Best of You

Introduction
Back when I thought the whole newTunes project thing would work out, I listed "Best of You" by Foo Fighters as the first listing (my personal choice), because it was, for lack of any better words, amazing. But now, after listening to it closely, interpreting the lyrics, reading others' interpretations of lyrics, and playing it many times on guitar, I want to go nuts with this song. Yes, there is an introduction. Yes, there are sections of this blog post. Yes, this will probably be longer than some papers I've written in college. You know what? I like that. Here we go.

The Difference between Yelling and Screaming
Yelling and screaming are two different things, in my view of music. Screaming is when you can't understand any words, or there is no pitch - yelling is singing notes at the very end of your range, at a very loud volume and intensity. This song is all about the latter. (For an example of screaming, check out the first few seconds of this song.) One of my favorite things about Dave Grohl is that he doesn't scream. Yeah, he's really loud, and I'm not sure why he still has a throat, but he doesn't scream. And because of that, it's a song that I pretend I can sing along to.

Sounds of "Best of You"
Those songs that you have perfectly memorized have intricacies that make it so special from every other song you know. In "Best of You," it's that first chord. I don't think I like any one chord more than what happens at 48 seconds in this video. But that's the live version. In the studio version, after the bridge, there's another chorus and verse ("I've got another confession, my friend..."). At the end of that verse, that "Is someone getting the best" is SO AMAZING. Dave Grohl's voice is so grainy, angsty, powerful, angry...all those terms that make that one line just perfect and makes me want to break through a brick wall.

Kurt Cobain
I was always a non-believer in the "every FF song is about Kurt Cobain" theory. Then I listened to In Your Honor. Sure, not every song is about Kurt. But if any song Foo Fighters has written is about him, it's "Best of You." I say this because of Cobain's suicide note; specifically the part where he writes, "For example when we're back stage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins, it doesn't affect me the way in which it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the the love and adoration from the crowd which is something I totally admire and envy. The fact is, I can't fool you, any one of you." Cobain mentioning fooling his audience, and Dave Grohl writing first that "I'm your fool," and later "I'm no fool," makes me think that he's talking to/about Cobain. He bought into what Kurt Cobain was doing (because he was part of Nirvana), but was also able to see everything beyond that, and ultimately, not be a fool. It's not seamless, but it's plausible, I think.

Has Someone Taken Your Faith...
Ultimately, however, I think this song is about addressing the inevitable pain in life. Specifically with love, in "Best of You." But by the lyrics, it seems like it's much more than that. Like it's a demoralizing pain. Not that love is incapable of that - it certainly is. But while the problem may be someone else, the solution is whoever Dave Grohl is speaking to. This song is about breaking past everything. But enough from me. See it for yourself.