Author Archives: The Music in My Ears (by Jamie Kyei)

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About The Music in My Ears (by Jamie Kyei)

Just one man who's making his way through life one day at a time writing about the songs he has on his phone. And other things at some points.

#851: They Might Be Giants – Money for Dope

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They Might Be Giants’ album Join Us turns 10 years old this July. Those years have flown by, and yet at the same time I can nod my head and say, “Yep, it’s definitely felt like 10 years have passed”. Either way, the LP’s up there as one of my favourites by the band. Not just because I’m reminded of that day in 2011 when the album was out after months of anticipation, but because a lot of the songs are pretty great too. Some songs didn’t make it on there, and months later those tracks appeared on a cutting floor/rarities compilation titled, Album Raises New and Troubling Questions. ‘Money for Dope’ was one of those songs left off Join Us. A shame ’cause… it wouldn’t have been too out of place on there.

Now, there’s not much of a narrative thread or story in this track. What ‘Money for Dope’ is is essentially a sort of shopping list for very oddly specific things set to a rhythm and a climbing/descending melody, from both John Linnell vocal and Danny Weinkauf’s bass line. From the first second, Linnell throws items from a walking stick to rubber gloves to needle-nose pliers and much much more. What matters the most though is that money for dope for some reason. Why Linnell wrote this song isn’t really known, the same can be stated for many other They tracks. What I do know is that the phrase ‘money for dope’ was sung by John Lennon in his own track ‘Gimme Some Truth’, so I’d like to think that John Linnell was listening to that song one day, heard the phrase in it and was just inspired to write his own track revolving around it.

There’s not much else I can say about this one. The band have never played it live, I guess they don’t care about it that much. Hopefully my insight can provide some sort of entertainment while you listen to it. I can think of one or two tracks on Join Us that this one could have replaced, but that’s neither here nor there. I do like the way John Linnell sings the last ‘dope’ on the track. He elongates the word, raises his pitch and then ends on a really low note. Quite cool. At least that’s what I thought when I properly noticed it for the first time all that time ago. Now I just appreciate it as a fine way to end the track. Underappreciated one right here.

#850: Kings of Leon – Molly’s Chambers

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“Molly’s chambers, oh, the chambers of Molly” is how I used to sing the chorus to this track when I first became aware of it many moons ago. The video played quite frequently on TV, and this would have been years after Youth & Young Manhood was available to the public. Then I found out that that wasn’t what Caleb Followill was singing. But really, the way he mumbles his vocals throughout you wouldn’t be able to really know until you looked it up.

So, ‘Molly’s Chambers’ is a track from Kings of Leons’ first album. It was released as the second single from there, way back in 2003. My personal experience, I don’t think I knew this song existed until maybe after the release of Aha Shake Heartbreak a year later. All I knew was ‘Red Morning Light’ and that was because it was the opening track on FIFA 2004. But as I explained I saw the ‘Chambers’ video, thought that was all right, and as a result came to like the song by association.

It’s one of those songs about mysterious girls who make men want to drop to their knees and be close to them just because of how cool they seem to be. I think there’s a gun reference in the song title too. Like the chamber in a gun? Maybe the effect this Molly has is like a bullet to the brain. Or maybe it’s chambers as in a bedroom. I’ve never thought about all this until now. Maybe it’s deeper than I ever thought it was. Best to not think about it too much though. Might start a run of sleepless nights.

#849: Ween – The Mollusk

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Beautiful, beautiful stuff right here. ‘The Mollusk’ is the title track from the 1997 album by Ween, and after intro track ‘I’m Dancing in the Show Tonight’ is where the records themes of the sea and other things related to it truly begins. Mollusks aren’t the nicest creatures to look at. Mollusks are things like, snails, squids, octopuses. Things you usually go ‘ew’ or ‘whoa, cool’ at. Quite polarizing emotions. But Ween’s dedication to these animals make them sound like some of the most out there, mystical creatures to exist.

It starts straight away with the hypnotizing acoustic riff that is backed by that bubbling, whistling keyboard note that fritters and echoes into the distance. I don’t know where else in you could be placed in your mind other than a beach next to a calming wave within those opening seconds. The instrumental properly sets this calming momentum that lulls you into the track’s opening line, one where Gene Ween asks a little boy what he has and in response the backing vocals as the boy answer “Kind sir, it’s a mollusk I’ve found”. The whole song follows this sort of call and response tactic in the verses, they work well. And then they come together during the chorus to I guess symbolize this new interest in this mollusk that this man and the boy share. Describing it, it does sound quite strange. But listening to it really takes you to another place.

One question that’s usually asked about this song arises from its closing lyrics. Gene Ween proclaims to the listener that ‘there are three things that spur the mollusk from the sand’. Yet people are confused as he seems to list only one of those. I do think he lists them in plain sight. The waking of all creatures etc etc., one faint glance back into the sea, and its wandering eye. It’s obvious, isn’t it? It did take me a while to figure out too, gotta say. Oh, yeah, there’s also an episode of SpongeBob where he literally says “Mind your wandering eye, you little mollusk”. Reference to this song. It’s not breaking news.

#848: Led Zeppelin – Misty Mountain Hop

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While you Led Zeppelin fans are out their raving about ‘Black Dog’ or ‘When the Levee Breaks’, or ‘Stairway to Heaven’ if you really don’t care what anyone thinks, I’ll be in the corner listening to ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ and ‘Four Sticks’. That’s right. Those are my two favourite songs from Led Zeppelin IV. Not because I’m trying to be contrarian or anything. They just have some great grooves to them. Grooves that get me boppin’ my head to their rhythm every time their momentum gets going. Unfortunately for ‘Sticks’, I didn’t know the track when I was doing the F’s, so it doesn’t have its own post. Not to worry though, as between it and ‘Mountain Hop’, I most definitely prefer the latter.

So, what’s the song about? Seems to be one of those ‘day in the life’ songs. Robert Plant guides the listener through some freaky things he sees when walking through the park. People in their masses are getting high, he decides to join them, he doesn’t notice that he’s out there for ages because his head’s in the clouds and a police officer comes and weirdly invites the people round to his house. Plant has no idea what’s going on, but is lucid enough to warn listeners to be aware of what’s going on in the world because the ignorance has become too much for him that he’s decided to take a trip to the Misty Mountains and stay there for a while. It’s all a bit of a trip. But it’s a trip that’s set to a fine boogie.

Usual bassist John Paul Jones gets behind the keys on here, laying down the track’s whole foundation with that downward riff that opens the proceedings, continues throughout most of the song, and is simultaneously followed by Jimmy Page on the guitar. The vocal melody also follows whatever Jones plays on those keys. What I’m saying to you is, just listen to those smooth keyboards. John Bonham adds power to the rhythm, business as usual for him with his performance on the drums, keeping a solid beat in the verses and mixing it up with some crazy drum fills in some spaces. This is a song to just walk down the street to and feel on the top of your game, you know? Many good feelings to have from hearing this one.

#847: George Harrison – Miss O’Dell

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Here’s a nice little ditty by George Harrison. ‘Miss O’Dell’ was originally a B-side to ‘Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)’ when that song was released as the first single from Harrison’s well-anticipated album Living in the Material World in 1973. Years and years later, ‘O’Dell’ was added as a bonus track to the album has part of a whole Harrison catalogue re-release. As a result, hopefully, a few more people know about the existence of this track as opposed to it fading into obscurity as a song that could only be found on vinyl from the ’70s.

I think the notable thing about this track is that in the middle of the second verse, Harrison messes up the lyric and from then on can barely contain his laughter as the song goes on. It’s hard not to smile when you hear his happiness, but sometimes you want to hear what the lines are meant to be. Luckily, there’s an alternative version (below) where Harrison re-recorded the vocal and the laughs are gone. That version doesn’t hit as much, funnily enough.

The track is a dedication to real person Chris O’Dell, a friend of Harrison who worked with pretty much everyone from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones to Bob Dylan during their heydays. Harrison is bored and lonely according to the lyrics and just wants O’Dell to give him a ring and have a chat. That is the core of the track. Quite innocent and warm in its intentions, and the upbeat tone provides the track with a very friendly and welcoming feel. Harrison does give away Paul McCartney’s old childhood phone number in the very last seconds of it though, which adds a cheeky twist to the whole thing. They weren’t on the best of terms at this point in time.