Title Fight: "Tragedy"

Photo of Irene Guest from the Bain News Service, c. 1920

Tragedy can mean different things to different people. This was originally going to be a Probabilistic Jukebox entry about the Bats, even though I've been writing about New Zealand pop too much lately (they came up in the shuffle - I swear!), but I thought it would be more interesting as a Title Fight.

The Bats version of "Tragedy" comes from their 1987 debut Daddy's Highway. Based on an easy-going guitar strum and a droning organ, the song builds an undercurrent of tension as it goes along until the organ drone drowns everything else out at the end. It provides a nice contrast on an album mostly made up of typical New Zealand jangle-pop, but the lyric is a little harder to figure out. The chorus line of "Tragedy begins at home, or so I'm told," is catchy and memorable, but the actual nature of the tragedy is harder to pin down. Is this about familial problems, possibly abuse? I always thought so, but a closer listen makes me think that it may be about politics or the military, with references to letters from overseas, uniforms, and "mak[ing] a smaller land." Either way, it's a pretty heavy theme compared to the Bats' usual fare.

The Scruffs are experiencing a different kind of tragedy. The Memphis power-pop band got some attention because of their links to Big Star in the mid-70s, but they've never really gotten much recognition. Their "Tragedy" comes from their debut album, Wanna Meet the Scruffs?, and it's all about teenage angst. With a neat opening riff and a nice dramatic chorus, it's about the myopia of youth and the intensity of feeling that comes with being a teenager. Looking back on it, it can seem silly - "It's just a teenage dream when you're old" - but when your sensitive teenage feelings are spurned by the object of your affection, it can be a tragedy of epic proportion in the moment.

Both songs are excellent, but this one goes to the Scruffs because I'm just in that kind of a mood today.

Winner: THE SCRUFFS

"Tragedy" by the Bats

"Tragedy" by the Scruffs