Arms (2011) – Christina Perri

All aboard the Christina Perri train! Choo Choo! I spent yesterday updating songs to my music library project and trying to get back into blogger-mode. I realised as I was adding the new additions that about half of all the new songs were by Christina Perri. One of those is today’s featured song, the magnificent Arms. I’m yet to hear a bad song by Perri, in fact almost all songs by her that have arrived in my You Tube feed end up in my music collection. After hearing so much of her music yesterday, I came to the conclusion last night that Christina Perri IS my favourite female contemporary music artist. She knocked Eva Cassidy, Kasey Chambers and Marcela Gandara off that esteemed pedestal.

I’ll say it straight up that Perri’s facial expressions and accompanying voice in the first 25 seconds of the official video release below just leaves me breathless. That’s the aspect of her art which bewilders me is that this type of music isn’t what normally impresses me, but in the case of Perri’s music, by the end of each Perri song I hear, I just want to f&%king cry. I can’t remember the last time, if at all, I had this emotional connection with someone’s music. I must be getting sentimental in my old age.
Arms was the second single released from her 2011 debut album Lovestrong. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 94. Arms briefly made a comeback in 2017, reaching #36 on the iTunes chart.

[Verse 3]
The world is coming down on me and I can’t find a reason to be loved
I never wanna leave you but I can’t make you bleed if I’m alone

[Bridge]
You put your arms around me
And I believe that it’s easier for you to let me go…

[Hook]
I hope that you see right through my walls
I hope that you catch me cause I’m already falling
I’ll never let a love get so close
You put your arms around me and I’m home

Arms is Perri’s first song to be recorded with a full band, as Perri’s one previous single, Jar of Hearts, contained no drums. Like Jar of Hearts, Arms is built around a piano melody.  Although the song “packs a little less venom” than Perri’s lead single, it still lyrically contains the “crazy” lovesick emotions typically referred to Perri’s style of music. Lyrically, Perri begins the song in a happy tune, singing “I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart / You came around and you knocked me off the ground from the start.” More into the song, Perri begins to question the relationship, ultimately finding comfort as she ends the song repeating the hook. Arms progresses from a folky ballad to a melodic love song, incorporating timpani drums.

Perri stated:

‘Arms’ is about the fight between your heart and your mind. Your heart wants to be loved but your head is always telling you reasons not to be with him or her, or how you are not worth the love. It’s about the struggle and finally giving in when you’re wrapped in their arms. Then you get it. Then you feel loved and love wins.”

The music video for the single was filmed in what Perri described as “a two-day shoot that kicked my ass so hard.” Perri had co-written the video treatment herself. Perri stated that she took a physical pummeling as she played a super-hero during the shoot, jokingly adding, “I don’t know why I think I’m an action hero” For the flying scenes, she was involved in weeks of training. It still escapes me why she needed that, but she is better than almost all birds I have seen flying in the sky. So, I suppose it kinda paid off.

References:
1. Arms – Christina Perri