Green & Gold

Stay Gold, Ponyboy

Green & Gold by Lianne La Havas

Recommended by Kim

"La Havas' album, Blood, was extremely underrated in 2015. She has such an amazing voice that transcends her listeners. I'm really digging the oldies beats that she mixes in with some modern twists to create a cool vibe. For "Green & Gold," I think she mentions some interesting emotions a lot of us feel growing up, especially reaching out to her POC audience. At some point in our lives, we all have that moment when we look into the mirror and think, 'Who am I? Who am I becoming?' or something to that effect."

I really like the rhythm of this piece. The funky guitar and the steady backbeat, kind of at odds with each other, sound really cool.

Then it slows down and she pulls out some of those harmonies. It's clear from the beginning that Lianne La Havas has a beautiful voice, but it wasn't until 2:20 that I was truly transported the way Kim described. From then on, she takes off on these killer riffs periodically, and it's pure gold.

Not as much green. Though you could say her vocals are fresh, and that's kind of green. Funky fresh.

The lyrics in the verses tell a clear story of a girl wondering who she is and where she's headed, then proceeds to show the way her life unfolds.

I thought I understood most of the chorus. Dreaming of the green and gold is about the search for money and riches, right? Green...money. Gold...self-explanatory.

But I was stumped by ancient stone.

I did a little digging, and I'm glad I did because the text is actually more symbolic than I thought at first glance. Green and gold are actually the colors of the Jamaican flag. La Havas wrote that part while she was living in Kingston, discovering her roots from her mother's side. Her father's side of her ancestry is represented by ancient stone. Her father is Greek.

I don't think it's always necessary to understand the writer's exact thoughts to appreciate a song, but it can't hurt. In this case, I found it to be quite rewarding.

As Kim said, we can all to the idea of wondering, "Who am I?" It was neat to discover that while she wrote the song, La Havas tried to answer that question for herself.

Overview:

Genre:
Soul / R&B

Favorite Lyrics:
I'm looking at a life unfold.

Those eyes you gave to me that let me see where I come from.

Verdict:
Like finding an old friend