Song of the Day #97
Mar. 1st, 2010 12:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
urgencytobleedSong of the Day
Hedwig and the Angry Inch - The Origin of Love (composed by Stephen Trask)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch - The Origin of Love (composed by Stephen Trask)
Most of the time, when I hear someone say how such-and-such changed their lives I just roll my eyes at how casually such a massive claim is thrown around. There aren't many things, as far as art or entertainment goes, that I would say have actually changed my life. And I don't think I've ever felt that way about a movie before; sure, there are a lot of movies I love and enjoy watching but, when I really think about it, there honestly aren't any I can say are absolutely vital to me. About two weeks ago, I watched Hedwig and the Angry Inch for the first time and that all changed. I went into it without any expectations - I was possibly even expecting not to like it - and came out wondering why in the world it had taken me so long to get around to seeing it. It was as completely over-the-top and campy as I imagined it would be but it was also surprisingly touching and full of real emotion and passion and anyone can relate to Hedwig's journey to self-discovery, whether you have anything in common with her or not. I'm not sure if I can say it has legitimately changed my life but it has at least left a huge impact on it, an impact which only a handful of other things have ever left. For a movie especially, this is an impressive accomplishment.
So why is this relevant here, on a music blog? Well, because half of the reason it's so amazing is the music! I honestly have not been able to get these songs out of my head for a full two weeks now. They aren't even the type of music I usually listen to and I typically don't get attached to the songs in a musical (though I think I'd rather use the term "rock opera" here; I don't generally like it but "musical" is not nearly bad ass enough to do Hedwig justice) but, well, I guess I've learned that this movie is anything but typical. Its songs are just so full of life and refreshingly unique compared to most of its counterparts, plus there's a little bit of everything - aggressive punk rock, beautiful and touching ballads, a passionate, stadium-sized closer, even a very tongue-in-cheek country ditty! Though the biggest reason why I like them so much is probably John Cameron Mitchell's vocals. Even without the visual side of things, you can still tell he has poured his heart and soul into performing these songs.
This song especially is one of the most moving songs I've ever heard, from a make-believe band or a real one. Despite what I said about not requiring a visual, it really is best experienced on video; Mitchell's expressions and body language as he performs are so subtle yet affecting and really make the song all the more powerful. A moment like the sudden eruption into "AND FIRE! Shot down from the sky in bolts!" is very powerful on its own but the song's slower moments, especially the segment starting with "The last time I saw you we'd just split in two," are so much more so when you can see the sadness and longing in Hedwig's eyes. It's really rather stunning. And with that I'll shut up. It's just that I really needed to write about this so forgive my long-windedness.
So why is this relevant here, on a music blog? Well, because half of the reason it's so amazing is the music! I honestly have not been able to get these songs out of my head for a full two weeks now. They aren't even the type of music I usually listen to and I typically don't get attached to the songs in a musical (though I think I'd rather use the term "rock opera" here; I don't generally like it but "musical" is not nearly bad ass enough to do Hedwig justice) but, well, I guess I've learned that this movie is anything but typical. Its songs are just so full of life and refreshingly unique compared to most of its counterparts, plus there's a little bit of everything - aggressive punk rock, beautiful and touching ballads, a passionate, stadium-sized closer, even a very tongue-in-cheek country ditty! Though the biggest reason why I like them so much is probably John Cameron Mitchell's vocals. Even without the visual side of things, you can still tell he has poured his heart and soul into performing these songs.
This song especially is one of the most moving songs I've ever heard, from a make-believe band or a real one. Despite what I said about not requiring a visual, it really is best experienced on video; Mitchell's expressions and body language as he performs are so subtle yet affecting and really make the song all the more powerful. A moment like the sudden eruption into "AND FIRE! Shot down from the sky in bolts!" is very powerful on its own but the song's slower moments, especially the segment starting with "The last time I saw you we'd just split in two," are so much more so when you can see the sadness and longing in Hedwig's eyes. It's really rather stunning. And with that I'll shut up. It's just that I really needed to write about this so forgive my long-windedness.
When the earth was still flat and clouds made of fire
And mountains stretched up to the sky, sometimes higher
Folks roamed the earth like big rolling kegs
They had two sets of arms, they had two sets of legs
They had two faces peering out of one giant head
So they could watch all around them as they talked while they read
And they never knew nothing of love
It was before the origin of love
The origin of love
Now there was three sexes then
One that looked like two men glued up back to back
They were called the children of the sun
And similar in shape and girth was the children of the earth
They looked like two girls rolled up in one
And the children of the moon was like a fork shoved on a spoon
They was part sun, part earth, part daughter, part son
The origin of love
Now the gods grew quite scared of our strength and defiance
And Thor said, “I’m going to kill them all with my hammer, like I killed the giants”
But Zeus said, “No, you better let me use my lightning like scissors
Like I cut the legs off the whales, dinosaurs into lizards”
And then he grabbed up some bolts, he let out a laugh
Said, “I’ll split them right down the middle, going to cut them right up in half”
And the storm clouds gathered above into great balls of fire
And then fire shot down from the sky in bolts
Like shining blades of a knife
And it ripped right through the flesh
Of the children of the sun and the moon and the earth
And some Indian god sewed the wound up into a hole
Pulled it round to our belly to remind us of the price we pay
And Osiris and the gods of the Nile gathered up a big storm
To blow a hurricane, to scatter us away
In a flood of wind and rain and a sea of tidal waves
To wash us all away and if we don’t behave
They’ll cut us down again
And we’ll be hopping round on one foot
And looking through one eye
The last time I saw you we’d just split in two
You was looking at me, I was looking at you
You had a way so familiar but I could not recognize
‘Cause you had blood on your face, I had blood in my eyes
But I could swear by your expression
That the pain down in your soul was the same
As the one down in mine
That’s the pain that cuts
A straight line down through the heart
We called it love
We wrapped our arms around each other
Trying to shove ourselves back together
We was making love
It was a cold dark evening such a long time ago
When by the mighty hand of Jove
It was the sad story how we became
Lonely two-legged creatures
It’s the story of the origin of love
That’s the origin of love
And mountains stretched up to the sky, sometimes higher
Folks roamed the earth like big rolling kegs
They had two sets of arms, they had two sets of legs
They had two faces peering out of one giant head
So they could watch all around them as they talked while they read
And they never knew nothing of love
It was before the origin of love
The origin of love
Now there was three sexes then
One that looked like two men glued up back to back
They were called the children of the sun
And similar in shape and girth was the children of the earth
They looked like two girls rolled up in one
And the children of the moon was like a fork shoved on a spoon
They was part sun, part earth, part daughter, part son
The origin of love
Now the gods grew quite scared of our strength and defiance
And Thor said, “I’m going to kill them all with my hammer, like I killed the giants”
But Zeus said, “No, you better let me use my lightning like scissors
Like I cut the legs off the whales, dinosaurs into lizards”
And then he grabbed up some bolts, he let out a laugh
Said, “I’ll split them right down the middle, going to cut them right up in half”
And the storm clouds gathered above into great balls of fire
And then fire shot down from the sky in bolts
Like shining blades of a knife
And it ripped right through the flesh
Of the children of the sun and the moon and the earth
And some Indian god sewed the wound up into a hole
Pulled it round to our belly to remind us of the price we pay
And Osiris and the gods of the Nile gathered up a big storm
To blow a hurricane, to scatter us away
In a flood of wind and rain and a sea of tidal waves
To wash us all away and if we don’t behave
They’ll cut us down again
And we’ll be hopping round on one foot
And looking through one eye
The last time I saw you we’d just split in two
You was looking at me, I was looking at you
You had a way so familiar but I could not recognize
‘Cause you had blood on your face, I had blood in my eyes
But I could swear by your expression
That the pain down in your soul was the same
As the one down in mine
That’s the pain that cuts
A straight line down through the heart
We called it love
We wrapped our arms around each other
Trying to shove ourselves back together
We was making love
It was a cold dark evening such a long time ago
When by the mighty hand of Jove
It was the sad story how we became
Lonely two-legged creatures
It’s the story of the origin of love
That’s the origin of love
