Neko Case - Things that Scare Me
‘things that scare me’ appears on neko case’s third album ‘blacklisted’ which was released in 2002. i first heard the album on a jukebox in a restaurant where i frequently had lunch. had it not been for that jukebox, i may never have heard the album or of neko case because (1) i am biased against country music; and (2) i have zero interest in the new pornographers, the band for which she sometimes contributes vocals. the first of those two reasons is most important. as a child, my mother would listen to the local station for weather updates and news. unfortunately, that meant on most mornings i would sit through at least an hour of country music. the majority of the i heard were terrible and left me with bitter feelings toward the genre. there were exceptions. i will admit to liking several songs by artists such as vince gill, randy travis, and trace adkins. in fact, one of my favorite songs from that period of my life was ‘don’t take the girl’ by tim mcgraw. having said that, i generally disliked country music and had little interest in learning about or hearing more of it outside those hour-long periods each morning.
imagine my surprise when i heard this album. actually, it didn’t immediately register that this was a country album. i discovered that later when i read that ms. case was considered an ‘alt-country’ artist. i liked it because it was dark and sad. she (neko) sounds as though she’s mourning throughout the album. after hearing it for the first time, i couldn’t wait to hear it again. i went out and bought it soon after. initially, i preferred to listen to ‘ghost wiring,’ ‘deep red bells,’ and ‘lady pilot.’ these days, i consider ‘things that scare me’ my favorite track on the album. i am particularly drawn to the music. the interplay between the guitar and the banjo, and the dark, rich tones beneath it create a sound that’s slightly different from most country songs i’ve heard. it’s country, but it doesn’t feel like it- well, not immediately. i can live with that.
Fluorescent lights engage
Blackbirds frying on a wire
Same birds that followed me to school When I was young
Were they trying to tell me something
Were they telling me to run
The hammer clicks in place
The world’s gonna pay
Right down in the face of God and his saints
Claim your soul’s not for sale
I’m a dying breed who still believes
Haunted by American dreams
Haunted by American dreams
-the skinny miracle
