MandyAnatomy of a Song: Bittersweet Symphony
April 24th 2008 01:53
Bear with me and my taste in movies for a second. Ever seen Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit? Sister Mary Clarence could be describing me when she says:
Is "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve. (For those who are wondering, Sister Mary Clarence’s is the girl groups of the 50’s and 60’s.)
This song has been my favourite for a long time, before I even knew what it was called. It was always a favourite of my dad's, who is a huge fan of Pink Floyd and many others (incidentally I probably got my eclecticism from him), and for the longest time I thought “Bittersweet Symphony” was one of their songs. I searched through Dad’s Pink Floyd factbook, increasingly frustrated and confused when the song wasn’t there. This was back in the old millennium, in the days before I became acquainted with the internet. And so I walked around in a general state of ignorance before reading an article one day in Smash Hits- an interview with Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian. He mentioned his favourite song was- you guessed it- “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve. Suddenly, everything fell into place.
Although, some people (namely The Rolling Stones) would argue that “Bittersweet Symphony” is not by The Verve. Because even though the song was created by Verve vocalist Richard Ashcroft, 100% of the royalties go to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger because the song uses the Andrew Oldham Orchestra recording of The Stones’ 1965 song “The Last Time” as its foundation. The Verve did have license to use a small sample from the song but The Stones’ record label argued they used too much, and a copyright lawsuit gave songwriting credit to Jagger and Richards. The furor surrounding “Bittersweet Symphony” eventually led to The Verve’s demise, and they split in 1999. They are now widely regarded as a one hit wonder. It is ironic that their best and most famous song has earned them nothing at all.
But none of that matters, because “Bittersweet Symphony” is an excellent piece of music regardless of who wrote it. It is both sad and hopeful, a wry yet accepting lament on the state of existence. It opens with quavering strings which grow stronger over the first 30 seconds, while the famous strident melody is layered on top. The melody flourishes with fluid progression up an octave before bursting out with a steady drum beat and crooning vocals. It’s pretty long, clocking in at 5.58, but once you get absorbed in the complexity of the song you stop noticing trivial things like that. In fact, you wish it was longer. Its lyrics resonate with people worldwide with its message of simplicity and steadfastness:
Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to the money
Then you die
I'll take you down the only
Road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to
The places where all the veins meet, yeah
Chorus:
No change
I can change
I can change
I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah
I need to hear some sounds that
Recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine
Let it cleanse my mind
I feel free now
But the airways are clean
And there's nobody singing to me now
Chorus
Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money
Then you die
I'll take you down the only
Road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to
The places where all the veins meet, yeah
Chorus
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
Can't change my body
No, no, no
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road 'Ive ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Have you ever been down?
Have you ever been down?
“Bittersweet Symphony” was an enormous commercial success, entering the UK charts at #2 and peaking on the US charts at #12. It gained the band international recognition and elevated them to cult status. The album "Urban Hymns" became an international hit. “Bittersweet Symphony” resides on many Official Lists of Greatest Songs of All Time, including (ironically) Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time where it ranked #382, and NME’s 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever where it ranked #18. It also featured to great effect in the final scene of Cruel Intentions, the teen film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe. See, I knew I could find a way to work Buffy into it!
This song remains a touchstone for me, as it seems to appear magically when I least expect it and when I most need it. Consider this. When I was 15 and competing at the Queensland Swimming Championships, I made the final of 400m freestyle, an event I had done maybe three times before. As we drove out to the pool for the final that afternoon, I was freaking the hell out. Suddenly, “Bittersweet Symphony” came on the radio. I relaxed, convinced that it was a sign. Lo and behold, I won bronze in the final- my first state medal. Coincidence? I think not.
There also exists a fantastic mash-up of “Bittersweet Symphony” crossed with “Dirt off Your Shoulder” by Jay-Z. It keeps the wonderful airy melody of “Bittersweet Symphony” and adds Jay-Z’s breathlessly celebratory vocals of empowerment. I hesitate to say it’s better than the original, but it’s definitely a remixing triumph.
Then again, nothing is better than “Bittersweet Symphony”. Go listen to it now. NOW.
"Now. When you think about various people and what they like... you think, "well, this one likes this, this one likes that." Me- I'm what you call 'eclectic'."
"Eclectic?"
"What's that?"
"You plug your box into the wall and it gives you power, stupid!"
"Not electric. Eclectic. Stupid."
"Let me simplify it for you. When I say eclectic... what I mean is, I like lots of different types of music. Opera. Rock and roll. Rap. I like it all. But my favourite... my absolute all-time favourite..." --from Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
"Eclectic?"
"What's that?"
"You plug your box into the wall and it gives you power, stupid!"
"Not electric. Eclectic. Stupid."
"Let me simplify it for you. When I say eclectic... what I mean is, I like lots of different types of music. Opera. Rock and roll. Rap. I like it all. But my favourite... my absolute all-time favourite..." --from Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
This song has been my favourite for a long time, before I even knew what it was called. It was always a favourite of my dad's, who is a huge fan of Pink Floyd and many others (incidentally I probably got my eclecticism from him), and for the longest time I thought “Bittersweet Symphony” was one of their songs. I searched through Dad’s Pink Floyd factbook, increasingly frustrated and confused when the song wasn’t there. This was back in the old millennium, in the days before I became acquainted with the internet. And so I walked around in a general state of ignorance before reading an article one day in Smash Hits- an interview with Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian. He mentioned his favourite song was- you guessed it- “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve. Suddenly, everything fell into place.
Bittersweet Symphony- not by Pink Floyd
Although, some people (namely The Rolling Stones) would argue that “Bittersweet Symphony” is not by The Verve. Because even though the song was created by Verve vocalist Richard Ashcroft, 100% of the royalties go to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger because the song uses the Andrew Oldham Orchestra recording of The Stones’ 1965 song “The Last Time” as its foundation. The Verve did have license to use a small sample from the song but The Stones’ record label argued they used too much, and a copyright lawsuit gave songwriting credit to Jagger and Richards. The furor surrounding “Bittersweet Symphony” eventually led to The Verve’s demise, and they split in 1999. They are now widely regarded as a one hit wonder. It is ironic that their best and most famous song has earned them nothing at all.
But none of that matters, because “Bittersweet Symphony” is an excellent piece of music regardless of who wrote it. It is both sad and hopeful, a wry yet accepting lament on the state of existence. It opens with quavering strings which grow stronger over the first 30 seconds, while the famous strident melody is layered on top. The melody flourishes with fluid progression up an octave before bursting out with a steady drum beat and crooning vocals. It’s pretty long, clocking in at 5.58, but once you get absorbed in the complexity of the song you stop noticing trivial things like that. In fact, you wish it was longer. Its lyrics resonate with people worldwide with its message of simplicity and steadfastness:
Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to the money
Then you die
I'll take you down the only
Road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to
The places where all the veins meet, yeah
Chorus:
No change
I can change
I can change
I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
From one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
Well I never pray
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah
I need to hear some sounds that
Recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine
Let it cleanse my mind
I feel free now
But the airways are clean
And there's nobody singing to me now
Chorus
Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
Try to find some money
Then you die
I'll take you down the only
Road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to
The places where all the veins meet, yeah
Chorus
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no
I can't change
Can't change my body
No, no, no
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
I'll take you down the only road 'Ive ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Have you ever been down?
Have you ever been down?
“Bittersweet Symphony” was an enormous commercial success, entering the UK charts at #2 and peaking on the US charts at #12. It gained the band international recognition and elevated them to cult status. The album "Urban Hymns" became an international hit. “Bittersweet Symphony” resides on many Official Lists of Greatest Songs of All Time, including (ironically) Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time where it ranked #382, and NME’s 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever where it ranked #18. It also featured to great effect in the final scene of Cruel Intentions, the teen film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe. See, I knew I could find a way to work Buffy into it!
This song remains a touchstone for me, as it seems to appear magically when I least expect it and when I most need it. Consider this. When I was 15 and competing at the Queensland Swimming Championships, I made the final of 400m freestyle, an event I had done maybe three times before. As we drove out to the pool for the final that afternoon, I was freaking the hell out. Suddenly, “Bittersweet Symphony” came on the radio. I relaxed, convinced that it was a sign. Lo and behold, I won bronze in the final- my first state medal. Coincidence? I think not.
There also exists a fantastic mash-up of “Bittersweet Symphony” crossed with “Dirt off Your Shoulder” by Jay-Z. It keeps the wonderful airy melody of “Bittersweet Symphony” and adds Jay-Z’s breathlessly celebratory vocals of empowerment. I hesitate to say it’s better than the original, but it’s definitely a remixing triumph.
Then again, nothing is better than “Bittersweet Symphony”. Go listen to it now. NOW.
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Comment by Louie
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
thanks for this info
Louie
Comment by Mandy
Love of Pop
Thanks
Mandy
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
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Budget Centsability
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Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Comment by May
Music Dime
I suspect there are heaps more people out there with eclectic music tastes. Unlike you, I can't name Bittersweet Symphony as my absolute favourite, but it is definitely an excellent song. I like how you talk about melodys and octaves and progression...i could never talk about music like that.
But anyway, just my 2 cents. Bittersweet symphony, brilliant song and probably (and unintentionally i dare say) and self-fulfiling prophecy for the Verve.
Comment by Anonymous