Do you know the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division? Sure you do. Starts like this, right?
Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Single Mix, Intro (10s)
Definitely one of the great classic song intros of the new wave movement. From the instant you hear that clarion guitar chord, you know what song you’re listening to. For whatever reason, the hardwiring in my brain is more familiar with the b-side mix of that single:
Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” B-Side Mix, Intro (6s)
Hear how it’s slightly different? The intro rhythm of the regular mix is just played on a guitar (or two), while on the b-side the bass guitar comes right in at the start. There’s also a slight pause between that little starting beat and the driving rhythm on single mix, while they’re more elided on the b-side, and more importantly, on the b-side that intro beat is actually a little trill composed of three strums. A tiny difference, but vital here. Have you heard of Lissy Trullie? This is the intro to her recent single, “Boy Boy”:
Lissy Trullie – “Boy Boy,” Intro (4s)
Did you catch it? The same three-strum trill, elided into a driving rhythm. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s probably a deliberate Joy Division reference. I know I’m picking nits, but it’s the small things in life that thrill me.
I’m really digging this single, “Boy Boy” (from her February-released debut EP Self-Taught Learner), beyond just those first four seconds. I love Trullie’s voice, which has that sort of bottom-of-her-range swagger that drives the girls and boys wild, combined with the breathy wordless chorus (“ooo-oooh, oooo-oooh”). A lot of the elements in her voice remind me, in a fantastic way, of the first three Velvet Underground albums, a sort of Lou Reed/Nico hybrid with a touch of Maureen Tucker on “After Hours.” The guitars also have that New York Verlaine-esque sound going on, but in a way that’s fresh and, dare I say it, kind of poppy– there are moments where “Boy Boy” sounds not that distant from something like The Killers, but who said there’s anything wrong with a little pop rock?
Every lyric site I’ve checked says that this line is “sulking,” but I’m sure “so gay” is actually right:
Oh you’re a prince in some world
But not in mine
Well I’m never gonna find ya
You know, handsome, like the others girls do
You parade around
So gay
It makes me wonder, wonder what you’re really about
And all the girls go,
“Ooo-oooh, oooo-oooh”
…
And all of your boys
Hanging around
I’ll take the sloppy seconds, or whatever man
…
And doncha think ya
Might be happier
Murder(ed)?
Which makes it a really a lovely response to all of these stage gay pretty emo boys parading across the world’s stage at the moment, doesn’t it? I think this song could actually be about that general grouping of bands (Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, My Chemical Romance, etc), and the ways (or way) that they use the sex appeal of male gayness (especially to young women) to sell records.
Trullie is one to know, as she’s an out lesbian (After Ellen said it, it must be true! or true-ish, at least!), meaning actually gay. She’s often in not too distant sartorial terrority from those guys, rocking a post-punk andro/butch/femme look, mixing cropped leather jackets, asymmetrical hair, and guyeyeliner with cute dresses and hot hot heels. I wasn’t kidding about driving the girls and the guys wild! Just, too bad for the guys. (Hey, just like with Pete Wentz! Though I’d like to see him pull off the heels in the “Boy Boy” video. Heaven knows the little guy could use ‘em.)
Tags: fall out boy, joy division, lissy trullie, lou reed, maureen tucker, my chemical romance, nico, panic! at the disco, pete wentz, television, the killers
September 12th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
oh man! i love it. please go out with her. <3 and while she's still asleep, please steal her shoes for me??
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September 13th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
this is a pretty good song. Her voice more reminds me of early 90′s female fronted rock bands (the ones who were snottier than, say Lisa Loeb, but more restrained than, let’s say, Bratmobile. something like Veruca Salt).
Interestingly enough, the bands you mentioned which flirt with gay identity, appearence-wise, are, lyrics-wise, bout as hetero as you can get. Most emo (with a few very notable exceptions who, I would say, go most of the way to saving the genre) is straight and straightlaced, filled with cliched heteronormative lyrics that, more often than not, border on misogyny in the way they paint their subjects a parade of mostly nameless, personality-lacking girls, as nothing more than faceless heartbreakers.
Just because groups like Fall Out Boy are smart enough to fill their lyrics with self referential/self conscious humor and wordplay, that doesn’t mean they’re in any way bold enough to say something new. I like emo. I like a lot more emo than I would ever admit to anyone on a first date. But the genre’s getting pretty tired. They might act the part, but if they would take even a little step towards towards thinking a little less hetero, it’d go a long way.
PS: My Chemical Romance are an awful, awful band from an awful awful part of New Jersey.
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April 20th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Terrific post! I entirely agree along with you.
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