Puts all the others to shame.

I gotta go with (outside of country) a band called Carbon Leaf with “Texas Stars” (WIll your heroes and stars play/ your lullaby for the Texas sky tonight/ your heroes and stars are bright) and another song by the same band called “Let your troubles roll by” (You’ve come far and though you’re far from the end/ you don’t mind where you are cause you know where you’ve been) as my songs.

This is an interesting discussion. There’s a Rodney Crowell song called ‘I Know Love Is All I Need’ that I should hate, and had it been written by almost any other writer and performed by almost any performer, I probably would. But in the way of all inspired geniuses, there’s an intangible spirit to the song that transcends it’s trite message. The intimacy of the performance is peerless, the lyric captures a single, specific moment while simultaneously being so broad it is almost generic.
The secret is that true creative talent comes at life from an ever so slightly different angle to the rest of us. It crystallizes a world within the song – it manages to make sense even if the lyric itself is nonsensical (see 80% of Bob Dylan’s catalogue eg. Visions of Johanna).
Great often express their message in a way that never would have occurred to anyone else. How often have you heard a song and thought ‘I could’ve written that!’ or heard someone else make a similar remark. The difference is – you didn’t! And that’s the gap.
The simplicity of a lyric like ‘I want to sleep with you forever’ is why it works so well, but it took Rodney Crowell to occur to come up with it.
Examples:
I can’t get no satisfaction – Mick Jagger
I don’t like a thing about the way we live – Rodney Crowell
I’ve been loving you too long to stop now – Otis Redding
I’m a substitute for another guy – Pete Townshend
Alison, my aim is true – Elvis Costello
I’ll just touch your face and drift away, like smoke rings in the dark – Rivers Rutherford, Houston Robert
I remember how you used to kiss me, now I’m gone and you don’t seem to miss me. – Jim Lauderdale

Each of those lyrics has an intangible element that just makes perfect sense to the ears – they just sound right! It’s the same for a great guitar riff – Brown Sugar, Sunshine of Your Love, Satisfaction, Whole Lotta Love. They just work.

Update: I watched it, pretty sweet depiction fo the song.

I’d say “Travelin’ Soldier” by the Dixie Chicks as well. It’s just so acoustic and haunting.

Stormy, have you seen the music video for “Gravity”? It’s pretty cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3mKQT08_rk

Oooh, another good spine tingly song–Can You Live Without by Guy Forsythe. Its amazing how he soars from the blunt “Can you live without water for five days?” to the quiet “Can you live without her breath on your neck?”