Baby Song by the Raincoats
When I saw the title of the song, I thought it would be a love song or a lullaby with smooth tones. I was surprised to find that it not only has a confusing and weird beginning, it also is mostly inaudible. Without having a look at the lyrics, I would not know what the song is about. There is use of a myriad of instruments with a sort of rubbery tempo and a diverse use of vocals. There is a whisper on the background every now and then, mixed with hushed tones from the main singers. Frankly, I believe that an acquired taste is needed to enjoy a song like baby song. That genre of music requires appreciation of orthodox beats and instruments. Baby song may sound weird but it is really catchy, after listening to it severally.
Inaudibility is a common feature from the beginning to the end of the song. Murmuring is also heard ever so often. The only audible part is ‘Don’t look away, don’t push me away, don’t look away, don’t push me away’ which features from 01:53 to 02:08, and from 03:20 to 03:35. I presume that is the chorus, with the word baby repeated severally afterward. The inaudibility is heard in the beginning of the song, after a series of instruments made a dramatic entrance of the song. All the horror movies I have watched in my lifetime sounded like that in the beginning, or when something horrid was about to happen. From minute 00:16 to 00:52, I literally could not hear anything but the instruments were dominant, with the drums and bass guitar taking the lead.
Baby song oozes authenticity. From the compilation of the instruments to the vocals, not forgetting the occasional whisper and murmur. The song also has a considerable use of repetition especially from 04:15 to 04:50, ‘Inside out, and outside in, and upside down, and downside up, and downside up, changing it all about, inside out, and upside down, and downside up, and outside in, baby baby baby, upside down, and downside up, inside out, and upside down, and downside up, inside out, and outside in, upside down, and downside up, and inside out.’ The repetition made it easy for me to know the words of the conclusion of the song. The chorus is also repeated, for obvious reasons. I agree that the song is authentic but it also incorporates the basics of a good song, which produces a memorable piece.
The texture of the song is quite complex. The complexity is characterized by the use of different instruments, coupled with a slow beginning, an explosive centre, and a slow ending- like all songs in the rock and punk genre. The instruments work together to create melody, rhythm, and harmony, not forgetting the diversity of the band members’ vocals. I was particularly intrigued by the falsetto-like voice in 01:26 to 01:34, and 03:06 to 03:20. The background whispering in 03:17 and 04:12 contributes to the harmonious melody of the song. The words ‘don’t look away’ and ‘Inside out, and outside in, and upside down, and downside up’ stuck in my head as I analyzed the song; meaning that the melody of the song was spot on. The rhythm is attributed to the instruments, for instance, the violin, drums, guitar, and bass guitar. Together, they created a masterpiece, with the drums featuring continuously from the beginning of the song to 00:25.
From 04:02 to 04:25, I felt like the violins and drums were creating a story. With the repetition of the ‘inside out’ verse and baby on the background, it is ingenious. I say the words are on the background because the instruments dominate the vocals in the entire song. The bass, the drums, and the guitar are an entire vibe especially between 02:26 to 02:38. The sound came off as a Mexican beat, with the bass and drums taking the floor. The instrumentation of the song was properly picked and played to bring out a wonderful and melodious song. Authenticity also plays a part here because the band was able to bring so many dynamics together in this song.
The vocals of the band members are diverse and phenomenal. The whispers are unexpected, yet they fit so well. For instance, in 00:34, 03:12, and 03:20. The person who sings the first part employed a low pitch which was close to inaudible. However, it contributed to the structure and development of the entire song. I have to say that the falsetto in 01:26 to 01:34, and 03:06 to 03:20 was fantastic and well placed. Followed by the low pitch voice, it brought out the punk and rock nature of the song. Between 03:06 and 03:20, the vocals are appealing, especially with the legendary whispers on the background; definitely music to my ears. The instruments may have been dominant throughout the song but at that point, the diversity of the vocals took centre stage.
The volume range differed throughout the song. As I said, it was rather low in the beginning, between 00:01 and 00:20. The volume gained momentum after a few seconds between 00:26 and 00:56. In most verses, the vocals are low while the instruments are high in volume. For instance, between 01:09 and 01:29. I also noted that the volume rate reduces right before the chorus and occasionally increases on the chorus verse. At the end of the song, the volume reduces slowly as the song fades. The difference in volume ranges contributes to the harmonious and melodious rhythm of the song; hence it is memorable.
Volume and dynamics refer to the same aspect in the song. The volume refers to the overall volume range in the entire song, while the dynamics refer to the sound of the instruments. In the song, I noted that all the instruments has a ‘loud’ moment. For instance, the drums are dominant in the beginning of the song until the 25th second. The bass guitar took the lead between 02:26 and 02:38 and had a fantastic effect. The violinist showed off professional and memorable skills between 03:06 and 03:20, and 04:06 to 04:12. The different instruments worked to bring the dynamics of the song together, while maintaining the rhythm and melody of the song.
Stereo width is a significant feature while making music. Stereo width is attained when the vocals move from one earpiece, or speaker, to another. The effects of the stereo width create a new dimension in the song. Between 00:33 and 00:34, the band members are singing at the same time. However, I heard their voices on different earphones, one on the left earpiece and the other on the right. Although, the stereo width is not present in the rest of the song, it creates a wonderful and new feel to the song. I also feel that it is a way that the Raincoats intended to distinguish between the two singers and their voices. Baby song gains momentum as the song progresses and the voices are harmoniously intertwined till the end.
Baby song is 4 minutes and 55 seconds long. The duration is split between 3 verses and the chorus. The two singers perform together throughout the song, except the whispers and the falsetto. The song is divided into: first verse between 00:01 and 01:44, the chorus between 01:45 and 02:09, second verse between 02:10 and 03:25, chorus between 03:26 and 03:45, and the last verse between 03:46 and 04:55. The last verse is the longest verse because it involves, according to me, the hook of the song. I could not stop singing the last verse because it is catchy and repetitive. The duration of the song is long enough to entice a listener, and to involve all the components of a good punk and rock song.
Baby song is a wonderful song. However, Fever by Peggy Lee would be a great addition to the module. The song was originally written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell. However, it is close to impossible to get a copy of their version. Peggy Lee is one of the many artists who wrote different covers for the song. The reason is that the song is wonderful and quite catchy. Peggy Lee added her own verses to the song, but she maintained the original version of the song. In her version, she uses only two instruments; the bass guitar and a set of drums. She also snaps her fingers to add on to the melody and rhythm of the song. Her vocals are rather monotonous- they are the same from the beginning to the end, which is completely different from the Baby song. She tries to add volume in the chorus but it is hardly noticeable. However, the drummer was having fun with his set by incorporating sudden melodies that cannot be ignored. There is a volume variation in his skills, at different parts of the song. As Peggy tries to add volume in her voice, he pumps up the beat in the drums to create rhythm. The bass player is wonderful and professional from the beginning of the song till the end.
The reason why I chose this song as an addition to our module is based on the difference between the two songs. Baby song has its own unique attributes and composition, accompanied by use of different instruments at different frequencies. Fever, on the other hand, uses only two instruments and finger snapping to add on to the melody of the song. The composition of the song is not as complex as Baby song. I think it is vital that we look at different songs from different angles to determine the best analysis. Analysing Fever would be fantastic because it incorporates new angles into music analysis. The fact that there are several covers of the song written in the 1950s attracted me to it. I know that it would be a great addition to our course.