MandyAnatomy of a Song: Job's Eyes
August 6th 2007 05:14
*This post is not about Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!*
Introducing new acts to a mainstream-ish audience was one of the hallmarks of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its grungy theme song, with bass guitars steadily thumping along like the blades of a helicopter, was a product of the self-described "nerd rock" band Nerf Herder from Santa Barbara, Cali. The story of how they came to create one of the awesomest theme songs ever is a long story - they were one of Alyson Hannigan's favourite bands at the time, and she played their tape to series creator Joss Whedon. He loved it, asked them to write something, and the restzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Hm. Wha? Sorry! I fall asleep at the slightest hint of cliche.
Anyway, one of the songs that really caught my ear (subverting cliches, I can stand) was "Job's Eyes" by Far. Featured in the Season One episode "The Pack", in a great slow-mo scene where a hyena-fied Xander and his pack climb the stairs looking all menacing and bored. And sexy. The song is long, clocking in at over 7 minutes, but the scene used only one section of the song, and luckily it's the most powerful bit.
Guy in middle: Xander, do you think I could be a Backstreet Boy?
Xander: *eats him*
Far, the band behind "Job's Eyes", hail from from Sacramento, Cali. Their sound has been described as "hardcore", "melodic" "emo-rock", and has been compared to another Sacramento group, the Deftones, who they opened for a number of times in concert.
"Job's Eyes" is an uneasy, angry stomp through three distinct sections over the seven and a half minute track. The first section is bored and malicious, punctuated by heavy bass beats and lingering guitar twangs. I should mention here that the song is incredibly syncopated, and it's almost impossible to pick a steady beat out of the odd timing. It's almost a waltz, with every fourth bar chopping off the third beat. The singer's creaky voice is quiet, and the words are difficult to make out. But here they are nonetheless:
Sure this rain won't last
Sure its time is up
Though it's pouring down
Sure this rain won't last
And it falls on Job's eyes
Water of doubt
And I've waded in lies
It's wearing me out
But if you want it alright
I'll buy it, I'll buy it, I'll buy it
(I'll buy it, I'll Buy it, I'll...)
Blood too dirty for mosquitos
I hope that you die soon
Pray to any god you believe in
Those people, they had families
Their families don't have them
You're not any god I believe in
I hope the rain ruins the work you did
I hope the rain ruins the work you did
Sure this rain won't last
Sure it's time is up
Though it's pouring down
I'm sure this rain won't last
I'm sure this rain won't last
I'm sure this rain won't last
Won't last...
It's at 2:07 that the song really takes off. There's a few beats of silence as the words "I'll buy it, I'll buy it, I'll..." echo in the background, then the full weight of the growling guitars comes crashing down like a 60-foot wave, like a KO punch that shakes your whole body. The track takes a beating until a few lines of quiet reflection around the three-minute mark, then comes back hard with a vengeance after a jarring shrill twirl of the strings.
The final section is a soaring mess of cacophony, nerve-jangling yet brilliant. The same three-note progression repeats ad finitum, with a shivering background of what sounds like an entire orchestra of electric guitars pulsing with sound. The heavy drum beat and crashing cymbals cut out around 5:30, but the track continues for a full two minutes amid a whine of feedback and trembling chords. A little overlong, and slow in places, but the heaviness of this song more than makes up for it in my book.
"Job's Eyes" is Far's masterpiece, a devious operetta that hates itself. It features on their album "Tin Cans With Strings to You". Check it out. This song wants to hurt you.
Introducing new acts to a mainstream-ish audience was one of the hallmarks of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Its grungy theme song, with bass guitars steadily thumping along like the blades of a helicopter, was a product of the self-described "nerd rock" band Nerf Herder from Santa Barbara, Cali. The story of how they came to create one of the awesomest theme songs ever is a long story - they were one of Alyson Hannigan's favourite bands at the time, and she played their tape to series creator Joss Whedon. He loved it, asked them to write something, and the restzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Hm. Wha? Sorry! I fall asleep at the slightest hint of cliche.
Anyway, one of the songs that really caught my ear (subverting cliches, I can stand) was "Job's Eyes" by Far. Featured in the Season One episode "The Pack", in a great slow-mo scene where a hyena-fied Xander and his pack climb the stairs looking all menacing and bored. And sexy. The song is long, clocking in at over 7 minutes, but the scene used only one section of the song, and luckily it's the most powerful bit.
Guy in middle: Xander, do you think I could be a Backstreet Boy?
Xander: *eats him*
Far, the band behind "Job's Eyes", hail from from Sacramento, Cali. Their sound has been described as "hardcore", "melodic" "emo-rock", and has been compared to another Sacramento group, the Deftones, who they opened for a number of times in concert.
"Job's Eyes" is an uneasy, angry stomp through three distinct sections over the seven and a half minute track. The first section is bored and malicious, punctuated by heavy bass beats and lingering guitar twangs. I should mention here that the song is incredibly syncopated, and it's almost impossible to pick a steady beat out of the odd timing. It's almost a waltz, with every fourth bar chopping off the third beat. The singer's creaky voice is quiet, and the words are difficult to make out. But here they are nonetheless:
Sure this rain won't last
Sure its time is up
Though it's pouring down
Sure this rain won't last
And it falls on Job's eyes
Water of doubt
And I've waded in lies
It's wearing me out
But if you want it alright
I'll buy it, I'll buy it, I'll buy it
(I'll buy it, I'll Buy it, I'll...)
Blood too dirty for mosquitos
I hope that you die soon
Pray to any god you believe in
Those people, they had families
Their families don't have them
You're not any god I believe in
I hope the rain ruins the work you did
I hope the rain ruins the work you did
Sure this rain won't last
Sure it's time is up
Though it's pouring down
I'm sure this rain won't last
I'm sure this rain won't last
I'm sure this rain won't last
Won't last...
It's at 2:07 that the song really takes off. There's a few beats of silence as the words "I'll buy it, I'll buy it, I'll..." echo in the background, then the full weight of the growling guitars comes crashing down like a 60-foot wave, like a KO punch that shakes your whole body. The track takes a beating until a few lines of quiet reflection around the three-minute mark, then comes back hard with a vengeance after a jarring shrill twirl of the strings.
The final section is a soaring mess of cacophony, nerve-jangling yet brilliant. The same three-note progression repeats ad finitum, with a shivering background of what sounds like an entire orchestra of electric guitars pulsing with sound. The heavy drum beat and crashing cymbals cut out around 5:30, but the track continues for a full two minutes amid a whine of feedback and trembling chords. A little overlong, and slow in places, but the heaviness of this song more than makes up for it in my book.
"Job's Eyes" is Far's masterpiece, a devious operetta that hates itself. It features on their album "Tin Cans With Strings to You". Check it out. This song wants to hurt you.
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