“Cascade” by Siouxsie and the Banshees is my song of the day.
It’s a writer thing, but I have certain lines in songs that come more readily to me than others. They may not be my favorite songs, but there’s something about those lines.
I love the opening metaphor in “Cascade”: Oh the air was shining, shining, like a wedding ring.
I love this thought from “No New Tale to Tell” by Love and Rockets: You cannot go against nature/Because when you do/To go against nature/Is part of nature too.
And then, from The Smiths’ “Still Ill” I love a series of lines for their rhythm as much as their meaning.
Wordsmith Morrissey chose iambic pentameter: I’d like to drop my trousers to the queen/I am a man of means, of slender means/Each household appliance is like a new science in my town/And when a train goes by it’s such a sad sound.
I can say with certainty that song lyrics in general have played as much a part in the development of my writing style as books, journalism and poetry. I could actually continue all day, because I am very much a music obsessive and Rain Man-like savant when it comes to song lyrics.
If you ever see me with a curious expression on my face, one you can’t read, chances are, I’m thinking, “Oh, the air was shining, shining like a wedding ring.”
–Sarah Torribio
Listen to more songs of the day HERE
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