My Favorite Song from High School: ‘On the Bus Mall,’ by The Decemberists
Where my obsession with all things indie started.
When I was 16, I decided that I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Listening to twentieth century folk singers like Joni Mitchell with my mother had sparked a new passion for acoustic music in me — I wanted to be like them, and I still do.
But even though Joni was my main influencer, the first song I learned how to play on my hand-me-down guitar wasn’t one of hers: it was ‘On the Bus Mall’ by indie rock band The Decemberists.
I’m not sure how or why I stumbled across The Decemberists, who released their first EP in 2001, but I do know that as soon as I heard them, I was hooked. Their sound is so special, so unique…it’s hard not to be entranced when their weird lyrics, experimental harmonies, and dreamy guitars first hit your ears.
‘On the Bus Mall,’ a track on the 2005 album Picaresque, tells the epic story of two teens who run away from home and live on the streets, eventually working as prostitutes. The lyrics are so intricately written — In bathrooms and ballrooms, in dumpsters and heirlooms, we bit our tongues; sucked our lips into our lungs till we were falling…such was our calling — it’s easy to be drawn into the song when it feels like someone is telling you a deeply personal story.
The best way I can describe the pure poetry of these words is to compare them to that of Ancient Greek poet, Homer — there is a unique rhythm in the way the lyrics fall off lead singer Colin Meloy’s tongue…it’s what drew me into the song as a 16 year old, and it’s what continues to draw me in today, over six years later.
When Meloy first starts singing, his voice catches you. It’s not perfect, but it’s not imperfect either. Every note he sings wavers a bit, but it’s the best kind of vibrato, the kind that lets you know he gives a shit about what he’s singing.
While the lyrics played a huge part in my desperately indie 16 year old self’s obsession with this song, what brings everything together in ‘On the Bus Mall’ are the ethereal strums of an acoustic guitar mixed with a gentle, wave-like drum and a gentle piano melody played by keyboardist Jenny Conlee.
I think that it was the supposed ease of the music that really caught my attention back in high school…what The Decemberists were doing (and are still doing) was what I wanted to be doing. ‘On the Bus Mall’ perfectly encapsulated the angst, fear, and sadness I was feeling at 16. My parents had been divorced for a long time by then, but my dad had just moved across the globe to teach English in South Korea. I felt like the “kings among runaways” Meloy sings about in the song, and that’s what made it so poignant when I sat down with my guitar and taught myself how to play it. In fact, I named my current guitar December in honor of The Decemberists, ‘On the Bus Mall,’ and who I was at 16.
‘On the Bus Mall’ is more than just a beautiful indie folk song to me. Even though I like to think I’ve grown up a bit since I first opened up Ultimate Guitar to find the basic chords for the song, I realize now that ‘On the Bus Mall’ is representative of the girl I used to be (and still am, to some extent), the young girl who was afraid of the future and of losing people she loved.
This song got me through high school, and it introduced me to a new form of musical expression that wasn’t just ninth-period chorus every other day. I honestly believe that I wouldn’t have become the musician I am today if not for this song. And for that, I am grateful.
