Why Is Black Helicopter On 'hospital Music'

[Moonlight_Graham]

Black Helicopter is a great song. However, it seems entirely political to me and stands out on the the Hospital Music album as pretty much the only song that isn't very personal in nature or having to do with MG's health/relationships. It just seems like it doesn't fit on the album.

 

Is there some back story to the song that i'm missing?

[finboy]

it fits with "the boy come home" and "moon over marin" as more political songs

Edited August 18, 2009 by finboy

[Gomo]

Moon Over Marin, while I love the HM version, always struck me as just about the most random cover and inclusion on an album I could think of.

[Morglor9]

Yeah, I've kind of wondered about this too... and lyrically, in my opinion, it doesn't stand up against Matt's other political stuff or the rest of HM... "You're gonna get what you deserve" and so on. Something about it just seemed off to me.

[Manchalivin]

Yeah, I've kind of wondered about this too... and lyrically, in my opinion, it doesn't stand up against Matt's other political stuff or the rest of HM... "You're gonna get what you deserve" and so on. Something about it just seemed off to me.

Disagreed. The lyrics to Black Helicopter are perfectly fine and there's a couple great lines in there. Let's not criticize them, I don't think that's what this thread is about at all.

 

I have thought too though about it being an odd choice for Hospital Music but I couldn't care less as it's possibly the best song on there.

[AnOceanPearl]

Musically, it fits in well with the rest of the album, and while yes, lyrically it is easily the most "political" of the songs on HM, politics is something Matt has always been passionate about and is a big part of his life, much like the other subjects he talks about on the album.

[MountainMan]

I think Black Helicopter was written earlier than most of the other songs on Hospital Music. The initial demo was released in late 2005, and I think the rest of the songs were from the following year. Maybe this is why the song addresses some different issues.

[Moonlight_Graham]

I think Black Helicopter was written earlier than most of the other songs on Hospital Music. The initial demo was released in late 2005, and I think the rest of the songs were from the following year. Maybe this is why the song addresses some different issues.

 

Yes, i remember the demo being released just before Christmas one year, long before it had been considered for the album. I remember the demo being a "Christmas present" to fans on mg.org, so said Matt at the time.

[haircut-rabbit]

The majority of Hospital Music was not written in or after Matt's brief stay in the psychiatric ward - he has said so in interviews.

[bryce]

so burn it to a disc with WLR&RR and reburn hospital music w/o it?

[foats]

this is a song that grew on me. At first I always skipped it but now I love it.

[DudeLove721]

I agree. When people were raving about the demo I couldn't understand why, although I enjoyed the album version right away... no skipping on my end.

[c0micb0y]

Same with Silent Army on Vancouver, IMO, but I've accepted it and it's my fave off the album

[here is no why]

Silent Army / Black Heli are a great one-two live...

[draycott22]

Silent Army / Black Heli are a great one-two live...

Agreed. He opened the encore in kitchener last night with these 2, they sounded great

[Nearfantastica]

Just throwing this out there, but if you need the song to tie into the theme of "Hospital Music" why can't it be the angry, fever-driven rants of someone lying in a field hospital?

[umdesch4]

I wish this board had a way to "vote up" posts. +1 insightful on the previous post. ;)

[Crusader]

well you can rate threads at the top of each page, doesn't bump it though ;)