Replacement Lead Singles [◢ ◤]
Okay, so hear me out here: “Avicii - SOS” is a good track, even though it was Albin Neder and Kristoffer Fogelmark with the thought of Tim’s vision. And was said to be “dry”, and not a lot of ambiance. Still, it’s a good track with its instrumentals and lyrics.
But why does this blog say “replacement”, if “SOS” was and still is a good lead single for Avicii’s “Tim” (Album)?
Recently I have gone through r/avicii, which is a subreddit on anything Avicii related. And I read a post where the Reddit user was asking, “Why SOS? Why not songs like Lord or Heaven?”. Now, me reading more through the comments, it was said that “SOS” was chosen due to its lyrics. Looking through SOS’s lyrics:
[Verse 1] Can you hear me? S.O.S. Help me put my mind to rest Two times clean again, I'm actin' low A pound of weed and a bag of blow [Chorus] I can feel your love pullin' me up from the underground, and I don't need my drugs, we could be more than just part-time lovers I can feel your touch pickin' me up from the underground, and I don't need my drugs, we could be more than just part-time lovers [Drop] We could be more than just part-time lovers We could be more than just part-time lovers [Verse 2] I get robbed of all my sleep As my thoughts begin to bleed I'd let go, but I don't know how Yeah, I don't know how, but I need to now [Chorus] I can feel your love pullin' me up from the underground, and I don't need my drugs, we could be more than just part-time lovers I can feel your touch pickin' me up from the underground, and I don't need my drugs, we could be more than just part-time lovers I can feel your touch pickin' me up from the underground, and I don't need my drugs, we could be more than just part-time lovers [Drop] (We could be) We could be more than just part-time lovers (Part-time lovers, yeah) (More than, more than lovers) We could be more than just part-time lovers [Outro] Can you hear me? S.O.S. Help me put my mind to rest
...it was a cry for help. This track was chosen by Tim’s family above tracks like “Lord” or “Heaven”, due to how much the lyrics speak for Tim and to the speaker. That this was a cry for help by Tim, and that this can see heard/seen as a little push for anyone to call for help.
Looking into lyrics like “Heaven”:
[Verse 1] Step out into the dawn You pray ’til, you pray ’til the lights come on And don't you feel like you’ve just been born? Yeah, you come to raise me up When I’m beaten and broken up And I’m back in the arms I love [Chorus] And I think I just died I think I just died Yeah, I think I just died I think I just died And went to heaven And went to heaven, yeah [Verse 2] Beaten and bathed in blood I'm hit by, I'm hit by your love and drug And now that you've come to raise me up Oh [Chorus] And I think I just died I think I just died Yeah, I think I just died And went to heaven And went to heaven And went to heaven Oh, and went to heaven [Bridge] It’s such a night, such a beautiful night It’s such a view, such a beautiful sight I think I just, oh, I think I just died, oh And went to heaven And went to heaven Oh, yeah, yeah [Refrain] We’re going be birds and fly We're gonna set the world alight We’re gonna lose ourselves tonight, oh We’re going be birds and fly We're gonna set the world alight We’re gonna lose ourselves tonight, oh [Outro] Heaven (Heaven) Went to heaven And went to heaven
...this can be easily seen as Avicii ascending to Heaven. This is more of a track of positivity, how things can still be seen as beautiful and majestic even though death has occurred.
Now lastly, I want to talk about “Lord”. The song length of “Lord” is fairly short just like “SOS”, being a fair 2 minutes or so.
Lyrics:
All my life I just wanted to be free All my life been blind I've been taught by greed Oh lord, what's wrong what's wrong with me? Oh lord, that dollar is all I see That dollar is all I see All my life I just wanted to be free All my life been blind I've been taught by greed Oh lord, what's wrong what's wrong with me? Oh lord, that dollar is all I see All my life I just wanted to be free All my life been blind I've been taught by greed Oh lord, what's wrong what's wrong with me? Oh lord, that dollar is all I see I left my home as a gift to my past Next to the things I know will never last I looked for fire but found nothing but ash Was at my lowest when it hit like a flash
The song could have also been a considerable possibility for “Tim”’s lead single. Just because of the lyrics, how instead of speaking about a call for help, they talk about the life of Avicii. Of his struggles during his time of performing.
This is tG_001 signing off.
~tG_001
