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Oh, Argentina!

The Tokyo Police Club bop that transports me to another universe.

By Hannah BPublished 4 years ago 5 min read
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I've been in love with Tokyo Police Club for well over a decade now, but Forcefield is still one of my absolute favourite records they've ever made. The Spring 2014 release of this collection of joyful noises was timed perfectly with my first trip to the UK, my acceptance to my chosen University program, my escape from a toxic relationship and subsequently re-uniting with my high school sweetheart (now husband), and just overall upswing of my life pendulum. So, I guess what I'm saying is, this album and it's completely coincidental release date now has such strong ties to an amazing year in my life that it could never do wrong and now basically never be topped by anything else. Sorry, other music. You just can't.

Now that I have that pre-amble out of the way, lets talk about one of my all time favourite tunes, track numero uno on the Forcefield record: Argentina.

I have loved this song ever since my first play through. TPC never released an official music video for it, but did do a pretty cool lyric video. Click that link to have a listen while I walk you through what this song does for me. You see, it's not just that I associate this song with good times, or love the sound of each of the three parts, or think the lyrics are some of the best in Indie rock...... though lets not leave those points out. My favourite thing about this song is that every time I hear it, it paints the same picture in my head. I see the same film-like vision every time I listen to this song all the way through, and I have never known where it came from. My only explanation is that this song sparks something special.

Part 1: I see a young couple, friends who have fallen for each other in the summertime, and are in that beautiful ridiculous first stage of love: the fun, honeymoon-ish, fun-filled days. I see him waiting for her to finish work in the summer sun with a makeshift bouquet of wildflowers, I see them going to concerts, I see them cruising in his car at night while he professes these wishes and dreams to her, just constant flashes of the fun new things you do when you're in love. The quick and dance-y beat paired with the playful lyrics paint such a vividly joyful experience in my head. The music is pure elation; that bassline, beat, and little sprinkles of synth just feel like young love as it fills my ears. I've danced in the front row many-a-time to this song, seeing my little movie play in and out of watching lead singer Dave Monks bopping just as hard as everyone in the crowd. The way the song unfolds into the transition to part 2 with the almost round-style singing of the lyrics "I don't want to want you like I want you" makes me think of him looking at her in the midst of all the fun and thinking to himself "ah shit.... I'm a bit scared of how much I love her...."

Part 2: This part always takes me to a dark, messy basement suite in my mind. The beat slows to a steady kick and some comforting, low bass chords held and ringing out into the dark. This is almost like the love hangover following the honeymoon. I can see the mattress on the floor with mismatched sheets and the couple lying there in the glow of the old television at the foot of the bed. The girl sleeps, turned away from the boy, while the boy wakes up and turns his head to look at her. The scene remains very still. To me, this part seems like maybe a little bit of time has passed, and things aren't as happy as they were before. He says that she's "wearing someone else's clothes", and to me it feels like he's saying she isn't who he thought she was or who he wanted her to be all the time. I mainly see that he hasn't ended up being able to remain cool and calm about being in love with her and he's blown it. This part ends with him saying "Now I see the things that I have done, everything in focus all at once." and at this part I see him turning his head back to where the girl once laid to see her finishing getting dressed and leaving.

Part 3: Now the drums kick back in, and we definitely get that rock feel back, but this time we have less pop; we still get a bit of those happy synth vibes, but the guitar is heavier and the drum beat harder and slower. To me, this is the end of the young love fling..... for now. The two are back to life from the flurry of part 1 and the come down of part 2 It isn't angry or sad, but it's seemed to have fizzled and the boy is kicking himself for not having been "so so so so much nicer". The two remain friends and I see them hanging out with other people, some stolen glances, knowing smiles as they remember the times at the beginning of the summer fling but are now trying to live life as they did before, as "friends". The song closes on the line "I can see it clear": I think the boy knows what he needs to do to grow up and just be with this girl... but we will never know what happens next.

It doesn't matter how many times I've played through the 8 and a half minute glory of this song, and it still wasn't old when I heard those drums start pounding out the tune during my 8th time seeing TPC this fall. This song holds such a magical, creative quality that I have never seen in other music before. I hope when you have a listen you not only have fun seeing my interpretation, but maybe get to experience the same spark of joy by creating your own Argentina universe.

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About the Creator

Hannah B

Mom, self proclaimed funny girl, and publicly proclaimed "piece of work".

Lover and writer of fiction and non-fiction alike and hoping you enjoy my attempts at writing either.

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