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Heart Songs
"Heart Songs" | ||||||||||||||
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Album track by Weezer | ||||||||||||||
Album | Weezer (The Red Album) | |||||||||||||
Released | June 3, 2008 | |||||||||||||
Recorded | Spring 2007 | |||||||||||||
Length | 4:06 | |||||||||||||
Label | Geffen | |||||||||||||
Writer(s) | Rivers Cuomo | |||||||||||||
Producer(s) | Rick Rubin | |||||||||||||
Status | Officially released | |||||||||||||
Stream | Spotify | |||||||||||||
Apple Music | ||||||||||||||
Weezer (The Red Album) track listing | ||||||||||||||
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"Heart Songs" is the fourth track off of The Red Album.
Contents
Appearances
- Weezer (The Red Album) (2008)
Overview
"Heart Songs" is about all the artists and records that have influenced Rivers Cuomo, from Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" when Cuomo was 5 years old, to Nirvana's Nevermind in 1991. The bridge of the song briefly describes the formation of Weezer. From the liner notes for the deluxe edition of The Red Album:
Liner notes
In "Heart Songs", you mentioned ABBA. Rivers: They really are one of the all time greatest bands. Brian: Isn't there an all girl group that covered ABBA songs that did quite well? Two guys two girls that were a lot of success and they were offered a lot of money to play but what is interesting they are opening an ABBA Museum with all their wardobes and paraphernalia and wanted to get your comments on video to put it in the museum so they can get people's opinions. Rivers: One of the first records I bought was an Abba record when I was 10 years old, which is why I mentioned them this song.
So it made an impact? Rivers: Huge impact I just remember my brother and I jumping up and down running around the room singing along to SOS and Mama Mia. I was just in my dorm room in school and I got the idea to write the song I'm gonna write a song that lists all the music I remember listening to growing up and I very quickly scrawled it all out and it's kind of a personal thing you know there's probably some people cant relate to even in this band but I wanted to keep that song very personal and particular to me at least in those first two verses.
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Writing and demoing "Heart Songs"
Cuomo stated that Heart Songs was written in March, 2006 and demo'ed in August 2006. On his honeymoon in Japan in 2006, he had a sudden burst of inspiration. At 1 p.m. everyday he would get on his "crazy Japanese bike" and ride for about ten minutes down to the local mega-mall. On the third floor were studios that can be rented for five dollars an hour, with drums and a soundboard. Cuomo explained that he would record his new songs (which included "Heart Songs" and "My Day is Coming"), and when finished, exit "into the midst of a Japanese mega-mall".
Live performances
To date, Weezer has not performed "Heart Songs" live. However, during the Troublemaker Tour, Karl Koch would come out on stage prior to the encore, set up a record player, and play "Heart Songs". Cuomo would then come out and smash the record player at the point of the song that recalls hearing Nirvana for the first time. Scott and Pat would then come on stage, and play Nirvana's "Sliver" as a three-piece. Cuomo has said that "Sliver" was the first Nirvana song he heard while working at Tower Records. In 2011, Cuomo appeared on the Chicago radio show Sound Opinions and performed "Heart Songs" as a mashup with "In the Garage", joined by the punk rock band The Cathy Santonies.
Known recordings
Performer(s) | Title | Filename | Date of recording | Recording location | Length | Appeared on | Notes |
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Rivers Cuomo | Heart Songs | 2006 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | Heart Songs | 02 Heart Songs.mp3 | 2007 | 4:26 | Alone X: The Red-Raditude-Hurley Years | Deliverance at Hand! demo | |
Weezer | Heart Songs | Spring 2007 |
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4:06 | Weezer (The Red Album) |
Personnel
- Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, lead vocals, piano
- Patrick Wilson – percussion
- Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Scott Shriner - bass guitar, backing vocals
- Stevie Blacke - string arrangement, strings
- Rick Rubin - producer
Audio
Lyrics
Gordon Lightfoot sang a song about a boat that sank in the lake
At the break of the mornin' a cat named Stevens found a faith he could believe in
And Joan Baez, I never listened to too much jazz
But hippie songs could be heard in our pad
Eddie Rabbitt sang about how much he loved a rainy night
ABBA, Devo, Benatar were there the day John Lennon died
Mr. Springsteen said he had a hungry heart
Grover Washington was happy on the day he topped the chart
These are the songs
These are my heart songs
They never feel wrong
And when I wake, for goodness sake
These are the songs I keep singing
Quiet Riot got me started with the banging of my head
Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Slayer taught me how to shred
I gotta admit though, sometimes I would listen to the radio
Debbie Gibson, tell me that you think we're all alone
Michael Jackson's in the mirror, I gotta have faith if I wanna see clear
Never gonna give you up, wish me love a wishing well
It takes two to make a thing go right, if the Fresh Prince starts a fight
Don't you worry for too long 'cause you know...
These are the songs
These are my heart songs
They never feel wrong
And when I wake, for goodness sake
These are the songs I keep singing
Back in 1991 I wasn't having any fun
'Til my roommate said "C'mon" and put a brand new record on
Had a baby on it, he was naked on it
Then I heard the chords that broke the chains I had upon me
Got together with my bros in some rehearsal studios
Then we played our first rock show and watched the fan base start to grow
We signed a deal to get the dough to make a record of our own
Song come on the radio now people go "This is the song"
These are my heart songs (These are my songs)
They never feel wrong (Never feel wrong)
And when I wake, for goodness sake
These are the songs I keep singing (These are my heart songs)
These are the songs I keep singing (They never feel wrong)
These are the songs I keep singing (These are my heart songs)
These are the songs I keep singing