Nickelback vs. Radiohead (Seriously?!)
Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by The Gimcracker in Music, Seriously?!
I have been asked a few times why I hate Nickelback so much. Well, hopefully after writing this blog post I can answer that question in the future by giving the person the URL to this article. Thanks, past self. You’re welcome, future self.
I was in the car today and forgot my iPod, so I had to listen to the radio. I came upon a gem of a song. And by “gem” I mean “turd” and by “song” I mean “homeless man”. It’s called “If Today Was Your Last Day” by Nickelback, and it is one of the worst songs I have ever heard. In fact, the only worse songs I’ve heard have been other Nickelback songs, like the one where he says something about looking at a photograph and he’s asking what the hell was on his friend Jimmy’s head or something like that. I hope you never have to hear it.
Anyway, Nickelback is notorious for writing what are almost universally agreed-upon to be bad bad songs. The song I heard on the radio today was probably the 20th radio single I can think of in the last 2 years from this band. I stopped listening to their songs after “Leader of Men” (good song actually) off their debut album, so I decided to take a listen to the lyrics of their newest “hit”. After finishing the song, I decided that if there was ever a highlight reel of modern idioms, this song would be the soundtrack. Here is the song, and the first two verses written out below it:
My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day’s a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest strideAgainst the grain should be a way of life
What’s worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts ’cause there’s no second try
So live like you’re never living twice
Don’t take the free ride in your own life
Seriously, Nickelback?!
Let’s look at each line individually and see if this song is even about anything:
Lyric:
“My best friend game me the best advice. He said each day’s a gift and not a given right.”
Meaning:
Don’t take anything for granted.
Reason it’s dumb:
What adult male talks about his best friend? A 12 year old adult male, that’s who. Also, it’s taken straight from this quote.
Lyric:
“Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind and try to take the path less traveled by”
Meaning:
Go for it in life – don’t take life for granted.
Reason it’s dumb:
It’s completely unoriginal. It’s three tired idioms in one sentence: 1) Leave no stone unturned, 2) Leave your fears behind you (28 million Google search results – most unrelated to this song), 3) Take the road less traveled (already a book based on a famous poem).
Lyric:
“That first step you take is the longest stride”
Meaning:
Beginning something is the hardest part.
Reason it’s dumb:
Again, completely unoriginal and stolen from this ancient proverb: The first step is always the hardest.
Lyric:
“Against the grain should be a way of life”
Meaning:
The same meaning as when he says “take the road less traveled”
Reason it’s dumb:
He already said this using a stolen idiom. Now he’s not only just repeating what others have said, but he’s stealing multiple idioms to say the same thing! This time he uses this one: Go Against The Grain.
Lyric:
“What’s worth the price is always worth the fight”
Meaning:
This actually doesn’t mean what you think it does – it’s incomplete.
Reason it’s dumb:
This is sort of a Begging The Question logical fallacy. He’s trying to make a point by saying the same thing again a different way. If something is worth the price you pay, what you are saying is that the benefits outweigh the sacrifice, or the pros outweigh the cons. Consequently, if you say something is worth the fight, you are essentially just saying something is worth the price. Both “price” and “fight” are meant to represent the sacrifice or “work” you put into it. So, we naturally hear this sentence as “What’s worth the benefit is worth the cost”, even though that’s not even what he said! That also proves this is yet another stolen idiom – how else could we have naturally known what he was trying to say, despite what he actually did say, if we hadn’t already heard it a thousand times?
Lyric:
“Every second counts ’cause there’s no second try, so live like you’re never living twice”
Meaning:
You only live life once.
Reason it’s dumb:
Look at the Wikipedia results for each of these two phrases: Every Second Counts, and You Only Live Once. There are already albums, books, films, and game shows with these titles. Again, nothing new here.
Lyric:
“Don’t take the free ride in your own life”
Meaning:
Don’t take anything for granted.
Reason it’s dumb:
Again, yet another stolen idiom. It’s this one: Free Ride.
There you go, not a single original idea presented. There is nothing to debate, and nothing to discuss. Even the chord progression – that cliched, overused, G-D-A progression – has been used a million times before even by Nickelback themselves (see chorus of Nickelback’s “Someday”, and then compare that chorus to Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me”, and THEN try to distinguish all three of these songs in your head – it’s impossible).
I am not trying to be a music elitist here as I will be the first to admit that I like music that true elitists scoff at. But I will say that I draw the line at Nickelback. Let’s look at a true song by a true band. It’s called Pyramid Song by Radiohead. I didn’t choose it because it’s the most complicated and deep song by Radiohead (which it’s not) because that would be an unfair comparison. I chose it 1) because it’s very short and 2) because it randomly came on my iPod when I got back to my desk at work. Here is the song and the full lyrics posted below it:
i jumped in the river and what did I see?
black-eyed angels swimming with me
a moon full of stars and astral cars
all the figures i used to see
all my lovers were there with me
all my past and futures
and we all went to heaven in a little row boat
there was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt
First of all, if you can name the time signature of that song I will be very impressed. Secondly, the song is not preachy at all. It is an eerie story that presents different imagery to different listeners, and it has spurred much debate, as do a lot of other Radiohead songs. Some say the song is about euthanasia, while others say it’s inspired by Dante’s Inferno. And while some of the lines were inspired by or taken from previous works, none of them were based on common idioms, maxims, proverbs, sayings, cliches, or quotes.
This is not to say that you have to like Radiohead’s song and you aren’t allowed to like Nickelback’s song. It is just a comparative example of why I think Radiohead, for instance, is such a better band than Nickelback, and I would even argue that is an objective statement in the world of music (not the world of pop, hollywood, ‘tweens, or money). Radiohead is musically complex, Nickelback is not. Radiohead is lyrically original, Nickelback is not. Radiohead is thought-provoking and inspiring, Nickelback is not. Radiohead is musically diverse, Nickelback is not. Radiohead does not get boo-ed off stage, Nickelback does.
UPDATE***
Here’s proof that Nickelback is unoriginal musically and even copies itself. This video layers How You Remind Me and Someday. They are THE SAME SONG:
The reason that Nicelback is so successful despite all the flaws you pointed out, is because they are easy, like McDonalds or the Prosperity Gospel. "If Today was your last day" took no effort for me to listen to, it did not make me think and I felt very safe listening to it. As I listened I had a smile on my face and my head nodded to the old familiar beat. In contrast, as I listened to Radiohead's song "Pyramid" I felt that the singer was pouring out his soul to me and it penetrated through me causing me to feel painful emotions and to explore the depths of my soul. As I listened to the song I had to put my head back and shut my eyes. This song required me to go on a journey to an unsafe place inside inside my mind.
It also seems that the singer of Nickelback might be trying to please others (his mother or father) while Radiohead has something they are compelled to express to other human beings and get off their chests, lest they slowly go mad.
The singer of Nickelback has no need to try to please his family. He tries to please his friends. Both you and the guy who made this page up obviously don't get the point of the song. The point of "If Today Was You Last Day" is to live like each day is you last, because you life could end at any random second.
Wait, wait, you're telling me the point of "If Today Was Your Last Day" is to live each day as if it's your last day??? WHAATT??? I TOTALLY GET IT NOW – EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE! BRAVO, GOOD MAN. lol
Dude that's just your opinion… and the song you were talking about in the first paragraph is called Photograph. It's not Jimmy it's Joey. And yes, I am a major Nickelback fan.
Yeah I know, that was a writing technique for comedic effect
Holy Shitface! Somebody wrote about their opinion??? On their own blog? Actually, I get it now. You prefer unoriginality. Wait…are you a NickelBack fan? Thought so. Zing!
Dude, you opinion sucks. Thats why I hate stupid emo wimpy indie bands like radioshit, because of elitist who tell us what to listen. Nickelback, Creed, 3 Doors Down, Daughtry etc are the meaning of my life! They're inspirational for many people so shut up hippies.
Please don't comment on my blog without reading the post first.
What?! A Scott Stapp fan finds his meaning of life from such bands as Nickelback, Creed, and 3 Doors Down. The bands all use the same three chord progression to get the desired emotional pull and capitalize on the cliche overused phrases to climax with warm fuzzies. I'm all for an emotional orgasm listening to a song, but soon you must grow up and realize the emotional orgasn can't be an end in itself. Don't be afraid to venture to the deep end of the pool. Here, I'll speak your language and even put it in a poem. (feel free to play any Nickelback song with the vocals turned down, I'm sure your emotional red rocket will get its fix.)
Life is like a box of chocolates,
So dance as if no one is looking,
I quit already. I feel icky.
Lastly, grow up.
Also, Radiohead evolve naturally.The band represents how human beings are,human beings evolve,we have different emotions.It's deeper.Nickelback doesn't seem to evolve.They are not a serious band and they should not be looked at one.(They don't claim to be one either).But they are not the meaning of life.That's just disrespectful for serious bands out there.
I like "Hero" from Spiderman.