Good Tunes: Superchunk, 'The First Part'

It’s finally October again, and I think Superchunk’s “The First Part” is a good October/autumn song.

It’s association with October and fall probably has a lot to do with the video, especially the first “story.” Playing football in the back yard, sweatshirts and long-sleeves, fallen leaves, bare trees, long shadows, open windows, the color of the sun at sunset. That’s fall. Good stuff! The fight in the story is not cool, of course, but I love the setting; it evokes a lot of memories from when I was a kid, of falls past.

I don’t know what’s going on with the second story, the pajama party. It’s fun but a little weird. It brings up an interesting thing about music videos: their stories can induce thought and endless speculation and interpretation. Some have a deeper meaning and symbolism, but others are bizarre and meaningless, stylish nonsense. Superchunk seem to have a few videos in each category.