6. London - She & Him
In
a recent Los Angeles Times article, Zooey Deschanel, the "She" of She & Him (the "Him" is M. Ward, who also enjoys a successful solo career recording folk- and country-style music) states that she likes to pair happy-sounding music with more serious lyrics, or vice versa. She goes on to say that she feels that the contrast makes the music more interesting. I agree; after all, what is life but a mix of happiness and melancholy? Art ought to imitate life, and comedy-drama or light-sadness does that better than any other style. Anyway, few current groups do this blend better than She & Him; Deschanel, Ward, and their group of wonderful background singers and studio musicians do a good job of blending 1960s styles of music (like Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound," soaring girl-group harmonies, and even simple piano ballads, like the song in question) with lyrics that are profound in their clearness and great craftsmanship. However, even clean, craftsman-like lyrics can be subtle in getting their message across. No She & Him song better illustrates that fact than "London," a song from their latest album, Volume 3. At first listen, the song appears to be another tribute to a famous city, much like "Dirty Water" or "I Love L.A." In fact, the style of the song even contributes to this feel, being a piano ballad of the sort that a world-weary pianist might play in a cozy London pub. In fact, the first verse reinforces this interpretation of the song, especially the fact that it ends with Deschanel singing "Oh, London, I love you, where the clouds never go away." It seems like a line would that would pretty much cement any interpretation of the song. However, the next two verses take the song down a darker path. In the second verse, Deschanel associates London with a sadness that she can't seem to shake. In the third verse, Deschanel talks about trying to forget London, and, by extension, whatever is causing her sadness. After listening closely to the lyrics, "London" becomes less of an homage to a famous town and more of a song that charts a relationship from the glory days through breaking up and struggling to get over the sad feelings that inevitably come with break-ups. In fact, the song is sort of reminiscent of Casablanca, featuring Ms. Deschanel as being like a female Rick Blaine, meeting a great guy in London and starting a relationship that ultimately comes to a sad end. However, instead of following Bogie's lead by leaving Paris (or London, in Zooey's case) to open a tavern/cafe in Casablanca, Deschanel pours the feelings out into song. Overly romantic? Maybe, but listening to She & Him puts me in that state of mind.