He is an alien. A really fucking clever alien. He does these things with guitars and words that make the rest of the universe look stupid. Nobody human can produce something that perfect while making it look like it wasnt even hard. ALIEN
He writes really cool chord structures in a way that are always dancing with the melodies.. did I mention the melodies? They're so refreshing. There's no one who writes like this, at least to my mind. So unique 😍
I think you meant chord progressions. Hes pretty much playing barre chords and open chords aka "cowboy chords" which are known as beginner chords and very basic.
@@babyyoucanridemybike Yea the chords are simple chords, sure. But the arrangement of them with the melody is what makes it unique. Try it yourself. Take these 5 or so chords, and try write an original and interesting melody. It ain't easy.
Yes, he does. I love his music, in all it's incarnations, (The Shins, Broken Bells, his completely solo projects; etc.) But if you've never listened to The Smiths, then you should check out how deep their influence is in his early music. Which is most certainly; a good thing.
@@babyyoucanridemybike Oh the chords may be simple, but the chord progression is not a stereotyped or common one, and more importantly, the melody is (IMO) fantastic. After the initial opening scale, check out where it goes. It goes all over the place. We have lots of 'non-chord tones' (including IMO pretty ones), suspensions, wide leaps, and all kinds of things. But the melody doesn't do all that to show off... he is telling a story, and like most good music, phrases in one part do relate to phrases in other parts, even if the musical relationship isn't immediately obvious the first time.
I disagree, I sang "Kissing the Lipless" at kareoke night at OCC circa 2011. They are not EASY songs with all the wide interval leaps, and sometimes difficult-to-hear intervals, but if you know them well enough and have good pipes, you can do it. I have to transpose most Shins songs down an octave because I have a very low voice.
Love this song ! I attempted to learn it and got through it just barley !! it's all bhare chords except for the refrain at the end...I think maybe the action on my acoustic is a little too high...anyhow, great song ! I also like the live version on Letterman... Jessica Dobson was in the band at that time, good player and vocalist.
God. I love James he's so captivating... wish I could get his solo acoustic songs on an album or something... you can only find them as the Shins but honestly I just perfer Mercer's beautiful voice and guitar
if you pause this at 0:01, that's exactly how he looked in high school, same expression - minus the beard, and just missing the flat top. Good on you James
Foals in winter coats, White girls of the North, File past one, five and one They are the fabled lambs of Sunday ham, The ancient norm And they can float above the grass, In circles if they tried, A latent power I know they hide, To keep some hope alive, That a girl like I could ever try, Could ever try. So we just skirt the hallway sides, A phantom and a fly, Follow the lines and wonder why There's no connection. A week of rolling eyes, And cheap shots from the tribe, And we're often on Marcus' porch again, Another afternoon of the goat head tunes, And pilfered booze. We wander through her mama's house, And the milk from the window lights, Family portrait circa ninety-five, This is that foreign land, With the sprayed on tans, And it all feels fine, Be it silk or slime, So, when they tap our Monday heads, Two zombies walk in our stead, This town seems hardly worth our time, And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme, Too far along in our crime, Stepping over what now towers to the sky, With no connection. So, when they tap our Sunday heads, Two zombies walk in our stead, This town seems hardly worth our time, And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme, Too far along in our crime, Stepping over what now towers to the sky, With no connection.
Yeah he certainly is someone who doesn't rely on the studio tools to sing well in pitch. So many gimmicky bands now days where the singer's are lost without some form of pitch collection. I prefer singers who don't show off their vocal ranges and actually just sing with full emotion and non gimmicky.
The Alice in chains song of the same name captures my feelings of clicking on this accidentally. No hope of rescue I'm trapped here alone If I don't dig my own way out, I'll die here
![The Shins - Phantom Limb [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OkITsv3Nk6M/mqdefault.jpg)
One of my favourite songs of all time. Listen to it weekly. A masterpiece.
so talented and unpretentious. just a normal guy who loves to create beautiful art. he's clearly one of the best we have in 2014.
how do you know whether he's pretentious or not 😂😂😂
And still In 2021 👍🏼
@@coffee5736 mic drop
I’ll take pretentious and say he’s killed it since mid 90’s via shareaza and noooo I don’t know him. Just a cheerleader of yore AND now AND tmrw
In interviews he's always sweet and down to earth I don't get the sense he's a pretentious person
He is an alien. A really fucking clever alien. He does these things with guitars and words that make the rest of the universe look stupid. Nobody human can produce something that perfect while making it look like it wasnt even hard. ALIEN
I think he has a very consistent voice. After all these years he still sounds so clear and good.
He writes really cool chord structures in a way that are always dancing with the melodies.. did I mention the melodies? They're so refreshing. There's no one who writes like this, at least to my mind. So unique 😍
I think you meant chord progressions. Hes pretty much playing barre chords and open chords aka "cowboy chords" which are known as beginner chords and very basic.
@@babyyoucanridemybike Yea the chords are simple chords, sure. But the arrangement of them with the melody is what makes it unique. Try it yourself. Take these 5 or so chords, and try write an original and interesting melody. It ain't easy.
Yes, he does. I love his music, in all it's incarnations, (The Shins, Broken Bells, his completely solo projects; etc.) But if you've never listened to The Smiths, then you should check out how deep their influence is in his early music. Which is most certainly; a good thing.
@@babyyoucanridemybike Oh the chords may be simple, but the chord progression is not a stereotyped or common one, and more importantly, the melody is (IMO) fantastic. After the initial opening scale, check out where it goes. It goes all over the place. We have lots of 'non-chord tones' (including IMO pretty ones), suspensions, wide leaps, and all kinds of things. But the melody doesn't do all that to show off... he is telling a story, and like most good music, phrases in one part do relate to phrases in other parts, even if the musical relationship isn't immediately obvious the first time.
Serious music. Musical Genius.
Few things in life I love like Mercer's music. Just nests so easily into the very fiber of my soul.
That's amazing. He sounds just like the guy from The Shins
Ikr so crazy, he sounds just like this singer named James Mercer?
My favorite song by Mercer!
Hello 👋
Hello
This man is not of this earth.
So beautiful, make me cry.
Under appreciated masterpiece.
Yeah love this song! I always attempt to play it on guitar! I just can’t hit them high parts! Enjoyed this solo rendition of it! 🤙😎🤟
The imagery used in these lyrics is so beautiful. I love the idea behind this song. (Look it up)
This is one of the best songs I have heard in a very long time. I'm behind the power curve with the Shins but I plan to catch up.
Absolute favorite song. He is amazing. Their music sets my mind at ease.
Hello
Love the little improv slides down occasionally 😍
Perfect
I'm going to say this, and I'm going to stand by it... damn.
Chills...giving me chills...
Watching him sing this song live in sxsw Austin, was like one I the most awesome moments of my life, it was that epic.
love Mercer and his music. Will always remember my first listens to each of The Shins albums.
LOVEEEEE
Such an awesome song!
This was uh-MAAAZING! One of my favorite Shins songs and man. Everything about this one was killr
unfortunately its impossible to Karaoke James Mercer
I disagree, I sang "Kissing the Lipless" at kareoke night at OCC circa 2011. They are not EASY songs with all the wide interval leaps, and sometimes difficult-to-hear intervals, but if you know them well enough and have good pipes, you can do it. I have to transpose most Shins songs down an octave because I have a very low voice.
How the hell did you karaoke "Kissing the Lipless" if you normally transpose them down an octave??
It's an octave. The karaoke track doesn't need to be transposed. You sing the usual notes, but an octave lower.
Alan Lewis you haven’t heard me sing good luck after a few sherbets
People seem to enjoy my version of The High Road... same octave. No brag intended, just saying it's probably not impossible.
The vocals to this song were recorded right down the street from where I live, I'm going to the see the Shins on Saturday. SUPER PUMPED
Big Broken Bells fan here.
Saaaame
whoa its trippy cause ive heard this song so many times during 03 through like 08 those were the days
This came out in 07 lol
Astonishingly good, this and September live are really perfect.
Hello 👋
Hello
Man, that is so good.
This is amazing. Simply amazing.
His natural voice sounds exactly like the recordings!
JAMES I LOVE YOUR VOICE
Need acoustic album!!!
I get Sting vibes, the police era, in some parts of this song. Lovely.
i love this band so much
247sapphire James is the band! ( I knew what you meant. Just being youtubish)
this just taps into my soul
I hear a strong Brian Wilson influence in a lot of his songs. This is a good thing.
lucky man to have such talent...
Simple cool love it..
Very good I hear some beatle influences
Lovely...
Hello 👋
Hello
amazing!
Diggin this
GREAT!
That dudes awesome
Love it!!!
Hello 👋
I believe me and this shiny boy have the same gitfiddle, which would be pretty crazy. Wish I knew the manufacture year.
girl, you read my thoughts.
something bout this song!..
rite?!
damn this is so good
Love the album version, but I get totally high on James acoustic performances.
so positive
Love this song ! I attempted to learn it and got through it just barley !! it's all bhare chords except for the refrain at the end...I think maybe the action on my acoustic is a little too high...anyhow, great song ! I also like the live version on Letterman... Jessica Dobson was in the band at that time, good player and vocalist.
i wish i could have been there so i could have said ..."JAMES MERCER I LOVE YOU HAVE MY CHILDREN!!!!" and then wept.
the best
God. I love James he's so captivating... wish I could get his solo acoustic songs on an album or something... you can only find them as the Shins but honestly I just perfer Mercer's beautiful voice and guitar
Hello 👋
Hello 👋
this is totaly not my style of music but that voice is just SO AMAZING!
Hello 👋
J45 FTW!!
if you pause this at 0:01, that's exactly how he looked in high school, same expression - minus the beard, and just missing the flat top. Good on you James
you knew him? do tell
Foals in winter coats,
White girls of the North,
File past one, five and one
They are the fabled lambs of Sunday ham,
The ancient norm
And they can float above the grass,
In circles if they tried,
A latent power I know they hide,
To keep some hope alive,
That a girl like I could ever try,
Could ever try.
So we just skirt the hallway sides,
A phantom and a fly,
Follow the lines and wonder why
There's no connection.
A week of rolling eyes,
And cheap shots from the tribe,
And we're often on Marcus' porch again,
Another afternoon of the goat head tunes,
And pilfered booze.
We wander through her mama's house,
And the milk from the window lights,
Family portrait circa ninety-five,
This is that foreign land,
With the sprayed on tans,
And it all feels fine,
Be it silk or slime,
So, when they tap our Monday heads,
Two zombies walk in our stead,
This town seems hardly worth our time,
And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme,
Too far along in our crime,
Stepping over what now towers to the sky,
With no connection.
So, when they tap our Sunday heads,
Two zombies walk in our stead,
This town seems hardly worth our time,
And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme,
Too far along in our crime,
Stepping over what now towers to the sky,
With no connection.
Dont want to be that guy. But this is such a horrible attempt of a lyric write-down. There are so many mistakes
I count like 3 mistakes... not a big deal
There is only so many chords how does one find these and no one else ever has in this order?
Yeah he certainly is someone who doesn't rely on the studio tools to sing well in pitch. So many gimmicky bands now days where the singer's are lost without some form of pitch collection. I prefer singers who don't show off their vocal ranges and actually just sing with full emotion and non gimmicky.
So Much better like this stripped back
and WE'LL No longer...
to say the least :O
Alright, cool.
2:02 makes the same face neil young does when he hits higher notes
follow the lines and wonder why there's no connection
The Alice in chains song of the same name captures my feelings of clicking on this accidentally.
No hope of rescue
I'm trapped here alone
If I don't dig my own way out, I'll die here
Hey all you shin fans! I made an 8-bit new slang tune, if youre interested check it out!
He/she who don’t love Mercer are tone deaf
Gibson J45