I have a confession to make.
I am head-over-heels for alt-J's music. Absolutely, exhilaratingly obsessed.
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| The cover artwork for their album "This Is All Yours" via altjband.com |
This is a band that will seduce the imaginations and ears of almost anyone, but especially poets. Their word play is exquisite---not only do they integrate their rhythms and sounds, but their lyrics are complex, unexpected, and undeniably weird in the most fascinating way. It's safe to say you can expect a lot more inspiration from this band on Floodmark because it took me an entire day to decide on which song I'd treat you all to. In the end, I decided on "Every Other Freckle" for it's endlessly captivating look at sex, obsession, physical and emotional intensity, and the human form. It rides this line between being about lust and being about love---perhaps lusting for love or loving to lust or some heightened whirlwind-like blend of both those elements. Either way, woof. What. A. Song.
Every Other Freckle
Just when I thought alt-J couldn't possibly get any cooler, turns out they made two versions of this music video: one focusing on a woman, the other focusing on a man. Which of course only makes this prompt more fun----watch them both and write about how they're different. Which one did you respond to or resonate with? Which one spoke to you, fascinated you, or held your attention the most? How did the female vs. the male change the meaning of the song for you? Free writing on those questions could probably take you an hour---there's a lot here to be said about the poetics of gender and fluidity, never mind all the love/lust/physicality/decadence/gorgeous sounds.
But I'll let the song speak for itself. Here are both videos:
The Lyrics
Wait! Before you go, I have one more angle I want you to get into this song from. You've heard it and seen the girl, you've heard it and seen the boy, and maybe you've listened to it with your eyes closed and seen your own imagery.
Now let's take a look at the words on the page. How does this change the meaning of the song for you? What did you catch here that you didn't from the first few listens? Since these are lyrics, a lot of the "aaah"s, "hey"s, and "ooh"s stand alone on the page. Does this change things for you?
And that ending----what experience do you have reading it versus listening to it? In the song, there is this incredible momentum. Do you have the same experience? Food for thought!
Every Other Freckle
Aaah
I want to share your mouthful
I want to do all the things your lungs do so well
I’m gonna bed into you like a cat beds into a beanbag
Turn you inside out and lick you like a crisp packet
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
You’re the first and last of your kind
(Pull me like an animal out of a hole!)
I wanna be every lever you pull
And all showers that shower you
Gonna paw paw at you
Like a cat paws at my woolen jumper
Be your Minpin
And borrower of handsome trivia
Hey!
Ooh, devour me
Aaah
Lou Lou, let the cover girls sing
Hey!
Do, do do do, do do do do
Do do do, do do do, do do do do, do do
Do, do do do, do do, do do, do do
Do do do, do do
All hand claps
You will clap
(Let me be the wallpaper that papers up your room)
I want to be every button you press
And all the baths that surround you
Yes, I’m gonna roll around you
Like a cat rolls around saw-dusted patios
I’m gonna kiss you like the sun browns you
Hey!
Oh oh oh oh oh devour me
Oh oh oh oh oh oh devour me
Oh oh oh oh oh (Oh oh oh oh oh)
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh (Oh oh oh oh oh)
If you really think that you can stomach me
Hey hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
I want every other freckle
I want every other freckle
I want every other freckle
I want every other freckle
I want every other freckle
I want every other freckle
I want every other freckle
I want every other freckle
Freckle
That's all, folks! I'm off to obsess over alt-J some more. I hope you're off to write. If you get ahold of something extraordinary, I hope you'll choose to share it with us here at Floodmark! We'd love to hear what you're up to.
Are you looking for more music to listen to? Here are three more prompts + songs:
1. "Miami"
2. "Open"
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