“Let It Happen” by Tame Impala: A Journey Through the Track
Tame Impala is an Australian music project that originated in Perth, Western Australia, and is primarily the brainchild of singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker. The project was formed in the late 2000s and quickly gained recognition for its unique blend of psychedelic rock, dream pop, and electronic music. Tame Impala’s music is characterized by its lush and intricate landscapes, incorporating elements of vintage and modern production techniques. Kevin Parker is the creative force behind Tame Impala, responsible for writing, recording, and producing the majority of the music himself. He is known for his distinctive falsetto vocals, intricate songwriting, and for experimenting with various sonic textures and effects. While Kevin Parker is the creative genius behind his music and produces, makes vocals, and writes lyrics for all songs, he tours with a live band, making Tame Impala a group.
“Let It Happen” plays a significant importance in the discography of Tame Impala. Tame Impala’s third album, Currents, is a follow up to his second album, Lonerism. Kevin Parker says that Lonerism is “about always shutting out the outside world,” but then goes on to explain, “but chapter one of the next story, you realise that at some point there’s so much force around you that to fight it just takes more energy to shut it out. There’s a big undercurrent theme of transition, a transition of the self as a person. It’s about giving in to forces that you can’t control, even though your whole life seems to be wrong.” “Let It Happen” is the first track in Currents, and Parker explains that the song stands to represent a beginning, the first step in a new direction. He says, “It’s about someone finding themselves in this world of chaos,” which explains the title of the song “Let It Happen”. This post will delve deep into the song, analyzing the lyrics, music, and emotions that it evokes in the listeners throughout the duration of the track.
“Let It Happen” by Tame Impala is a song that explores themes of change, acceptance, and the passage of time. The lyrics can be interpreted in various ways, but here is a deconstruction of some of the key details. The line “It’s always around you” suggests that change is a constant presence in our lives. It is not something that comes and goes, but something that is always in the background, whether we acknowledge it or not. Another line that holds significance to the theme of the song is “All this running around”. This could refer to the frantic pace of modern life, where people are constantly busy and always chasing after something, maybe success, happiness, or fulfillment. Later on, Parker sings, “But not nearly as loud as the voice is saying,” which could imply that amidst all the external noise, there’s an internal voice or intuition that’s trying to communicate something important. It might be a call to pay attention to one’s inner thoughts and feelings. Tame Impala explores the idea of embracing change, accepting the chaos of life, and letting go of the need to control everything. It encourages listeners to pay attention to their inner selves and to allow life to unfold naturally, even when it feels overwhelming or uncertain. The repetition in the song underscores these themes, emphasizing the importance of surrender and acceptance.
“Let It Happen” by Tame Impala is considered a musical masterpiece by many, all eight minutes of the track. It is a song about the impermanence and uncertainty of life, and coming to terms with the fact that nothing is forever and that change is inevitable. The lyrics “I heard about a whirlwind that’s coming ‘round/It’s gonna carry off all that isn’t bound” show that Kevin Parker, singer and songwriter of the band Tame Impala, is trying to say that life is going to happen no matter what, and that nothing will be permanent. The chorus, “So let it happen, let it happen” reciprocates that message, saying it is better to go along with life and the changes it brings. In terms of sound, this song starts out with a synth pattern that gradually builds in intensity. Synthesizers are layered to create an immersive landscape of sound that is rich. Kevin Parker’s vocals are heavily processed throughout the song, meant to blend into the reverb and synth of the song. The pitch shifting of the vocals gives Kevin Parker’s voice an outworldly and dreamlike effect. The drums and rhythm of the song are very catchy and tie the song all together. When combined in parts of the song with heavy reverb, the drum adds complexity to the beat, making the song have an infectious feeling. “Let It Happen” features several synth solos and melodies that weave in and out of the song. They are known for their psychedelic and swirling sounds, making the song seem like it came from another world. Another impressive quality of this song is its ability to have so much bass for being such a synth-central song, with mainly electric sounds. The focus of the song seems to be to create a three-dimensional sonic space with dreamlike vocals and an overall otherworldly, psychedelic experience. Another addition to this song is the guitar riff towards the end of the song, which reciprocates the same beat but with a richer beat than earlier in the track. It adds even more depth to the already complex song. It adds growth to the track, almost as it is developing throughout the song, getting deeper as it goes on. It is almost as if the song has layered soundscapes, like mountains and valleys throughout the track, with rivers and streams crossing over as synth melodies or the vocals drenched in reverb. The song doesn’t adhere to traditional song structures, instead building and evolving gradually over the entire seven minutes. This structure allows the listener to become more immersed in the music and be under an experience throughout the song.
This song can be personally related to, and truly resonates with me as a listener. I am reminded of how far I have come, and har far I still have to reach my goals. However, it is also a reminder to me that change is inevitable, and that I should just accept it, whether it is good or bad change. Change allows for character development, which I believe is important as we go through life and its different stages. This song creates a lasting appeal, making it a song that never gets old, despite how many times it gets played. The popularity in mainstream media that this song has received has given Tame Impala an even bigger fan base. Fans of their music have created their own versions or remixes of songs, as well as their own covers using various instruments. Some have even created their own art, such as this example above, which is the merging of two of Tame Impala’s albums together into one image. The creative structure and techniques used in the song are truly what makes “Let It Happen” a work of art and song that leaves the same lasting effect after each listen.
Saniyah Ayala is from Ashland, Oregon, and attended school in Medford, right outside of Ashland. She runs cross country and track for Linfield, and is majoring in Sports Management with either a minor in Marketing or Spanish. Besides hanging out with her friends, she devotes all her time to training to be an even faster runner.
Songfacts. “Let It Happen by Tame Impala — Songfacts.” Songfacts.com, Songfacts, 2018, www.songfacts.com/facts/tame-impala/let-it-happen.
“Tame Impala.” TeachRock, teachrock.org/traceitback/tame-impala/#:~:text=Tame%20Impala.