Long Distance Runaround
Background: In a previous blog, we talked about songs involving the weather, oftentimes using them as metaphors for love. I had one song that I thought of afterwards that fit the weather theme, but rather than coming up with new songs with that topic, I thought I’d relate it to a new one. So these are all songs about long distance relationships. I know some of you probably saw that title and thought, “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” but some of you got very excited and said, “Yes!”
“Faithfully” by Journey
Lyrically: “Faithfully” was written by Journeyman Jonathan Cain about having to spend so much on the road, and it was a tribute to his wife, who was a good sport about him being gone so much. He goes back and forth throughout the whole song, referring to his job as a musician as “Circus life” and saying in the chorus “The road is no place to start a family.” So he recognizes that this job requires sacrifice on his wife’s part, and trust on her part, knowing that he won’t cheat while on the road, hence why he says at the end of the chorus, “I’m forever yours, faithfully.” There’s also mention in one of the choruses about how “Two strangers learn to fall in love again” and I think that’s a very powerful line, because he’s admitting that he doesn’t know her nearly as well as he should due to his commitments to the band. It’s a very sweet song, straightforward, while still being poetic. It should be noted, however, that he wrote this song for his wife while they were having a hard time, due to the strains of the relationship, and although it’s a lovely song, the two divorced shortly thereafter.
Melodically: The song’s intro uses B, G#sus4, F#, and E. With the song written in B major, this is a I, VI, V, IV pattern, that gets repeated for most of the song. Instrumentally, the song uses piano (most prominently), as well as drums (which come in during the second verse), as well as electric guitar and bass guitar.
Structurally: The song uses an intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, outro format. Although the song was written by Jonathan Cain, it’s got all the classic elements of a Journey song, with a simple structure reminiscent of “Lights,” simple (but poetic) lyrics, the outro reminiscent of “Lovin’, Touchin, Squeezin’”. They don’t need a long time or a lot of elements to get the point across (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).
2. “Somewhere Out There” by Our Lady Peace
Lyrically: The last song we talk about in this blog is the one I mentioned building this blog around (even though it falls in the “different direction wild card” category), but “Somewhere Out There” is one I’ve wanted to discuss for a long time. You could say it just fell into my lap thanks to the gravity it mentions in the chorus. The song uses space metaphors to talk about the distance between the narrator and his love interest: “Last time I talked to you, you were lonely and out of place. You were looking down on me, lost out in space.” By the chorus, we learn that this person seems to be coming back: “You’re falling back to me, defying gravity. I know you’re out there, somewhere out there.” However, in the second verse, it’s revealed that she may be further away than the chorus implies, though welcome back at any time, as the narrator says, “Hope you remember me when you’re homesick and need a change. I miss your purple hair, I miss the way it tastes.” Each pre-chorus says, “And all we are is all so far.”
In our blogs about metaphors and similes, I mentioned how important it is to not get too bogged down with the metaphor or simile so it doesn’t take away from the message you’re trying to get across. Being lost in space is kind of a backdrop to the song, but other than the aforementioned stuff, the only other reference to space travel is hoping she doesn’t “burn out or fade away.”
Melodically: The song is written in D major (Db technically since the guitar is tuned down a half step) and uses the chords D, A, G, Em, and G in the intro, which is a I, V, IV, ii, IV pattern. The verses use the same chords, but cut out the A, while the pre-chorus uses Em and G, the ii and the V. The chorus uses the same chords as the intro, as does the interlude and bridge. The first chorus out of the bridge takes out the line “Somewhere out there” and also takes out the last G chord, and the second time around, uses D, Bm, Dmaj7/F#, and E5, which is a I, vi, I, II pattern. The outro is a rehash of the chorus and cuts out the G the last time out, ending on the Em. This is a cool choice because it adds a level of melancholiness to the ending, rather than some sort of resolve, which the song doesn’t call for.
Instrumentally, the song uses a synth pad to start off, followed by an acoustic guitar and bass guitar. There’s also an electric guitar that comes in at the end of the first verse, and as the second verse starts, the drums come in. In the chorus, the electric guitar becomes more prominent and does throughout the rest of the song. There are also strings in the outro, which add nicely to the pad that’s in the background throughout the song.
Structurally: The song uses a verse, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, interlude, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus, chorus, outro format. The bridge is relatively inconsequential, as it’s an instrumental one, so having both a pre-chorus and a bridge is not only also inconsequential (not making the song longer than it has to be), but it’s also necessary. This song’s parent album saw a dramatic shift in Our Lady Peace’s sound, and polarized many fans, but I think this particular sound proved that the band could still craft excellent stories, regardless of what things sounded like behind it.
You can listen to “Somewhere Out There” below.
3. “Set Fire to the Third Bar” by Snow Patrol
Lyrically: “Set Fire to the Third Bar” sets out to find things each person in a long distance relationship can do to make the distance not seem so long. The narrator tells his significant other that he “(Finds) the map and (draws) a straight line, over rivers and farms and state lines,” telling her the distance isn’t so bad, and that “The distance from A to where you B is only 4 finger lengths I see.” He eventually comes out of the state of denial about it not being so close, but he fantasizes about them being warm together (this is a common theme on the parent album, Eyes Open). The title comes from a memory lead singer and writer Gary Lightbody had about spending time with his grandmother growing up, where to keep a fire going, she would tell him to “Set fire to the third bar,” the bar being kindling for the fire. So within this song, the third bar represents a last ditch effort to get closer, something the narrator says they’ll do once they’re together again. The third verse is written in the present tense, and is the first verse after the chorus is sung for the first time–it’s unclear if this is a dream or if it’s actually happened, and that’s what makes it work so well.
Melodically: The song is written in B minor, and uses Bm, A, and G, a i, VII, VI pattern, that gets repeated for almost the entire song. The chorus, however, uses Bm, D, A, G, and Bm, D, A, and Cadd9, which is a i, III, VII, VI, i, III, VII, II pattern. Instrumentally, the song’s most prominent instrument is piano, but also includes acoustic guitar and electric guitar, as well as drums (most prominently, cymbal crashes). There are also strings in the background that can be heard.
Structurally: The song uses a verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus format. Again, there’s a power in all of these fantasies that the narrator has, so it blurs the line between fantasy and reality. We don’t know if they ever actually got to be together and set fire to the third bar, like the narrator envisioned, or if that’s just something he dreamed about. It also doesn’t help that it’s a duet (with Martha Wainwright), so you have two people singing about what they either did or what they want to do.
You can listen to “Set Fire to the Third Bar” below.
4. “Chilly Winter” by Maroon 5
Lyrically: The reason this song fits the category so well is that there’s no indication of whether the person the narrator in the song is talking to has broken up with him or if she’s just off on a trip of some sort. Either way, he knows she’s better off in his arms. The chorus keeps repeating the phrase “It’s so cold where you are, another chilly winter in New York,” and the verses describe all the benefits to the other person coming home. Although he doesn’t have fancy cars or money, he will “Love you ‘til he crumbles to the ground.” The first part of the song talks about how his love interest has been gone for a long time and that he doesn’t know when she’s coming back. This part gets repeated throughout the song, and the simplicity of that decision is cool, because it’s the only two things the narrator can focus on. The part about what he can offer her is him being lost in his thoughts, and saying, “Wait a second… How can where you’re at be awesome?” as the chorus contrasts with what he has to offer. Everything flows so nicely.
Melodically: On the topic of repetitive lyrics, the melody does the same thing, using a G, F, C, G progression throughout the whole song. With the song written in G major, this is a I, VII, IV, I pattern. Instrumentally, the song contains guitar, bass, drums, and, most prominently, piano. Again, the sense of desperation and being caught in a loop all play well into this tune’s melody.
Structurally: The parts of the song are a little bit ambiguous, but I would consider this song to use a verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, verse, chorus format. The first verse begins with “You have been gone for so long” and ends where the “But baby it’s so cold” part kicks in (that being the chorus). Verse two is sung differently enough to distinguish itself, before diving back into that first verse again, and ending on the chorus. Like I said, it all flows together so nicely, so it’s kind of difficult to tell where one part begins and the next one ends (including the fact that it’s the same chords throughout).
Closing Note: This was the song that prompted me to look for a theme around it. It was an outtake from their debut, Songs About Jane.
You can listen to “Chilly Winter” below.
