Tuesday 26 February 2013

Song of the Week: Belle and Sebastian-If You're Feeling Sinister

The Song:



Why It's The Song Of The Week: Stuart Murdoch is undoubtedly a lyrical master but no other Belle and Sebastian albums can compete with their second album "If You're Feeling Sinister" and particularly with it's title track. The track opens with the eerie sound of children playing and then turns dark at is talks about death, suicide and characters who are on the fringes of society or even completely ignored by it. The chorus suggests that "if you're feeling sinister/go off and see a minister/ he'll try in vain to take away the pain of being a hopeless unbeliever" but as harsh as this is, it is tempered by the fact that Murdoch himself is religious and even composed this song while living and working in a church. As such he knows that doubt plagues believers too and that's what makes this song so brilliant.  The song ends: But if you are feeling sinister/Go off and see a minister/Chances are you'll probably feel better /If you stayed and played with yourself . Lyrics that take this song from just angsty and make it insightful, funny and all the more moving.

Best Lyric: Saint Theresa's calling her, the church up on the hill is looking lovely/But it DIDN'T interest, the only things she wants to know is/How and why and WHEN and WHERE to go
How and why and WHEN and WHERE to follow


Bottom Line: Belle and Sebastian have staying power for a reason and it's because of tracks like these that resonate with fans, all the while staying self aware; it's the great lyrics, the musical composition, the production. It's just a great song.

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