The Monument Valley: Music as film criticism
The Drive-By Truckers' "Brighter Than Creation's Dark," features a song about John Ford -- and "The Searchers," in particular. (Listen to a sample or download here.) In some notes about the songs, Patterson Hood writes: "The album closes with 'The Monument Valley' and the classic imagery from John Ford's immortal masterpiece 'The Searchers' as the door closes on John Wayne's walk off into the desolate beauty of a disappearing America. Ford may have been America's greatest ever filmmaker and repeated viewings of his work reveals insights into our psyche that have never been expressed better. For me it's an extremely personal song and it was a magical take that night in the studio. I knew that it would be the last song on the album the moment I wrote it."
"The Monument Valley"It’s all about where you put the horizon
Said the Great John Ford to the young man rising
You got to frame it just right and have some luck of course
And it helps to have a tall man sitting on the horse
Tell them just enough to still leave them some mystery
A grasp of the ironic nature of history
A man turns his back on the comforts of home
The Monument Valley to ride off alone
And when the dust all settles and the story is told(tip: Dave McCoy)
History is made by the side of the road
By the men and women that can persevere
And rage through the storm, no matter how severe
And whether it’s a horse or a car or a train
There’s gonna be some fine times and there’s gonna be some pain
In the end it’s a silhouette framed by the sun
And just The Monument Valley when the evening comes
It’s a strong wind blowing on the open range
It’s gonna be beautiful and it’s gonna be strange
It’s where to plant the camera and when to say action
When to print the legend and when to leave the facts in
And when to turn your back on the comforts of home
And wander round The Monument Valley alone
Comments
That's a great song and a great record.
Posted by: R. Totale | March 13, 2008 08:45 AM
In spite of my brother's attempts, I've never really "gotten" the Drive-by Truckers. I could appreciate them but could never actually like them.
Yet I must say that it only makes sense that they'd write a song about John Ford. Their lyrics struck me as being always a little more than literary. The writing was, for lack of a better word, cinematic. And maybe Ford's is a nice cinematic analogue. They both create indelible, beautiful, and arguably "big" images without ever losing sight of human minutiae.
Posted by: Schuyler Chapman | March 13, 2008 08:50 AM
The Drive by Truckers are probably the best American Rock band of the last decade, and the "cinematic" scene setting and subtle storytelling they manage to fit inside of four minute rock songs is one of the primary reasons why. Anybody reading this post who hasn't listened to them should.
I hope this isn't too far off topic since it's about the Truckers' brilliance (and it's a song by a guy who left the band recently) but I couldn't resist....watch this clip....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aJb1_EGnapY
Posted by: Jamie | March 13, 2008 12:07 PM
DBT is my favorite band and "Brighter Than Creation's Dark" is arguably their best album. I love this song, and it made me finally watch "The Searchers" which I loved. When I move across the country this summer, I plan to go a little out of my way just to see Monument Valley. Great post!
Posted by: Brandon | March 13, 2008 01:22 PM
Ever hear the song "Debaser" by the Pixies?
Got me a movie
I want you to know
Slicing up eyeballs
I want you to know
Girlie so groovy
I want you to know
Don't know about you
But i am un chien andalusia
Posted by: Matt Rosen | March 14, 2008 10:49 AM
Pearl Harbor
by Team America
album:
I miss you more then Michael Bay missed the mark
When he made Pearl Harbor
I miss you more than that movie missed the point
And that’s an awful lot girl
And now, now you’ve gone away
And all I’m trying to say is
Pearl Harbor sucked, and I miss you
I need u like Ben Affleck needs acting school
He was terrible in that film
I need u like Cuba Gooding needed a bigger part
He’s way better than Ben Affleck
And now all I can think about is your smile
and that s**tty movie too
Pearl Harbor sucked and I miss you
Why does Michael Bay get to keep on making movies?
I guess Pearl Harbor sucked
Just a little bit more than I miss you
Posted by: Dan | March 15, 2008 01:28 PM