Суббота 31 Май 2008, 22:39
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The Fray is probably one of the most groundbreaking bands of our generation. They shattered the idea that your lead singer needs to be attractive in order to become a successful pop-rock band (also known as the Maroon 5 rule). The Fray's voice instead coming from someone who bears a striking resemblance to Karl Pilkington or the cartoon character "Bod".
They also brought a whole new idea to the craft of lyric writing. Sure, they start out with a standard AA/BB/AA/BB rhyme scheme. Sure, they're really only rhyming the last words of lines that have no other melodic connecton to the one another. Sure, they rely on simple words to rhyme like 'you' and 'through'. But the Fray sets themselves apart by proving that you don't even need to rhyme different words in order to write a song!
Examples:
1)"Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk"
2) "Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right"
3) "Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best"
4) "And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you"
I never thought that I would find a more ingenious lyric than "to the window, to the wall, til the sweat drip from my balls", but if Lil' Jon could read, he would be ashamed when reading the genius that is the Fray.
Of course, the song became popular after being featured on a Grey's Anatomy episode. So despite the fact that their songwriting is amazing and the lead singer's ugliness is unparalleled, all they really needed was that push. It just goes to show you, if you want to be a successful pop artist, all you really need is a crescendo into a chorus that can somehow be connected to the show Grey's Anatomy. All the Fray had to do was throw in a "how to save a life" to make it perfect for the show. If you're a struggling musician, take my advice and follow their example. For a song about being sad, throw in a "the tears are my IV" (or a "my skies are a shade of meredith grey" for the less subtle). Alternatively, for a song about being romantic, throw in a "your sweet lips are like a morphine drip". It's just that easy! It doesn't even need to have anything to do with the rest of the song!
Inspired yet? The Fray has shown you that fame is attainable with ugliness, the ability to rhyme the same word and the skills to write a medically-related metaphor.