The way she sweeps the notes when singing "the sweeping insensitivity of this still life" is one of my favorite moments in music. It still gives me chills to this day.
This song is CRIMINALLY underrated. Her vocals and the effects on it are simply STUNNING and so artistic. I usually dont obsess over many vocalists but Imogen Heap is a legend and deserves respect.
I've been obsessed with this song and artist since hearing it on the soundtrack of "Normal People". The U.S. misses out because it often fails to promote great British shows and artists. Here in Canada, we're a bit more amenable to international films and artists.
This song is awesome. I was saddened when I heard the most emotional part of the song, and understood it was ripped off by some jackass that was played commercially.
I actually heard this song for the first time on TH-cam on a slide show that was made for all the Victims of Columbine high school. I cried so hard not from just the images but the song. Her voice, the lyrics. It was all just so sad. So, now I think of them every time I hear this song. RIP To all the students and teachers that died that day
@@SusanCross-o9lthis song was certified gold in the United States, it was realised the same night as it was launched on that massive show the o.c. I’m sorry I just get irked when people say something is underrated, it was massively popular in the us and in places here like Australia. People appreciated then and still do now
Story time. I was in my brothers car and I saw “hide and seek” started playing on Spotify. (I had no idea what the name of this song was) in the first 3 min or so I was thinking…. This is totally a song that would play in a space documentary. Then when she said “mmm watcha sayyyy” I was like WHAT THE DJSHFNM LTLEMGMFMGMKGGM KKFKGKGKhl so yeah
"Heap uses a keyboard-controlled digital harmonizer (similar to a vocoder) on the song to generate distorted harmonies of her voice, lending the song its altered a cappella sound."
She managed to make a song with almost zero musical backing entertaining and deeply emotional. You need an impressive understanding of melody to be able to do this. Something I don't really see anyone even mentioning, either. As a musician, I seriously admire the courage to put out something like this. No piano, no drums, no guitar, no bass, just vocals.
It's probably my favorite. Once you realize she's writing from the perspective of a child whose parents are getting divorced, the lyrics suddenly make perfect sense and become really powerful.
I can't believe it either lol. This has been a nostalgic favourite of mine since I was very young. Before TH-cam a friend downloaded it on my computer. Back in the day. So glad you were able to find it.
why am I always 15 years behind great music? I just found this 2 days ago (thank you, reddit stranger) and have listened to it about 50 times...so pure.
Ahead of it's time? Oh so you know what the future holds? That would be the only way that makes any sense. Besides you're wrong, this music is pure trash.
@@michaels.330 man why you gotta ruin the fun, this is a phenomenal use of autotune harmonization, and of course what is good to us may not be enjoyable to you, but going to the comments just to say you dont like it is spreading useless negativity
The fact that this song is about her remembering how she felt about her parent’s divorce when she was a kid makes this song grip the soul so much more. Pure poetry! Just wow!
@@ssliperyslopee listen to the lyrics, she's singing about the stuff that happened when her parents divorced, 'oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before' mean pictures and paintings taken fown from the walls leaving only their discoloured marks. The chorus itself is about how people who divorce say its for the best, but its never for the best from the child's perspective, it's literally their world breaking apart.
@@Despotic_Waffle There's no official song meaning. It's certainly a song about *loss*, however it's written ambiguously enough that many interpret it to even be about the holocaust. Heap herself said: "It's full of color, but it's colorless. It's full of meaning, but it has no meaning. It has so much for you as the listener to identify with it and fill in the gaps." Personally, I can see how it fits well as a metaphor for divorce AND as an extremely disturbing metaphor for the Holocaust. The removal of possessions. feeling confused and scared by where you are now. Trains. (The infamous death trains) Sewing machines. (labour/death camps.)
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap is the most beautifully written song I have ever heard. Most people know of it from the song Watcha Say by Jason Derulo, who took the catchy chorus and left the art behind. The original song is difficult to fully understand, and Imogen Heap has never explained it, which makes the hidden gem even more beautiful-people listen but never hear. It took me over a decade to fully grasp it, and I’ve decided to write it down with the hopes that someone else can experience it the way I experience it. Imogen sings the song from the perspective of a woman whose husband has fallen in love with someone else. She never explicitly states it, but the lyrics suggest the husband had an affair and eventually blindsided his wife with divorce. Anyone who has been through a traumatic experience knows the negative feelings come in waves. You distract yourself and momentarily forget, then the realization of what happened comes flooding back. It is like experiencing it over and over again on repeat. The beginning of the song starts with the woman walking through their empty house that has recently been packed and the furniture has been hauled away. Another wave of emotion brings her back to a reality she doesn’t recognize, and she says: Where are we? What the hell is going on? The dust has only just begun to form Crop circles in the carpet Sinking, feeling If you have ever moved furniture out of a house, you know that the carpet under the furniture is lighter in color. This is because it has never been exposed to the dust that settles on surfaces over time, and it is only noticeable over very long periods of time. These are the crop circles she’s describing in the carpet, which had only just begun to form because their marriage ended sooner than the dust had time to build up. She’s in such disbelief that the butterflies in her stomach make her feel like she’s sinking. The disbelief continues with the next line. Spin me around again And rub my eyes This can't be happening When busy streets A mess with people Would stop to hold their heads heavy It took me awhile to understand the last three lines of the second verse. Imogen took artistic liberty and used the word “people” once for two separate lines. It flows beautifully the way she wrote it, but the meaning is clearer when it’s written like this: When busy streets A mess with people (people) Would stop to hold their heads heavy This line is the first place that suggests an affair occurred. When busy streets full of people stop to hold their heads heavy for a stranger, it implies the situation is so sad that it can invoke emotions from people hearing about it in passing. I also want to point out that the second verse is sung with more force. As the wave of emotion continues to hit her, her sadness starts to become anger. Then the chorus comes. It’s of the memories of them spending time together and raising their child in that house. It’s sung softly and delicate as she reminisces about the happiest parts of their relationship. Hide and seek Trains and sewing machines All those years They were here first The chorus is short. It was meant to be. The first two lines are happy thoughts. The last two lines turn into sad thoughts. Then the anger comes back, and the third verse is sung with even more intensity than the previous verse. It’s beautiful how Imogen uses her artistic style to portray this woman’s unstable emotions. The third verse is also my favorite verse of any verse that has ever existed. I love it because it doesn’t appear to make any sense. It took me a long time to figure out what Imogen was saying, but when I did, I could feel the raw emotion. The third verse starts as the woman continues walking through the empty house, and she says: Oily marks appear on walls Where pleasure moments hung before The takeover The sweeping insensitivity of this Still life When you move out of a house and everything is gone, there are holes throughout the walls from the nails that held up picture frames. Before you paint, you have to cover them with puddy or spackle. These are the oily marks that have appeared, and the pleasure moments that hung before were their family pictures. The takeover describes what it feels like the other woman is doing to her life. “Still life” refers to the same pictures described before as “pleasure moments” with the only difference being that the pictures are now in a box. The pleasure moments have become still life that show no feeling or concern for the negative feelings they now cause this woman to have. It’s so deep and beautiful. If you’ve ever found still life of your own that was lost and forgotten, I’m sure you can feel everything this verse is expressing. The chorus comes again-soft and delicate. Happiness turns into sadness. Sadness turns into anger. Hide and seek Trains and sewing machines (You won't catch me around here) Blood and tears They were here first This time, after her happy memories, she says “you won’t catch me around here.” She decides she is not going to spend time in those memories because sadness always follows. Blood and tears symbolize the work it took to get to where they were. All that work and all those happy memories were here before that other woman. Notice how the anger builds from the second chorus into the bridge. All is fair in love and war, but she is furious that her husband would claim what he’s doing is for the best. Mm, what'd you say? Mm, that you only meant well Well of course you did Mm, what'd you say? Mm, that it's all for the best Of course it is Mm, what'd you say? Mm, that it's just what we need You decided this Mm, what'd you say? Mm, what did she say? The last line switches from “what did you say” to “what did she say” and becomes softer and delicate. Anger turns into sadness, and she pleads for the reasons this is happening. She wants to know what the other woman said to make him give up everything they had. The last set of lyrics is the outro, and it is so artistically beautiful. She is back to being sad and sings softly: Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit (You don't care a bit) Oh, no, you don't care a bit Oh, no, you don't care a bit Uh-uh, you don't care a bit You don't care a bit You don't care a bit When marriages end, things can get ugly. How do you split everything fairly? How do you share custody of your child? Who is in the wrong? How much do they actually deserve? Ultimatums and accusations can feel like ransom notes that just keep coming. Trying to be nice and cordial is the mid-sweet talk between the words filled with poison; cut out from a newspaper and glued to a page; no feeling in them at all. These lyrics show the saddest part of their entire relationship. Overlayed in the background Imogen sings “hide and seek”-a memory of the happiest part of their entire relationship. It is absolutely beautiful, and that’s the way life is-the highest highs come with the lowest lows. Nothing lasts forever, and the experience in its entirety is beautiful. I just hope the woman in this song kept her insensitive still life long enough for them to become pleasure moments to her again.
It is beautiful you have taken the time to decipher this. I am in awe and would have never realized what this was about and what a well crafted story of heart break.
@@yoooo1552 I’m so glad even one person took the time to read it. I’m glad you liked it. The line “oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before” gets me every time.
I’ve heard a lot of people saying it’s about a divorce, but from the kid’s perspective talking to the parents. I didn’t really get that interpretation…. But this one feels so much more right! I’m sorry you had to feel these things in order to understand the song’s meaning.
My wife loved this song, we were together 25yrs. She is dead now, and I come here to remember and cry. The dust has only just begun to form crop circles in the carpet.
I wish you the best Mazystar- my father recently passed and this song was very symbolic of his and my mother's relationship - so many people hold this song precious with you and your wonderful wife - cherish her memory always ❤
I am also turning 35 in the summer, and I don't know if I had ever actually heard this original. Definitely not in full. Forgive me, I feel blessed to be able to hear such a beautiful creation of modern music. Thank you, Good night.
I wish I could hear this for the first time again. I used to take my friend's car on short midnight drives and listen to new underground releases on local radio. This had just come out and started playing on one of those eerie, liberating night drives. It was completely possessing and synchronized with the night in the most profound way.
To me what’s incredibly beautiful is the first time she says “they were here first” and she sounds so defeated. The next time she says that same line, she says it with conviction. This song is incredibly moving
yeah, the whole song kinda sounds as if you're underwater in my opinion, like you're drowning in a way.. i would explain why i think that but it'd prob be a long explanation so ill spare you ahha
0:35 Something about the “spin me round again” line gets to me every time. Whenever this song plays in a show it’s that line I look forward to the most. It has a certain je ne sais quoi
i think what's really catchy about this line is that it really give a sense of spinning the way she's singing it! like i can really see the worlds spinning like a sphere
This is still one of the most impressively creative songs I’ve ever listened to. The harmonies, the absolutely incredible use of vocal layering. Haunting, beautiful, timeless. I’ll never not adore this song.
3:10 this whole song is heavenly but that part keeps replaying in my head and it may be my favorite part. But who would dare to split this masterpiece into sections?
I had a Music Appreciation class in 9th grade before Covid, and we always did a song analysis at the beginning of class, we listened to this one day and when it got to 2:50 "MMM Watcha Say" There was a big gasp throughout the room because this was nostalgic.
It’s crazy to me that she made a song debately better than almost the entire top 100 billboard currently with just one single effect. Imagine the talent
I’ve never heard anyone create a song this creatively unique, clever, and heartbreakingly beautiful before or since. The confidence required to use your *own voice* as the ONLY backing instrument in an entire 4-minute song is incredible, and she carried it flawlessly. This may be 14+ years old, but it is truly a timeless classic. I hope the artist never forgets that she left her mark on the world with this painfully gorgeous creation.
@JJ-nl2ir100%. Big Science is one of my favorite albums of all time--it _still_ sounds like it could be a brand new album. This song and O Superman will always hold a special place in my heart. I feel they both encapsulate the unspoken pains of childhood that one must shoulder into adulthood alone. But these songs, they make you feel less alone in doing that.
This song sounds like what it feels like immediately after you've experienced a deeply traumatic event. You feel like a fish out of water in a whole new reality. The confusion, the disassociation, but also the oddly freeing feeling that comes when the foundation of your whole world has been upended.
People here don't seem to realise that this is a masterpiece. Incredible vocoder using and experimentation over multiple melodies. Amazing lyrics. Amazing song
@@thedon.32 No it doesn't, it sounds incredible. It's perfect the way it is, adding instruments to it would ruin it. Besides, she's technically playing an instrument and accompanying herself using a vocoder. It's like a piano that plays back your voice instead of piano sounds, to put it simply. It's a keyboard synthesizer that takes your vocal input and gives an output based on what keys you're pressing on the time with the pitch shifted, which is why she has a chordal accompaniment. Not everything needs drums and guitar or EDM and all that. Music like this can be so much more powerful and vulnerable without all of that.
Yes, as a songwriter, this is a masterpiece. She is remarkably talented. Writing a song this intimate and beautiful is a huge achievement, regardless of the level of appreciation shown by the masses. I think she knows that, as well.
EXACTLY!! I've always said there's jus somethin about the way song and video makes you feel somethin. The 1st time I ever heard this song I was listening to music on TH-cam to try to take my mind off of the fact my Dad just passed. So I fall asleep listening to music and this is the 1st song I hear when I wake up. Though the song sounds sad it helped me deal with loss, grief, anger and acceptance of losing someone you love. There's somethin very spiritual or ethereal about it idk but after I listened to the song I jus felt this overwhelming sense of peace, serenity , tranquility and acceptance it almost freaked me out because I hadn't felt any of those for the past month. I found solace in this song and it changed the way I handle or deal with loss and grief for the rest of my life.
This song blew up so much, somehow only ended up with 36 million views. From the OC, to late night TV, to memes, to all the covers. She's literally the queen of electronic music from 2000-2010.
@@jullkinThe keyboard is providing the carrier signal to the vocoder, but without the vocals providing the modulator signal it will just result in silence.
Jason Derulo gave himself a career. He had two other hit songs in the same album as "Watcha Say" ("Ridin Solo" and "In my Head"). He would've gotten to this point in his career no matter what. Everyone saying this lady was the reason of Derulo's success is absolutely ridiculous. There's a reason he made it further in the music industry than her.
This is one of those mathematically perfect songs. Great composition and arranging, great production, great vocal performance, great melodies, great harmonies. Overall just an excellently written song. I can’t for the life of me think of anything negative to say about it.
Funfact. After you listen to this... did you notice there are no instruments. The only instrument she used was a vocoder piano. Which is just her voice playing as the chords/keys through a microphone. Like this song is so next level that it is wild. I think most musicians know this is a gem and the rest of us are just bland rocks lol. Also no joke, I think she hits 12 different octaves in this song. 😂🤯🤯🤯🤯
This song really does stand apart from others of the time. Dissonant minor chords, progressing to dissonant major, and divergent melodies at the end seemingly in fugue. Many songs convey 1 emotion at a time, this song conveys mixed emotions in every measure. Truly a technical masterpiece, weather you like the song or not.
For me, i have BPD, Schizophrenia, PTSD from abuse relationships with narcassists/growing up one wise, Stockholm Syndrome, ect ->• To me, it’s the chaotic thinking/feelings explains the cycle of how it is to be abused or in a dysfunctional household. It has a eerie beautiful way of explaining it if you understand. Theres really good explanations out there if you look in the comments or look it up. This song was weird to me as a child cause i wasn’t developed enough to be open minded to the art of it. MY perspective of a few lines of the song that stick out the most: •”Spin me around again, and rub my eyes This can't be happening” The cycle of abuse/BPD episodes in general give you a intense rush of highs of lows, and you feel stuck, confused, sometimes a rude awakening, but your brain races with questions/you doubt yourself on how this couldve gone differently if you “behaved” or imagine how else it couldve gone (its worse than you imagined oc) with made up scenarios that gives you the mania you crave after everythings okay again. You self sabotage as a form to ‘punish yourself’ and not bother anyone else/cope at the same time; its vicious/draining. •”They wont catch me around here” Remembering the fun places you went in childhood, they wont catch you as an adult there, and your child-self that still never grew up, is gonna play a “catch me” game from being hurt so she at least never suffers. •”Crop circles in the carpet Sinking, feeling” Blood stains from self harm or abuse, and as you see it slowly sinking in the fabric, youre feelings intensify remembering it/having flashbacks that’ll always be there like the darkened stain is. •“The takeover, The sweeping insensitivity of this, Still life” The Schitzophrenia highs and lows/delusions during and after, but thats how life is supposed to be for you, or the “still” can be the ‘stuck’ feeling of being trapped in your mind. •”Mm, what'd you say?” A statement to them or a taunt to yourself, that ‘ruined the situation’ by speaking or not staying quiet, or how DARE THEY say that, it fuels the fire •”That you only meant well Well of course you did” The relationship/Idea of your adulthood always feels perfect the most in the begging due to both of your enthusiastic promises/ideas planned for eachother/yourself. •”Mm, that it's all for the best. Of course it is/That it's just what we need. You decided this” Where you are rn is the best you feel it’ll get and anywhere else is a chance of getting worse, so of course it is this way that you both decided, espdcially after the manic rush is gone. •”Where are we? What the hell is going on?” After an angry drunken night, youre remembering the fight with your partner along with the hangover/headache wondering where you stand •”All those years, They were here first” The exes/ppl that stayed longer/were before you that can feel like competition of self worth cause “time is value and if youre not worthless you’ll be important enough to be there longer” (a BPD/Trauma delusion of mine) •”Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit” Look up BPD episodes it explains itself.
i think it's because the mmm whatcha say part is fueled by anger in terms of the narrative of the song. it's the most aggressive part of the song and the lyrics themselves are what you'd typically hear in an argument fueled by anger and sarcasm. like before this part she doesn't understand why what's happening to her but is blindly accepting it. but the mmm whatcha say part is a turning point in her thinking and she's questioning her situation. and it ends so quietly as it seems that she knows that she doesn't have a choice but to accept her situation. at least that's what i think.
Usually that part is called the bridge. It’s slightly different from the rest of the song, but it ties the message of the song together. Many songs have bridges, you just have to listen to the slight change in tune and beat.
This is one of the greatest song I’ve ever heard. The chord progression has a beauty and a melancholy to it, and the effects on the vocals are incredibly innovative, especially for the time. The bridge (the mmm what ya say part) is, all memes aside, one of the catchiest tunes I’ve ever heard. The lyrics are a gorgeous telling of her parents divorce and are super creative. “Oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before” paints a vivid picture of paintings being taken down and compared to good memories being ruined. This whole song being written from the point of view of herself when she was 12 makes it all the more heartbreaking and I heavily relate to all the themes she writes about. Honestly this is a masterpiece and I can’t think of many songs that are better than this.
@@Red-TheRat I actually hate that song. Don't understand the hype. But this song here isn't the epitome of music either. It's all vocoded lmao. Still pretty tho, much more than Bohemian Rhapsody.
@@DylanM848 I discovered Imogen Heap years ago from a TV show. I have like 4 remixes of the song, and several others of hers. But feel free to doubt me, it really makes no different to me... or anyone, really.
@@DylanM848 Oh its cute how you think you know, well, anything at all about me really. I mean I know you're just a troll but still... Ill play along: when DID I hear about Imogen Heap then? Like, what day and time specifically? Also what's my shoe size, guy? 😉
@@cathymouse3781 It's one of those songs that is so ahead of its time. I only discovered it years after it had already been released and was shocked to learn it was from 2005
This song came out right around the time my parents' divorce was finalized and they'd moved into separate houses, so it's been there for me a few times. Thank you, Imogen Heap, you're amazing.
I'm sorry. No one should ever have to go through that. I'm in a similar situation right now and I've been listening to this constantly. Hope you know Jesus loves you and God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.
I pray Jesus will help you and heal you and you will believe in him. I don't know about you but listening to this song helps me realize I am still not healed from my parents' divorce oh so long ago, but I know Jesus is here for me and it's my only hope. Please go to the Bible and meet Jesus and find the only comfort in such drawn-out pain.
Music is the language of the soul. What an amazing story this song tells. Not just by its words...but by its broken melody and silence. It creates something that we feel deeply and understand even though we can’t put it into words.
2:52 to 3:23 is so timeless. Such an epic part of this song. It’s so amazing what she did with this masterpiece. It’s so simple yet complex at the same time
@@bfosterETVJason derulo’s song is a mockery and totally butchered this song. Good thing no one listens to that garbage anymore but people come back to this instead. Just my opinion though.
@@termin8or123 you're entitled to that opinion but it's possible that your energies were just not aligned to the song in the time and place you heard it. i will say the Glasses Malone + Lil Wayne version is way better
I first heard this whole song on Spotify in one of my daily mixes, for whatever reason. When, half way through the song, she busts out "mmm whatcha say," I was completely blindsided and struck by simultaneous hysterical laughter and heart palpitations.
@@MasterKingSirPlease i still didn’t find it that way i had to go to that one SNL sketch where they kept shooting each other with this song and go to the description to get the sing lmfao
I interpret this song as a bad breakup, where he leaves you suddenly after years together with kids. Crop circles in the carpet from the furniture removed, oily marks on the walls from where the family pictures hung.
I read in a Reddit thread that it’s a song about her recollection of her feelings during her parents divorce. Essentially a breakup song but.. probably way more emotional investment here
Jokes aside, this is amazing how there’s really only one instrument playing. Even then, there’s no notes, no music, just her melodic voice. It’s really an acapella. Really smart. I’m not the first to say this, I can’t be, but it’s just rare that a song like this can become so popular. I’m glad.
I lost my mother 8 years ago. Im autistic and schizophrenic and she was the only one that understood me and made me feel loved. My life is in perpetual hell, I want to not be here. This song takes me back to the last moments with my mum. I love you mum, we'll be together again one day
Dude, please don't give up, okay? I'm glad that you're still here, and I can't wait to see what incredible things you bring into the world. It doesn't matter what you give, but know that whatever it is, it matters, and so do you. Your mother loves you, and I want you to remember that.
That was easily the most intense musical experience I've ever had. Can't remember the last time something brought a tear to my eye let alone full blown, snootty nose, can't breath ugly crying.
@@chill6211 couldn't agree more! If anything I almost feel that of they tried to use any instrument it'd take away from the orchestra that is her voice. I am kinda happy it had a second rise in popularity, wish it wasn't just a meme soundbyte though 😅
![Imogen Heap - Goodnight and Go (Immi's Radio Version) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iqjWodek8ZM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Imogen Heap - Goodnight and Go (Immi's Radio Version) [Official Video]](/img/tr.png)
It's crazy how disembodied the popular part seems from the rest of the song, magical.
Zachary Bayerl yea HAHHAH
perfectly put
Mmm watcha say
I'm convinced that's only because of its popularity. Listening to this song countless times now over the years, it's a very natural movement.
Maybe is because you listen to the popular part first.
The way she sweeps the notes when singing "the sweeping insensitivity of this still life" is one of my favorite moments in music. It still gives me chills to this day.
Especially when hit the “this” and it goes black then immediately gets light again at “stillllll life”
I first heard this song around 16 years ago and I still keep it in regular rotation. Chills literally every single time. It's a masterpiece
@@zoegrimes2070 absolutely beautiful.
Indeed!
Thank you for the musical knowledge, very much appreciated!!!
If this woman never did anything else in her life than create this song, she's earned her wings.
So you gay?
@@frozinglp6445 bro even if they were it shouldn't matter
@@frozinglp6445 ok that came outta nowhere😂😂
FrozingLP That’s the most random and unrelated response to a comment I’ve ever seen. 😂
@@frozinglp6445 that's a really weird way to flirt
This song is CRIMINALLY underrated. Her vocals and the effects on it are simply STUNNING and so artistic. I usually dont obsess over many vocalists but Imogen Heap is a legend and deserves respect.
I've been obsessed with this song and artist since hearing it on the soundtrack of "Normal People".
The U.S. misses out because it often fails to promote great British shows and artists. Here in Canada, we're a bit more amenable to international films and artists.
This song is awesome. I was saddened when I heard the most emotional part of the song, and understood it was ripped off by some jackass that was played commercially.
I actually heard this song for the first time on TH-cam on a slide show that was made for all the Victims of Columbine high school. I cried so hard not from just the images but the song. Her voice, the lyrics. It was all just so sad. So, now I think of them every time I hear this song.
RIP To all the students and teachers that died that day
@@SusanCross-o9lthis song was certified gold in the United States, it was realised the same night as it was launched on that massive show the o.c. I’m sorry I just get irked when people say something is underrated, it was massively popular in the us and in places here like Australia. People appreciated then and still do now
2:53
The only one who can pull off filming vertically
Ikr. This is the only time you don't feel like murdering someone for filming in portrait mode.
I didn't even notice
The director used the filter to compliment her face
KPOP fans filming idols: 👁️👄👁️
Apple is trying their hand at it now
I just realised that this song is made with only her voice and vocoder. Stunning
It's not a vocoder but an Harmonizer
@@pereiraquentin1089 a vocoder is used actually
@@pereiraquentin1089 Harmonizer sounds different. This is a classic Vocoder chord Used in Fruity Loops.
And a fan
@@Bishopgoldy she stated in an interview that she used the Polyvox module to create this song, which is a harmonizer
This song should be broadcasted into deep space
this is so true damn
"yo guys lets go here, this planet FUCKS"
Story time. I was in my brothers car and I saw “hide and seek” started playing on Spotify. (I had no idea what the name of this song was) in the first 3 min or so I was thinking…. This is totally a song that would play in a space documentary. Then when she said “mmm watcha sayyyy” I was like WHAT THE DJSHFNM LTLEMGMFMGMKGGM KKFKGKGKhl so yeah
YES
Probably wouldn’t be heard at all considering how sound works in space
2:52 JUMPSCARE I DID NOT EXPECT TO HEAR THAT HERE
SAME
LITERALLY
SAME 😭😭😭😭😭
LITERALLY.
LITERALLY MY REAACTION
This song literally had no beat or instrumentation whatsoever, yet somehow she makes it work.
Antonym of fail, right?
"Heap uses a keyboard-controlled digital harmonizer (similar to a vocoder) on the song to generate distorted harmonies of her voice, lending the song its altered a cappella sound."
Just noticed that. Amazing
It's called "a-capella." (Ah kuh-pəll-uh)
How do you pronounce backwards and upside-down "E"?
*This sounds like a song that should be played in every movie when someone dies*
Well then
Make this a petition
Here it is th-cam.com/video/HZr27cEFYyY/w-d-xo.html
It's a meme already
Hxnny Lynn the oc 😭😭😭
She managed to make a song with almost zero musical backing entertaining and deeply emotional. You need an impressive understanding of melody to be able to do this. Something I don't really see anyone even mentioning, either. As a musician, I seriously admire the courage to put out something like this. No piano, no drums, no guitar, no bass, just vocals.
I need to love this comment
True words!!
Your name tho ❤️
Believe just vocals😅
Bon Iver does something similar with ‘Woods’
the line “oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before” hits hard man.
"That it's just what WE need, and YOU decided this." What a powerful line, so good.
Beams flange
Chips flute
U can actually understand this language?
@@arshgahlot3603 it's just english?
@@ursawarior4ever sarcasm on the voice modulation?
This is unironically a beautiful song.
unironically beautiful song this is
thank you, Yoda
It's probably my favorite. Once you realize she's writing from the perspective of a child whose parents are getting divorced, the lyrics suddenly make perfect sense and become really powerful.
Thank you yoda
Good realations with this meme I have
I can't believe I'm just now hearing this, in its original form, in its entirety.
Amazing, huh?
Sam Squanch facts I never realized it was a sample until today
I haven't heard this song in 10 years
Same here. It's great
I can't believe it either lol. This has been a nostalgic favourite of mine since I was very young. Before TH-cam a friend downloaded it on my computer. Back in the day.
So glad you were able to find it.
why am I always 15 years behind great music? I just found this 2 days ago (thank you, reddit stranger) and have listened to it about 50 times...so pure.
Same thanks to a meme on tik tok I found the original
The great thing about awesome music is that it remains awesome no matter when you discover it
th-cam.com/video/vmd1qMN5Yo0/w-d-xo.html
If you haven't already, check out Dido's stuff
i originally heard it in a thomas sanders vine
Man, 2:52-3:22 is both ahead of its time and timeless. What a composition.
Perfect
Acorn
I SHED A DAMN TEAR UEGHUEGHUEGH
Ahead of it's time? Oh so you know what the future holds? That would be the only way that makes any sense. Besides you're wrong, this music is pure trash.
@@michaels.330 man why you gotta ruin the fun, this is a phenomenal use of autotune harmonization, and of course what is good to us may not be enjoyable to you, but going to the comments just to say you dont like it is spreading useless negativity
Imogen Heap: finally finished my masterpiece "Hide and Seek"
Everyone: I love this song "Mmm Watch You Say"
lol
true
2:52 :)
🤣
Mmmm....
The fact that this song is about her remembering how she felt about her parent’s divorce when she was a kid makes this song grip the soul so much more. Pure poetry! Just wow!
What?
@@ssliperyslopee listen to the lyrics, she's singing about the stuff that happened when her parents divorced, 'oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before' mean pictures and paintings taken fown from the walls leaving only their discoloured marks. The chorus itself is about how people who divorce say its for the best, but its never for the best from the child's perspective, it's literally their world breaking apart.
@@Despotic_Waffle "crop circles in the carpet" imprints left by the furniture. One of my favorite lyrics.
@@ekulio And from paths tread a million times.
@@Despotic_Waffle There's no official song meaning. It's certainly a song about *loss*, however it's written ambiguously enough that many interpret it to even be about the holocaust.
Heap herself said:
"It's full of color, but it's colorless. It's full of meaning, but it has no meaning. It has so much for you as the listener to identify with it and fill in the gaps."
Personally, I can see how it fits well as a metaphor for divorce AND as an extremely disturbing metaphor for the Holocaust. The removal of possessions. feeling confused and scared by where you are now. Trains. (The infamous death trains) Sewing machines. (labour/death camps.)
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap is the most beautifully written song I have ever heard. Most people know of it from the song Watcha Say by Jason Derulo, who took the catchy chorus and left the art behind. The original song is difficult to fully understand, and Imogen Heap has never explained it, which makes the hidden gem even more beautiful-people listen but never hear. It took me over a decade to fully grasp it, and I’ve decided to write it down with the hopes that someone else can experience it the way I experience it.
Imogen sings the song from the perspective of a woman whose husband has fallen in love with someone else. She never explicitly states it, but the lyrics suggest the husband had an affair and eventually blindsided his wife with divorce. Anyone who has been through a traumatic experience knows the negative feelings come in waves. You distract yourself and momentarily forget, then the realization of what happened comes flooding back. It is like experiencing it over and over again on repeat. The beginning of the song starts with the woman walking through their empty house that has recently been packed and the furniture has been hauled away. Another wave of emotion brings her back to a reality she doesn’t recognize, and she says:
Where are we?
What the hell is going on?
The dust has only just begun to form
Crop circles in the carpet
Sinking, feeling
If you have ever moved furniture out of a house, you know that the carpet under the furniture is lighter in color. This is because it has never been exposed to the dust that settles on surfaces over time, and it is only noticeable over very long periods of time. These are the crop circles she’s describing in the carpet, which had only just begun to form because their marriage ended sooner than the dust had time to build up. She’s in such disbelief that the butterflies in her stomach make her feel like she’s sinking. The disbelief continues with the next line.
Spin me around again
And rub my eyes
This can't be happening
When busy streets
A mess with people
Would stop to hold their heads heavy
It took me awhile to understand the last three lines of the second verse. Imogen took artistic liberty and used the word “people” once for two separate lines. It flows beautifully the way she wrote it, but the meaning is clearer when it’s written like this:
When busy streets
A mess with people
(people) Would stop to hold their heads heavy
This line is the first place that suggests an affair occurred. When busy streets full of people stop to hold their heads heavy for a stranger, it implies the situation is so sad that it can invoke emotions from people hearing about it in passing. I also want to point out that the second verse is sung with more force. As the wave of emotion continues to hit her, her sadness starts to become anger. Then the chorus comes. It’s of the memories of them spending time together and raising their child in that house. It’s sung softly and delicate as she reminisces about the happiest parts of their relationship.
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines
All those years
They were here first
The chorus is short. It was meant to be. The first two lines are happy thoughts. The last two lines turn into sad thoughts. Then the anger comes back, and the third verse is sung with even more intensity than the previous verse. It’s beautiful how Imogen uses her artistic style to portray this woman’s unstable emotions. The third verse is also my favorite verse of any verse that has ever existed. I love it because it doesn’t appear to make any sense. It took me a long time to figure out what Imogen was saying, but when I did, I could feel the raw emotion. The third verse starts as the woman continues walking through the empty house, and she says:
Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before
The takeover
The sweeping insensitivity of this
Still life
When you move out of a house and everything is gone, there are holes throughout the walls from the nails that held up picture frames. Before you paint, you have to cover them with puddy or spackle. These are the oily marks that have appeared, and the pleasure moments that hung before were their family pictures. The takeover describes what it feels like the other woman is doing to her life. “Still life” refers to the same pictures described before as “pleasure moments” with the only difference being that the pictures are now in a box. The pleasure moments have become still life that show no feeling or concern for the negative feelings they now cause this woman to have. It’s so deep and beautiful. If you’ve ever found still life of your own that was lost and forgotten, I’m sure you can feel everything this verse is expressing. The chorus comes again-soft and delicate. Happiness turns into sadness. Sadness turns into anger.
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines
(You won't catch me around here)
Blood and tears
They were here first
This time, after her happy memories, she says “you won’t catch me around here.” She decides she is not going to spend time in those memories because sadness always follows. Blood and tears symbolize the work it took to get to where they were. All that work and all those happy memories were here before that other woman. Notice how the anger builds from the second chorus into the bridge. All is fair in love and war, but she is furious that her husband would claim what he’s doing is for the best.
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, that you only meant well
Well of course you did
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, that it's all for the best
Of course it is
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, that it's just what we need
You decided this
Mm, what'd you say?
Mm, what did she say?
The last line switches from “what did you say” to “what did she say” and becomes softer and delicate. Anger turns into sadness, and she pleads for the reasons this is happening. She wants to know what the other woman said to make him give up everything they had. The last set of lyrics is the outro, and it is so artistically beautiful. She is back to being sad and sings softly:
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts
Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you
You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts
Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you
You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit
(You don't care a bit)
Oh, no, you don't care a bit
Oh, no, you don't care a bit
Uh-uh, you don't care a bit
You don't care a bit
You don't care a bit
When marriages end, things can get ugly. How do you split everything fairly? How do you share custody of your child? Who is in the wrong? How much do they actually deserve? Ultimatums and accusations can feel like ransom notes that just keep coming. Trying to be nice and cordial is the mid-sweet talk between the words filled with poison; cut out from a newspaper and glued to a page; no feeling in them at all. These lyrics show the saddest part of their entire relationship. Overlayed in the background Imogen sings “hide and seek”-a memory of the happiest part of their entire relationship. It is absolutely beautiful, and that’s the way life is-the highest highs come with the lowest lows. Nothing lasts forever, and the experience in its entirety is beautiful. I just hope the woman in this song kept her insensitive still life long enough for them to become pleasure moments to her again.
It is beautiful you have taken the time to decipher this. I am in awe and would have never realized what this was about and what a well crafted story of heart break.
@@yoooo1552 I’m so glad even one person took the time to read it. I’m glad you liked it. The line “oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before” gets me every time.
yea everyone knew this bro...
@@DAveTraps Thanks for reading it anyway. I’m glad I analyzed it correctly lol.
I’ve heard a lot of people saying it’s about a divorce, but from the kid’s perspective talking to the parents. I didn’t really get that interpretation…. But this one feels so much more right! I’m sorry you had to feel these things in order to understand the song’s meaning.
My wife loved this song, we were together 25yrs. She is dead now, and I come here to remember and cry. The dust has only just begun to form crop circles in the carpet.
I wish you the best Mazystar- my father recently passed and this song was very symbolic of his and my mother's relationship - so many people hold this song precious with you and your wonderful wife - cherish her memory always ❤
right when I read "The dust has only just begun to form crop circles in the carpet" she started singing that line. I got chills.
Sorry about your wife, Maystarr. This is a wonderful memory, thank you for sharing.
May she rest easy
Liar
35 this summer and hadn't heard this in full for almost half a lifetime. Absolutely moved.
I am also turning 35 in the summer, and I don't know if I had ever actually heard this original. Definitely not in full.
Forgive me,
I feel blessed to be able to hear such a beautiful creation of modern music.
Thank you,
Good night.
I’m 26, every now and then I sit and listen to this and close my eyes, it’s a truely unique song
Yea it’s pretty insane I’ve never heard it either.
🔥🔥🔥
I wish I could hear this for the first time again. I used to take my friend's car on short midnight drives and listen to new underground releases on local radio. This had just come out and started playing on one of those eerie, liberating night drives. It was completely possessing and synchronized with the night in the most profound way.
I can’t drive but I know this exact feeling. When the perfect song just comes on and emanates the surroundings
Did you look out the window and pretend you were in a music video? Be honest.
❤ magic !
Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before 🎵🗣🗣🗣
her family pics.. removed bc of parental divorce.
Finally getting the attention that was deserved YEARS ago
She got plenty of recognition at the time trust me
?
She's quite popular during her era
A whole new generation is learning ✨
My late friends favorite song. We played it at his funeral. I miss you bro.
sorry man
sorry person with a tesla pfp
@@jayjayemayncee that's a brz bro.
@@The_Real_Bonesaw ok what evs you cant see the logo so ;-;
Why do i read comments...sorry for your loss bro.
This song sounds like it's giving birth to the internet.
sadly yes.
Lold so hard
This song sounds like the national anthem of the elves from Lord of the Rings.
This comment actually made me feel extreme nostalgia 4 sum reason...
tr
uuuuu
Imogen Heap: filming vertically since 2009.
Jave Lafuente ikr
2005*
Chicken Permission Upload date on this video is in 2009. I wonder when they first aired it.
Jave Lafuente
The song was made in 2005
Chicken Permission Talking about the music video.
When was it released?
To me what’s incredibly beautiful is the first time she says “they were here first” and she sounds so defeated. The next time she says that same line, she says it with conviction. This song is incredibly moving
Maybe she was talking about the English
The fact she is slightly out of focus makes this so weird it's like an underwater dream truly unique
yeah, the whole song kinda sounds as if you're underwater in my opinion,
like you're drowning in a way..
i would explain why i think that but it'd prob be a long explanation so ill spare you ahha
Me: *edits comment*
Everyone: Hold on, This whole operation was your idea?
lol, sorry i broke your silence
The title is "Hide and seek" for a reason 😉
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ....
Did I break your silence
well, a comment got me here, so i guess i cheated?
Took my 3 days
0:35 Something about the “spin me round again” line gets to me every time. Whenever this song plays in a show it’s that line I look forward to the most. It has a certain je ne sais quoi
i think what's really catchy about this line is that it really give a sense of spinning the way she's singing it! like i can really see the worlds spinning like a sphere
@@creepyvillag3this exactly
yeah it’s definitely a je ne sais quoi situation
This is still one of the most impressively creative songs I’ve ever listened to. The harmonies, the absolutely incredible use of vocal layering. Haunting, beautiful, timeless. I’ll never not adore this song.
Comments like this don't get enough likes 😯😯
@@SouthernMisfits agreed
She had to have been through something personally. That part everyone loves is so...intense. like, she has shit to say in this song
most kids just think it's a derulo song they don't realize that the new music is just a copied version of the past
fundip It's not copying, its sampling. There is an art to sampling especially prevalent in hip hop. But I get your sentiment.
This song: exists
Jason Derulo: it's free real estate
Nice Tim and Eric reference
Irrelevant but holy I haven’t seen your pfp in quite a while
666 likes
Im not gonna ruin that
lmao
th-cam.com/video/q0H57JeQYN4/w-d-xo.html
What a unique since there’s no background beat
A.k.a a capella.
O M A R B A K E S you dont know what beat means 😒
@@anitabonghit2758 You know what he means, don't be a dick.
The main idea of it is that they used her voice with a vocoder and a lot of layers. This makes her voice sound like a synthesizer.
do gunshots count?
this song used to hug my broken teenage soul and keep me alive (after my dad died, it really saved me)
You know it’s a good song when you don’t need a beat
Feed DeMichael so true
Or chords. Or a bass line. Or instruments at all.
Damn true point
But with autotune
iiNTechNo YT *vocoder
3:10
this whole song is heavenly but that part keeps replaying in my head and it may be my favorite part. But who would dare to split this masterpiece into sections?
I thought i was only one so harmonious
Dude same
So amazing.
Exactly. Can’t believe Derulo left the best part out 💀
2:52*
I had a Music Appreciation class in 9th grade before Covid, and we always did a song analysis at the beginning of class, we listened to this one day and when it got to 2:50 "MMM Watcha Say" There was a big gasp throughout the room because this was nostalgic.
Was it because of the Jason Derulo song or the meme? I'm hoping it's the latter.
@@wanderer0208 I think the meme started because of Jason derulo's song.
@@marceloluo3666 no definitely not. The Derulo song came out in 2009, the meme started in 2007 from that SNL sketch.
@@wanderer0208 huh. The more you know.
@@wanderer0208 I thought it caame from vine
It’s crazy to me that she made a song debately better than almost the entire top 100 billboard currently with just one single effect. Imagine the talent
I’ve never heard anyone create a song this creatively unique, clever, and heartbreakingly beautiful before or since. The confidence required to use your *own voice* as the ONLY backing instrument in an entire 4-minute song is incredible, and she carried it flawlessly. This may be 14+ years old, but it is truly a timeless classic. I hope the artist never forgets that she left her mark on the world with this painfully gorgeous creation.
@JJ-nl2ir100%. Big Science is one of my favorite albums of all time--it _still_ sounds like it could be a brand new album.
This song and O Superman will always hold a special place in my heart. I feel they both encapsulate the unspoken pains of childhood that one must shoulder into adulthood alone. But these songs, they make you feel less alone in doing that.
another beautifully song with you might love is "The Hymn of Acxiom" by Vienna Teng
Try "Fall For Me" by Sleep Token
*HE*
Bro is imogen heap, the best singer of all time lol
That "WHATCHU say" it's satisfying
would def listen to a sing with only whatchu say for 3 straight mins
That's the beauty of a melody
2:52 The moment you've all been waiting for
Thank you!
**MMM WHATCHA SAY** 2:52 HAHAHAHA it is a this moment that he messed up.. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH CCRRAAZZYY
1:51 UMWALLS 😂😂😂
I skipped the whole song just for that part
Don’t skip the rest , it’s a heartbreaking song
This song sounds like what it feels like immediately after you've experienced a deeply traumatic event. You feel like a fish out of water in a whole new reality. The confusion, the disassociation, but also the oddly freeing feeling that comes when the foundation of your whole world has been upended.
ik exactly what you mean
You said this perfectly. Also the negative space and intentional moments of silence in this song also feels like passing through a veil
*Video Quality: 480p*
*Sound Quality: 8k*
ULTRA MEGA SUPER 16K
@@babulexovich *3 2 K*
Antothicc overthiconnized sound quality
@-- *It's a joke, my dude.*
Uh, actually the sound quality is quite a lot inferior to the best allowed by this video quality
People here don't seem to realise that this is a masterpiece. Incredible vocoder using and experimentation over multiple melodies. Amazing lyrics. Amazing song
valeriov910 you got that right!! Love this song! More than two years and I still love the song !
Sounds bad tho. Yeah there’s melody but what else... it’s missing the substance that I’m used to. It needs instruments imo.
@@thedon.32 No it doesn't, it sounds incredible. It's perfect the way it is, adding instruments to it would ruin it. Besides, she's technically playing an instrument and accompanying herself using a vocoder. It's like a piano that plays back your voice instead of piano sounds, to put it simply. It's a keyboard synthesizer that takes your vocal input and gives an output based on what keys you're pressing on the time with the pitch shifted, which is why she has a chordal accompaniment. Not everything needs drums and guitar or EDM and all that. Music like this can be so much more powerful and vulnerable without all of that.
@@thedon.32
The voice is an instrument
Yes, as a songwriter, this is a masterpiece. She is remarkably talented. Writing a song this intimate and beautiful is a huge achievement, regardless of the level of appreciation shown by the masses. I think she knows that, as well.
All jokes aside, this song has a magical feeling to it, you can feel the sadness in it....
Aritosthenes no
I think this song is about her parents divorce
EXACTLY!! I've always said there's jus somethin about the way song and video makes you feel somethin. The 1st time I ever heard this song I was listening to music on TH-cam to try to take my mind off of the fact my Dad just passed. So I fall asleep listening to music and this is the 1st song I hear when I wake up. Though the song sounds sad it helped me deal with loss, grief, anger and acceptance of losing someone you love. There's somethin very spiritual or ethereal about it idk but after I listened to the song I jus felt this overwhelming sense of peace, serenity , tranquility and acceptance it almost freaked me out because I hadn't felt any of those for the past month. I found solace in this song and it changed the way I handle or deal with loss and grief for the rest of my life.
This song blew up so much, somehow only ended up with 36 million views. From the OC, to late night TV, to memes, to all the covers. She's literally the queen of electronic music from 2000-2010.
The funny thing about this song is there's no instrumental
Hum what you say?
Actually the vocoder is lead by a keybord
@@jullkinThe keyboard is providing the carrier signal to the vocoder, but without the vocals providing the modulator signal it will just result in silence.
Just like the old choir days
Never heard of cappella?
really? wow
I fucking love the way this song was made
syd16packchicken the vocals are raw and unedited.
What does that even mean? With instruments? With a synth? Its a great song, but have no idea what that even means.
Oskar
th-cam.com/video/ci-yB6EgVW4/w-d-xo.html
Ever heard of the concept of a vocoder?
ha nice joke this is called meme music
So good! She gave Jason Derulo a career
Larissa feliciana Jason Derulo made a masterpiece out of a 10 second piece of this song😂 but the rest of this song is straight 🗑
@@dracgotbands Derulo's song is straight trash. At least this song is slightly bearable.
PotatoNightcore lmao ok
yuhhdizzzy
Your mom brought a piece of trash to this world and no one is mad with her.
Jason Derulo gave himself a career. He had two other hit songs in the same album as "Watcha Say" ("Ridin Solo" and "In my Head"). He would've gotten to this point in his career no matter what. Everyone saying this lady was the reason of Derulo's success is absolutely ridiculous. There's a reason he made it further in the music industry than her.
as a hiphop listener this is amazing
i found this song- **[gunshot]**
*MMM WHATCHA SAY*
Are you on about what I think you’re on about? 🤣
Me: Oo what happene here?! (Grabs the headphones to listen)...
[ *GUN SHOT* ]
MMM WHATCHA SAY
dear sister... 😂
MHNN WHAT DID U SAY
Lmao
This sounds like a song when someone is on the floor after getting shot
snl the shooting
Dear sister, by the time you...
It was actually used in a movie series scene where someone was falling to the ground after being shot
@@branada21 which show
Flawless Floyd The O.C
whatttt theee helllll isss gooooooiinngg ᴼⁿ
Lmao btw hello army💜
We have the same bias
this shouldnt havent made me laugh as hard as it did 💀
That wat she said
seouled ARMY
This is one of those mathematically perfect songs. Great composition and arranging, great production, great vocal performance, great melodies, great harmonies. Overall just an excellently written song. I can’t for the life of me think of anything negative to say about it.
This song sounds like there’s 6 other songs in it
Elles Angels thats what I thought😭
I could talk about this for the next 10 years, but I'm just gonna say that there is a very very good reason for that feeling. 🧐🤔
Its not according to casual pop songs xD
Power of Autotune
JTG It’s not autotune smh 🤦♂️
When the meme is put aside, you realize how beautiful this song actually is.
What meme?
grand theft ana The “ Mmm Whatcha Say”
The song kinda scares me and creeps me out
its basically an acapella song with autotune but okay
Lautaro Gomez Pretty much. I just mean it that way because there isn’t too many acapella studio songs.
memes aside, this still gives me the chills.
Speak in spansih
same
Funfact. After you listen to this... did you notice there are no instruments. The only instrument she used was a vocoder piano. Which is just her voice playing as the chords/keys through a microphone. Like this song is so next level that it is wild. I think most musicians know this is a gem and the rest of us are just bland rocks lol.
Also no joke, I think she hits 12 different octaves in this song. 😂🤯🤯🤯🤯
Imogen Heap is an audio engineering goddess. She truly understands how to weave earworm ear candy into pure art.
Say ear again
@@ja1799 ear again
This song really does stand apart from others of the time.
Dissonant minor chords, progressing to dissonant major, and divergent melodies at the end seemingly in fugue.
Many songs convey 1 emotion at a time, this song conveys mixed emotions in every measure. Truly a technical masterpiece, weather you like the song or not.
😂😂 thats just a vocoder
Literally just harmony Engine
By the time the “Mmm watcha say” rolled in, I was already affected by the song. Idek what the hell it made me feel. Nostalgia? Surreality? Idek weird
Darryl Wayne it’s IDK
It's a great song. Really gets the emotions going.
For me, i have BPD, Schizophrenia, PTSD from abuse relationships with narcassists/growing up one wise, Stockholm Syndrome, ect ->• To me, it’s the chaotic thinking/feelings explains the cycle of how it is to be abused or in a dysfunctional household. It has a eerie beautiful way of explaining it if you understand. Theres really good explanations out there if you look in the comments or look it up. This song was weird to me as a child cause i wasn’t developed enough to be open minded to the art of it.
MY perspective of a few lines of the song that stick out the most:
•”Spin me around again, and rub my eyes
This can't be happening” The cycle of abuse/BPD episodes in general give you a intense rush of highs of lows, and you feel stuck, confused, sometimes a rude awakening, but your brain races with questions/you doubt yourself on how this couldve gone differently if you “behaved” or imagine how else it couldve gone (its worse than you imagined oc) with made up scenarios that gives you the mania you crave after everythings okay again. You self sabotage as a form to ‘punish yourself’ and not bother anyone else/cope at the same time; its vicious/draining.
•”They wont catch me around here” Remembering the fun places you went in childhood, they wont catch you as an adult there, and your child-self that still never grew up, is gonna play a “catch me” game from being hurt so she at least never suffers.
•”Crop circles in the carpet
Sinking, feeling” Blood stains from self harm or abuse, and as you see it slowly sinking in the fabric, youre feelings intensify remembering it/having flashbacks that’ll always be there like the darkened stain is.
•“The takeover, The sweeping insensitivity of this, Still life” The Schitzophrenia highs and lows/delusions during and after, but thats how life is supposed to be for you, or the “still” can be the ‘stuck’ feeling of being trapped in your mind.
•”Mm, what'd you say?” A statement to them or a taunt to yourself, that ‘ruined the situation’ by speaking or not staying quiet, or how DARE THEY say that, it fuels the fire
•”That you only meant well
Well of course you did” The relationship/Idea of your adulthood always feels perfect the most in the begging due to both of your enthusiastic promises/ideas planned for eachother/yourself.
•”Mm, that it's all for the best. Of course it is/That it's just what we need. You decided this” Where you are rn is the best you feel it’ll get and anywhere else is a chance of getting worse, so of course it is this way that you both decided, espdcially after the manic rush is gone.
•”Where are we? What the hell is going on?” After an angry drunken night, youre remembering the fight with your partner along with the hangover/headache wondering where you stand
•”All those years, They were here first” The exes/ppl that stayed longer/were before you that can feel like competition of self worth cause “time is value and if youre not worthless you’ll be important enough to be there longer” (a BPD/Trauma delusion of mine)
•”Speak no feeling, no, I don't believe you
You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit”
Look up BPD episodes it explains itself.
It held special meaning for me too, but jason derulo also ripped it, so.
@julia gilbreath
It's more likely a typo for idrk, since the 'E' is right next to the 'R' on a keyboard.
I Don't Rightly Know
I know this song is a meme now, but is actually a beautiful song.
Yas
@@stormifyyt8344 yasss queen. i’m surprised to see a comment from litterally 3 hours ago-
@@gabiiglass2770 it’s 6nin da morning rn :v
@@stormifyyt8344 yup
@@digital9390 eel it’s 9:00 now
If they don't play this at my funeral I'm not dying.
I remember finding this song when it first came out. Creeped me out a little at the start but then it became so hauntingly beautiful over the years.
whats strange is that the mmm whatcha say part is weirdly different from every other part of the song
NB not really it’s because you’ve always heard the Jason derulo rendition of the song
It only sounds out of place cuz we all think of the Jason derulo song i think
i think it's because the mmm whatcha say part is fueled by anger in terms of the narrative of the song. it's the most aggressive part of the song and the lyrics themselves are what you'd typically hear in an argument fueled by anger and sarcasm. like before this part she doesn't understand why what's happening to her but is blindly accepting it. but the mmm whatcha say part is a turning point in her thinking and she's questioning her situation. and it ends so quietly as it seems that she knows that she doesn't have a choice but to accept her situation. at least that's what i think.
it's because that's the bit you are familiar with
Usually that part is called the bridge. It’s slightly different from the rest of the song, but it ties the message of the song together. Many songs have bridges, you just have to listen to the slight change in tune and beat.
this is the longest intro to a meme
I was going to say the screaming cowboy intro was longer but it starts 2:11
Agree
@Annoying Elitist sorry but the song and singer are sucks
@Annoying Elitist 👍👍👍👍
What did i just read
She’s the definition of the goat everyone samples her songs!!!
The best part of this song is hearing her voice break through the vocoder when shes singing higher
joshie yes it is it makes me tear up
So true
blood and tears
This is one of the greatest song I’ve ever heard. The chord progression has a beauty and a melancholy to it, and the effects on the vocals are incredibly innovative, especially for the time. The bridge (the mmm what ya say part) is, all memes aside, one of the catchiest tunes I’ve ever heard. The lyrics are a gorgeous telling of her parents divorce and are super creative. “Oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moments hung before” paints a vivid picture of paintings being taken down and compared to good memories being ruined. This whole song being written from the point of view of herself when she was 12 makes it all the more heartbreaking and I heavily relate to all the themes she writes about. Honestly this is a masterpiece and I can’t think of many songs that are better than this.
Bohemian rhapsody
@@Red-TheRat fuck that mark ass song
look up the Strong Songs podcast on this song
@@Red-TheRat I actually hate that song. Don't understand the hype.
But this song here isn't the epitome of music either. It's all vocoded lmao. Still pretty tho, much more than Bohemian Rhapsody.
@@Red-TheRat good response my friend
It's as if she's pouring out her soul as she sings this.. beautiful!
このアーティストの曲がどれも1億回再生に満たしていないのがとても不思議です
I know right????
In a theatre I worked at; the two female lead vocals of the production were constantly practicing this song for fun in down time. So beautiful
I envy you…
It's sad that so many people STILL think "Whacha Say" was the original.
I bet you didnt knew it either
@@DylanM848 I discovered Imogen Heap years ago from a TV show. I have like 4 remixes of the song, and several others of hers. But feel free to doubt me, it really makes no different to me... or anyone, really.
@@Fyrecide it doesnt matter that you have 4 remixes it mstters that still didnt knew back then
@@DylanM848 Oh its cute how you think you know, well, anything at all about me really. I mean I know you're just a troll but still...
Ill play along: when DID I hear about Imogen Heap then? Like, what day and time specifically? Also what's my shoe size, guy? 😉
Truly. So sad. She must’ve been paid a lot to sell out that part for that horrible remix from back in the day
*Jason Derulo has left the chat*
LMAOOO
No why come bacj
Back*
Bye Felicia.
YOOOOOOOOOO BURN
Music from the past that sounds like music from the future
12 years later and this song is still one of the absolute best! Goosebumps every time.
U mean 17 years later
@@cathymouse3781 yea my bad you’re correct
It is one of those Frisson songs
@@cathymouse3781 It's one of those songs that is so ahead of its time. I only discovered it years after it had already been released and was shocked to learn it was from 2005
And then Jason Derulo remix this song with some of his own lyrics
This song came out right around the time my parents' divorce was finalized and they'd moved into separate houses, so it's been there for me a few times. Thank you, Imogen Heap, you're amazing.
I'm sorry. No one should ever have to go through that. I'm in a similar situation right now and I've been listening to this constantly. Hope you know Jesus loves you and God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.
actually it came out roughly the same time as my parent’s divorce well.
I pray Jesus will help you and heal you and you will believe in him. I don't know about you but listening to this song helps me realize I am still not healed from my parents' divorce oh so long ago, but I know Jesus is here for me and it's my only hope. Please go to the Bible and meet Jesus and find the only comfort in such drawn-out pain.
@@ifyouloveChristyouwillobeyhim Thanks but I'm Buddhist.
@@andrewsinclair7159 Buddhism is truly one of the few Faiths that makes sense as a kind human.
Beautiful way of life!
Music is the language of the soul. What an amazing story this song tells. Not just by its words...but by its broken melody and silence. It creates something that we feel deeply and understand even though we can’t put it into words.
Exactly
Deep words, Olivia. Couldn't have said it any better. You sound like me when I was a teen. Keep it up and stay in Creative Writing!
@@UrMomGoes2College how old are u now if I may ask
Agreed Words will never express what music can.
@@lumia_dayZ never ask that
This song deserves more views. What a masterpiece.
2:52 to 3:23 is so timeless. Such an epic part of this song. It’s so amazing what she did with this masterpiece. It’s so simple yet complex at the same time
This part is the smoothest thing I've ever heard, so beautiful
And it gave us an epic Jason Derulo song and even better flip by Lil Wayne x Glasses Malone
Also one of the best SNL moments ever :)
@@bfosterETVJason derulo’s song is a mockery and totally butchered this song. Good thing no one listens to that garbage anymore but people come back to this instead. Just my opinion though.
@@termin8or123 you're entitled to that opinion but it's possible that your energies were just not aligned to the song in the time and place you heard it. i will say the Glasses Malone + Lil Wayne version is way better
Memes aside, this is a masterpiece.
Memes Are What Make This a Masterpiece
not really, only the refrain is decent
@@supermarioreid no
I don't think so. This sounds shit, but like it or not, it exists :D
Yeah, whoever autotuned this did a great job.
2009:regular song
2019: the global anthem
Deondré Shaw That... is sadly accurate.
Lol
Tf no? No one listens to this
Alkakak
Wait what.
Shouldn't have waited years to relisten to this.
I'm bawling my eyes out over here.
I first heard this whole song on Spotify in one of my daily mixes, for whatever reason. When, half way through the song, she busts out "mmm whatcha say," I was completely blindsided and struck by simultaneous hysterical laughter and heart palpitations.
I got “Brooklyn Duo”s instrumental cover of this in one of my Spotify lists.
I could faintly recognize that part, so I looked it up and found this.
The line ‘the sweeping insensitivity of this still life’ is the most beautiful line of singing I’ve ever heard
I'm keen on the bridge, "Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth, mid-sweet talk newspaper word cut-outs,"
Let's take a moment of silence for the people who are still searching for this song
I searched hmmm watcha saaayyy
I searched for "Whatcha say original"
I've been searching for this song for almost 2 years this is the day I found this
@@MasterKingSirPlease i still didn’t find it that way i had to go to that one SNL sketch where they kept shooting each other with this song and go to the description to get the sing lmfao
@@DJPINK907 i just came from that video hahahha!
Talk about an anthem for the past couple of years that we’ve been living in!
This has to be one of the most beautiful songs I've heard.
Carlito Burrito and there’s not even music in the back 😂😭🤧
@@MXNGOGO Ikr?
@@carleighluvsari
If you like this try Kate Bush - wuthering heights.
Same
@@MXNGOGO the power of a voice
2:52 *exists*
Jason Derulo: Hippity hoppity this is now my property
BoReD sMoL pOtAtO your name lmaoo
lmao
Wrong... the TH-camr uploaded this video a little later then Jason. But they made it first
@@DerrekL Bruh this song came out YEARS before Derulo was even a notable artist. Where do you think he sampled the track from?
@@DerrekL nope.
X-Æ A-Xii when he has an existential crisis:
🤣🤣
Oh no, this comment now hits differently, listening to the lyrics after his/her parent separated..
i think you're a prophet?
I'm out of the loop on this but would like to know what it means XD
@@summerskull9379 Elon musk's kid
I interpret this song as a bad breakup, where he leaves you suddenly after years together with kids. Crop circles in the carpet from the furniture removed, oily marks on the walls from where the family pictures hung.
I read in a Reddit thread that it’s a song about her recollection of her feelings during her parents divorce. Essentially a breakup song but.. probably way more emotional investment here
As a teen I was told this was about the Holocaust. Now I can't interpret it any other way
Jokes aside, this is amazing how there’s really only one instrument playing. Even then, there’s no notes, no music, just her melodic voice. It’s really an acapella. Really smart. I’m not the first to say this, I can’t be, but it’s just rare that a song like this can become so popular. I’m glad.
Listen to "O Superman" by Laurie Anderson.
jarmsuchvansanthaneke thank you 🙏
no notes bruhhhh
@@scotia7326 Liked it?
jarmsuchvansanthaneke very much so! Thanks so much, I can’t give you many recommendations though, just check my playlists then!
i love how this song is made with just her voice and effects
There's no effects.. this is her real voice
Bobby Lol if your raw voice sounds like you should get help wtf-
@@g.hmusicc 😂😂 yeah probably
She used a vocoder. Lots of pop music songs make use of it these days
theres an electric piano as well
Woow I did not know 2:52 was originally from this?? Damn you derulo
In google search, Jason Derulo's song is listed on top cause he's famous. I thought that was the original song for a while.
I didn't know that either wtf
Ciara yeah, this is the original
Same, I literally just realized that the "mmmmm whacha say" part is originally from this song
Same! Also, I didn't know that the first part of Anaconda was from Baby Got Back!
Thanks NPR. For bringing me to Imogen Heap after she moved from 100 to 98! Congratulations Imogen Heap!!
0:04 when the teacher gives a surprise test
Fozwik true
Fozwik LOL
LMAO
huh?
ROFL
Director- "We are going to film your music video on an iphone--"
Imogen- "I dunno"
Director- "In portrait mode"
Imogen "Do it!"
"insert do it do it meme"
I can’t believe it took me 10 years to see the original song
how does one "see" a song?
@@thefastandthefurious1 I have really good eyesight
@@paperbort3669 fair enough!
Ik
Same
I lost my mother 8 years ago. Im autistic and schizophrenic and she was the only one that understood me and made me feel loved. My life is in perpetual hell, I want to not be here. This song takes me back to the last moments with my mum. I love you mum, we'll be together again one day
sending you love ❤
Dude, please don't give up, okay? I'm glad that you're still here, and I can't wait to see what incredible things you bring into the world. It doesn't matter what you give, but know that whatever it is, it matters, and so do you. Your mother loves you, and I want you to remember that.
praying for you❤
Sorry for your loss
Hey hang in there guy! We all are going through shit, your not alone and YOU matter! Sending you love❤️
That was easily the most intense musical experience I've ever had. Can't remember the last time something brought a tear to my eye let alone full blown, snootty nose, can't breath ugly crying.
Oh I feel you
Omg 😳 exactly how I feel!!!!
How I feel about woods by bon iver
Exactly, nobody talks about how good this song, no music, just talent.
@@chill6211 couldn't agree more! If anything I almost feel that of they tried to use any instrument it'd take away from the orchestra that is her voice. I am kinda happy it had a second rise in popularity, wish it wasn't just a meme soundbyte though 😅