12. Where The Wild Things

 Where The Wild Things

The first line of this song is most definitely in my top five favorite lyrics of all time. It’s not just the lyrics, but the effects behind the words. If you listen carefully, you can hear a scream after Labrinth sings “...with a face like Krueger and Jason”. Krueger and Jason refer to the horror icons, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. Anyone would reasonably scream if they saw someone with a face resembling either of those characters; that’s a terrifying image. I find the added scream in the background to add so much to the song, even though it is the only time this is used, and only lasts for a moment. The effect is one that stuck with me and makes this one of my top songs from the album. The way Labrinth integrates these types of sound effects and his extreme attention to detail makes this track a masterpiece to me. The scream in the background affected me so strongly because it was something that threw me off the first time listening to the song. I had to go back and listen again because I wasn’t sure what I was hearing. Once I was sure that it was in fact a scream, I was amazed at how much that simple sound added to an otherwise creative but more or less ordinary line. Emotion comes across right off the bat without needing the validation of the rest of the song.

Labrinth continues to talk about an eventful night of surprises and infectious energy. The track is riddled with cultural references, beginning with the title, “Where the Wild Things,” a direct reference to the children’s storybook, “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak. The story follows the young child, Max, after being sent to his room by his mother. He falls into a dream world of a forest with monsters who he befriends and for whom he appoints himself king. The track from Labrinth’s album does not hold this premise too strongly, he is not making himself out to be king or ruler, but the activity of falling into an imagination (subtle nod to the album title) and being in a place reminiscent of the forest from Max’s imagination is a common theme.

The first cultural reference we receive within the lyrics is Freddie Krueger and Jason Voorhees, addressed above, closely followed by the second reference, princesses Cinderella and Snow White. According to Labrinth’s lyrics, the two of them show up to this event together. The place they are all convened is “where the wild things are”; an imaginary world where anyone can befriend another, even if their worlds are not directly related. Krueger and Jason are both horror villains, but they do not typically work together. The one time we see them together is in their cinematic faceoff from 2003. Similarly, Cinderella and Snow White are both princesses but they live in completely different worlds with different stories. Labrinth is attempting to create a crossover between similar characters to create this world where the Wild Things are.

Other references are more subtle, casual cultural references. Labrinth sings, “Look, ma, I’m flying now/ With the young, the rich, and the reckless” which is not a direct reference to anything in particular, but the notion of “young, rich, and reckless” is a common stereotype and expectation of being young in Hollywood. He’s flying among the rest of those who’ve “made it,” while acknowledging that this lifestyle is reckless. A similar tone is taken in Good Charlotte’s “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous,” even with similar lyrics which also stand as the title. I do not know if Labrinth intended to make a nod towards Good Charlotte, as the songs are not comparable besides the idea of living as young/rich/famous people, but if you’re like me and are constantly hearing similarities in many different ways, this is a humorous one. Good Charlotte has been known to be a pop punk band, very popular amongst angsty teens in the early 2000s. Labrinth is considerably more sophisticated and I can’t say I hear an influence from the punk genre in his music.

The tone and progression of the song, along with the instruments used and static effects, creates a setting that feels like a masquerade ball. I imagine the four characters explicitly named roaming around in black tie attire (an odd image for Krueger and Jason, I’ll admit), donning masquerade masks in a very dimly lit ballroom. The background effects and overall instrumentation pushes the image of sparkling floors with high ceilings, something reminiscent of the ball in 20th Century Fox’s Anastasia. Quite a few songs on this album make me feel like I’m being pushed into a walk or strut, this track having a similar effect but slower. I feel as though I should be stepping lightly across a ballroom floor, wary of the people surrounding me. It has a classic tempo, but the beats per minute (BPM) is slowed significantly to feel like more of a relaxed stride than a strut or walking down a hall as we’ve felt before. It is noted to be 140 BPM, however while listening to the song, it is easier to feel the beat if you cut it in half, feeling every other notated beat.

Lyrically, “Where the Wild Things” holds much creativity between the strong instrumentation, background sound effects, and cultural references. This is particularly evident through the cultural nods, but can also be seen through the small classic phrases mixed in. They’re really only notable in the context of the album and Labrinth’s style and themes. For instance, the line “Don’t fuck with my high” could be seen as a regular line. Taken at face value, this simply means “no one mess with my positive mood; I’m in a great place, no one interfere.” However, if taken in context of some of the other songs on the album, the mention of a “high” ties a neat little knot between the drug references in the world of fame and fortune and the feeling of success. The following line “I’ll float on air” is also reminiscent of a drug-induced high, the feeling of floating being created through substance use. A line repeated throughout the choruses, “put your fucking glasses up” may also be seen as simple, but its use and placement binds the song and storyline so well. Putting glasses up is a symbol of praise and congratulations. People will typically say “put your glasses up” when making a toast or cheers. The use of this short line (phrase really) drives the message home that the protagonist of this album is making it big and is enthusiastic about his earnings and success. The use of profanity in such a simple phrase may come off as unnecessary, but the way Labrinth ties it in just makes me think this person is pumped to be at the imagined ball and over-eager to share the moment with everyone. Profanity used out of context does not always add anything substantial to a song and if used only to try and “get one past the FCC” comes off as immature. However, this phrase implements it efficiently, while leaning into some of the rock tone we can hear throughout the album.

In terms of composition, this song is one of the simpler tracks on the album. The beats line up evenly with the lyrics and remain consistent throughout until after the last chorus, before the guitar solo. The beats and electronic instruments taper off and sound as though they are falling off the track. The dissonant beat is picked back up after a few short moments’ rest by a strong guitar, an impressive electric solo, which really holds its own at the end of the song. Something so raw and classic for a rock concert, the guitar adds a different kind of soul to the track. Different from the religious gospel type soul, one more in line with grunge and volume. The primary beat is heard behind the guitar, but that’s about all we hear besides that solo to finish off this track.