79. People Say – Portugal. The Man

There are songs that exist only to be enjoyed. That does sound like a stupid statement, but most songs are made with a purpose; some songs are political, some songs are intended to be serious, and in this case, People Say is intended to be optimistically fun. While the song tends to focus on the necessity of war, or the lack thereof, there is an optimistic tinge to this song which can drag a casual listener into the song and not let go until the end.

The song is in the key of C, which means it is a very straight song that lacks in experimentation, but it somehow manages to be incredibly interesting. With obvious blues influences and jazz-based chord styles, the song manages to present optimism through the breath-taking lyrics. The song predominantly focuses on the human cost of war, but the lyrics are able to trivialise that aspect so well that it feels as if the song is about something totally different. The thing about this song that makes it stand out though, is the fact that not only does the music maintain an upbeat feel, but the fact that this is one of the few songs in this countdown that follows the standard ‘verse chorus verse’ structure and manage to maintain originality and interest. This song does not get boring quickly, and if you think it does, well that’s your loss.

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