NPR’s Song of the Day

National Public Radio has a great tradition of highlighting world musicians and the offbeat home-grown variety (with quite a few Brits as well). Their website has a great new feature, a “Song of the Day” every weekday on their front page. Here’s the page of all their picks to date. I have eclectic music tastes, so I’ve been loving it.

I find I’ve heard a fair number of the bands NPR’s editors pick (NPR’s main station KCRW out here in L.A. features a great deal of alternative music). But the real joy is of course that undiscovered treasure.

I’ve had one of their picks stuck in my head the past few days, Camera Obscura’s “Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken.” I’d heard some of the band’s material before, but this one’s just grabbed me. Besides having a truly great band name, how can you dislike a “Glasgow chamber-pop sextet?” I don’t always gravitate towards such a heavily produced sound, but I find the Scottish lilts endearing, the harmony entrancing, the hook catchy, the sound overwhelmingly lush in a very effective way, and the tone of the piece melancholy but hopeful with a wry sense of humor. It’s very much a deliberate throwback, very well done.

On the band website, bandmate Carey comments that this was:

One of the most problematic songs to assemble for the album but we were eventually so enthralled we gave it six choruses. Obviously the mark of a fine single. And, yes, it does refer to Lloyd Cole, and thankfully, he likes it!

Their My Space page is here and a site featuring lyrics is here. The lyrics consist mainly of the chorus:

He said “I’ll protect you like you are the crown jewels” yet
Said he’s feeling sorrier for me the more I behave badly I can bet

Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken
I can’t see further than my own nose at the moment

Jealousy is more than a word now I understand
I know you can stay a girl by holding a boy’s hand

Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken
I can’t see further than my own nose at the moment
Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken
I can’t see further than my own nose at the moment

I’ve got my life of complication here to sort out
I’ll take myself to an east coast city and walk about

Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken
I can’t see further than my own nose at the moment
Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken
I can’t see further than my own nose at the moment
Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken
I can’t see further than my own nose at the moment

UPDATE: I now have the CD; the official lyrics are confirmed. And the video for this song can be seen here.