3 Beautiful Songs by the National
Why I love listening to “All the Wine,” “Rylan,” and “I’ll Still Destroy You”
The National need no introduction. They’ve been around for what feels like forever, and have never stopped making good music. I really started listening to them in my last year of high school, and by that point I was already pretty late to the party. Now, in 2020, their music is just as good, just as relevant, and just as recent (their latest release came out just last year) as ever.
Lately, I’ve been listening to three songs in particular by The National. These titles — which I’ll get into below — aren’t necessarily the band’s three most popular songs, but they’re very good. I’d even describe them as beautiful. It can be hard to discuss what makes songs by The National so good without actually listening to them, but I love the lyrics and instruments here enough that I’m going to try.
And after reading this post, I’d recommend giving all three of these songs a try.
All the Wine
“I’m put together beautifully,” Matt Berninger sings on the first line of “All the Wine,” continuing with “big wet bottle in my fist, big wet rose in my teeth.” These are bold, hubristic words by design, making the song feel like a bold anthem right from the beginning. And if you keep reading the lyric sheet, you’ll find more lines that follow the same pattern.
In fact, taking just the words by themselves, “All the Wine” seems like one of the most arrogant, brash songs ever written. The chorus, “All the wine is all for me” (repeated several times) seems to hammer that point home. But actually listening to the song a few times leaves one with a different conclusion. In reality, it’s sad, almost tragic.
Because no matter how proud, how confident the words of the song sound, there’s a sense of melancholy to the music beneath them. Berninger also repeats many of the lines — especially the titular “all the wine is all for me” — several times. And while it’s possible to read this repetition as a brag, I think it makes more sense as someone trying to convince himself of something. The words sound desperate by the end.
The reason I chose to write a few paragraphs about “All the Wine” is that it’s a truly beautiful song (a description I try to use sparingly). The sense of unease that permeates the verses, Berninger’s incredible delivery vocal delivery, and the subtle guitar notes create an ensemble that remains among the band’s best. Even several albums later, this song remains one of the best in The National’s catalog.
Rylan
This song makes the list because of a driving piano line in the chorus that I find mesmerizing. It’s actually much older than the album it appears on — 2019’s I am Easy to Find — and has been a fan favorite at shows for many years. In any case, it’s a really enjoyable song to listen to and has all of the hallmarks of The National’s style.
“It was fun to have a song we played live and didn’t put out,” Berninger said in an interview with /Pitchfork./ “We could tell it was getting better. I kinda wish we could do that with all of our songs.” As someone who rarely goes to concerts anymore, I’m really glad this one finally made it onto an album since I otherwise wouldn’t even know it exists.
Like many of The National’s songs, “Rylan” has several lyrical layers. At its core though, this one seems to be about offering advice to a younger person. “Rylan, you should try to get some sun,” Berninger sings several times, “you remind me of everyone.” There are plenty of other good lyrical moments, but I find that “Rylan” as a song works not because its words are profound on their own, but because their marriage with the music just works when one listens to it.
I’ll Still Destroy You
One of the things that I appreciate the most about The National is that their music can be either background music or occupy my total attention. The melodies are smooth enough to help me concentrate or write, but the lyrics themselves are incredibly deep and poignant. That’s not exactly news to anyone even remotely familiar with the band. But, it helps me set up why I want to write about “I’ll Still Destroy You”: it’s one of the bands very best songs.
The lyrics deal with anxiety, addiction, parenthood (and a few other themes). And like so many other songs by Berninger, there’s a quiet sense of desperation that lies just beneath the surface of the music. It’s a similar feeling to the wild lyrical gesticulating of “All the Wine,” but delivered much more reflectively. Where “All the Wine” is fast-paced, “I’ll Still Destroy You,” starts off slowly before building into a glorious crescendo at the end.
I’ve been making playlists to listen to while I work on various projects or exercise, and I find myself coming back to this song in particular when I make them. The National is one of the few bands whose music can fit many different settings or moods, but this song is one of the most versatile (at least for my tastes). Just like the other two on this list, its true appeal comes from how the words and instruments fit together.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how impressive the career of the The National has been. The group’s discography is impressive, especially when one considers how universally acclaimed nearly every album of theirs is. Unlike so many other artists that grew old or stale, The National has never stopped experimenting or writing incredible music. I’m confident that when they eventually retire, they’ll go down as one of the most consistent bands in memory.
This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive, or even a “best of.” If I made a list of my favorite songs by The National, there would be many titles that aren’t listed here. But that’s why I wanted to write this post. With a catalog this broad and impressive, it’s easy to lose sight of just how good many of the lesser-known or older songs are. And these three are well worth a listen.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
