N*E*R*D - 'Everyone Nose'
There are things which you can talk about in real life, and there are things you can talk about in the media (y'know, on the radio, on TV, in songs, blogging), and while there is some overlap between these two lists, it's not total. This is partly because media people have no way of controlling who accesses the stuff they make, so you have to keep innocent minds away from bad things by not sending bad things out there in an unguarded fashion. It's also because people have very strong views on topics such as drug use, swearing, sex, violence, and it's impossible to find an exact balance between realistic and obscene that everyone agrees on.
Don't worry, this is entirely relevant to N*E*R*D's new song, I'm not just ranting about censorship and stuff...
See, N*E*R*D know all about this situation, that's why, in writing a song about - and let's be brutally clear what this song is about - rich people taking drugs in nightclubs - they've had to fill their song with coy references (dollar bills, girls, lines, bathrooms) and silly puns (the song's title, "cut ya open and you're just white"), so that their song isn't banned outright.
But they seem to be doing it with good reason. This isn't an irresponsible, "aren't drugs brilliant!" sort of a song, even though it's fun and lively and silly and preposterous. Most of the lyrics are about an overexciteable girl who has perhaps been partying a little too hard, and should really take a breather.
There's even an extended breakdown section - the bit where Timbaland's barnstoming double-bass and squitty synth triphammer gives way to a more typical Neptunes jazz interlude - in which Pharrell attempts to get the girl to settle down under the air-con, mop the sweat from her face and generally pull herself together.
Oh sure, to the un-trained ear it sounds like he's trying to get her on her own for sexier reasons, but I'd be worried about anyone who uses the expression "here's a towel" as part of his pulling technique.
Anyway, issues of morality aside, this is by some distance the best thing N*E*R*D have put their name to since their first album came out. It's got that same mix of total party stupidity and strange, unsettling genius which confuses all the party animals and makes the brainiacs wish they had better dance moves.
Download: Out now
CD Released: July 7th
(Fraser McAlpine)
PS: has a breakdown of the song's lyrics, complete with commentary and thoughts about the production. And it's a smashing read...
Comment number 1.
At 2nd Jul 2008, jmcrae92 wrote:This songs would be absolutely great if it didn't have that "All the girls standing in the line for the bathroom" repeated over and over and over and OVER AGAIN! It is so irritating!!!
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