12. Daniel Bat For Lashes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ZHah-c0hQ Any song that starts with the following words - and feel free to insert a name of your choice - "Daniel, when I first saw you, I knew that you had a flame in your heart", is worthy of inclusion in a list of lovesongs. Another story of love at first sight, 'Daniel' is a masterful song about teenage love, and a perfect excuse for Bat for Lashes to stop being mystical for a second and tell us that she had a crush on the, erm... well, the Karate Kid. Natasha Khan (aka Bat for Lashes) said that with this song she "Wanted to encapsulate that feeling of abandon and love and sadness and melancholy, all at the same time." Which is precisely the point of the many of the songs featured here, whilst it may all end in tears, it's worth the effort. Her most straightforward pop song, which rightly drew comparisons with the mighty Stevie Nicks, 'Daniel' is a simple tale of teenage hope, about 'just kids in the eye of the storm' that is delivered to the soundtrack of 80's synthiness, but no less powerful as a result. One of the many highlights of this song is the way she sings the refrain 'Daniel' throughout the chorus, which in a sadder song could sound like a lament, but here it sounds like a victory for love. And it's so gorgeous, we'll forgive her fulfilling her ambition of hugging a Ralph Macchio lookalike in the video strangely enough, he has a son who's called Daniel... This is a song to leap up and down with joy whilst walking down the mundane streets, with a happy feeling that belongs only to you.
Ed Nash
Contributor
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash
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Ed