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Volume CXXXII, Number 22 |
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Apathy is the best lyrical policy
SEAN TURLEY
COLUMNIST
Stealing quickly from the Sarah Ramey Guide to Great Orient Introductions, I'd like to begin this little ditty with a definition for one of my favorite emotions, apathy. According to my Palm Pilot (sure, it's not Webster, but it works) apathy is defined as "the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally."
That definition may sound bland, but, not to fear, apathy easily transcends any such simplicity. It is probably the most neglected, most complicated, yet most prevalent emotion in this modern market-oriented world.
Cloudy Saturday afternoons, after dinner musings, and fatigued-ridden early mornings are all common situations that bleed with wonderful apathy.
Sadly, this ubiquitous emotion is ignored in most other rock songs. Everyone from A-ha! to Zwan sings about love, loss and anger but only too rarely about apathy and its sister emotions, disinterest, complacency, disenchantment, and cold boldness.
Luckily, there are a couple songs that embody this emotion in all its defiant, I-don't-give-a-damn-or-at-least-I-am-pretending-I-don't glory. For example, when that computer generated voice on "Fitter Happier" by Radiohead monotonously runs through a litany of modern social expectations, you can feel the disinterest and disconnection in every verse.
So, without further ado, here is a quickly compiled, modern-song-laden tracklisting for my mix tape "Apathy Mix: OR How I Learned to Love Purgatory (a Gift to xsy Revised)."
1. "Offend in Every Way" by the White Stripes: A rollicking salute to total disregard, "Offend in Every Way" embodies the careless juvenile ethos behind apathy. Plus, it's always key to start a mix with a rocker. In a line: "How much can I think /I speak until I break/with every word I say."
2. "I'm Not Bitter" by the Minus 5: Jeff Tweedy's disconnected harmonies perfectly capture the cold disenchantment inherent to a broken day.
3. "I'm so Tired" by the Beatles
4. "I Wanna be Adored" by the Stone Roses: Narcissism may not be apathy, but fogged-out Englishmen certainly know the feeling.
5. "Is it Wicked not to Care?" by Belle and Sebastian: Replete with shimmering guitars, fragile female vocals, and disenchanted wit, Belle and Sebastian detail the serene and strikingly surreal side to apathy. In a line: "Is it wicked not to care when they say that you're mistaken?"
6. "I'm Set Free" by the Velvet Underground: Lou Reed talks about the stasis between memories' prison and this moment's freedom, trapping the listener in disinterested bliss. In a Line: "I've been set free/ and I've been bound/ to the memories of yesterday's clowns."
7. "I Forgot" by the Moldy Peaches.
8. "Pablo Picasso" by the Modern Lovers: One chord for four minutes equals apathy for a lifetime. In a line: "Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole/ not like you."
9. "Fitter Happier" by Radiohead.
10. "Paper Tiger" by Spoon: angular guitars combine to exemplify the edginess and loss in a lazy afternoon.
11. "Woke from Dreaming" by the Delgados: Get lost in the first hazy moments of the day, where the gray dominates and the sun's goodness is still far away.
12. "Off You" by the Breeders: a slow burn for a clouded mind.
13. "This is Just a Modern Rock Song" by Belle and Sebastian: Belle and Sebastian's self-mocking ode to the emotionless radio hit. In a line: "We're four boys in corduroys/ we're not terrific but we're competent."
14. "Space Oddity" by David Bowie: Hey, if you're dead in space of course you can't feel anything. In a line: "Can you hear me Major Tom?"
15. "Via Chicago" by Wilco: Jay Bennett's and Jeff Tweedy's subdued guitar lines find the detachment in a dark night and a love lost.
16. "Jet Lag" by Brendan Benson: Half apathetic loathing, half joyous piano outburst, Jet Lag is the ultimate mile high disconnected freakout-the perfect breath of air after hours of drowning in apathy. In a line: "I'm so messed up/ never know what time it is/ jet lags the price you pay to play showbiz."
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