deconstruction of a tune

gaptoof seemed to genuinely appreciate and enjoy our impromptu rendition of "cry me a river". we did it in f minor. he instructed me to remember that.

tonight i got to wondering, why? why did our doing that song in particular resonate with him over, say, corcovado, which is one of my favorites (and therefore one we do every time)?

it's a great tune. it was written by arthur hamilton. i've only heard it performed by women. the first time i heard it, it was sung by yeardley smith on a sitcom (herman's head). i must have been fourteen or so. i now realize that it was an odd and unrepresentative introduction to the song, but for some reason it has stuck with me. i remember looking at her face as she, whose character was supposed to be somewhat nervous, a bit of an underdog, with perhaps a history of being hurt, straightened out her shoulders and sang those lyrics, "well you can cry me a river; i cried a river over you." her delivery was really simple and sincere, and that, along with her indisputably unique voice, made an impression. i've since heard versions by ella fitzgerald, diana krall, julie london (the original, i believe), erin bode, and linda ronstadt.

i like the song. i like the way the first line in the melody starts up high, hangs there for a bit, and then drifts downward. i like the way the bridge begins with those first three notes/words, then starts the statement over. i like the way its melodic lines feel in my throat. i like how personal the lyrics sound, though i can't say i have ever identified with or rallied behind their sentiment. i've been going back and forth on whether or not i like that it uses the word "plebeian"; i like it in theory but when you're singing it you feel like you're saying something really out of place.

all those things having been said, i don't think i've come near the reason he liked it so much that we did it twice. maybe there was something about our combination. he used a vertical sound, really full chords and quite a bit of rubato, and less of a steady, forward-progressing bassline than to which i am accustomed.

i don't know what it was. i doubt he'd be able to tell me either. but i guess it must have been good.