One person’s view: “It’s a mirthless, wince-inducing slog all-around, in my opinion the worst hit song of the entire year.” – Nic Renshaw @ Pop Goes the Year
The public’s view: 2.53 / 5.00
While I have some editorial discretion in deciding which songs to feature on this blog, my selections are guided by reviews and ratings that others have given. When I saw that Bill Anderson’s “Still” was one of the most poorly regarded hit singles of 1963, and then listened to the record, I wasn’t thrilled with having to write about it. This is an emotional song, one that probably means a lot to some people, and I felt bad about potentially exposing it to ridicule. But then I listened to it again and focused on the lyrics, and realized that anyone choosing “Still” as a sentimental favorite is probably, at a minimum, missing the point. Either that, or they need to seek professional help.
The best part of “Still” is the chorus, though even this is not exactly brimming with excitement. The chorus is sung three times, and the two spoken word verses are placed in between like the filling of a double-decker sandwich. It isn’t quite an edible sandwich, however. It’s more like two sheets of Styrofoam on a slightly stale Big Mac bun. Part of the problem is that Anderson is simply not very good as a spoken word performer. Few people are truly skilled at this, to be fair, but even a so-so spoken section can work when it builds anticipation for some great vocals that follow. In “Still”, any expectation of a glorious falsetto aria is destroyed when the second verse begins and Anderson is still speaking his lines rather than singing. Come on, Bill, we’re paying you to use those pipes!
The lyrics are more worrisome than the delivery. The singer is addressing a woman who broke his heart, and there is initially some ambiguity about how she left him. My first guess was that this was another ‘60s death disc, and we were going to hear about his wife getting hit by a commuter train while picking up a ChapStick she spotted lying on the tracks. It soon becomes clear, though, that the characters in this song managed to avoid the transportation hazards that brought an early demise to so many of their cohorts. Their relationship did not end due to a tragic accident, but because the woman realized that life would be better without Mopey McMopeface tagging along. It was a smart move for her, but the guy is incapable of processing the break-up in a healthy way. Rather than gradually recovering from the loss, he admits that his abnormal obsession with his ex is actually getting worse with time.
I reviewed a similarly themed song on my #1 hits blog: James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful”. Like “Still”, Blunt’s ballad might superficially be perceived as a touching tribute to a woman, when in fact it’s a distressing psychological portrait of a man descending into self-harm. I like this about “You’re Beautiful”, though I seem to be in the minority. That song works for me because of Blunt’s bizarre voice and the lyrics that bounce from one extreme to another, but “Still” doesn’t have any of this manic-depressive energy. Much of it doesn’t even have singing. It is just depressing.
“Still” doesn’t insult the listener’s intelligence, so I won’t give it my lowest rating. However, if I was forced to choose a somber top 10 hit to put on repeat during a rush hour commute, I would pick “Tell Laura I Love Her” over this. I have a feeling that Laura will get over the death of her Tommy faster than the guy in “Still” recovers from being dumped.
My rating: 2 / 10
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