Friday, February 15, 2008

Friday Not-So-Random 11

Special Lick My Love Pump Edition

I’m going to break from the random format to give a shout out to friend-of-the-blog Res Publica, el presidente de Republic of Dogs. Res had the Valentine’s Day nightmare of not only having a relationship end, but end because of infidelity.

I am a lucky man because I’ve never had to deal with that kind of breakup. My marriage to The Lovely Becky was arranged by our villages when we were very young, and I am fortunate that I found love in addition to a dowry of goats. But I’ve certainly had my share of the blues, and music provides me the muck to wallow in as well as the rope to pull myself out before I drown. Res already drowned his sorrows 31 times in one playlist, so I thought I’d post my favorite “fuck you” relationship songs out of my collection. Let's face it, most great rock music is about getting screwed over by someone, so it's perfectly suited for these kinds of situations.

1) “Barracuda,” Heart. When I’m feeling bad, I turn to comfort food in addition to music. Most comfort food has lots and lots of cheese—smothered on, backed in, or dipped into. I’ve taken the same approach here. Plus, no other guitar riff in rock history screams lying, cheating sack of shit like this one does.

2) “Take It on the Run,” REO Speedwagon. I really like cheese. And “Time for Me to Fly” is too wussy.

3) “Go Your Own Way,” Fleetwood Mac. The nacho dip is almost gone. Really, what’s more fuck you than writing a song like this about your ex- and having him/her sing backup vocals on it?

4) “Found Out About You,” Gin Blossoms. Usually after gorging on comfort food, I feel a bit guilty and also sad that there’s no more. I’m also still on the mad/sad fault line. This is the song for that moment.

5) “Stupid Thing,” Aimee Mann. Two musicians I would never want to piss off in a relationship: Nick Lowe and Aimee Mann. I would be sliced to death by their couplets. This song provides that moment of introspective anger, the you’re an asshole and I was so dumb for not seeing that moment.

6) “Stop Dragging My Heart Around,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Stevie Nicks gets to appear twice because, well, she had to sing back up on her husband’s fuck you song. She’s got more pain than she does lacy dresses and Wiccan spells.

7) “Hopeless,” The Wrens. The it’s not me, it’s you time to turn the tables. A song that manages to sound hopeless and hopeful at the same time. The video really doesn't capture the awesomeness of this song.

8) “Denonair,” The Afghan Whigs. The house band at the House of Relationship Blues.

9) “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” The Smiths. It’s time to take a step back and have a good, black, bitter laugh. What better way to do that than lines like, Sweetness, I was only joking when I said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed?

10) “12XU,” Wire. Now is the time on Sprockets where we heal through anger. One of the all-time great fuck off songs. The video link is a little sloppier than the studio version.

11) “Stutter,” Elastica. Since “12XU” is so short, I think we need another dose of fast, in-your-face anger. Bonus points for making fun of the ex’s ability to raise the roof, so to speak. This isn’t boxing, and hitting below the belt is fair game.

12) “Kiss Off,” Violent Femmes. All healing involves 12 steps, so here’s a bonus track and the perfect end for today’s list. It's so immediate and in your face, like you’re hearing this soul-baring anger above the espresso machines of a coffee shop. And you have to love the mid-song top 10. Warning: mullet alert in the video.

I know a dozen songs won’t fix anything, but I hope Res can start to feel better.

Go ahead and add your own kiss off songs in the comments, and as the Belle & Sebastian album says, give us the dirt if you’re feeling sinister.

13 comments:

Chuckles said...

There's almost every song on the Once soundtrack for break up songs. Or Tool and Tool comes with the added bonus of being a dumb joke.

Snag said...

Love and goats. What more doth a man need?

Allie said...

That's a great list. I like to listen to Reel Big Fish when I'm pissed. Why Do they Rock So Hard has some great f-u songs.

fish said...

Love and goats. What more doth a man need?

We are, of course, assuming that these are unrelated needs.


Add Social Distortion's Bye Bye Baby

fish said...

Oh, I almost forgot:

Marianne Faithful, Why'd ya do it.

Anonymous said...

breakup songs are the best songs. I like "They'll Need a Crane" by They Might Be Giants.

Shannon Erin said...

A few of my favorites:
Pot Kettle Black - Wilco
Song for the Dumped - Ben Folds
Goodbye to You - Patty Smyth
and last, but not least...
Since You've Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson

Kathleen said...

Love this list Brando. I've been rocking out and telling the rest of the world to F off.

'Good bye to you' is an awesome addition.

Brando said...

"Goodbye to You" is a very good one to add.

"Since U Been Gone" was on my shortlist but I bumped it for some others. I also had the ska punkish "One of These Days" from Operation Ivy, their version of "These Boots Are Made for Walking."

I agree that love and goats are more than enough to live on. You have milk, cheese, meat, and nookie (although this last one shouldn't come from the goats).

Jennifer said...

You know, a good ol'dose of "I Will Survive", whether the original by Gloria Gaynor or the Cake version, goes a long way to curing what ails a stomped on heart.

Anonymous said...

This list rocks my face off....thanks man!

Mr. Middlebrow said...

Smile, by Lily Allen is a big tasty bowl of Schadenfreude au Gratin.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HZyTOROlo9E

Churlita said...

The best break-up'ish song?

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division.