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Hook (Blues Traveler song)

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"Hook"
Single by Blues Traveler
from the album Four
ReleasedAugust 29, 1995
StudioBearsville (Woodstock, New York)[1]
GenreRock
Length
  • 4:49
  • 4:18 (edit)
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)John Popper
Producer(s)
Blues Traveler singles chronology
"Run-Around"
(1995) 		"Hook"
(1995) 		"The Mountains Win Again"
(1995)

"Hook" is a song by American rock band Blues Traveler, from their fourth studio album, Four (1994). The title of the song is a reference to the term hook: "A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener".[2] The lyrics are a commentary on the banality and vacuousness of successful pop songs, making "Hook" both a hit song and a satire of a hit song. Commercially, "Hook" peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 40 on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart.

Structure

[edit]

The chord progression of "Hook" is very similar to the basic structure of Pachelbel's Canon in D,[3][4] (D-A-Bm-F♯m-G-D-G-A, or I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V),[5] but transposed to the key of A major. This chord progression is widely used in popular music, often as the hook, leading to other satirical takes on the use of this chord structure.[6]

There are several allusions in the song, one to the story of Peter Pan and his nemesis Captain Hook "no matter how much Peter loved her, what made the Pan refuse to grow, was that the Hook brings you back".

Satire

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The first chorus of the song's lyrics, aimed directly at the listener, assert that the lyrical content of any song is effectively meaningless, as the song's musical hook will keep listeners coming back, even if they are unaware of the reason. In the introduction, John Popper sings:

"It doesn't matter what I say / So long as I sing with inflection / That makes you feel that I'll convey / Some inner truth or vast reflection."

The second verse admits the singer is "being insincere" and describes how the lyrics are intended to manipulate the listener. These lyrics are a satirical take on the formulaic way much popular music is generated. Further on during the bridge, the lyrics become even more blatant by criticizing MTV and claiming formulaic music is an easy way to make money: "When I’m feeling stuck and need a buck/ I don’t rely on luck, because/ the hook brings you back..."

The musically "lazy" chord structure viewed in combination with the meta-lyrics reveal the true extent of what a critic for The A.V. Club describes as song's "genius": "the commentary is a big joke about how listeners will like just about anything laid on top of the chords of the infinitely clichéd Pachelbel canon, even lyrics that openly mock them for liking it."[5]

The ultimate irony is the lyrics actually do have something insightful to say about the listener's relationship to pop music.

Music video

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The music video was directed by Frank W. Ockenfels and depicts a man, played by game show host Ken Ober, channel surfing through late-night television. He first watches a beauty pageant whose contestants lip-synch the song as the host (erroneously credited as Milton Berle on IMDb) interviews them. For the second verse, a character modeled after Charles Foster Kane lip synchs at a campaign rally. The band appears in each of these segments, then plays the bridge of the song in the man's apartment, with John Popper taking his place on the couch. During the final portion of the song, the man starts changing channels quickly, often returning to see Paul Shaffer lip-synch the lyrics and play keyboard with the band. Finally the man turns off his TV set and starts to read a book about the American Civil War.[7]

Shaffer was bandleader for Late Night with David Letterman, which gave Blues Traveler critical early exposure. Shaffer contributed backing keyboards to "Stand," another track on Four. During the final sequence of channel changes, several split-second clips from the video for the previous single "Run-Around" are seen.

Charts

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Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States August 29, 1995 — A&M [citation needed]
Japan November 25, 1995 CD [20]

References

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  1. ^ Walsh, Christopher (13 October 2001). "Songs From The Wood: 30 Years of Bearsville Studios". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. ^ Covach, John (2005). "Form in Rock Music: A Primer". In Stein, Deborah (ed.). Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 71. ISBN 0-19-517010-5.
  3. ^ Ess, Amanda (August 27, 2008). ".Listen.- Blues Traveler "Hook"". Something.Of.Substance. Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  4. ^ "Hook by Blues Traveler". Songfacts.
  5. ^ a b Guendelsberger, Emily (August 7, 2012). "Why "Hook" by Blues Traveler is actually a pretty genius work of metafiction". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  6. ^ Paravonian, Rob. "Pachelbel Rant". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Music Video on YouTube
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2919." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 2820." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "Blues Traveler Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  11. ^ "Blues Traveler Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  12. ^ "Blues Traveler Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  13. ^ "Blues Traveler Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  14. ^ "Blues Traveler Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  15. ^ "Blues Traveler Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  16. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  17. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 23.
  18. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 24.
  19. ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30.
  20. ^ "フック | ブルース・トラベラー" [Hook | Blues Traveler] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
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