#4: "Gone For Good" - The Shins

This band may not have changed my life (like a certain movie character said it would) but they did become a favorite with their 2nd record. This song makes heart breaking sound joyful!

Some write-ups will be longer than others, obviously. Music is often even harder to write about than film. I think in the spirit of one of my favorite records, Chutes Too Narrow, I’ll keep this one concise since that album is concise in of itself (running time - just slightly over a half hour). Simply put, we have our first and certainly not last, breakup song here for the 5 Years Project.

“That fatal flaw in the logic of love would be that love is essentially a selfish act sometimes—it’s something you take from someone, or you seek out because of this very instinctive animal side, the lust side of things. Therefore it’s inherently unfair. I mean, there are people who won’t be considered attractive, and they’ll be left behind. We have this thing where we think that there’s something universal and true about love, that somehow it’s what’s inside that counts, when in reality, to a certain extent, that’s just not true. It’s not actually what counts the most, and that’s the fatal flaw. It’s a really cynical look at it.” – James Mercer

I wouldn’t go so far as Natalie Portman does in Garden State, but I really love The Shins. They didn’t save my life but there isn’t a song of theirs I don’t like on all of their albums. Granted I love some more than others and I’d say “Gone for Good” might be at the very top of the list. Their consistency in crafting a catchy pop song while never neglecting inventive lyrical refrains is just apparent right from the beginning of their breakthrough success of Oh, Inverted World.

Musically, they’re often very straightforward especially in this country-twinged twangy pop ditty. There’s something about the way it begins with a simple C-G progression that’s accompanied by the sound of pedal steel guitar. It’s clear that they’re trying to evoke the country genre a bit this time without dipping into cliche. 

“Untie me” are the first two words we hear. It’s clear the person in this song is ready to be “gone for good,” away from an unfulfilling situation / engagement that has left him drained and uneasy. As much as I love all of The Shins’ lyrics throughout nearly every recorded song, I remember first hearing the line “I found a fatal flaw in the logic of love and go out of my head” and immediately being smitten with the complexity of what that means. Mercer elaborated further in the quoted interview above. Again, this is not a happy song even if it’s pleasant to the ears.

I always thought of it in two ways: yes, love can make you go out of your head (crazy if you will) especially when it comes to disappointment and regret. But finding a flaw in logic can be a good thing - what one feels isn’t always logical so that’s why we often get our heads in the clouds or act impulsively in hopes of making things better. Then a look closer at my favorite refrain and notice the word ‘fatal.’ 

Obviously, the expression ‘fatal flaw’ is a writing device that can be defined as a trait that ultimately leads to a character’s downfall or potentially even their death. This is a tragic story in the tradition of a country pop song. This marriage is over, it’s time to move on and hit the road. Not only that, but this guy wants to have nothing to do with this person anymore to the point of not even wanting her phone number for future contact. “It took me all of a year to put the poison pill in your ear.” The word poison also signifies an ending or death though I don’t think this veers into Johnny Cash territory necessarily either to where the narrator is killing his partner.

It just means it’s over. He’s planted the seed of regret and guilt that they’ve held on for so long when it’s clear that it isn’t meant to be and hasn’t been for a long time. In addition to all of this that comes to mind, I just adore James Mercer’s high treble vocals - he’s more like the antithesis of Matt Beringer in The National. Opting to go up instead of down even if the song itself is a bit of a downer. There was always something about Matthew Sweet’s sweet innocent-sounding voice singing very depressing lyrics encased in doom and melancholy (“Someone to Pull the Trigger,” anyone?).

The simplicity of this song is what keeps me coming back. The chorus in which Mercer sings my favorite line is also implanted in my brain for the long haul. I’m not sure it’s anything deep or profound that warrants a deep dive but it’s on my list of favorite songs for a reason. Maybe it has even more resonance as I get older and have had to sever ties or accept that some love just isn’t meant to be. In the end, it's better to be honest about one’s feelings even if it does hurt the other person. Breakups happen, life moves on, la-di-da.