"Don't Let It Show" or "Hide in Your Shell"

Hide in your shell. Delicate song, delicate lyrics.

dr wu23 wrote: Many of these polls need a neither spot....both bands I consider to be mediocre and those 2 songs are 2 of their most forgettable.

Of course you are entitled to your feelings, but I'll share a bit of mine even if it's TMI (it is too much info). I would say, make your own polls they way you want to make them (as long as it doesn't break the rules of the forum). Be creative, maybe try something new.

First off: I generally don't like to do a both or neither option, someone can express that in a post if they wish. And answering "both" or "neither" to the poll question, "Which song do you prefer?" would seem odd to me. I have used those options before in many polls during my time here, but then I have to rephrase the question so that all options make sense in the context.

As I always say, I'm not interested in the poll results, it is merely an accessory for discussion, and I like to read what people have to say about the choices and get a feel for the people behind the words. Using the forums is in part about trying to connect emotionally with people, and for me these are both very emotionally-resonant songs.

Obviously these are not forgettable for me, in fact I associate them with what was a traumatic time in my life. I would rather like it to be a forgettable time of my life, but at the same time I find it cathartic to share that experience, and my personal sense of meaning, with people (even if they don't care or respond like they do). I went through a year of serious bullying, anxiety and depression in Grade 8. I went to a new, rough school for one year for complex reasons. I was shy, I had depression, there were serious family issues and I was getting beaten up daily. I just wanted to retreat from the world or die. I still get nightmares, memories of a teacher laughing as one student was punching me in the face (that happened, and never found out why he despised me so much that he would react that way). I was tiny at that age too (grew lots that summer). I've been a teacher, and couldn't imagine not intervening, and laughing at the situation. Thankfully they do take these issues more seriously now, and do try to show more sensitivity and compassion. These songs seemed to helped me to deal with the issues, and things did improve for me.

When I listen to these songs, they still bring a sense of melancholy, but they also reinforce a certain strength. I did overcome the bullying that year, while I'm not proud of it, I started hitting back. When challenged to a fight, I accepted. SO the bullies moved onto easier targets. I would have rather solved the problems with words, I'm pacifistic by nature, and would rather discuss things in a rational manner.   I think the songs gave me some strength to carry on. That said, I still have social anxiety and depression, and the scars never really healed, but.... The next year I went to a really good school and things were good. Anyway, mediocre or not, these songs mean a lot to me.

If I were not exposed to these songs at certain points in my life, well, they might well not mean anything to me and be forgettable. So much of our musical appreciation comes down to our associations, and to understand why certain music appeals to one person and not another requires level of understanding of that person (their history, psychology...). That Joe Walsh one that Lewian mentioned would not have resonated with me (not fragile, or melancholic enough...)

As for I Robot, I discovered the album when I was maybe nine, and I suppose I had mediocre tastes when it came to more popular music. Mostly I did listen to classical music back then, which would be considered "quality" music, but I also loved I Robot and Gary Numan's Replicas. Those albums spoke to me, for whatever reason. Than I got into Pink Floyd, later Jim Hendrix and Cream etc etc. And then Magma, Robert Wyatt and Art Zoyd, well that came much later.

Edited by Logan - April 09 2019 at 12:50

Supertramp

AlParPro

Hide in Your Shell wins by a landslide (at least in my own mind).

Edited by TCat - April 08 2019 at 14:23

I love both songs, but my vote goes for Don't Let It Show. A song that have an incredible moment of light and transmites me a strange couple of hope and melancholy. 

I also would pick "Don't let it Show" out of these two.