Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart

I'm a sucker for 80's rock ballads. I didn't listen to them growing up, but my freshman year in college--back when Napster was still...ummm...not legal, but it wouldn't get you arrested--a bunch of us in my dorm downloaded a lot of 80's hits and grew to love them. Among our favorites was Meatloaf; songs like "Hot Summer Night", "Heaven Can Wait", and "Life is a Lemon" appealed to our various moods--hopefulness, joy, romance, angst, and despair. But even more, we loved the music itself, these powerful, soaring melodies that captured the mood of the song and made it almost tangible.

The song "Intervention" from Arcade Fire's latest album Neon Bible has the same effect on me. I love the whole album, but this one song has really grabbed onto me in a way the others haven't. I think a lot has to do with the melody and instrumentation; it works in the same way that Meatloaf does. The song opens with massive organ chords, evocative of the opening of Meatloaf's "Home by Now." There's something about using a pipe organ that conveys a feeling of sacredness and awe to the listener. It's pretty cool.

The brilliance of the song comes when you think about this sacred music in connection to the lyrics. The song tells of people who are trying to work within the established system, desperately trying not to lose hope when their family is faced with hardship and tragedy. Here are some sample lyrics:

You say it's money that we need /As if we're only mouths to feed
Working for the church /While your family dies /You take what they give you /And you keep it inside /Every spark of friendship and love /Will die without a home
Working for the church /While your life falls apart /Singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart
This is what I think makes the song so incredible. While Meatloaf sings about love in its many forms, Arcade Fire sings about those who are struggling to live and celebrates them and what they have to go through. It's not a religious experience exactly, but it's close. Jody Rosen, writing for Slate Magazine, describes Arcade Fire as a combination of U2 and Bruce Springsteen; I think the Springsteen comparison is particularly applicable here. Just like Springsteen was seen as the rock star for blue-collar workers, Arcade Fire sings about those who struggle to get by in a way that doesn't make them victims and doesn't patronize them, but instead, sings in way that shows how their lives are sacred and worth celebrating as individuals.

Now that's a song worth singing.