Song Seven - Seatlle

Song seven on my list of 30 songs is a new one in terms of it's release date. It might end up being the “newest” song on the whole list. It’s a live recording of a song called Seattle by the band Soda Pants. 

A quick addendum: Soda Pants is comprised of three of my former students from UC San Diego (Will Chapman, Mike Sierks, Grady Kestler) and the wonderful Erin Brower (who ended up replacing me as an interm member of the Sixth College Residential Life staff). I can say without a doubt that even if I didn’t know these four people I would still love this song. Does knowing them help make this song more special? Absolutely. But it’s still an A song that gets bumped up to an A+ because I love the people who made it.

Soda Pants has lots of great songs, Amarillo, To Whom It May Concern, Eleven and It’s Not Fair. But Seattle is just something special.

First, I love live recordings. There’s something unique and about a live recording. A good live recording has something chaotic and energetic about it. Second, the music and the lyrics are beautiful. It sounds and feels like you’re transported to a beautifully romantic scene in an independent romantic comedy. Not the crappy ones. The really good ones with heart and honesty. I just get this great cinematic sense from the lyrics.

I picked you up

You took the train

You kissed my face

And I said your name

We spent the night

Walking the streets

It was so cold

Holding for heat

It has a wonderfully simple opening for the first 10 seconds, then it gets a little more complicated but it’s still simple and elegant sounding. About 22 seconds in the song really starts to build. Erin and Will’s harmonies just sound so good and have this incredible passion and authenticity behind them.

My absolute favorite part though comes after the clarinet comes in - that’s right - there’s a freaking clarinet in this song. The song just builds to this great emotional crescendo.

Coyotes Running wild

Casting shadows on the mountain side

I picked you up

You took the train

You kissed my Face

And I said your name

You played your part

With the stories you told

White picket fence 

Us growing old.

It’s such a great ambiguous ending to the song. Are they happily in love? Did it all fall apart? Who knows. but I feel something when I hear that last verse. I love it. I really do. Feel free to check out the song below.