a sample from a 1940s musical romantic comedy in a song about crushing paranoia? alright!
well, context first. the chameleons are a mancunian post-punk band formed in 1981 by mark burgess (bass/vocals), reginald smithies (guitar), and dave fielding (also guitar). they had a short run, only playing together for six years until abruptly breaking up, but had a long-lasting impact on post-punk and punk rock in general thanks to their atmospheric, wash-of-sound kind of sound. they had an influence on a variety of bands, from interpol to oasis, of everything.
“Don’t Fall” is a track from their 1983 debut album, script of the bridge. it starts with a sample from the 1946 musical comedy two sisters from boston where a man is trying to quote sophocles and confuses the woman he talks to. it’s a rather nonsensical way to start a dramatic, haunting post-punk song.
the guitars are echoing and deep. as i’m sitting here trying to come up with adjectives to describe the guitars the only thing that comes to mind is badass- because, well, the riff is pretty badass, and very suitable for horror punk. this song’s biggest strength, however, has to be mark burgess’s eerie, panicked vocals and lyrics, which set up an interesting contrast between perseverance and paranoia.
burgess talks about his paranoia: (“Shapes in the hall, I barricade the door”), but he also reassures himself and the singer with the song’s primary refrain: (“Don’t fall, my friend”). so almost in spite of the dark tone this song sets up, the message is uplifting. the bridge also shifts the remainder of the song into major-key tonality which furthers the fact that this song is weirdly positive.
i like to think that this song is sort of the opposite of the velvet underground’s “Sunday Morning“, another great track- both are about paranoia, but “Sunday Morning” hides misery and fear underneath what is otherwise a happy, simple song, while “Don’t Fall” hides a positive message under complex, spacious guitars. which is pretty awesome.
