Iris, Angel

Favorite Goo Goo Dolls song: Iris. Exactly zero people care. Good song though. Thing about Goo Goo Dolls is, I can only really like their music, because I can’t understand a word they’re singing. There are maybe 3 lines out of all their songs where I’m certain what they’re saying. “Why don’t you slide.” “I don’t want the world to see me.” “I won’t tell no one your name.” The rest is a garbled mess. Can anyone decipher the vocals to the chorus of Black Balloon without consulting lyrics? Impossible.

If you’re keeping count (you’re not), that’s the second song from the City Of Angels soundtrack that has an artist fave of mine, the other being Uninvited. That soundtrack also has Angel, probably my favorite Sarah McLachlan song. Two things I love about that song. One, how the recording can pack so much mood and emotion into just (essentially) piano and voice. The piano in Angel is a study in taste. Doesn’t overplay, each sparse note and chord is emotive and perfect, it feels like piano drenched in mood syrup. It’s also a fascinating study on the interplay of piano and voice in driving rhythm without stepping on each others toes. The other thing I love about the song is the way she kind of hiccups the notes on “fly away”. That’s just awesome. Must be a chest voice / head voice thing or something, there’s no way a male could do that. Great song.

Interestingly, both Iris and Angel are in 6/8. By interesting, I mean: boring.