‘Sometimes It’s Better Not to Stick Bits of Each Other in Each Other for Each Other’ was the first single released by Hot Club de Paris in the good days of 2006. One of the longest titles for a song that I’ve come across. It’s officially stylized as one word, according to the album packaging, so I’ve gone ahead and labelled it that way too. But when I first became aware of the track, when its video showed up out of the blue on MTV2 one day, the little notice that showed the artist/song name had it under the name ‘Sometimes It’s Better’. And that’s how I knew it until I was told otherwise. It was the first song by the band I heard by them. It’s the last time they’ll appear in this series thing.

What I like about this song is it doesn’t really have any verses. Maybe one. But the rest is all hooks and choruses and instrumental breakdowns. All jumped-up like and erratic, delivered in just over two minutes. I’m all for it. Hot Club de Paris have a little math rock thing going in their music, and that’s all present here. From what I can tell, the intro is in 11/8, the drummer calls out “9, 10” to bring the guitarists out of the short break, the choruses are in 4/4, and then the verse and instrumental break are in 6/8. Time signatures all over the gaff. But while the rhythms are shifting, the lyrical content is compact and direct and usually repetitive. The way it’s all sung and performed makes it a very memorable one for sure.

As to what the song’s about, your guess is as good as mine. I don’t think it’s really about anything. Seems to me like it was a product of getting some phrases down and setting them against the bustling music. And there’s nothing wrong with that, loads of other people do it too. It sounds good to me, so I’m not complaining. When the track was released on the band’s debut album, listeners were surprised with the inclusion of an additional outro added to the song. Alongside a 5/8 guitar lick, the band harmonise “All the way, away, away” until it fades out. It’s a nice thing going on there. I think it’s to do with the fact that it’s the last track on the first side of the album if you had it on vinyl, so it’s a bit of a goodbye moment before flipping the record over for side 2. I listen to the single version which omits all that, but it’s cool to have the option.