By Severin
Wolves appear in song as actual or metaphorical predators, pack members, treacherous deceivers, subjects of somebody else's deception or just creatures trying to survive. All wolf life was represented in the nominations. Twelve of them survived. Maybe they ran faster or maybe they just bit that much harder.
We begin with the slightly controversial but very emphatic claim that All Babes Are Wolves (Spinerette): “You were born on a full moon but I'm the only one howling!”
Yabby You (aka Vivian Jackson) is that unusual character, a Rasta who believes in the divinity of Jesus and not Haile Selassie. Hence the use of the word “Antichrist” in his song and the album title Jesus Dread.
The only dingo song is in the B List. Sorry dingos. I was initially in two minds about whether they really counted as a type of wolf but I did eventually read that The New Guinea Singing Dog – or Canis lupus dingo – is definitely considered a species of wolf.
Also an apology to any werewolves who are offended by their apparent omission from the A list. I am fairly certain that a Loup Garou (Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown) is pretty much the same thing. But in a more Cajun style.
First Aid Kit provide a lyrical and stately example of their niche Swedish country/folk with a song which addresses the wolf mother and father.
Otona no Ookami (Kokia) is a transliteration of the Japanese for “The Adult Wolf” and the video helpfully features English subtitles, including “it's all right with those fangs. You can bite me, I understand”. It isn’t, and I wouldn’t, but the song is still gorgeous.
Carleen Anderson's 90s R&B hit Mama Said contains the maternal advice to “close all the doors and don't let that wolf inside”. Which sounds like a plan to me.
There were, as ever, quite a few familiar old favourites but I've focused more on new discoveries. Howlin’ Wolf being a notable exception of course. I could hardly leave him out. In fact, it would have been fairly easy to compile an acceptable list of wolf songs comprising blues and blues rock only. Or reggae only. Or country...
The word Ulvetid (Kvelertak) is Norwegian for “wolf time” or “the time of wolves” but seems to be more of an “our time has come” kind of thing than a particular hour. And from the (decipherable) lyrics that doesn't sound like good news for humans. “Your time has passed. The wolves are involved in a winter war.”
At least two nominated songs used the image of a wolf for an abusive parent. I eventually chose a heartbreaking but ultimately positive song by Catie Curtis, who I had never heard before, over The Mountain Goats but it was a close call.
Attenti al Lupo (Lucio Dalla) means “beware of the wolf”. Almost certainly the two-legged sort although it's hard to judge from the rather odd video. They all cycle to a circus tent where they perform an arm waving dance to an audience of women in office clothes, patrolled by some hefty blokes dressed like gay men in leather.
Vargtimmen (Hedningama) is a Swedish term, coined by Ingmar Bergman, for “The Wolf Hour” i.e. the hour just before dawn when bad stuff often happens. “The night is still, but the sinner is awake and the hour of the wolf is here.”
We end with the only instrumental (of the many suggested) in the A list: Mogollon (by Oreana). Chosen because it sounds like what it is. A lament for an extinct breed – or subspecies – of grey wolf.
All attributions subject to correction as ever. Thanks for all contributions. I heard a lot of good music this week and much of it completely new to my pointed hairy ears.
Pack A Playlist:
Unable to play all of this in your part of the world? Try this alternative:
Spinerette - All Babes Are Wolves (vanwolf)
Yabby You - Dem a Wolf (Nicko)
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown - Loup Garou (TarquinSpodd)
First Aid Kit - Wolf (VikingChild)
Kokia - Otona no ookami (ajostu)
Carleen Anderson - Mama Said (K-Classic Mix) (nilpferd)
Howlin' Wolf – The Wolf Is At Your Door (amylee)
Kvelertak - Ulvetid (TraktorAlbatost)
Catie Curtis - The Wolf (Fred Erickson)
Lucio Dalla – Attenti al Lupo (Beware of the Wolf) (swawilg)
Hedningama – Vargtimmen (Hour of the Wolf) (TraktorAlbatrost)
Oreana - Mogollon (Alaricmc)
Pack B Playlist
Dennis Brown – Wolves and Leopards (Uncleben)
The Cramps – I Was a Teenage Werewolf (Tarquin Spodd)
The Mountain Goats – Up the Wolves (shoegazer)
Lightnin' Hopkins – The Howlin' Wolf (Nicko)
Maggie Rogers – Wolves (Fred Erickson)
Marianne Faithful – Mother Wolf (Seth Miller)
Los Lobos – Will the Wolf Survive? (amylee)
Kikuo – Red Riding Hood's Wolf (Miku) (ajostu)
The Real Tuesday Weld - Me And My Wolf (Dr Cat Remix) (Shoegazer)
Johnny Winter – Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (AltraEgo)
Big Youth – Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (Nicko)
Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London (OliveButler)
The HU – Wolf Totem (Nicko)
The Grateful Dead – Dire Wolf (Chris7572)
Gary Shearston – Dingo (Alaricmc)
Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs – Little Red Riding Hood (OliveButler)
Black Eyes – A Pack of Wolves (happyclapper)
Les Savy Fav – What Would Wolves Do? (Shoegazer)
Steel Pulse – Dem a Wolf (Nicko)
Duran Duran – Hungry Like the Wolf (OliveButler)
Guru’s Wild Wolf Picks:
Ginger Snaps Theme
There were quite a few themes from werewolf films in the nominations. For what it's worth, this is the theme from my favourite example of the genre.
Aurora – Running With The Wolves
Anthemic song. Slightly disturbing video.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Give them a howl: songs about wolves. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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