The 10 Best The The Songs of All-Time
The The is an English band that has been around since the late 1970s. Matt Johnson is the one constant member, meaning he is the most important contributor by a considerable margin. This band is a product of the post-punk movement. As such, it retains its predecessors’ anti-establishment attitude but takes inspiration from a broader range of sources. Moreover, this band has never stopped evolving, thus making it hard to describe as a single thing. Interested individuals shouldn’t hesitate to check out its discography to see what it can offer them.
Here is our opinion of the ten best The The songs ever released:
10. “This Is the Day”
“This is the Day” is an unusual song with opposite meanings depending on one’s perspective. Its narrator isn’t a happy place. After all, the song opens with him having stayed awake the entire night even though he had nothing to do. However, this proceeds the persistent thought that this might be the day when everything starts going right for him. Someone optimistic might conclude the narrator will indeed muster the will to turn his life around. In contrast, someone pessimistic might conclude that the narrator is dreaming but lacks the determination to do anything.
9. “Sweet Bird of Truth”
“Sweet Bird of Trust” came out in 1986. As a result, it predates the First and Second Gulf Wars. Instead, “Sweet Bird of Trust” took inspiration from incidents that happened while Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were leading the United States and the United Kingdom. Chances are good interested individuals can guess that this song is intensely anti-war.
8. “Gravitate to Me”
As strange as it sounds, “Gravitate to Me” is a love song. Specifically, it is one of those love songs that can sound laughable when performed poorly. Luckily, Johnson was able to sell “Gravitate to Me,” which makes sense because he had already been making music as a professional for a decade when it came out.
7. “Heartland”
“Heartland” is a term that can have strong political connotations. After all, it means that a place is the center of something, meaning everywhere else is peripheral in comparison. As such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that “Heartland” is another intensely-political song. It sees Johnson voicing his discontent that the richer are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. Moreover, he makes it clear he is less than enthused by what he considers the Americanization of the United Kingdom, meaning the song’s name is bitterly ironic.
6. “The Beat(en) Generation”
It isn’t uncommon for people to bemoan the state of things. However, few manage to deliver their message as effectively as Johnson did in “The Beat(en) Generation.” This song came out towards the end of the 1980s during the United Kingdom’s poll tax riots. Despite this, its message continues to resonate in the present.
5. “Jealous of Youth”
“Jealous of Youth” is an old man’s song. The narrator regrets that he can’t do what he didn’t dare to do as a young man. Funny enough, the song acknowledges that he is looking back with rose-tinted glasses because he feels nostalgic for things that might’ve never existed.
4. “Dogs of Lust”
“Dogs of Lust” is a song from the early 1990s. It isn’t the most sophisticated song ever penned. However, it convincingly sells the idea that the narrator is trapped by lust. The song resonated with a lot of people when it came out. It reached the number 25 position in the United Kingdom and the number two position on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in the United States. As such, “Dogs of Lust” has the honor of being the band’s most popular release.
3. “Infected”
“Infected” is the title track from the band’s second studio album. Even now, the latter remains one of the band’s most beloved releases. Still, some of the studio album’s songs stand out more than others. There can be no doubt that “Infected” is one of them, possessing a dark energy that is surprisingly intriguing.
2. “Uncertain Smile”
“Uncertain Smile” is an even earlier release. That is because it came out on the band’s first studio album, Soul Mining. On top of this, it should be mentioned that “Uncertain Smile” was Johnson’s breakthrough into the mainstream, meaning it paved the way for everything that he has produced over the decades. “Uncertain Smile” is one of Soul Mining’s songs about unrequited love. Something that drew inspiration from the man’s feelings for his then-girlfriend. This is an easy-to-listen-to song with a relatable topic. Johnson didn’t have the experience when he recorded it that he would when recording its successors. Still, this song has a sense of authenticity to it, thus enabling it to stand the test of time.
1. “Love Is Stronger Than Death”
Dusk was the fifth studio album. It was put together by the same team that had put together its immediate predecessor. However, Dusk had a more haunted feel to it, which makes more sense when one learns that Johnson’s brother had just died around that time. Many of the studio album’s songs were influenced by his thoughts on the matter in one way or another. “Love Is Stronger Than Death” stands out among them because it is the one in which he tackled the matter head-on. Supposedly, the song served as a way for Johnson to cope with the loss. Under the circumstances, it is no wonder that it connected with many people then and continues to connect with many people now. “Love Is Stronger Than Death” is a beautiful expression of hope in dark times, a song everyone can use from time to time.
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