I’ve been glued to this song ever since I saw the movie and have always been so amazed at how well the lead pair, the storyline, the acoustic guitar, the lyrics and ofcourse John’s splendid voice all went perfectly hand in hand making the scene sublime. The very opening lines ‘And I’d give up forever to touch you, Cause I know that you feel me somehow’ so lucidly describes Seth’s (the angel played by Cage who falls in love with a surgeon, Meg Ryan) willingness to give up his current perks as the messenger of the gods just to be with her. The entire lyric is profound and touching but to me the best verse would be….

And you can’t fight the tears that ain’t coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything seems like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know your alive

The song with a soft subtle start builds up to an intense session with the chorus and ends with multiple repetitions of ‘I just want you to know who I am’ emphasizing Seth’s predicament. A movie and a song…….that you’d wish to go on and on and on…….

click here for the guitar tab….

Poets of the fall

The song starts with a remarkable intro from Olli ( lead guitarist) followed by the stirring voice of Marko Saaresto, the band’s lead vocalist. The lyrics rhyme as would a poet’s….And it feels like fear, Like I’ll disappear, Gets so hard to steer, Yet I go on……and the final effect is just great. With just a few listens I got so addicted that I added this track to all my playlists . But there’s something that totally bugs me out. I simply cant make out what the song really implies. Initially I kinda figured it was about yearning for lost love……..

Like the other day, I thought you won’t be coming back, I came to realize my lackluster dreams

But watching the video (that shows Marko taking a Rorschach test…..), I realized there should be a whole other perspective, that which could be religious or about the complexities of the inner psyche. Well…, for now I’m not gonna try and contemplate,  instead take it in for what it is……an exceptional song. Would be glad to read any of your thoughts on the song and its significance.

Click here for the guitar tab…

This song featured in the Keanu Reeves starrer The Lake house actually released in the year 2006, but which I got to see just quite recently. The movie was a bit fuzzy with the lead pair (the other half being Sandra Bullock) never having met, fall in love just by exchanging letters, letters that seem to transcend time. But the mood and ambiance made it far too easy to fall in love with this song, the very first moment I heard it. Very few songs boast of such lucidity and lyrics so transparent yet capable of leaving a deep impression on the listener. Its no wonder the song’s written and performed by Paul McCartney (former member of The Beatles and considered to be one among the most successful song writers ever). The song originally appeared in McCartney’s studio album Chaos and creation in the backyard (out in 2005) and peaked at #26 in billboard’s adult contemporary chart.

The song’s opening lines ‘I’m very sure, this never happened to me before, i met you and now i’m sure, this never happened before‘ seem to simply talk the heart out of a young man who’s just recently fallen in love. The song’s title is repeated quite a number of times stressing the impact the girl’s got on him and this new zeal he’s trapped into (a bit odd though that McCartney should write this song in his sixties). All in all, a beautiful song that you’ve got to listen to.

Click here for the guitar tab…

When its a U2 song to be talked about, two simple words are perfectly adequate – intense and beautiful. A fine combination of hearty lyrics and the impassioned voice of Bono (the band’s lead singer) made this song their most successful single, staying at #1 in billboard charts for three consecutive weeks. The song, during its initial writing, was considered ‘awful’ by Edge (lead guitarist) and almost reached a stage of being abandoned by the group. But later, with repeated re-writings and recordings and a notable help from Bono’s friend, Gavin Friday, ”With or Without you’ was released as a single and appeared as the third track in their fifth album ‘The Joshua Tree‘ out in the year 1987.

On the outset ‘With or without you‘ seems to be an acerbic love song bringing out Bono’s emotions on his troubled situation- neither can he be with his love nor can he be away from her. But further listens seem to give you a whole new perspective. He clearly makes the distinction between ’she’ and ‘you’ in the lines ‘On a bed of nails she makes me wait And I wait without you‘. One could think of a hundred different interpretations ranging from Bono’s religious beliefs to his drug addiction problems ( here ’she’ meaning the drugs and ‘you’,God – could be rumors, no idea…) and I personally think its totally upto the listener. But whatever the song’s intentions may be, listening to it gives me immense pleasure and am sure it’d be the same for you guys.

Click here for the guitar tab…

‘Message in a bottle’ is an absolute treat. It featured in ‘Reggatta de Blanc‘, the second album released by the rock band ‘The Police’. The song became the first single from Police to hit number one in UK charts and fared well in US rating too(#74 in billboard). On the surface the song appears to be about a man stranded in an island, alone and in need of love, sends a message in a bottle to look for others who could be out there, just like him. A year or so later, at the verge of falling into despair, he’s surprised to find a ‘Hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore’. This is when the truth hits him.‘Seems I’m not alone in being alone, Hundred billion castaways, looking for a home’.

The song ends with many repetitions of ‘sending out an SOS‘, a phrase that came to be immensely found in common usage after this song. The Police’ lead vocalist (and bass guitar) Gordon Sumner, more widely known by his on-stage name Sting, has lent his captivating voice, making this song an undying hit. The band split in 1984 ( personal differences between Sting and the band’s founder Stewart Copeland strained the band’s integrity) with a short-lived reunion in 1986. Again in 2007 the trio convened to perform at Live Earth to raise environmental awareness, and Message in a bottle was their finale.

Click here for the guitar tab….

]]> http://www.rpbchicago.org/?feed=rss2&p=24 3 http://www.rpbchicago.org/?p=5 http://www.rpbchicago.org/?p=5#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 18:42:53 +0000 admin http://www.rpbchicago.org/?p=5

Only the greatest song ever. Released in 1988, Sweet child O’ mine was the third single from the band Guns n’ Roses and appeared in their debut studio album ‘Appetite for destruction’. The song topped the billboard and UK charts and received many accolades for its rock guitar solo (performed by Slash- G n’ R lead guitarist). Like most good rock, this song takes time and multiple listens but pretty soon it grows on you. No sooner, you’ll find yourself wanting to listen to it every day and strangely it never bores you. I guess Axl Rose’s (the band’s lead vocalist) mesmerising yet acidic vocals does the trick. The lyrics are as strong as the music itself.

Sweet Child O’ mine was a work inspired by Erin Everly, Rose’s then girlfriend and eventual wife. Though the marriage failed pretty soon (ugly divorce due to physical violence followed by lawsuits) the song is still going strong. Several other artists,even Linkin Park have performed parts of this song at one time or the other. Every part of the song is pure bliss but the following lines stand out: ‘Now and then when I see her face, She takes me away to that special place, And if I’d stare too long, I’d probably break down and cry’. And then Axl does break down with ‘ Where do we go, Where do we go now….’. If anyone out there hasn’t listened to this song do download and give it a try.

Click here for the guitar tab…

]]> http://www.rpbchicago.org/?feed=rss2&p=5 5 http://www.rpbchicago.org/?p=46 http://www.rpbchicago.org/?p=46#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 16:04:01 +0000 admin http://www.rpbchicago.org/?p=46 Hi and welcome to my weblog dedicated to the songs that keep me going through these otherwise-not-so-great days. Hope you enjoy my posts and I’d greatly appreciate any and all comments or suggestion of songs. And do report broken links.