No, we are not covering Taylor Swift in this post, despite the name of one of our tracks (I think the other track would make a banger Taylor Swift title, too, but that's by the by). Sorry, Swifties!
Evermore - Ruby Murray (peaked at Number 3)
We start with some shifting, flowing violins, which sets us up well for an opening line about how As the river constantly / Flows forever to the sea / As the waves beat on the shore / I shall love you evermore.
It's not the worst opening ever, though I have some questions about the need for "constantly" and "forever" in the line. Like, it's a bit of a tautology, surely, including both of those words? I know it makes the line scan, but still...
It's pretty, though, and while the "I'll always love you" genre feels a bit tired nowadays, these 1950s songs have a certain earnestness that I've found charming. It's a romantic song about how Ruby and her lover are happy together and will stay together forever and -
Though you say you can't pretend / That you are more than just a friend / I shall always hope and pray / That you'll love me in the end.
Oh dear, Ruby.
I was so willing to give this song a pass, but this is just tragic. Ruby is declaring her undying feelings for a person who not only doesn't like her back, but sounds like they've gone out of their way to be nice but clear about it. This sounds like some textbook good communication from Ruby's love interest, and instead of taking them at their word, Ruby's pining hopelessly after them. And I know that feelings are feelings, and she might legit feel like that, but there's something very pathetic about it.
Also something a little bit stalkerish. Whoever they are, they don't like you, and Ruby's refusal to just get over it is definitely weird. I don't know, I would feel very weird being the recipient of this song. I don't know, I just don't think delcaring your passive but undying love is a great way to get anyone's attention.
Tragic, and not in a good way.
Cool Water - Frankie Laine & The Mellomen (2)
Ooh, I think I've heard this one before? Looking it up, I'm seeing a song by the same name by Marty Robbins, which I've definitely listenend to, so maybe it's the same song? In which case, I'm expecting a Western kind of vibe - the track I'm thinking of dates back to 1936 and is apparently a bit of a Western classic.
Yes, it is indeed the same song, and in quite a nice version, too. The Mellomen do a bit more here than they did in Where Will the Dimple Be, but not much more. Instead, Frankie's the star of the show, in what turned out to be a surprisingly mellow tune.
We start with some backing singers intoning the title in the background. They keep this up throughout the song, periodically just chanting "water" or "cool clear water" and hitting a magnificently low note to end the whole thing. If you can't tell, I like it a lot - a good use of backing singers.
On top of that, we then get some strummy guitar, bells and a lovely bit of trumpet and flute. All very lush and soundtrack-esque, and a great set-up to the story Frankie's about to start telling, which tells of a man travelling through a barren waste, along with a companion only called Old Dan. A quick Google suggests Old Dan is a mule, but I missed this completely for my first few listen-throughs and just assumed Dan was a travelling companion. Oops!
Either way, Frankie and Dan are both thirsty, plodding along with throats burned dry / And souls that cry for water. Which is just some very effective description. It's almost making me feel thirsty, so I can only imagine how Frankie's feeling.
This leads into my favourite bit of the track, the chorus, where the speed picks up and Frankie sings to Dan, urging him to Keep a moving, Dan / Don't listen to him, Dan / He's a devil, not a man / He spreads the burning sand with water. I don't know who "he" is, but in some ways the ambiguity makes the song even better. Suddenly, it's a song about a cowboy completely unravelling in the desert, hallucinating strange figures and talking to his mule about it. And the contemptuous vehemence with which he spits devil out only adds to the intrigue.
Unfortunately, the critical spirit doesn't last - in the next few lines, the music swells and Frankie's suddenly singing about a big green tree and how the water's waiting there for you and me. Which is basically the mode the song ends in, with Frankie wandering, likely delusional, into the desert in search of water that may or may not exist. His fate is left unclear, creating a sort of horror that's hidden under all the pretty instrumentation and smooth backing vocals. Like, does Frankie actually survive his trek? Nobody knows!
I think it's this lyrical and musical dissonance that I like. That and the Western vibes, which I generally enjoy, when they come up. They're rarely boring, at least, and they usually range from okay to excellent. Frankie's bringing a sort of understated class to this particular Western tune, and the Mellomen are certainly a welcome addition (though I still don't know why they're getting credited for it!)
Well, I think there was a clear highlight here. You should listen to Cool Water. It's a cool song, pun entirely intended, and it's got a lovely chill vibe to it. Good music for before bed.
Anime: Aikatsu!, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Gabriel Dropout, Granblue Fantasy, Higurashi, Himouto! Umaru-Chan, Hozuki's Coolheadedness, Hyouka, Love Live!, Lycoris Recoil, The Melancholy of Haruhi-Chan Suzumiya, Merman in My Tub, Miss Shachiku & the Little Baby Ghost, Mr. Otomatsu, Wataten, Ya Boy Kongming!, Yamishibai
