I mentioned awhile ago the tune Moonlight Feels Right and it made me wonder about other rock n roll songs that feature a xylophone. Once again that google machine on the internet never ceases to amaze as sure enough here is a listing of the top five xylophone songs (click here.) (Moonlight makes it at #5 even if the author is a little too dismissive of it by dubbing it “Cavity inducing.” That wasn’t fair.)
But on the plus side, the list did include a couple of my all time favorites including Marshall Crenshaw’s song about a Cynical Girl who “harbors no illusions and is worldly wise.” I just happen to know and live with a lady like that and guess what – she doesn’t like T-V either.
However, learning of this xylophone/Cynical Girl connection also reminded made me how tone deaf I am. In the hundreds maybe even thousands of times that I’ve listened to this tune, I’ve never once stopped to recognize and say “Man that xylophone sounds great!” Of course, now that I’m clued in to it I can’t miss it.
However, still think it’s kind of funny that for all these tears years I never realized it was a xylophone that gave the song its unique sound. I heard but didn’t hear it.