It’s been a while. It’s time to start things up again. It was very lucky that the last post was able to be written at the time it was; the past month or so has been a bit full on in terms of university work. But that’s all done and gone. Could I have a done a few update posts here and there? Maybe… But you don’t wanna know about me, you’re just here for the music.

And the first song of the “H” section is “Hangin’ Tree”, a song on the album Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age that always has me wishing that I knew how to play the bass or the drums, preferably both, because the rhythm is too much for me to handle. I can’t help but move and bob my head to the 5/8 (5/4? I don’t know) time signature.

The lead vocals in “Hangin’ Tree” are performed by Mark Lanegan, and after being screamed at for a minute and a few seconds by former bassist Nick Oliveri in “Six Shooter“, it sounds too good when the man’s trademark low and rough voice drags out the first words of the song. Mm mm mm.

I remember this track being one that I would always skip over when I listened to the album for the first time almost a decade ago. That was at a time when I was only into the singles, and didn’t care that much for deeper cuts. But actually getting past the opening bass riff one day immensely opened my eyes and ears. It’s been one of my favourite tracks from the album for a while now.

Here’s the original version of the track released a year prior to its release on SftD, it’s a bit slower and misses that little extra beat that much more pronounced on the album. It’s still the same song, all that matters.