Music Lyrics Blog

Gnarls Barkley Gone Daddy Gone Wild

Usually, I'm a purist when it comes to music lyrics. I like to think that lyrics are akin to poetry in that the best lyrics can stand on their own without the music to explain the mood or emotional tone. But, I'm also a realist and know that many times music and lyrics are created in a yin-yang complimentary fashion, each needing the other for full benefit.

With the advent of music video, there has been an added visual element, which will further explain to some extent the meaning behind the music and lyrics. I haven't always been a fan of this as well. First, since I'm a lyrics purist and second, because I'm also a song purist after that believing that music and lyrics should stand on their own without a further explanation needed.

Now, that I've created this long-winded explanation, I'll come around to a recent exception to my high-brow puritanical approach to music and lyrics. Jogging on the treadmill at the local gym I was treated to something exceptional. The Gnarls Barkley music video of "Gone Daddy Gone" was playing and I was blown away.

This Gnarls Barkley video was one of the most inventive creations that I've seen in years. This is the first time that I've ever witnessed the blending of music, lyrics and video in such a complimentary, explanatory and symbiotic fashion. Let's be clear that the music, lyrics nor video by themselves stand upon their own. Each needs the other two to truly function as a whole artistic piece.

What struck me is having listened to the music and lyrics, I did not understand the meaning of the relationship between the singer and his love interest before seeing the video. The Gnarls Barkley video made clear that there was a particular parasitic relationship going on and this brought the music and lyrics clearly into focus for me.

In times past, I have balked at the idea of music and lyrics needing a video to explain what should be plain enough had the band or artist done his or her job. But, Gnarls Barkley with their version of "Gone Daddy Gone" did not only one-up the Violent Femmes, who performed the original version, but blew them out of the water and took the song to a whole new level of meaning and complexity.

As you can tell by now, this is a rave review and I give Gnarls Barkley's "Gone Daddy Gone" two drums way up.

posted by Muse Dog @ 9:03 AM