What do y'all hear in Just Like A Pill? It's... fine, but sonically it aged terribly (like the entire album), if you ask me.
Pink: The Discography Rate ∞ WINNER!
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We didn't.
I (kind of) agree about it not being as fantastic as it's mostly considered, but it doesn't really sound dated to me.
There's explanation in my commentary why I didn't give it a 10.
Maybe Waiting For Love did deserve the treatment it got after-all.
Just Like A Pill has not aged a milli-second. Still as gorgeous as the first time I heard it. It was the first sign of what was truly to come in the following years, it also certainly lead the way for the rise of the pop-rock chic aesthetic that blew up shortly after. It's easily a career defining song in my eyes.
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He/Him
How does it sound like a demo?
he / him
08. Long Way to Happy
Average score: 9.10
Highest score: 10x17
@savilizabeths @Duppe @R27 @Music Is Life
@LiK @happiestgirl @sapnu puas @Remorque @Sideout
@tylerc904 @Txetxu @Sail On @kal @soratami
@nikkysan @Sanctuary @Lost Boy
Lowest score: 6 @abael
One night to you lasted six weeks for me
Just a bitter little pill now, just to try to go to sleep
No more waking up to innocence,
say hello to hesitance, to everyone I meet
Thanks to you years ago,
I guess I'll never know what love means to me
but oh I'll keep on rolling down this road
But I've got a bad, bad feeling
It's difficult for me to write about this one. In her own words, P!nk described this as:
"I know a lot of people that have been abused and/or molested and/or fucked over by someone close to them. And I'm no exception. And that's that song."
And Butch Walker would go on to explain how the studio session went down:
TRIGGER WARNING
The first time that [P!nk & I] did the vocals to 'A Long Way to Happy'—which is a song that Alecia and I did—it was written about her having to deal with being raped as a teenager by a cop, which was brutal for her. We had never even known each other before she expressed this to me, and I said, 'Well, obviously when we go into the studio it’s going to be [a] pretty emotional time, so let’s make sure the vocal goes down naturally', and sure enough she was practically in tears when she sang it, and I don’t blame her. I don’t think you have to subscribe to the mentality that you have to bring the person to pain to sing and give a good performance. You just got to let the song be the song and let it do the work. Some songs are meant to be taken lighter and some are not. She definitely let that one fly.
As such, this is an incredibly personal and powerful song that deserves to be taken seriously and with serious care. The fact it managed to land in the top ten with a 9.10 average to me is phenomenal, and one of the standout surprises of the rate.
Over ten years ago, I was assaulted by my best friend at the time. Waking up to him doing things and having no power but to freeze and allow it to happen, I didn't realise the damage that was done until this year. With years and years of repressed trauma, I've attempted to take my own life several times, turned sex into a self-harm, and assumed that friendships deserve the right to my body. All because of that one person, and that one night. You cannot ever underestimate the sheer amount of damage such an event can do to a person, even if they are not aware and ready to accept it yet. It took me over ten years of running, chasing happy, and as such this song is seen in a whole new light to me.
Originally the title track for the entire album, it's a timeless classic despite its unique production. Helped of course by a fantastically wrought vocal delivery and hard hitting lyricism, I'm super proud of us calling this the best album track in the rate and one of her very very best.
Commentary corner:
@Sail On: (10) From those Linkin Park-esque opening keys, I was sold on this. The angst, those lyrics, that vocal. This is everything I want from P!nk.
@tylerc904: (10) I remember this playing on The Hills and being like “is this a single?!”. Deserved to be.
@Music Is Life: (10) This fucking song. It’s such a brutal, but perfectly created, rock song. The lyrics are devastating and honest. The entire song is actually a showcase of why I love her. She’s not afraid to be as honest as possible in her lyrics, and the she’s able to use her voice to make you believe she means every word, because she probably does. It does of course, have single potential written all over it, but I’m also not surprised it wasn’t released.
@R27: (10) This was my favourite song on the album when I first listened to it as a teen. As an adult it remains just as powerful and I can notice specific lyrical details that probably flew over head back then ("too young to know I lost it"). This is probably more relevant today and P!nk does a stellar job at handling such a sensitive topic with grace and sensitivity. The emotional turmoil is palpable.
@savilizabeths: (10) “God, the lyrics to this are so haunting and the production matches it. The themes are so dark but relatable to way too many people I know. Ugh, this makes me angry and sick and emotional. What a masterpiece. It’s heavy, relatable and painful, all in the best way.”
@Maki: (9.75) Dark, passionate and another amazing song from “I’m Not Dead” (although it took me forever to memorize the bridge). This is just one example of how amazing the album tracks are. The piano and guitar fit so well in this song, and P!nk’s vocal performance never disappoints. It got extra 0.25 points for the small part after first chorus (around 1:10 mark), it’s epic.
@Verandi: (8) Yas dark P!nk
@Laurence: (8) Pretty cool track? I like it.
@rick: (7) I always forget about this so every time I hear it it’s a pleasant surprise.
@abael: (6) A fine song, but pretty insignificant addition.
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he / him
07. Family Portrait
Average score: 9.22
Highest score: 11x2
@Daniel_O @playboy69
10x15
@savilizabeths @Maki @HollyDunnSomething @LiK
@Music Is Life @sapnu puas @Remorque @Sideout
@Hurricane Drunk @kal @Reboot @Sprockrooster
@nikkysan @JMRGBY88 @Lost Boy
Lowest score: 4 @abael
Momma please stop crying, I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said
You fight about money, 'bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growing up in World War three
Never knowing what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family
When conceptualising this rate I was very hyper-aware of the sheer amount of personal stories it may evoke, or the amount of feelings it may trigger, what with P!nk's career spanning multiple years (and for a lot of us informing our childhood) and it's exactly why I asked people to be considerate and spend a little more time allowing songs to open up to them. 'Family Portrait' is another one of those, and you only have to look at the personal commentary below to see how important it is, and as such I just... ask that you be considerate as to peoples personal connections.
The song is, to me, P!nk's absolute most important and powerful track. It single-handedly epitomises the true strength of her songwriting and character, which is being absolutely unafraid to tackle the darkest parts of our lives in an effort to purge them from haunting our lives on a daily business. This speaks for itself, it's a harrowing cry for help made far too late, designed to make her parents finally realise the damage their fighting has done to her.
And that's the thing, we ignore how much damage can be done to kids simply by way of observing. Divorce is crippling to children, and watching the people that are supposed to be your embodiment of love tear each other apart will affect the way you live the entire rest of your life. I, for one, was abused by my father who also regularly beat my Mother, as well as being routinely bullied by my older brother and other kids at school, so there really was nowhere left for me to go. As the song describes, this was supposed to be my sacred space and shelter, instead I spent hours of my childhood with my legs pressed against the wall and my back against the door in an effort to keep my dad from forcing his way in.
But the craving for love never quite goes away, no matter what our parents do. They birthed us, and we deserve the love of well-knowledged parents, but instead we're throwing our love into toxic relationships that won't reciprocate. And then we start to attack ourselves, believing that our love isn't enough to make them stay. It's a great toxic circle of shame and anger that informs you forever.
That's why this is one of my favourite songs of all time, and you will never understand the importance without growing up in that environment. Everything else is simply fine clothes adorning a perfectly crafted melody and narrative. It's almost as if she was born to sing this song, born to speak to the millions left behind and forgotten as children. It's beautiful and heartbreaking to this day, the video still bringing me to tears.
Commentary corner:
@JMRGBY88: (10) As a child of divorce, I remember this hitting home quite hard when I was younger.
@nikkysan: (10) This hits so close to home, as someone who went through my parents divorcing and not really having a relationship with my biological father anymore, this is still heartbreaking to listen to and brings me close to tears. Amazing song.
@Sprockrooster: (10) A skillfully written masterpiece.
@Reboot: (10) Painfully relatable. “I won’t spill the milk at dinner” is a gorgeous, heartfelt lyric.
@sapnu puas: (10) I was fortunate to have a relatively ok childhood in terms of family, but fuck. If this song didn’t make me feel everything in every fibre of my being.
@Music Is Life: (10) This fucking song. I have no relation to this what-so-ever, but I still love it. It’s such a beautifully sad song, and her voice is perfect throughout the whole 5 minutes. I love the production, it’s very subtle, but intense at the same time. And that middle-, or third verse, whichever, is amazing. This is still one of her best.
@Maki: (10) It took almost half of the album to get there, but for me, this is where the heart of this album really begins. What a heartbreakingly sad song… I can’t describe how gorgeous this is. Her emotions while delivering this song are off the chart. The music arrangement, the children singing in the background are just perfection. That outro is so sad, and that's just one of many amazing moments in this masterpiece. One of her most honest and vulnerable songs. By far the best single of the album and one of her best singles in general.
@savilizabeths: (10) “Too real. This is another song I used to hear when I was a kid. My parents always fought and didn’t have a good relationship. I was scared of them splitting up when I was young, and this song always came on and made me really sad. It still hurts to listen to. It’s such an incredible song. It will forever give me chills and take me back to being a little kid. When I was younger, I didn’t know how much my parents breaking up would impact my world in a good way. It wasn’t the end of the world. So that’s nice. But damn, this song hits.”
@rick: (9.5) ‘Daddy don’t leave’ I relate so much
@Laurence: (9) Another classic. I like this side of Pink but she does not need to overdo it.
@Verandi: (8) Tear my heart out a bit sis. Way too relatable for me to really "enjoy" this, but it's clearly one of her best.
@R27: (7.5) A formative track in P!nk’s discography; one which set the precedent for her confessional style of her songwriting. Not a personal favourite of mine, but nonetheless an important track in her artistic evolution.
@abael: (4) You promise to do better? I hope so Pink, cause album 2 is not doing good so far.
07. Family Portrait
Average score: 9.22
Highest score: 11x2
@Daniel_O @playboy69
10x15
@savilizabeths @Maki @HollyDunnSomething @LiK
@Music Is Life @sapnu puas @Remorque @Sideout
@Hurricane Drunk @kal @Reboot @Sprockrooster
@nikkysan @JMRGBY88 @Lost Boy
Lowest score: 4 @abael
Momma please stop crying, I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said
You fight about money, 'bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growing up in World War three
Never knowing what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family
When conceptualising this rate I was very hyper-aware of the sheer amount of personal stories it may evoke, or the amount of feelings it may trigger, what with P!nk's career spanning multiple years (and for a lot of us informing our childhood) and it's exactly why I asked people to be considerate and spend a little more time allowing songs to open up to them. 'Family Portrait' is another one of those, and you only have to look at the personal commentary below to see how important it is, and as such I just... ask that you be considerate as to peoples personal connections.
The song is, to me, P!nk's absolute most important and powerful track. It single-handedly epitomises the true strength of her songwriting and character, which is being absolutely unafraid to tackle the darkest parts of our lives in an effort to purge them from haunting our lives on a daily business. This speaks for itself, it's a harrowing cry for help made far too late, designed to make her parents finally realise the damage their fighting has done to her.
And that's the thing, we ignore how much damage can be done to kids simply by way of observing. Divorce is crippling to children, and watching the people that are supposed to be your embodiment of love tear each other apart will affect the way you live the entire rest of your life. I, for one, was abused by my father who also regularly beat my Mother, as well as being routinely bullied by my older brother and other kids at school, so there really was nowhere left for me to go. As the song describes, this was supposed to be my sacred space and shelter, instead I spent hours of my childhood with my legs pressed against the wall and my back against the door in an effort to keep my dad from forcing his way in.
But the craving for love never quite goes away, no matter what our parents do. They birthed us, and we deserve the love of well-knowledged parents, but instead we're throwing our love into toxic relationships that won't reciprocate. And then we start to attack ourselves, believing that our love isn't enough to make them stay. It's a great toxic circle of shame and anger that informs you forever.
That's why this is one of my favourite songs of all time, and you will never understand the importance without growing up in that environment. Everything else is simply fine clothes adorning a perfectly crafted melody and narrative. It's almost as if she was born to sing this song, born to speak to the millions left behind and forgotten as children. It's beautiful and heartbreaking to this day, the video still bringing me to tears.
Commentary corner:
@JMRGBY88: (10) As a child of divorce, I remember this hitting home quite hard when I was younger.
@nikkysan: (10) This hits so close to home, as someone who went through my parents divorcing and not really having a relationship with my biological father anymore, this is still heartbreaking to listen to and brings me close to tears. Amazing song.
@Sprockrooster: (10) A skillfully written masterpiece.
@Reboot: (10) Painfully relatable. “I won’t spill the milk at dinner” is a gorgeous, heartfelt lyric.
@sapnu puas: (10) I was fortunate to have a relatively ok childhood in terms of family, but fuck. If this song didn’t make me feel everything in every fibre of my being.
@Music Is Life: (10) This fucking song. I have no relation to this what-so-ever, but I still love it. It’s such a beautifully sad song, and her voice is perfect throughout the whole 5 minutes. I love the production, it’s very subtle, but intense at the same time. And that middle-, or third verse, whichever, is amazing. This is still one of her best.
@Maki: (10) It took almost half of the album to get there, but for me, this is where the heart of this album really begins. What a heartbreakingly sad song… I can’t describe how gorgeous this is. Her emotions while delivering this song are off the chart. The music arrangement, the children singing in the background are just perfection. That outro is so sad, and that's just one of many amazing moments in this masterpiece. One of her most honest and vulnerable songs. By far the best single of the album and one of her best singles in general.
@savilizabeths: (10) “Too real. This is another song I used to hear when I was a kid. My parents always fought and didn’t have a good relationship. I was scared of them splitting up when I was young, and this song always came on and made me really sad. It still hurts to listen to. It’s such an incredible song. It will forever give me chills and take me back to being a little kid. When I was younger, I didn’t know how much my parents breaking up would impact my world in a good way. It wasn’t the end of the world. So that’s nice. But damn, this song hits.”
@rick: (9.5) ‘Daddy don’t leave’ I relate so much
@Laurence: (9) Another classic. I like this side of Pink but she does not need to overdo it.
@Verandi: (8) Tear my heart out a bit sis. Way too relatable for me to really "enjoy" this, but it's clearly one of her best.
@R27: (7.5) A formative track in P!nk’s discography; one which set the precedent for her confessional style of her songwriting. Not a personal favourite of mine, but nonetheless an important track in her artistic evolution.
@abael: (4) You promise to do better? I hope so Pink, cause album 2 is not doing good so far.
This is a beautiful song and hits hard on a personal level, given the subject matter.