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Title: "I Figured Out"
Album: The Other Side of the Moon (1998)
Genre: Alternative
Rating: 4.1/5
Where I first heard this song
At my university.
What was happening when I first heard it
I was working on an assignment; it was difficult since the learning curve was extremely steep. However, hearing this song made the process bearable.
Review
Imagine it is a very sunny Friday and your senses are heightened to optimal levels as you pick up good vibes all around you. You're blasting this song out of your headphones as you walk down the street while trying to fight the temptation to dance. You have no motivation to work and the only thing you're looking forward to is spending time with friends whom you haven't seen in such a long time. Everything is going great and nothing can stop you. But suddenly, the song comes to a stop and you're brought back to reality. You realize you're back at the office and you glance at your calendar to find that it's only Monday...
This is the feeling I get every time I hear this song. It's one of those songs I listen to when I'm having a bad day or if I need some happy background music as I'm walking from one place to another. It's also very short since there isn't much to the lyrics as it basically repeats each stanza twice. But this shortness is a good thing because if it were any longer, it would become repetitive and lose its appeal. The ability to gain favor from the listener is something The Cardigans do very well in because, despite its length, "I Figured Out" is one of those songs that will catch your interest within 10 seconds of hearing it.
What is very unique about "I Figured Out" is its use of the bassoon as a hook. The only other song where the instrument makes an appearance is in "Sick and Tired," but the latter doesn't give the same effect as it does with this one. What really sets this song apart from "Sick and Tired" is how its hook matches well with its nonchalant melody so that it allows the listener to experience what used to be unattainable feelings of optimism and invincibility.
Although it's a short song, The Cardigans have mastered the technique where the lyrics are written in a way so that the message is delivered within 3 stanzas and the listener will still be able to make a clear interpretation. Based on the lyrics, the song is about a guy letting his guard down to show others who he really is where his personality is analogous to his [bed]room and that he is letting them discover his real character by allowing them to enter his room. At the same time, he leaves himself vulnerable to criticism and judgment against his identity, which doesn't go too well as the person who makes the discovery is feeling uneasy and bothered. This is basically the song in 3 stanzas, repeated twice. The lyrics aren't complex like the instrumentals, but its simplicity is what makes the song stand out.
The only thing I dislike about this song is that it's a little hard to find since it's one of the band's b-sides and rarities that were released only in certain countries. This song can be found in The Other Side of the Moon and Best Of where the first was released only in Japan and Australia while the second is just hard to find due to it being a compilation and double disc album of the band's hits, demos, and rarities. Why do good songs have to be hard to find? This and many of their early works are not even available on Spotify! The only way you can access them is if you look on Youtube (I recommend to check through desktop because most songs aren't available on mobile) or purchase the albums. But even if you like the songs enough to buy the albums, they will likely be pricey due to their rarity, which makes getting a hold of them even more difficult.
Despite it being hard-to-find, "I Figured Out" is a song that is powerful enough to trick the listener into believing that they have reached the end of the week. The above description is the effect the song has on its listener and, as a result, should be heard with precaution.
At my university.
What was happening when I first heard it
I was working on an assignment; it was difficult since the learning curve was extremely steep. However, hearing this song made the process bearable.
Review
Imagine it is a very sunny Friday and your senses are heightened to optimal levels as you pick up good vibes all around you. You're blasting this song out of your headphones as you walk down the street while trying to fight the temptation to dance. You have no motivation to work and the only thing you're looking forward to is spending time with friends whom you haven't seen in such a long time. Everything is going great and nothing can stop you. But suddenly, the song comes to a stop and you're brought back to reality. You realize you're back at the office and you glance at your calendar to find that it's only Monday...
This is the feeling I get every time I hear this song. It's one of those songs I listen to when I'm having a bad day or if I need some happy background music as I'm walking from one place to another. It's also very short since there isn't much to the lyrics as it basically repeats each stanza twice. But this shortness is a good thing because if it were any longer, it would become repetitive and lose its appeal. The ability to gain favor from the listener is something The Cardigans do very well in because, despite its length, "I Figured Out" is one of those songs that will catch your interest within 10 seconds of hearing it.
What is very unique about "I Figured Out" is its use of the bassoon as a hook. The only other song where the instrument makes an appearance is in "Sick and Tired," but the latter doesn't give the same effect as it does with this one. What really sets this song apart from "Sick and Tired" is how its hook matches well with its nonchalant melody so that it allows the listener to experience what used to be unattainable feelings of optimism and invincibility.
Although it's a short song, The Cardigans have mastered the technique where the lyrics are written in a way so that the message is delivered within 3 stanzas and the listener will still be able to make a clear interpretation. Based on the lyrics, the song is about a guy letting his guard down to show others who he really is where his personality is analogous to his [bed]room and that he is letting them discover his real character by allowing them to enter his room. At the same time, he leaves himself vulnerable to criticism and judgment against his identity, which doesn't go too well as the person who makes the discovery is feeling uneasy and bothered. This is basically the song in 3 stanzas, repeated twice. The lyrics aren't complex like the instrumentals, but its simplicity is what makes the song stand out.
The only thing I dislike about this song is that it's a little hard to find since it's one of the band's b-sides and rarities that were released only in certain countries. This song can be found in The Other Side of the Moon and Best Of where the first was released only in Japan and Australia while the second is just hard to find due to it being a compilation and double disc album of the band's hits, demos, and rarities. Why do good songs have to be hard to find? This and many of their early works are not even available on Spotify! The only way you can access them is if you look on Youtube (I recommend to check through desktop because most songs aren't available on mobile) or purchase the albums. But even if you like the songs enough to buy the albums, they will likely be pricey due to their rarity, which makes getting a hold of them even more difficult.
Despite it being hard-to-find, "I Figured Out" is a song that is powerful enough to trick the listener into believing that they have reached the end of the week. The above description is the effect the song has on its listener and, as a result, should be heard with precaution.
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