LogFAQs > #955515994

164. Big Thief Shark Smile (2017)
from the album Capacity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1QlOfYxykI

Key lyrics:
She said woo
Baby, take me
And I said woo
Baby, take me too

Love is a complex, borderline indescribable emotion. Its not that there are no words, but a literal explanation fails to capture the true meaning. Most artists turn to metaphors to capture a better sense. Big Thief subtly exploit that expectation with Shark Smile. While sharing the structure of a love song, an entirely different form of heartbreak is waiting at the end of this road. Shark Smile operates like a deconstruction of a Bruce Springsteen classic two lovers flee a dead-end town with nothing but each other. As the song goes on, Adrianne Lenker captures the passion by referencing their increasing speed.

Taking after Springsteens Nebraska era, Shark Smile is a perfect homage to the Boss. The drums beat along with the same rolling energy, suggesting a steady sense of forward motion. But Lenkers voice is fragile in a way very unlike Springsteen. The relatively gentle song takes a harsh turn during its second chorus. The electric guitar wails, overwhelming Lenker. The wailing continues into the next verse as Lenkers voice grows more desperate. The illusion is shattered as the lyrics get a bit too visceral the song has been mixing metaphors and literal imagery all along, as there is no way to interpret this fatal verse in a purely metaphorical sense.

The truly heartbreaking moment comes in the final chorus. Though the lines are simple, with Lenker telling her lover to take me, too, the meaning has changed. What was first a plea to escape together transforms into Lenker begging to die alongside this lover. Having lost three friends in separate car accidents all in the same year, Lenker grieved by penning a moving tragedy about sudden loss.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/