In order to let go of an impossible love and grieve its loss, we all need a special soundtrack to help us cope with pain. Wouldn’t you agree? We can use a band whose lyrics and melody enable us to keep going and help us fix our broken hearts. Or perhaps, we just require a couple of their lyrics to vent our pent up feelings.
Interpol is a band that could be described as elegant, and they are the solution to your love problems. Their nostalgic, simple, yet powerful lyrics make them a band that easily overshadows every indie group and surpasses every other alternative rock ensembles.
Paul Banks (vocals, rhythm guitar), Daniel Kessler (lead guitar, vocals), Carlos Dengler (bass guitar, keyboards), and Sam Fogarino (drums, percussion) are the four New Yorkers who have consolidated Interpol’s unique sound. Banks’ vocal range remind us of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Despite these similarities, Interpol is undoubtedly our first choice to listen to in rainy days.
Paul Banks’ cathartic and liberating tessitura reminds us to walk with our heads held high, even when love has failed us.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines heartbreak “as a very strong feeling of sadness, disappointment, etc./crushing grief, anguish, or distress.” In other words, it can be defined as the moment when we’re force to step away from what we love the most. Usually, the person who is left behind is the one who ends heartbroken.
There’s no easy way to mend a broken heart, time and a good soundtrack can only partially heal it. We usually listen to sad songs, engulfing us in melancholy. With Interpol the experience is different. The sorrowful, raspy voice of Banks, alongside the strum of guitars make Interpol the perfect cure for nostalgia.
Interpol is the kind of band that through its lyrics forces us to understand that sometimes love ends. Even if we make a last attempt to fight for that person, we need to come to terms that some relationships have an expiration date.
These New Yorkers have a respectable discography where we can find the perfect songs for every occasion, and for every stage of love. Here are some singles that will take us step out of the gloom.
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The last chance
Before we completely succumb to sadness and negativity, we attempt to make one final act of bravery to convince that person to stay with us. Perhaps if we show them our passion and creativity they won’t go. However, not even the most powerful spell will make them change their mind. So, we come to terms with their departure and turn the page of that chapter of our lives.
“Be My Desire”
“Play me out, play me out, That looked like your chance to me
But you played me out, so now I gave you up
It’s time for a change of heart”
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The desire to hang onto an impossibility
If you heard the phrases “it’s not you, it’s me” or “we should remain friends,” your brain and your heart will automatically convince you to cling to the idea of winning them back. The last sparks of your relationship will cloud your reason from the unavoidable end.
“Narc”
“She found a lonely salve
She keeps on waiting for time out there
Oh love, can you love me babe?
Love, is this loving babe?
Is time turning around?”
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Nostalgia
The morning after breaking up, a sense of nostalgia invades our room. We feel empty and confused. We trace back every choice, every word we say in our attempt to figure out what went wrong. You plea and you ask yourself, “Will we be together again?”
This is the moment when you need to choose between moving on or letting yourself be consumed by nostalgia.
“Memory Serves”
“Tonight a special memory serves me
And I’ll wait to find, It’s over, It’s over
I Feel Like, the feeling is like
It’s over”
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The obstacle in the middle of the road
Everything that could go wrong in your mind goes wrong. Like a series of beads on a string, disaster after disaster keeps knocking on your door. In the back of your mind you’re aware that after the storm comes the rainbow; however, the storm seems to have flooded your reason. One day you’re bound to face your worst nightmare: they have moved on; they’re already in love with someone else, and you’re still haunted by their memories.
“C’mere”
“It’s way too late to be this locked inside ourselves
The trouble is that you’re in love with someone else
It should be me. Oh, it should be me”
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Grief
Once you’ve come to terms with the overwhelming reality of your broken heart, you enter a grieving stage. Life stops being meaningful; you don’t eat and don’t sleep; you simply stop caring. Even the weather is against you, and the rain doesn’t cease to fall. You succumb to a world of excess to ease your sorrow. Drink after a drink, the burning feeling of alcohol in your throat pulls you from a reality you don’t wish to live in.
“Rest My Chemistry”
“[…]I live my life in cocaine, just a rage and three kinds of ‘yes’
And I’ve made stairways, Such scenes for things that I regret
Oh, those days in the sun, They bring a tear to my eye[…]”
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Midpoint
You’ve already gone through hell and back, but there is still a long way to go to a full recovery. You’re standing halfway down the road, and you only need to give yourself the chance to remember that no one has died out of love. By doing so, you’ll gain experience, and you’ll even consider forgiving them your pain and hurts.
“No I in Threesome”
“Now what is there to allow?
Babe, it’s time we give something new a try
Oh, alone we may fight
So, just let us be free”
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Out of the woods
The worst is over. Suddenly you remember the beauty of this world and the fact that there are plenty of fish in the sea. The weather is no longer a problem; even rain reminds you to go outside to let it fall on your face and make you feel alive. In this point you’re unapologetic and look forward to finding that someone who can spark the flame anew.
“Public Pervert”
“If time is my vessel, then learning to love
Might be my way back to sea
The flying, the metal, the turning above
These are just ways to be seen, We all get paid”
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Unexpected re-encounter
Time goes by, and you’ve made it this far by holding onto the idea of stability. But as John Lennon said: “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” Out of nowhere, in the most unlikely location you run into them. The shock hardly goes away, and as they come closer, the idea of finishing your day on a good note vanishes. The outcome of the conversation will determine if you return to your place absorbed in thought, planning to win them back, or if you embrace the future to finally let them go.
“The Lighthouse”
“This place set to break
It’s just as safe for me outside, tonight
And I want that
I face the storm’s appetite
From the lighthouse…”
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The silver lining
The day when you finally start seeing the silver lining of this journey has finally arrived. You analyze the aftermath of your relationship to embrace the future and leave the past where it belongs. You even start hanging out with friends you lost contact with. You still don’t feel ready to jump into another relationship, but you’re open to the possibilities of loving again.
“Not Even Jail”
“I pretend like no one else
To try to control myself
I’m sort of like a lion’s cage
Such a cautious display
Remember take hold of your time here
Give some meanings to the means
To your end
Not even jail.”
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Back to the adventure
After a journey of ups and downs, your heart has finally healed. Of course, the scars will remain, but they’ll remind you you’re a survivor. You walk down the streets of the same town, but this time it is the beginning of a new story. Who knows? In this new chapter of your life you might meet the one.
“Same Town, New Story”
“Same town, new story
They bridge a fated span
He was bound for a glory
She found her winning man”
The process of healing a broken heart is like swimming in treacherous waters. You need to keep looking forward, even in the darkest of your days, to avoid being trapped in a vicious cycle of despair. You also need to stop and reflect on your value as a person, your strengths and weaknesses. You need to know yourself before letting others into your life, so when they’re gone, you can grow and learn to be someone even better.
