Tuesday Tunes

Despite being my main instrument now, I didn’t start on guitar. I picked up the piano (not literally) when my older brother started lessons. Much like everything my older brother did, I quit when he did. I was around six years old. Later in life I would pick up music again, and it would take several years before I could play anything resembling music on the guitar. So for a majority of high school, my instrument was the Piano. So I’ve always had a soft spot for the instrument, and for songs that use it well …

The Song(s)
Song: Buy Now Pay Later (Charlie No.2)
Artist: The Whitlams
Album: Eternal Nightcap - 1998 - Black Yak Phantom
Method of discovery: Triple J Mix CD

Theory: The Chords of the song sound a lot more complicated than they are, in part because of the arpeggios. The bulk of the song rises through IV-V-vi, occasionally falling back down to the V, but not as a consistent element. What I count as the ‘B’ section starts just off the end of the word ‘…accordingly’. There is a powerful I, before going back into the rising IV-V, and ultimately replacing the minor vi with the I until heading back into the ‘A’ Section. Only four chords, but the Arpeggios! An arpeggio is when you play the notes of a chord separately instead of at the same time.

Research: Buy Now Pay Later is the middle song in the ‘Charlie trilogy’, but leads the trilogy on the album. It is preceded only by the opening song of the album, and also hit: No Aphrodisiac. The album is confrontational and frank, and the Charlie songs deal with loss and suicide, which the band members dealt with, too. But, this dark subject matter spawned success: The band, No Aphrodisiac, and the album all won awards at the ARIA’s.

Personal thoughts: Though I never knew the reasons before doing the research, I could feel the loss, the disappointment in the lyrics since the first time I heard the song.

“If you don’t believe me I don’t believe in you.”

The minor piano melody that dances over the top of the chords. The high strings. The low strings. They ebb and eddy like waves along a shoreline, swirling around each other. The swell of emotion in Tim Freedman’s voice.

'“You try and you fail”

Sometimes when I need to relax I’ll just put this song on and listen to the first 12 seconds on repeat.
It makes me feel like heaven.

Give it a go: If you’ve ever paid later

Give it a miss: If you can afford it now

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Buy Now Pay Later (Charlie No.2) by The Whitlams
The Whitlams: Website, Article, Article
Wikipedia: The Whitlams, Eternal Nightcap, Arpeggio