"Society" might be the stronger track for 'Wild'
I swear I'll get off the original song kick at some point, but the more I listen to Eddie Vedder's soundtrack for "Into the Wild," the more I feel like "Guaranteed" might not be the flagship song for the film. Or, at least it shouldn't be.
"Guaranteed" is the track Paramount Vantage expects to have the most potential within the music branch, and it's already front and center at the VantageGuilds.com webpage for the pic. What is attractive about this choice is how the song is used in a variety of ways throughout the film, either in full, purely instrumental or through Vedder's vocals and/or humming. But I think the better track is "Society," a fuller song in the verse-chorus-versus sense and obviously used in an integral way in the film -- it's the song playing when McCandless is setting up his new home in the bus upon arrival to Alaska.
"Society" is the longer song, if that happens to matter, but it also speaks directly to the themes of the narrative like no other song in the film. Not for nothing, I think the song might be the most meaningful and organic piece of music written for a major motion picture since Aimee Mann's "Save Me" from the "Magnlia" soundtrack in 1999.
Admittedly I'm not the Academy demographic here. After all, I thought last year's best song was probably "In the End" from "Shortbus."
Anyway, check out the lyrics to "Society" for yourself and judge:
We have a Greed, with which we have agreed.
And you think you have to want more than you need.
Until you have it all, you won't be Free.
Society, you're a crazy breed.
I hope you're not lonely without me.
When you want more than you have, you think you need.
And when you think more than you want your thoughts begin to bleed.
I think I need to find a bigger place.
'Cause when you have more than you think you need more space.
Society, crazy indeed.
Hope you're not lonely, without me.
There's those thinking more less, less is more.
But if less is more, how you keepin' score?
Means for every point you make your level drops.
Kinda like you're startin' from the top.
And you can't do that.
Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me.
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me.
Society, have mercy on me.
Hope you're not angry if I disagree.
Society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me.
Red Carpet District is Variety contributor Kristopher Tapley's attempt at making sense of the ever-expanding glut of film awards coverage. He's been on the beat for six years. Email 
Jerry Hannah writes good stuff, I thought I was you is great as well.
Posted by: TIM | 12/21/2007 1:09:50 PM
Society and Guarantee are both decent songs, but it was a travesty that Vedder was overlooked for "Man of the Hour," a wonderful song from Big Fish, a movie that was in general criminally overlooked by the Academy.
Posted by: Tom Houseman | 10/31/2007 6:35:34 PM