A blog about music from my unique perspective (also a spot for some poetry I’ve written) |
A blog, generally about music, usually for projects hosted by Jeff is Gru in #2343485 ![]() |
My second of seven tracks for Barrel of Monkeys is the Imagine Dragons song Ferris Wheel. It's track #25 off of their 2022 double album Mercury Acts 1 & 2. A deep cut, it has no music video and tends to sink into the shadows of their lesser-known discography, especially since the lead singer's divorce. What it Sounds Like Ferris Wheel is an acoustic song, with no drums. It's one of the low-key tail end tracks from Mercury. Dan's voice is high, but steady, without any shouting or vocal acrobatics. It's a simple love song on a guitar, in the style of Ed Sheeran. What It Means Ferris Wheel is a song of devotion, promising to maintain the feeling of youthful innocence in the relationship and to always be there for her. Dan Reynolds frequently tells us his songs are like journal entries… Perhaps he shouldn't encourage us to read so much of his personal experience into what he writes. It can get awkward. For instance, Dan's words “you've always been afraid to claim this town,” give me pause. Aja Volkman moved from his beloved hometown of Las Vegas to Los Angeles after the separation, and I sometimes wonder if she did so partly because she didn't think the kids should be raised in Vegas. Personal Significance Quite honestly, I tend to forget this song exists. My experience of the Mercury double album was “up close and personal,” as I established my old phone as an iPod and settled down after the pandemic and a toxic job. I wore the album threadbare, designed my own cover art for many of the tracks, got tired of it, joined WdC, and pretty much quit listening to it at all after the first half of 2023. Ferris Wheel, in particular, was a song I soured on because of the divorce. The tail end of Mercury Act 2 has a handful of corny love songs, and I could hardly bear to listen to any of them knowing the words were no longer true for Dan. I felt like he lied to us and to Aja when he promised he'd be there forever. “I know we'll last, I'm confident…” Indeed, I daresay it's been about two years since I listened to Ferris Wheel. The only reason I'm listening to it now is to write about it for this blog challenge, because it happened to be the 25th track on the only album of such length I'm familiar with! Equipped with better quality earbuds, I can pick up the subtle panned audio effects. It's not a bad song, far from it. I only have my own feelings to deal with, which are altogether too closely tied up to my perceptions of the artist and his family. Words: 460. |