2008 Woodie Awards
Music picks for pessimists
by Dannielle Higginbotham
Issue date: 2/14/08
Section: Voices
Ah, Valentine's Day. The thought of it provokes images of happy young couples dining in fine restaurants and celebrating the fact that they are joyfully in love.
How disgusting.
Valentine's is coming at a less than stellar time for me. After a recent break-up with my boyfriend of a year, I feel like the last thing I need right now is a whole holiday to remind me of what a bitter, dateless loser I am.
So, if there are any other dateless losers out there already sick of Valentine's Day and annoyingly in love couples droning on and on about their fantastic significant others and romantic dinner plans, I've got some fantastically bitter, profanity-filled music to share that makes hating love sound pretty damn cool.
1. "Please Die in a Fire", I Voted For Kodos
Of course, it's a terrible thing to wish death on someone, especially one as horrific as dying in a fire. However, this is a great song for when you're really angry at someone. The ironic thing is, that while the song includes the chorus "I hope you die in a fire/and the smoke fills up your lungs until you [expletive] choke," the beat is a delightful and danceable two-tone ska beat. Who knew hatred and resentment could be so much fun?
2. "Time is Running Out", Muse
You can literally taste the bitterness dripping off this song. The lyrics are pretty direct; the refrain is "Bury it, I won't let you bury it/I won't let you smother it/I won't let you murder it," and the guitars in the chorus add the extra edge it needs.
3. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", Gatsby's American Dream
While Bob Dylan's version is a classic, the Gatsby's version has a resentment hiding behind it that Dylan's doesn't. When the lead singer launches into the chorus and sings "Don't think twice, it's all right," there's a sarcastic something behind his voice that makes him hard to believe.
4. "Lover I Don't Have to Love", Bright Eyes
Connor Oberst, the poster child of emo. Ahhh.
5. "Watch Me Fall Apart", Hard-Fi
There's no concealing the anger in this song. It's intentionally sarcastic, such as in the chorus when it begins "Stick around and watch me fall apart", and clearly irritated. This song portrays a guy who has been crushed, and wants the person who hurt him to know about it.
6. "I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)", Good Charlotte.
This is the only time I will ever advocate listening to Good Charlotte. This song is just too damn catchy to pass up.
7. "Every Word is a Knife in my Ear", The Bravery
This one is for the many annoying "My boyfriend is so fantastic because…" people you'll have to listen to on V-Day.
Love can be a fantastic, wonderful thing, and the love between a boyfriend/girlfriend shouldn't be the only one celebrated on Valentine's Day. So, fellow bitter dateless losers, why don't we think about our friends, the people who stick by us more than any one boyfriend or girlfriend ever could, on this Valentine's Day? It's fun to be bitter and angry for a while, but it's not nearly as much fun as time with someone you care about.
Dannielle Higginbotham is a Reporter staff writer
How disgusting.
Valentine's is coming at a less than stellar time for me. After a recent break-up with my boyfriend of a year, I feel like the last thing I need right now is a whole holiday to remind me of what a bitter, dateless loser I am.
So, if there are any other dateless losers out there already sick of Valentine's Day and annoyingly in love couples droning on and on about their fantastic significant others and romantic dinner plans, I've got some fantastically bitter, profanity-filled music to share that makes hating love sound pretty damn cool.
1. "Please Die in a Fire", I Voted For Kodos
Of course, it's a terrible thing to wish death on someone, especially one as horrific as dying in a fire. However, this is a great song for when you're really angry at someone. The ironic thing is, that while the song includes the chorus "I hope you die in a fire/and the smoke fills up your lungs until you [expletive] choke," the beat is a delightful and danceable two-tone ska beat. Who knew hatred and resentment could be so much fun?
2. "Time is Running Out", Muse
You can literally taste the bitterness dripping off this song. The lyrics are pretty direct; the refrain is "Bury it, I won't let you bury it/I won't let you smother it/I won't let you murder it," and the guitars in the chorus add the extra edge it needs.
3. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right", Gatsby's American Dream
While Bob Dylan's version is a classic, the Gatsby's version has a resentment hiding behind it that Dylan's doesn't. When the lead singer launches into the chorus and sings "Don't think twice, it's all right," there's a sarcastic something behind his voice that makes him hard to believe.
4. "Lover I Don't Have to Love", Bright Eyes
Connor Oberst, the poster child of emo. Ahhh.
5. "Watch Me Fall Apart", Hard-Fi
There's no concealing the anger in this song. It's intentionally sarcastic, such as in the chorus when it begins "Stick around and watch me fall apart", and clearly irritated. This song portrays a guy who has been crushed, and wants the person who hurt him to know about it.
6. "I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)", Good Charlotte.
This is the only time I will ever advocate listening to Good Charlotte. This song is just too damn catchy to pass up.
7. "Every Word is a Knife in my Ear", The Bravery
This one is for the many annoying "My boyfriend is so fantastic because…" people you'll have to listen to on V-Day.
Love can be a fantastic, wonderful thing, and the love between a boyfriend/girlfriend shouldn't be the only one celebrated on Valentine's Day. So, fellow bitter dateless losers, why don't we think about our friends, the people who stick by us more than any one boyfriend or girlfriend ever could, on this Valentine's Day? It's fun to be bitter and angry for a while, but it's not nearly as much fun as time with someone you care about.
Dannielle Higginbotham is a Reporter staff writer
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