Pain (2017) – The War on Drugs

It’s befitting this song heads the ‘P’s in the Music Library Project. If you want to see why The War on Drugs is one of the biggest things to happen in the last decade in ‘Music Americana’ or contemporary music in general then look no further than their timeless song Pain. I feel the War on Drugs have produced a sound that no other band have over the last decade. Their music is so relatable and with touchstones in middle America it can’t be overstated. This song is pure fire but they have so many others including those which have featured here. This song was recommended to me by Jeff at eclecticmusicblogger and I haven’t looked back.

[Verse 1]
Go to bed now, I can tell
Pain is on the way out now
Look away, a domino falls away
I know it’s hard lookin’ in
Knowin’ that tomorrow you’ll be back again
Hang your head and let me in, I’ve been waitin’
So long

[Verse 2]
I was staring into the light
When I saw you in the distance and knew that you’d be mine
Am I moving back in time? Just standin’ still?
I met a man with a broken back
He had a fear in his eyes that I could understand
I can’t even shake the hand without breakin’ it

[Chorus]
I’ve been pullin’ on a wire, but it just won’t break
I’ve been turnin’ up the dial, but I hear no sound
I resist what I cannot change
And I wanna find what can’t be found

Pain is from their record A Deeper Understanding. The album won Best Rock Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.
Frontman Adam Granduciel told Q Magazine this anxiety-ridden tale of physical agony was inspired by an operation on his ruptured disc. It is one of several A Deeper Understanding tracks where he touches on the excruciating experience. “I couldn’t sit to work and I couldn’t stand up to play guitar,” he said. “The idea of chronic pain and what it does to the mind is scattered throughout the songs.” I can first-hand attest to the severity of this pain which I suffered 2 years ago when I was operated on for a ruptured disc.

According to AllMusic: A Deeper Understanding “reclaims and explores the distinctive soundscapes, vastness, and haunted psyche of Lost in the Dream, and that in itself is significant.” On the same site, in a readers’ poll by users it was ranked as the #1 album of 2017.

If you want to see how good The War on Drugs are as a band in a small studio than look no further than this Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. Their ownership, chemistry and pure artistry of their instruments are arguably second to none in the current era.

References:
1. A Deeper Understanding – Wikipedia

About observationblogger

“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand