Around My Head

"Around My Head"
Single by Cage the Elephant
from the album Thank You Happy Birthday
Genre Alternative rock
Label Jive Records, Universal Music Canada, Relentless Records
Writer(s) Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant singles chronology
"Shake Me Down"
(2010)		 "Around My Head"
(2011)		 "Aberdeen"
(2011)

"Around My Head" is the second single and ninth track on American rock band Cage the Elephant's second album, Thank You Happy Birthday. The single was released globally on May 4, 2011.[1] A music video for the single was released on June 7, 2011.[2]

Contents

Background and composition

The song starts on a soft guitar riff, over which lead singer Matthew Shultz sings a melody which matches that of the riff. The influence behind the song has been attributed to The Pixies, and Shultz has stated that he wanted his yells to "sound like Black Francis", who is the band's lead singer.[3][4]

Music video

A music video for the song, directed by Chris Marrs Piliero, was released on June 7, 2011.[5] The video features the band attending a funeral for a woman. Later, at night time, lead singer Matthew Shultz has trouble sleeping. He goes to the graveyard and digs up the woman's grave, and then takes the woman's zombie-like carcass to parties, restaurants and barbecues. His band-mates, friends and other bystanders take great amusement in the slapstick humor that ensues. Throughout the video, Shultz accidentally grills her face and loses her arm. At the end of the video, it is revealed that Shultz was dreaming. After he wakes, he actually goes to the graveyard and digs up the grave. When he presents it to his band-mates, however, they are disgusted. One of the members asks something to Shultz, while swearing at him in the process. Worse, rhythm guitarist Brad Shultz vomits when he sees the carcass.[6]

Reception

Reception to the single was generally mixed. Music review site Allmusic recommended the track as one of the best tracks of the album.[7] However, writer Nikita Miller of music and photography site Hive Magazine states that "the song doesn’t seem thought about at all, basically just a quick in and out of the studio".,[8] although she goes on to say that "it’s a fun song to listen to, in that they’ve added those “oohs” and “aahs” and used the guitars cleverly enough to convey an almost “Weezer-like” happiness in this song."[9] Bradley Ray of The Celebrity Cafe criticized the video, saying "it fails to be shocking and it isn’t really that funny either."[10] The song was not as commercially successful as the first single off the album, "Shake Me Down."

Chart Performance

Chart (2010–2011) Peak
position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[11] 58
U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs[12] 15
U.S. Billboard Canadian Alternative Rock Songs 31
U.S. Billboard Rock Songs[13] 27
U.S. Billboard Canadian Alternative Rock Songs 78

References

  1. ^ "Cage the Elephant--Around My Head". Blog Lyrics. May 4, 2011. http://bloglyrics.net/cage-the-elephant-around-my-head-lyrics-and-music-review.html. 
  2. ^ Around My Head Video Premiere on MTV van Cage The Elephant op Myspace
  3. ^ New Music Review: Cage The Elephant’s New Single Sounds Too Much Like Pixies | Speak Into My Good Eye
  4. ^ Bio — Cage the Elephant
  5. ^ Around My Head | Cage The Elephant | Music Video | MTV
  6. ^ Video Review: “Around My Head” | TheCelebrityCafe.com
  7. ^ Thank You Happy Birthday - Cage the Elephant | AllMusic
  8. ^ "REVIEW // Cage the Elephant 'Around My Head'". Nikita Miller, Hive Magazine. May 17, 2011. http://www.hivemag.com/review-cage-the-elephant-around-my-head/. 
  9. ^ "REVIEW // Cage the Elephant 'Around My Head'". Hive Magazine. May 17, 2011. http://www.hivemag.com/review-cage-the-elephant-around-my-head/. 
  10. ^ "Video Review: "Around My Head". Bradley Ray, The Celebrity Cafe. June 7, 2011. http://thecelebritycafe.com/reviews/video-review-around-my-head-06-07-2011. 
  11. ^ "Archive Chart" UK Singles Chart. The Official Charts Company.
  12. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/cage-the-elephant/969190
  13. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/cage-the-elephant/969190
Cage the Elephant
Matthew Shultz · Brad Schultz · Lincoln Parish · Jared Champion · Daniel Tichenor
Studio albums
Singles
"Free Love" · "In One Ear" · "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" · "Back Against the Wall" · "In One Ear (Reissue)" · "Shake Me Down" · "Around My Head" · "Aberdeen"
Related articles