1001 Songs Challenge #953: Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above (2005)

On 11 February 2019 I set myself the challenge of reading 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery (ed.) and following the book’s advice to the letter. I’ve previously read 1001 Films… and started 1001 Albums… but felt 1001 Songs… would be a sensible place to start for what I have in mind here.

My challenge is to read about one song per day and listen to it (YouTube and Spotify, I need you tonight!) before sharing my own thoughts. Some songs I will love, others I’ll hate, and I’m sure there will be those that leave me perplexed but listen to them I shall.

I’ll also try, and most likely fail, to pinpoint the best song from the 1001 on offer but I’m nothing if not foolhardy. Instead of one song, I’m predicting I’ll have about 100 favourites by the end and may have to resort to a Top 10 so far to maintain any semblance of sanity.

So long as I post every day (including Christmas) then this challenge should come to an end on Wednesday 8 November 2021. Staying with the Barney Stinson theme I am hoping that the whole experience will prove to be… legendary!

 

CSS – Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above (2005)

 

 

We’re leaving the UK today, dear reader, and making our way across the Atlantic and way down to Sao Paulo in Brazil. Formed in 2003 CSS are a female dominated rock band whose songs are in both English and Portuguese. You already have my attention. Their name stands for Cansei de Ser Sexy which translates into English as “Tired of being sexy”, a quote apparently attributed to Beyonce Knowles. When we join the group in 2005 their self-titled and full length debut album has been released and from there 1001 Songs have gone with the track – Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above. 

Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above manages to cover the song’s contents in the title alone. Death from Above, also known as Death from Above 1979, are a Canadian rock duo formed at the start of this century and still very active. In this song, the narrator tells us of a passionate affair they are involved in. Her lover has flown in for what sounds like business, possibly governmental commitments, but he has time to meet with his lover and she is delighted with his company. Sex is mentioned and, of course, listening to Death from Above, but all too soon the narrator’s lover is gone and she is left forlorn without him. You get the impression he may see her only as a means of sating his lust but to our narrator this is so much more than sex. 

I was not familiar with CSS or Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above. Fans of US show Ugly Betty (2006 – 2010) may recognise the song as it was used to promote the show. It’s a well crafted piece and has what sounds like synthesiser in there and elements of both dance and pop as well. This is clearly a versatile group. The song would chart in the UK Top 40 in 2007 but was not a success elsewhere. The group continue to perform though their fourth and most recent album was back in 2013.

 

The Animals – House of the Rising Sun (1964)

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sounds of Silence (1965)

The Beatles – A Day in the Life (1967)

The Doors – The End (1967)

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)

Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell (1977)

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car (1988)

U2 – One (1991)

Radiohead – Paranoid Android (1997)

Snow Patrol – Run