When writing about the previous Madvillain song beginning with the letter ‘S’ sometime last year, I made a point that I couldn’t quite recall how I felt when hearing it the first time among the other tracks when I was going through Madvillainy in 2013. Also for the first time. But I can’t say the same for ‘Strange Ways’. Out of the 22 tracks that make up that album, ‘Strange Ways’ was the one that my brain matter latched on to. Not so much due to MF DOOM’s signature internal rhyming scheme usage, but because of the sampled loop incorporated by Madlib. It’s common knowledge that the instrumental is taken from the song ‘Funny Ways’ by progressive rock band Gentle Giant. I didn’t know that back then. But the way those strings were rising and that “myy waays are strange” vocal kept on repeating over and over, alongside those added percussive thumps by Madlib, all came together… the song had the melodic hook, it had the beat. It was already a win.

The production was all well and good. It still is. And through repeated listens, I came to focus on DOOM’s words gradually. Now I could go to Genius, paraphrase whatever’s said there. I tend to not trust that place just ’cause it’s fan-run like any other place, except for those times when artists actually go on there and explain/give context on their lyrics. From what I can tell, ‘Strange Ways’ is a moment of social commentary on Madvillainy, firstly addressing the parallels in life between a drug dealer and a police officer in the opening verse and then providing an overall pitch on war and the pointlessness of it all. Unfair in how we’re chosen to fight while the rich people in the offices sit back and watch what happens. And anyone reading this may comment how there’s much, much more to the track than just that. And that might be the case. But you can go to Genius for that. Me, I’m just into how DOOM delivers his words over Madlib’s beat. And some classic lines in here too. “When the smoke clear, you can see the sky again/There will be the chopped off heads of Leviathan”, is a personal favourite.

The last 30 seconds of the track, as it is on the album anyway, are filled by an interlude taken from a ’50s animated short film in which a man finds out that a lady he’s into is seeing someone else. It leads perfectly into the following song on the album, and isn’t related to the lyrical ‘Strange Ways’ in any way. It’s good for the album flow, though, is the only reason I can think of it being tacked on for. That’s all I’ve got, gotta say. And with that, we’ve reached the end of the Madvillainy representatives in this series. No more DOOM either. A little more Madlib to come, however. I made a vow in about 2021 to stop adding songs onto my iTunes library so there could actually be an end to this thing. But I’ve got my Spotify ‘Liked Songs’ collections. There’s more DOOM on there. More DOOM that, had it been another time, I would have dedicated some time to. But I hope the writing I’ve done regarding his tracks are worth the read. The guy was too great at what he did, such a shame he’s no longer with us.