Originally called “London Bridge 7 Minutes” and played by Sam’s previous band, The Arrest, me and Don lobbied incessantly for Sam to let us do this song. There’s a studio version of the song, as recorded by The Arrest, that I heard shortly after I first met Sam years and years ago. It’s what kind of tipped me off to the fact that Sam was not just a songwriter, but a pretty fucking good one.
The song has a simple, two-chord verse with a little lead noodle, and a doubled-vocal chorus with very sparse notes played on lead guitar. The lyrics, to me anyway, seem completel disassociated and stream of consciousness, which is something I’ve always coveted in other songwriters because I am mentally incapable of writing that way. The song has a very complicated drum scheme to it, and after we convinced Sam to play the song at practice, Don started struggling with getting the drums right, much like he did with the transition from verse to chorus in “Sugarteeth.” Also like with “Sugarteeth,” Don struggled and curses for a few practices, and then started nailing the drums every time.
When The Arrest recorded the demo of “London Bridges” (there’s only one London Bridge, though, right?), they sent it to good ol’ Chris Player in Boston, who sent it back with a sax solo over the bridge (pun not intended). Being a former saxophinist, I am now trying to master that solo for live purposes, to very little avail (yet). The revised lyrics:
pretty tickled, hearts are humble
make it up as you go
paint your victim, tiny fractions
setting the pieces to whole
mistaken for careless
stupid and fearless
from cradle to casket
with our eggs in one basket
pretty victim, hearts are broken
who are you fooling but you?
london bridges, seven minutes
how do you find your way home?
blush and bruise
pretty and useless
do you cry for your children
if they don’t cry for you?
