Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

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Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

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Sk8er Boi is a New Wave-style rock'n'roll song composed by Avril Lavigne and The Matrix (Scott Spock, Lauren Christy, and Graham Edwards). Sk8er Boi is distinguished by the clever spelling of the title, by the conservative use of well-placed sound effects, by transitions in mood and rhythm (transitions that are rarely found in rock'n'roll, but more common on classical music), and by the coherent storyline told by the lyrics. Sk8er Boi has an anthemic quality. Other anthemic rock'n'roll songs include, Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Where the Streets Have No Name, Pride, Head Over Heels (by Tears for Fears), We Are The World, and Together by Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark on their "Electric Dreams" album.

BEGINNING. Sk8er Boi (3 min, 41 sec, total) begins with the sounds of spray cans in an alley being clunked together, after being dropped from above by a graffiti artist. This much can be seen in the video. However, if you've not seen the video, the sound resembles that of broken glass. Many of us know of the sound of breaking glass occurring at the 45 second time point of THE MESSAGE, by Grandmaster Flash.

DISTINCT PRONUNCIATION; LACK OF VOCAL FRY. By the 30-second time point, it becomes evident that Avril Lavigne uses a distinct way of pronouncing words. This is the same distinct style that was used by Nicole Stoehr, in the very excellent DEVO album called, "DEV2.0." Fortunately, Avril Lavigne refrains from using "vocal fry." Vocal fry is one of the most annoying techniques used in speaking and singing. Instead of using vocal fry, Avril Lavigne lends a scraping sound to some of her words. Little decorate scraps can be heard at, 27 seconds, 42 seconds, 68 seconds, 2 min 30 sec, 2 min 43 sec, and 3 min 20 sec.

OBLIQUE MOTION. At 9 seconds into Sk8er Boi and again at 21 minutes, the main tune is accompanied by a repeated 2-note riff that is repeated eight times over in exactly the same way. The repeated 2-note riff is accompanied by a melody consisting of a series of four chords, and where the four chords begin with a dominating note that is D, A, B, and B-flat. This D note can be found at the far left end of the piano keyboard, where it is the eleventh white key from the far left end.

There is a name for the type of musical harmony, where a melodious line is accompanied by a row of repeated notes, and where each of the repeated notes is exactly the same as each other, or substantially the same as each other. This name is, "oblique motion." This contrasts with the more usual type of musical harmony that is called, "Diatonic Third and Sixth Intervals." This information is from a video by Rick Beato called, "What Makes This Song Great, Episode 42.

BLURBBLE-BELCH. At 1 min, 58 sec, and separating a vocal part from the subsequent repeated-riff instrumental episode, we find a blurbble-belch sound produced by a synthesizer. I have no idea what inspired this sound, but it does fit into the composition. I've never heard this type of blurbble-belch in any other synthopop recording.

OMINOUS PART. At 2 min 12 sec, comes an ominous episode in a minor key, which lasts for 36 seconds, and where the lyrics go, "Sorry girl but you missed out . . ." Despite the fact that Sk8er Boi is only a short rock'n'roll song, the overwhelmingly ominous quality of this episode reminds me of an ominous part of Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler. Here, I am referring to the beginning of, "Final Scene from Faust" and, in particular, to the 3 1/2 minute time point of the 8 minute and 40 second movement called, "Poco adagio."

HYSTERICAL LAUGH INFLECTION. At 2 min, 50 sec, Avril Lavigne sings, "How we rock each other's world." The word "world" seems to be spoken with a fragment of a hysterical laugh. This reminded me of a hysterical laugh that was uttered by Minnie Driver in, GOOD WILL HUNTING, and it occurs in the pickle scene, where the dialogue goes: "I was hoping to get a good night lay," says Matt Damon. Then, Minnie Driver emits a hysterical laugh, and then she says, "I think I got some of your pickle."

ENDING. The song ends, at 3 minutes and 26 seconds, with a sound resembling that of an aggressive steam locomotive, though if you watch the video for Sk8r Boi, we learn that it is really the sound of a helicopter. A similar, pulsating motoristic sound can be found in the composition, ARCHITECTURE AND MORALITY, on an album by O.M.D. from an album by the same title. This pulsating sound occurs in Architecture and Morality in the time frame from 1 min, 44 sec to 2 min, 58 sec.

by Tom Brody, amazon

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Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

Close

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Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

Close

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Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

Close

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Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

Close

×

Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

Close

×

Avril Lavigne - I'm With You / Sk8er Boi (2003) [DVD Single]

Close