Help with melody in The Muffs "I Need a Face"
October 18, 2019 10:13 AM Subscribe
A snippet of this song reminds me of another melody but I can't identify....
So I've been listening to The Muffs on repeat and in between bouts of silent weeping my memory is tickled that this contains a melodic quote from an older song.
The Muffs song is I Need A Face (YouTube Link) and the section is at the very end of the verse. It starts at 0:20 from the start, again at 0:52, and finally at 1:38.
It reminds me of a much older, more singsong melody. Like muppet show, sesame street, The Beatles, or perhaps even a standard or show tune.
Lyrics can be found here. I found this Pitchfork review describing Kim Shattuck "burying shards of Beatles and Kinks melodies in sneering three-chord punk ditties." Other than that no clue. Do you recognize this melody, or something close?
So I've been listening to The Muffs on repeat and in between bouts of silent weeping my memory is tickled that this contains a melodic quote from an older song.
The Muffs song is I Need A Face (YouTube Link) and the section is at the very end of the verse. It starts at 0:20 from the start, again at 0:52, and finally at 1:38.
It reminds me of a much older, more singsong melody. Like muppet show, sesame street, The Beatles, or perhaps even a standard or show tune.
Lyrics can be found here. I found this Pitchfork review describing Kim Shattuck "burying shards of Beatles and Kinks melodies in sneering three-chord punk ditties." Other than that no clue. Do you recognize this melody, or something close?
The guitar tone and voices immediately put me in mind of Blink182's What's My Age Again. YMMV.
posted by bfranklin at 10:40 AM on October 18, 2019
posted by bfranklin at 10:40 AM on October 18, 2019
Yeah it definitely has ~4 successive notes that have the same pitch and rhythm to the melody of I Will. Thanks for pointing this out, I've recently been (re)discovering The Muffs and I will be listening to this album too!
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:02 AM on October 18, 2019
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:02 AM on October 18, 2019
Best answer: That same 8 note sequence is also the opening of the All Things Considered theme music.
posted by dr. boludo at 11:05 AM on October 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by dr. boludo at 11:05 AM on October 18, 2019 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: That did it: thank you! I’m guessing the band quoted The Beatles I Will but personally, the All Things Considered theme was drilled into my childhood head so that is what was tickling my memory.
It’s funny that the Muffs version rhythm is halfway between the straight ahead note progression of ATC theme and the more syncopated Beatles song.
posted by sol at 8:43 AM on October 24, 2019
It’s funny that the Muffs version rhythm is halfway between the straight ahead note progression of ATC theme and the more syncopated Beatles song.
posted by sol at 8:43 AM on October 24, 2019
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posted by sagwalla at 10:16 AM on October 18, 2019 [4 favorites]