Pinkerton always gets lauded as the closest Weezer has ever come to a bona fide concept album (something which it both is and isn’t, as we shall later explore), but I still think Blue has something of a unifying intent to it. Between songs like “In The Garage” and “Only In Dreams,” there’s definitely a common theme of loneliness and the outcast nerd type (leading to the false genre that many erroneously claim Weezer birthed: “geek rock”), in spite of the record’s lack of a discernible continuity or timeline.
Well, not so fast, actually — as chronicled in Rivers’ Edge: The Weezer Story, Cuomo has gone on record to say that “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here” is actually a narrative continuation of the track that precedes it, “No One Else.” As we’ve discussed previously, that song is the story of an abusive, misogynistic boyfriend — or, as Cuomo puts it, “the jealous obsessive in me freaking out on my girlfriend.” “The World Has Turned…” is, again in Cuomo’s words, “the same guy wondering why she’s gone.”
With this in mind, a sad song becomes just a little bit sadder. The heavy-hearted, chugga-chugga rhythm track (augmented by a pretty acoustic lead, echoing Jason Cropper’s riff on “My Name Is Jonas”) provides a fitting backdrop for Cuomo’s whimpers, as occasionally embellished by Matt Sharp and Brian Bell’s concise harmonies. The desperation and self-doubt is clear in the near-schizophrenic lyrics: “I talked for hours to your wallet photograph / And you just listened / You laughed, enchanted by my intellect / Or maybe you didn’t…”
Of course, because it’s Blue, there is a kick-ass solo, and a rhythm guitar outro that raises the heart rate just a bit. There’s something very different about the counterpoint of the “do you believe what I sing now?” backups on the final chorus, though; I can’t quite place it, but it’s an otherworldly kind of sound and feeling unlike that of any other Weezer song. It feels larger than life.
Some interesting factual anomalies about the song: this is one of the few Blue songs Cuomo co-wrote with drummer Pat Wilson, before he decided to enforce an even tighter fist on collaborative writing until 2008 (there are some small exceptions to that rule, as we shall later discuss). It was written at the very end of 1991, making it the earliest written song to appear on a Weezer record, and is the only song from the first two albums that has not been played live since 1997 (in 2006, Cuomo explained that they “felt it wouldn’t go over that well” live; he’s wrong, of course, but I do imagine it could be a little boring to play).
In the less fortunate corner of the song’s history, the lead singer from pop punk fuckheads Yellowcard has the song title tattooed to his arm, and on one of Matt Sharp’s solo tours in 2004, the former Weezer bassist played an acoustic guitar cover of the song that sounds more like embarrassing beat poetry than anything else. I love Sharp to death, but I won’t even pretend that sounds acceptable.
68 Comments
I didn’t want to weigh down the meat of my post with my own opinion too much, but I must say that I do think this song is in close contention with one or two others to be the weakest song on TBA. Of course, that’s a relative assessment, and it remains a great song that’s better than at least 90% of what the band has released this decade…but still. It just really pales against stuff like SIAS, OID, No One Else, Undone…knowwhatImsayin?
I agree with you that it’s among the weakest of TBA. But it’s still a great song.
For some reason, I never really appreciated this song until around ’00 or so. There were a lot of times that listening to Blue, I’d just skip TWHTALMH. Then one day, I fell asleep with my CD player on random, and woke up during the ending section of TWHTALMH. It sounded awesome, and I decided to give the song another chance. I’m glad I did.
Also, for the longest time, I thought the line “just made love to your sweet memory/one thousand times in my head” was really “just made love to your sweet memory/one thousand times in my hand” which added a whole nother graphic layer to the song.
I always thought the lyric was “I talked for hours to your watered photograph / And you just listened” which made sense to me.
For some reason, I think of The World Has Turned as the best song ever written in the style of a naive high school rock band. It’s so charmingly amateurish — a chugging, monotonous rhythm, a catchy, but sing-song melody, and a geeky “round” to end the song.
The beauty of this song is all in the details — the way the backing vocals pipe in with harmonies at just the right moments, Rivers’ phrasing, the subtle guitar solo that carries into the pre-chorus. It’ll never be my favorite Blue Album track, but I can’t believe anyone would ever skip over this gem.
Correction. It’s not technically a “round” at all, but the way Rivers sings the final chorus against the countermelody of the backing vocals…before joining in at the very end is such a delightfully cheesy touch.
This ranks as one of my favorites on Blue.. yes!! It’s true. (there’s a little Varz 2000 rhyme scheme for ya) Not to get bogged down in negativity, but Surf Wax America easily ranks as my least favorite for that group.
ANYWAY.. another tremendous post. I basically just wanted to say I really love this song and it’s lyrics.
I used to think it was one of the weaker tracks on Blue until I realized that every song on Blue is fuckin’ fantastic. My least favorite would have to go to Surfwax. TWHTALMH…what a great song.
Great post about a great song. My initial love for this song was due to the amazing production on the song (Well done, Ric). The song sounds thick at times, with the chugging guitar, fuzzy bass, and the acoustic riff on top of it. It allows to the simple repetative chords to find new ground as the song continues. Plus the harmonies (turnin’ further every…dayay….) wow.
The way the arpeggiated acoustic riff starts the song, and comes back later at an appropriate time is amazing, and shows the more talented guitar skills of the band, and allowed the band to be known as a heavy guitar-driven band in general (something they’ve definitely lost since).
A sad but cathartic song that would depress you if you didn’t listen the whole way through it.
Great write-up Soy, it brought me back.
i used to think it’s the weakest song, but after years of skipping it or not paying any attention it hit me how great it is. and lyrics are one of the cuomo’s finest. “i just made love to you sweet memory 10000 times in my head” – how great is that? it’s one of the greatest break up songs lyrically. musically it has a great monotonous groove. i really really love it.
surfwax is my least favoruite as well.
Some funny trends I’m noticing here…
1. Misheard lyrics. I think I used to have a few about this song myself, but I’ve long forgotten them.
2. A lot of folks used to think that this was a weak(er) one, but have since reappraised it. I think of that as sort of the “Lounge Act” effect — I remember back when I used to love Nirvana, fanboards would have a lot of sentiments about how Nevermind was really overrated, and that the only song off it that could stand up to the greatness of In Utero was “Lounge Act.” This being, of course, a direct result of all these kids burning themselves out on Nevermind (skipping just “Lounge Act,” at first glance a throwaway), and, when barely able to listen to it any longer, they rediscover “Lounge Act” and re-appraise it because, holy crap, there’s another great song on this album that you’re just really first paying attention to after the rest of it has been long ingrained in your mind/heart/soul. Same thing going on here with TWHTALMH, perhaps?
3. A general dislike for “Surf Wax America” — yes, that indeed has always been my least favorite TBA track as well, and to this day, often a guaranteed skipper. We’ll get to that song (and its merits) later, though.
>Same thing going on here with TWHTALMH, perhaps?
you are very correct with your theory, sir. but! great song is a great song. and “lounge act” is great too (what’s funny – it was my favourite song on nevermind when i started listening to nirvana).
Well that’s interesting — mark yourself the exception, not the rule! (I haven’t earnestly listened to Nirvana in years, though, not since the box set came out…have to admit I miss ‘em a little)
This song was one of the first Weezer tracks that I heard, and really kick-started my love of the band (I’m pretty sure that Buddy Holly is the only track that I had heard previously, and it struck me at the time as nothing more than a catchy pop song).
Right from the opening line of that melodramatic chorus, a thirteen year old me connected with the song’s expression of general loneliness and longing.
While not nearly as fun as most of the other songs on TBA, TWHTALMH will always be part of a place in me reserved for those songs that channel my own feelings of self-doubt and hopelessness.
The Weezer songs that evoke the most feeling out of me (TAATO, Across the Sea, Miss Sweeney, OID…) all relate an ideal or desire that cannot be realized or fulfilled (that’s a point that can be easily argued, but it’s how my inner self hears the songs), spoken from a voice almost pitiful in its despair or longing (in fact, I completely avoided Across the Sea for the better part of two years because I would get too upset when I listened to it). What’s great about TWHTALMH is its expression of genuine sadness in the midst of an album that speaks to loneliness, but not in an overpowering fashion. TWHTALMH gives the listener a tinge of triste regret, but nothing that inspires images of wallowing in the corner of a bedroom. From there, the band moves on to Buddy Holly and then after Undone hits you with Surf Wax America (my least favorite off of Blue by a long shot), a few more upbeat tracks. TWHTALMH is a quick dip deeper down in an album that mostly hovers around mild melancholy.
TBA’s theme of loneliness established Weezer’s demographic in charming fashion, but Pinkerton plunges headfirst into the depths of what Rivers Cuomo really had on his mind. I, at least, much prefer TWHATALMH and TBA; Pinkerton’s emotionally too much for me.
I like how you put TAATO and “Ms. Sweeney” on the same shelf as ATS and OID — not sure if I’d go that far, but it is great that Weezer is releasing at least a few songs that could stand up to the old yardstick these days. I got into TBA/Weezer when I was 13 too, and TWHTALMH was definitely one of the first songs that reeled me in.
I still think Pinkerton, while admittedly real sad, is the most fun, exciting, enjoyable album of all time. I can’t listen without rocking out, air-drumming/guitaring, singing along or dancing. Love it love it.
I liked Matt Sharp’s cover. It wasn’t that terrible.
Pat’s drumming on this track is so subtle, but without it the song would completely fall apart. I could listen to this song all day and never tire of it.
As with most weezer recordings, Pat is the glue that holds the whole song together. I don’t say that lightly, as I’m a guitarist who grew up worshiping at the altar of Rivers.
I remember once reading that someone in the band (Scott?) thought that one of the best parts about “This Is Such a Pity” was the fact that it stayed on one level for the entire song and still kept the listener engaged (I think I’m paraphrasing, but that was the basic sentiment). While I do think that “Pity” is one of Make Believe’s bright spots, it was not the first time the band has achieved this: That honor would go to “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here”. And the really amazing thing about it is that while it just stays on the same level sonically, it still manages to transcend that level over and over again. Every time the pre-chorus (“You remain turned away…”) comes in, it sets a new high for the chorus. The variations on the chorus introduce a new intensity every time. And finally, the last vocal section (“Do you believe…”) floats up into the guitar’s reprise of that section and the song is attacked in a whole new way to set up for the finale. And this is one of my least favorites on Blue too!
Fuck. Blue is ridiculous…
Obvious sentiment, but reading your reply just reminded me.
I never skip over this track. It works perfectly after “No One Else” and has a great degree of emotional depth for such a seemingly simple song. It was a “Heart Song” for me after graduating college and feeling alienated as I adapted to the real world.
Yeah, it’s great; it’s a song that, on a basic lyrical level, one would most easily associate with a high school outcast…and yet, people of all ages, in a wide variety of times and points in life, can relate. True greatness in songwriting.
I agree with pkmntrainerred’s post about the differing choruses helping the song build. I love when songs add minor tweaks to each chorus instead of just redoing the same thing each time. For instance, whenever I sing along with Don’t Let Go, I sing the first chorus normally, the second like the live B-side, and the third like the AOL 2005 version. It gives the song some dynamics it’s otherwise missing.
While not my favorite track on Blue at any point in my life, this song has come to represent a lot of the “essence” of the blue album for me. Its probably the most “TBA” sounding track if that makes any sense. I guess its one of the important pieces that sort of ties the record together. Wonderfully written song.
Actually, this is probably my favorite track off TBA barring Only In Dreams.
I love the shy acoustic guitar during the main riff; as you said, it’s very reminiscent of Jonas two tracks earlier and provides a beautiful sonic contrast to the crunchy rhythm guitar. I find it difficult to describe the emotion the verses make me feel. They’re undoubtedly depressing, but there’s a bittersweetness in their desperation that infuses me with both happiness and even more depression.
The chorus is pure brilliance, particularly in how Cuomo varies it slightly in each iteration, and the “do you believe…” backing vocals during the final chorus make for quite possibly the best harmony part in any Weezer track. Even more incredible is the way those backing vocals break out from the background and become the melody, giving a sense of release similar to that of shouting out words that you’ve been holding back.
… fuck, it’s an even more fantastic song than I thought.
The whole “varying each chorus slightly” is an aspect of Weezer songs that desperately needs to return.
This was actually the song that got me into Weezer. My teacher played The Blue Album for my class, and this was the song that made me go “woah”. I still like it a lot, although it’s probably in the bottom half of Blue for me.
Also, am I the only one who loves Surf Wax? That would seriously be in my top 5 Weezer tracks.
Also, why isnt this on The Grand Playlist?
I love “Surf Wax,” but Top 5 Weezer? Nahdude.
Your teacher played the Blue Album for your whole class? The whole album? Why?
Why is he the shit?
It was during gym, he played it on repeat for about an hour. This and No One Else were the ones that really stood out to me.
Also, Surf Wax has, in my opinion, the best Weezer break down, and also has a special place with me, but i’ll elaborate on that whenever the song comes up.
Fuck the Grand Playlist by the way, this is The Very Best! Why it was not labeled as such before is beyond me.
Woot!
OOS even though i dissagree with most of your opinions on this blog I will be there with you to defend “Surf Wax America” when it comes up.
I know many people like to label it as one of the weaker on Blue, I’m not of that opinion.
But top 5 Weezer is a bit much for me to, but if you have special relations to that song I can see why.
*starts to listen to the fantastic live version of “Surf Wax” on TBA Deluxe*
SMOKE DOPE!!! SMOKE DOPE!!!
Oh and nice that you added this song to “The Very Best”
It deserves it.
As I said before I actually think every song but maybe three ones from Blue and Pink deserves “The Very Best”
Those albums are just that good and compared to the rest of the Weezer catalog? No doubt almost every song from those two albums deserves to be there.
By this point, I pretty much agree. We’ll see where the cards fall, but the outlook is good…
Very, very glad you added this to The Very Best, it’s possibly my favorite Blue track.
You must have written this before I realized your blog existed. I can’t believe you even debated the worthiness of this song belonging to “The Very Best”
Like “H” said above, The World Has Turned was one of the first =w= songs I ever heard, and to this day, I find it to be an iconic representation of both the entire Blue Album, and my life with women in high school.
This song has it all; lyrics, melody, intricate harmonies, subtle musicianship in the guitar lines, and the fucking climactic ending with Matt, WOW! I cannot listen to this song and not feel 15 again.
The term “boring” has no place to describe the incredible craftsmanship that went in to this song. After 1,000,000 plays, it sounds just as perfect to my ears 13 years later.
Word ThomYorke!
“You remain turned away
Turning further everyday”
Yeah, not sure why I ever debated it. To be fair, at the time I was still defining the parameters of The Very Best, which I think at the time was populated only by songs of “Across the Sea” and “Say It Ain’t So” caliber…But I realized if I kept the standards that high, there’d be like 8 songs on the whole list.
This song was played live!! In 2009!
Apparently not, after all.
I feel the need to make an infamous rare appearance to say that this definitely deserves to be on The Very Best and I’ll be on the frontlines to fight for Surf Wax’s inclusion for that distinction when the time comes. God bless you beautiful bastards!
No worries, friend: the oversight has long since been rectified. As for “Surfwax,” we’ll discuss that little gem when the time comes.
Now every song from Blue and Pinkerton that’s been reviewed have “The Very Best” status. That’s kinda silly.
Well, I considered retaining that tag for stuff of just ATS/SIAS/OID-level quality…But then I realized that, at the end of the day, there at most a dozen songs that are THAT good in the Weezer songography. Which also felt kind of silly.
True. I would be fine with all of Pinkerton being on the list, actually. Same with all of Blue except “Surf Wax” and “Jonas”.
did you hear them play it, or hear about it because i cant find any adknowledgment that they did
Except Surf Wax and Jonas, Brownerton? Blasphemy.
I’d say I agree with Brownerton. Those are great tracks, but my two least favorite tracks on the album if I had to choose. The album wouldn’t be the same without either track, however.
Those were the two anchor songs in the setlist each night serving as both the opener and the closer for most of 2000-2001. The live performances I witnessed during that time convinced me that they stand alone as well as they flesh out Blue.
They may be your least favorite on a perfect album, but that certainly shouldn’t deem banned from the “Very Best” hall of fame.
If all of Blue and Pinkerton are the “Very Best,” then all we’re really saying is that Weezer used to be better than they are now. In order for it to be a meaningful designation for pre-2000 work, there has to be some sort of cutoff. For me, those two songs are sacrificable.
There are songs in The Grand Playlist I’d consider better than Jonas and Surfwax, nevermind TVB.
“If all of Blue and Pinkerton are the “Very Best,” then all we’re really saying is that Weezer used to be better than they are now. In order for it to be a meaningful designation for pre-2000 work, there has to be some sort of cutoff. For me, those two songs are sacrificable.”
What you’re saying implies worse — that we should hold different standards for Weezer songs based on the decade during which they were made, as if the post-2000 stuff deserves a handicap. In all honesty, what kind of post-2000 stuff holds a candle to the likes of “Surf Wax” and “Jonas?” Well, I would say stuff like “O Girl” and “The Organ Player”…which are the other “lower rung” of TVB material that’s been featured on this blog so far. (Beyond that, I’d say “Pig,” “Miss Sweeney,” “Island in the Sun,” “The Spider,” “The Angel and The One” are more “upper wrung” TVB material that is better than those two Blue tracks, or at least MNIJ. “Pig,” as I have said before, is on the level of your SIAS, ATS and OIDs, in my opinion.)
Point blank: quality is quality. I’m not going to be making any compromises or special exceptions there, be it to a song’s advantage or disadvantage.
…And as an addendum, I reiterate that these are of course all my opinions. Which is what I find entertaining about songblogs to begin with: a band’s entire discography, through one fan’s eyes.
“If all of Blue and Pinkerton are the “Very Best,” then all we’re really saying is that Weezer used to be better than they are now.”
What if…..they were?!?!?!
(repeat of soy’s response)
Of course Weezer was better back then! But that’s a trite statement, since you’ll never find anybody who disagrees, outside of Rivers himself. Anyway, I would at least put “Surf Wax” below quite a few post-2000 songs. I’ve never liked it much at all.
This is not only weezer’s best song, this is my favorite song off all time! The melody of the acoustic guitar playing while the crunching rhythm pushes through the intro. The lyrics are naive and simple, yet devastatingly and powerful. The way the band belts the climax of the song beautifully and awkwardly. Its the perfect blend of poetry melody, and a definitive song that era.
I’m flabbergasted at the dislike for this song! This song ranks way over Jonas and even Buddy Holly for me! Just the way rivers says “Behind my face” going into the solo, then the notes that follow just seem to seal the coffin and make it completely final… Probably one of, if not my favorite song on blue!
Dislike? Whose?
I definitely dig “The World Has Turned” more than “Jonas,” too. “Jonas” might be my least favorite track on Blue, actually…
Same here. I do not get the praise for Jonas.
Jonas has is one of the band’s hardest rocking songs, and it has a truely awesome harmonica solo. Enough said.
I’m not bagging on MNIJ — it kicks ass and I thoroughly enjoy it any time it comes on. But it’s definitely one of the songs on TBA that I seldom seek out as a stand-alone.
I think you hit the nail on the head, Soy-Jonas is a perfect opener for Blue. I’ve never really liked it out of that context, but when I put Blue on and play it start to finish, I love it and it works perfectly.
(The fact that Rivers doesn’t seem to want to sing the song live doesn’t help, though. I wish he’d just make a setlist of songs he wants to sing! I’d rather hear Rivers rock out on EGD than have Scott sing Jonas for no reason.)
Listening to this song today, I realized it has something I love: a solo section that is different than the rest of the song(not just a solo over the verse or chorus)!
I think that Pat’s drum intro to this song, despite being so simple, is the most awesome thing ever. There is a live video – from VCD or a VCD outtake, I think – which starts with Pat doing a drum-roll followed by the “ba-bah-bum, ba-BAH-bum” which kicks off the song (yes, totally accurate drum tabbing, I know). The rest of the song isn’t too crash-hot in recording quality, but I’ve sat here in the past clicking back to the start of the video and watching the intro over and over just because it makes me feel so good.
Actually, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkXPw78xDxA
The “Black Sessions” is another amazing version of this song too, but that one actually keeps up the quality the whole way through.
Soy, I think your “Lounge Act effect” theory way (way) above is spot on, from my perspective anyway. I have thrashed the absolute shit out of this album over the last 16 years, and TWHTALMH is one of the few songs which still feel fresh due to the lack of attention I originally gave it.
Never understood why you didn’t like Matt’s version, I find it to be hauntingly beautiful and at the same time one of the most depressing things I’ve ever seen/heard
You know, it’s a little dumb of me, but I never really considered what that song means when sung by him alone in a coffeehouse, playing to a few dozen people or however many it was. If he had even co-written a little bit of it, I think it would’ve been even sadder…
Some of his performance tics (fucking with the meter of the vocal melody for no particular reason, adding pointless words like “now” for the hell of it here and there) get in the way of it, but watching it again now it’s really not so bad. Had he had even just one another musician there to sing harmony or maybe add a little bit of musical flair to the mix, it could’ve been great.
Perhaps I’ll change the end of this entry to make it sound a little less condemning sometime.
yeah some of the “nows” sound a little stupid and when he goes high he sounds a little silly but it’s so depressing in context and so… different. I’ve yet to hear a better acoustic version of the song.
and yeah, if he had even played the intro it would’ve been much better.
It’s crazy how simple but effective this is. This song is pretty much the sound of the blue album squashed into one song.
I just got a fan back into Weezer through Blue and it’s his favorite on the record now. Can’t agree with him by a long distance, but it’s still fantastic.
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