Yesterday the YouTube gods were smiling on me. I stumbled across the U-Tern remix of “Bang Bang Bang” by Mark Ronson featuring Amanda Warner and Q Tip. As good as the remix is, I still prefer the original with its wild soundscapes and shifting tempo. An upbeat synth pop song that’s all about not getting trapped in the system; it gets its message across in a very roundabout way. Built on the French children’s song “Alouette,” about plucking the feathers of a Lark for being woken by it’s song, the message is macabre with the lyrics:
“Difficile imbecile, is it fake, is it real?
Are we dying on our feet, are we trying in our sleep?
There’s a rumor goin’ ’round, ’bout the suits runnin’ town
If you look into the sky, them birds fly high, high, high

Numbers, you got my number
You’re logging hours, and don’t see the big picture
Over your shoulder, you’ll get no last words
Because it’s too late, you’ve clipped your own wings
(Your own wings)”

The analogy is a complex one alluding to both “The Man” and self doubt as a bird with the video showing people smiling and dancing as feathers rain down on them. It all ends with the line “When feathers fly, you deny everything”… It’s just weird in the best possible way so all I can say is go with the flow and enjoy this gem from 2010.