Every once in a while you hear a track for the first time where the lyrics resonate just as much as the music itself, so much so, that they create a scene in your head. When I hear certain songs, I immediately envision a made up movie in my head. Maybe it’s this secret fantasy that I have, where I end up curating the soundtracks for movies.
For this track, I imagined a man and a woman eating ice cream and walking down a street somewhere in Brooklyn. Maybe in Williamsburg? They had just gotten into a fight but the cure to their troubles comes in the form of ice cream cones, the man knowing that his woman is always happier after eating chocolate ice cream. The man reflects for a moment on how far he’s come with this woman and how much his love has grown for her over the past two years. He’s already been through the motions good and bad with her: gone crazy from arguments, lost sense of self, gained clarity of life, etc. But for once in his life, he feels right. He knows that he’s doing okay, because she sticks around and lets him buy her ice cream.
The reality of the situation is that Cheers Elephant is an adorably psychedelic pop rock band that embodies the kind of modest sound that your high school friends’ band tries to go for but doesn’t quite always successfully deliver in real life. Cheers Elephant, however, successfully delivers and you can tell via this song. The very beginning reminds me of high school for some reason, when I’d go to shows at the local “indie” venue and geek out over cute boys with guitars. Coincidentally, these guys are cute and they also have guitars. Go figure.
The video is an equally entertaining bit of melancholia that pairs perfectly with the song as it follows the charming band members around, showing us how they seem to be doing all right at life. The vocals also remind me of Arctic Monkeys now that I think of it.
If you live in a city where car culture is a big thing, then crank down your windows and enjoy this song with your hair free and your sunglasses on. Since I don’t own a car, I’ve just settled for my living room speakers and an omelet. It’s almost the same feeling, trust me.
Draw and line, grab a pin, pop and deflate it
Livin’ lies you’re never gonna grow up
You’re pickin’ sides to teams that never show up
Oh baby baby baby you could end up anywhere…. I don’t care, cause!I’m doin’ it, right!