Gorillaz - 'On Melancholy Hill'
True story: When I was at school, the word 'melancholy' was responsible for one of the biggest humiliations of my teenage life. I can say this, of course, in the full and certain knowledge that all teenage humiliations are, like, THE BIGGEST EVAH, and that they don't amount to much in the context of the rest of your life. But it was clearly a big enough deal for me to develop a bit of a thing about the word that has lasted until now.
Where was I? Oh yes, so we were in an English class, we were talking about a poem which was sad, and I said a sentence which contained the word "melancholy". Well, from the reactions of my classmates I might has well have said "my father's Rolls Royce is dirty, so we're giving it away to the poor. Would you like it?"
I think it was as much to do with the fact I could explain what it meant as anything else. I mean it's fine to throw some ten-dollar words around, but to be able to explain them too is just showing off.
(. Oh Jamie Hewlett, how you do spoil us.)
Damon Albarn, from what I gather, had a very similar time of it at his school.
Of course we're both older now. We know that it's perfectly fine to be who you are, and not feel the need to squidge your personality down in order to fit in. He learned it the hard way, in the public eye, through that whole Blur vs Oasis thing and beyond. But everyone has to endure something similar at some point. And who knows, if he'd never had those formative experiences, maybe he wouldn't have been able to come up with something as careworn, fragile and lovely as this.
It's a beautiful four-chord turnaround, with a melody which tumbles from the sky like snowflakes, then takes an optimistic turn at the end. And those pizzicato strings plinking away are lovely. Damon sounds impossibly wise and kind of brilliantly hopeful at the same time, with that jaunty whistle that always comes when he makes a "sss" noise. For my money, it's one of the few songs which makes its point within the first minute and yet manages to be too short.
Of course, something this soft and mushy would not stand up to even the gentlest of playground taunts, but not everything has to.
Sometimes you've just got to square your shoulders and say "YES, IT'S A WORD, LOOK IT UP", then get in daddy's new roller and go back to the mansion.
Download: July 26th
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Live Forever says: "Akin to Damon's other day job, Blur, On Melancholy Hill is Gorillaz' very own Out Of Time, sounding very much like its sister, but with glossier lipstick on."
"Plastic Beach is possibly the best Gorillaz album of them all and "On Melancholy Hill" is possibly the best song on Plastic Beach."
"Damon Albarn, ever the showman, plays it straight.."
Comment number 1.
At 19th Jul 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:Brilliant song from a brilliant album. 5 Stars
Seriously hyped for seeing them in September.
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Comment number 2.
At 19th Jul 2010, Haducon2 wrote:I feel your pain Fraser, last year in english we had to do a piece of creative writing for coursework...and I got an A* (not to be arrogant) anyway, my teacher decided to read it out to the class...not very enjoyable at all, let's just stay I wasn't very well liked in that class :(....
Anyways, back to the song. This is up there as one of my favourite Gorrilaz songs (along with 'El Manana', 'Clint Eastwood' and of course 'Superfast Jellyfish')
5 Stars
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Comment number 3.
At 19th Jul 2010, U14429597 wrote:WHY IS THIS NOT ON THE PLAYLIST?! One of my faves off the album, and should chart in the top 40. The video is genius! I hope Superfast Jellyfish gets a lot of airplay so it hits the upper reaches of the charts :)
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Comment number 4.
At 20th Jul 2010, OddOne wrote:If this doesn't reach at least the Top 20, there is no justice. It's simply beautiful, and it's nice to hear a summery song that doesn't force you to get up and dance, rather relax with an ice-cold drink on a summer's afternoon listeningt to the birds.
5 STARS! Delish...
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Comment number 5.
At 20th Jul 2010, spirit wrote:Fantastic song and video .
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Comment number 6.
At 20th Jul 2010, U14429597 wrote:The video makes me laugh a lot. I LOVE the animated versions of all the Album's collaborators; especially Snoop!
But I think the video has a deeper meaning... The Manatee represents nature and the way Murdoc orders Noodle to shoot at Sun Moon Stars (The scary black monster thing) is like humans getting rid of nature to get what they want (in this case, to get to plastic beach). Also, Noodle is NOT a cartoon unlike Murdoc and 2-D etc. She is CGI - this could represent the way humans are progressing technologically (Cartoons to computer animation in this case).
I think THAT essay deserves at least an A ;)
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