Top 5 Songs: The Shins

I was halfway through a list of my favourite song lyrics in the history of songs, when I was suddenly struck by the fact that I had to keep restraining myself from adding another song by The Shins. And another. And another. So I decided to save that one in my drafts and instead begin a list of my Top 5 by The Shins.

Way back in early March 2012, I booked tickets for Reading Festival, simply because the thought of Paramore was enough to elicit and actually squeal, and when The Gaslight Anthem were added about a minute later, I literally screamed. Add Foster The People, The Vaccines, Florence, and some weirdos called the Foo Fighters, and I was sold. Cue buying tickets on my poor mother's credit card, and hoping she'd forgive me the next morning when I had to make the "I-just-spent-R5000-on-your-credit-card" phone call. The next few months flew by in a whir of Pumped Up Kicks, you-and-what-army, instrumental intros for Flo's numbers, a cursory listen to The Black Keys... and an interesting new find called The Shins. Something about their melodies haunted me, even though I battled to catch a lot of the lyrics. By the time I got better at figuring out James Mercer's vocals, I just had enough time to place myself firmly in awe of his lyrical genius, before I embarked upon a crusade to learn every word of their setlist before August. It was the beginning of April, and I was hooked.

Fast-forward to this band being the one I was most looking forward to, besides the Gaslight Anthem, but then add 5000 bored-looking audience members, and it was enough to put a massive downer on my excitement. The band's performance was great, but the audience acted like they were at a funeral, and I was the only one singing along to 'Bait & Switch' at the top of my voice. Now, two years later, they are still one of my favourite bands, and I think back on that day with nothing but regret. I wish that I could have blocked the audience out and enjoyed the performance more, but it hurt me personally that such an amazing band weren't getting the treatment they deserved.

Anyway. To make me feel better, let's do a Top 5, so that if you ever happen to see The Shins, you'll be able to sing enough for all those losers who just don't.

'Australia' - At first listen it's upbeat, happy-sounding and catchy. Even if you do work out the words James is singing, chances are you never string them together well enough to realise that it's about being stuck in a dead-end job. It's a classic formula: being with poppy tune, add miserable theme, and it's that perfect shocker for when your listeners finally figure out what you're on about. Don't believe me? Take a look at the lyrics - it's all selfish fools (bosses) and buying of your life's time (that pitiful salary you receive at the end of the month). 

'Port of Morrow' - If this was the first/only song by The Shins that you ever heard, you've be forgiven for thinking that they're super-emo. It's a lament on the sad truths of life, and is horrifyingly descriptive and frank. I love it, and in my head there is a perfect sepia-toned music video to go along with it. 

'Phantom Limb' - Apparently about a lesbian couple in high school, but there's no doubt that everyone can relate to the line "follow the lines and wonder why there's no connection" every now and then. It's a song about being out of place, and all of us rejects know what that feels like.

'New Slang' - Pure and absolute poetry! This isn't a song, it's just a purely genius way of stringing words together into absolute perfection, and elicit emotions I didn't even know I had. I mean, what does "If you took to me like a gull takes to the wind, well I'da jumped from my trees and I'da danced like the king of the eyesores..." even me?! I'll tell you what it means - it means that this band is flawless.

'Simple Song' - Oh, the way I squealed when this was played in How I Met Your Mother! Perhaps they'd finally get some attention in the mainstream media. One of my favourite songs ever, it contains an endless amount of lines appropriate enough to caption an Instagram picture with, or quote on Twitter when you're feeling alone. Plus, the video is full of people tearing each other's hair out and avoiding a wrecking ball, what more could you ask for?

Five Songs That Had A Worse Day Than You

Having a bad case of the Monday Blues? Oh go on then, tell me what happened! Did you collide with some heathen on your way out of Starbucks/Vida and watch your very expensive latte tumble towards the ground and seep through your brand new shoes? Did you oversleep and have to endure five full minutes of the boss shouting at you in front of 20 co-workers who were trying their hardest to conceal their sadistic giggles? Or did you, perhaps, experience a flat tyre in peak time traffic, and almost get taken out by a wayward taxi whilst standing on the side of the road, wailing for a knight in shining armour to rescue you? Oh, I know what it was, your cat brought up a massive, technicolour hairball on the freshly-laundered rug in your living room. I get it - your life sucks. But believe me, the lives of the characters in these five songs suck even more. Happy wallowing.

5) Boomtown Rats - "I Don't Like Mondays": Let's start with the obvious, shall we. As long as you didn't shoot up anything this morning, your Monday is still going way better that this kid's. Just as soon as that silicon chip inside your head sets itself to overload, please just take a walk around the block so that you don't feel the need to teach anyone that the lesson today is how to die. [No offence intended by any of these comments, school shootings should not be taken lightly]

4) Foster the People - "Waste": Depression. The subject here clearly has some problems: 'devil on your back', 'speak or scream' and 'monsters' all evoke fear, sadness and anger. Luckily they have a supportive friend/significant other/family member (the speaker) who is willing to stick with them through all of it, and 'help [them] see it through'. Let's hope that if you're ever in a similar situation, someone does the same for you.

3) Coldplay - "The Scientist": Christ Martin at his melancholy best. I've heard a few interpretations for this song, but in my mind it is quite universal in meaning. There are many things that nobody said would be easy, but no one ever said would be this hard. The one that immediately springs to mind is leaving home for the first time, a situation in which you would often prefer to "go back to the start". But then again, any goodbye, a death, the end of a relationship, or a major life change can invoke these kinds of emotions. There's just something about this song that hits me right in the heart, and causes me to experience these awful things known to most as ... feelings 

2) The Smiths - "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now": You can always count of Morrissey to bring a little tragic comedy into your life. The lyrics of this song are so pathetically sad that it almost makes one want to laugh. Whether your loneliness makes you miserable whenever you happen across a pair of lovers, or the job which you so desperately sought leaves you in constant mental anguish, The Smiths get you, yo. I'm sure Moz and I aren't the only people in the world who have wondered why we smile at people whom we'd much rather kick in the eye...

1) The Shins - "Australia": I sense your confusion, what the hell am I on about? Whilst it is debatable as to whether or not we really are just born to multiply and gaze into night skies, I'm pretty sure we've all dreamed of just one more Saturday. When you really look deeper into this song, you'll be able to tell that it's about hating your job. Wait, back up. Yep, hating your job. Don't believe me? Let's take that deeper look then:

We're born to produce offspring and look at the pretty stars, but we're so tied into our work that all we want is one more weekend! But until that happens, some company is going to pay for the use of the hours of your life. And everytime you feel like you could really achieve something... you realise you're stuck in that same dead-end job and that you're going nowhere. The 'selfish fool' is then, of course, your boss, and you'd be damned to be just another of his employees. You've been alone since the day you started working (at 21), because you have no time for relationships. And sometimes, you feel like you'd be better off just jumping out the window. Now, if that doesn't make you feel better about your own Monday, I don't know what will.