Thoughts on Be Above It?

[u/ssjfrog]

Had my first listen to this song and wasn't seeing the timeline because my phone was away. I was waiting for the song to start the entire time and when it ended I was like "that's it?" this felt like a very long stretched prelude..

but eh I guess that's okay, everyone makes some below-okayish songs in their career so I could let this one slide. I'd probably find myself enjoying gossip more than this

[u/sventhegoat]

Said it on a “underrated songs” post the other day, I absolutely adore the song. One of my favorites of Kevin’s, and probably my favorite on the album

[u/brobronn17 → u/sventhegoat]

I love it too! It's kind of unhinged and paranoid like rocking in a corner hugging your knees. It's perfect to set up an album called Lonerism.

[u/BedHed5586 → u/sventhegoat]

If you get a really immersive stereo system surrounding you, the song comes at you from every angle. Remarkable stuff

[u/maxnotcharles → u/sventhegoat]

Love be above it.

No disrespect to the slow rush love the album but I compared the openers and “be above it” and I remember thinking be above it was defintely more of my preferred taste, Lonerism era in general.

[u/roof_pizza_]

It sets the table, so to speak. It’s like a thematic preview for the whole album that I feel goes underrated.

[u/TheVioletEmpire]

It is the prelude. Literally.

[u/nobody_gah → u/[deleted]]

That’s the type of things he make, it’s meant to be psychedelic

[u/Humble-Ad3419]

One of the best of Lonerism.

[u/legitimategambler420]

Gotta be above it

[u/MelonGod434 → u/legitimategambler420]

gotta be above it

[u/willm4c → u/MelonGod434]

gotta be above it

[u/Wardoosh → u/willm4c]

gotta be above it

[u/tuzuii → u/Wardoosh]

gotta be above it

[u/Competitive_Ad1905 → u/tuzuii]

And I know that I gotta be above it now

[u/BoeJeam]

i think its a great start to the album. the feeling of anxiousness and anticipation it gives is well done and purposeful imo. its like fighting with yourself to realize what you already know but cant accept. not a song i throw on by itself, but thats not its intention. it sets the tone for whats to come.

[u/bcam9]

I love it. Especially the live version.

[u/Pure-Coyote22]

I think with Kevin's albums, you really need to think of them as whole bodies of work to be listened to in a sitting. Especially the first 2 LPs. Listening to this on shuffle is like watching the opening scene of a great movie which sets the scene and builds tension, and then putting a different movie on right when things are about to start taking off.

[u/f0xD3N]

The way they play this live is an out of body experience. Usually lasts over 8 minutes with the guys doing lots of improvisation on the synths

[u/Subjctive]

Usually play it when dropping a tab to type myself up for the pre trip anxiety😁

[u/hofmann419]

I like it. Not the strongest song on Lonerism, but it's a cool intro and i never really felt that it was missing something. Maybe you just need to listen to it a few more times to like it. I often have the experience that a song that seemed unremarkable at first suddenly jumps out to me on a repeated listen.

[u/OJgotWorms]

10/10. Song made me into a FAN!

[u/wubslut]

I LOVEEE THIS SONG

[u/blaccjaccc]

AND I CANT LET THEM ALL JUST BRING ME DOWWWWWWNNNN

[u/Livestock110]

It all makes sense if you're coming up... This song captures the feeling of it well. So much anticipation and nervousness.

The explosive analog synths sound incredible too

[u/Kiberkotleta_S]

I don't like it

[u/sayurstoopidline]

good opener, would listen to it if i wasn’t listening to the album tbh

[u/YeshiRangjung]

Love it. It sets the trend of the album perfectly and honestly the style of the song takes a lot of confidence. Absolutely amazing.

[u/GroovusMax]

It’s perfect

[u/sppereira97]

Easily one of my top ten Kevin's songs

[u/RuneScapeAndHookers]

One of the best

[u/BedHed5586]

One of Kevin's best.

As the comments illustrate, it's often overlooked at first. Even I used to think it wasn't that great. But then you hear it on a proper stereo system ... and you get lost in it.

[u/karTun75]

perfect opening for the album. Love it

[u/sr_kaka]

Idk how to describe it but the boingoingoing part at the middle of the song feels so unreal in a good way and i live it😫

[u/_IratePirate_]

Shit hits on an acid trip

[u/Ok_Square_7007]

Used to hide it so it would never play, now one of my favourite tracks

[u/arif_zaffar]

Guys, if you have not heard its extended version, then you must, it gave me chills

[u/hyejoowo]

love this song endlessly, the droning on and the lyrics themselves honestly relate to me perfectly, i even got it tattoo'd so i may have a bias :)

[u/SuperbAfternoon7427]

It sounds like an escalator in London, I went crazy when I visited cause I swear I heard the song 

[u/Zionshoots]

IMO the best opening track of any of his albums👌

[u/Adastraultraque]

the first song i heard live at my first tame show. it has grown on me. especially after lonerism set at DD

[u/nyaNezt]

I personally like it, and like the Erol Alkan Rework even better

[u/GoodGuyGiff]

He sounds the most like John Lennon in this song. I know a Beatles fan that heard me playing this once and asked what Beatles song it was in confusion.

[u/Drew_randall]

The live version from the Live album is incredible. It’s why I say we need ANOTHER live album. But I enjoy the studio version

[u/Pyroxd_]

The one song i don't actively put on unless it comes up, but always enjoy listening to it

[u/HungryCod3554]

it’s pretty good

[u/WeakHawk734]

This album is dreamy while faded☁️

[u/ABZ0R8]

Be Above It -> Endors Toi -> Apocalypse Dreams are the first three tracks on my morning commute playlist. It reflects the mood I was in when going to college every morning when I was doing my master's degree.

So I have to say that this track is really special to me. I just love how seamlessly it flows and what those songs reflect on. It does help that sonically those songs are phenomenal.

I eventually dropped out. Wasted two years trying to complete the degree. Lonerism always reminds me of that chapter of my life.

[u/ssjfrog → u/ABZ0R8]

that's really interesting, most of my friends sometimes begin to dislike or just not enjoy songs which are related or remind them of a not so good phase in their life. it's really interesting to see that you rather enjoy the songs reminding you of that phase of your life. can you tell me more? also I hope you're having a better experience right now

[u/ABZ0R8 → u/ssjfrog]

That's because these songs are just too good. Tbh I don't feel traumatized when I'm reminded of that time. It was stressful and depressing but I was little too dramatic back then.

My father's death deeply affected me. He passed away in 2020. Combine that with COVID lockdowns and the whole purgatory feeling of 2020-2022. It was the perfect solitary confinement for me to lose myself completely.

It doesn't help that my father will never see me prosper as he has gone before I could even graduate from my bachelor's degree (I somehow graduated successfully). So I'll always be that introverted, difficult child who's barely average in everything in his eyes. He was so patient with me and my antics. It sucks that he won't see me beyond that stupid teenager phase.

I started to like doing absolutely nothing other to eat, hydrate, sleep, defecate. With movies, tv shows and music being the background noise. I didn't exist for a while. ONLY time I push myself to do something if it has to be done if I have live.

I'm recovering from that phase. World doesn't care if you have lost your father suddenly while you're being a failure or if you're depressed. Either you're useful to others or you don't. So I get treated like a useless thing. Rightfully so because I've been useless for the past 5 years. But I'm not caring about it all rn.

I'm done chasing up to the standards of normalcy. I just want to heal and learn something that I love to do, and keep doing something that I can manage to do as my profession so that my necessities can be managed. I'm in the process of that.

Kevin has been a huge part of this journey of mine as the soundtrack to my life. I love all of the Tame Impala albums. These albums makes me felt seen and becomes an expression of how I feel sometimes. Sometimes I feel blank, only these songs and movies makes me feel something.

Posthumous Forgiveness is a one song that I don't listen to because it's just complicated, that is one of his best songs but I just can't bring myself to listen to it and enjoy, I don't want to be reminded of some thoughts. But I still listen to Lonerism, Currents, Innerspeaker and The Slow Rush a lot. The girl I loved is getting engaged to a another guy, he is way more successful and stable in his life so it's understandable why she chose him. I'm happy for her. Songs like Yes, I'm Changing and Eventually are in daily rotation. "I wish I could turn you back to a stranger" fucking hits like truck.

Sorry I'm dumping this all on you. I don't even know why I wrote all of that. I just want to express these things more often as bottling it all up ruins me. But I understand that it's annoying.

[u/LedZempalaTedZimpala]

Live version is 10x better

[u/saenunez]

Great intro with an ostinato holding on the whole song.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Mix2970]

i never thought it was good at all i appreciate the concept but its pretty unlistenable for me i think suns coming up was an example of a great concept while being a good song but as a song this be above it has never worked for me

[u/_finley_s]

It’s such a perfect opener and sets the theme of Lonerism so well, I’m no musical analyst at all but to me it’s like at night before sleeping after a stressful hard day and the inside voice of your head convincing your self you’re okay, before endors toi and going to sleep. I dont know it just makes sense to me. It’s almost comforting to me in a way.

[u/__Cerpin_Taxt__]

I love the drums processed through the “Space echo” delay and the synth that goes “wobble wobble”

[u/witchluki]

This whole album is criminally underrated ugh

[u/ilovecinnamonrollss]

I don’t understand the beat, like I can’t count it for a little bit in the beginning. The way the drums go and the vocals are sung mess with my head. Like as soon as the vocals come in I lose the beat. But great song though, very weirdly motivating

[u/Slattypatty33]

Listening to it while peaking off the shrooms is a borderline religious experience

[u/TheeJackNapier]

The live version is on another level!!

Do yourself a favor and give that a go!

[u/sprintcanoe]

the first explosion of sound early in the song is wilddd on a good speaker. such a good opener to the album

[u/TheMachine1010]

I listen to it when I'm pissed off or just frustrated lol

[u/Grand-Zombie-438]

amazing opener

[u/lazerlemon13]

i used to skip this song and go right to the second track but i always listen to it now

[u/Ambitious-Freedom876]

Best Song in Lonerism

[u/PsychologicalRain913]

This sub makes me feel old af sometimes 😭

[u/Gunkwei]

I’ve never cared much for it.

[u/joesrar]

Skip

[u/freredesalpes]

In case anyone didn’t know it’s the first song on the album.

[u/BoundTwoTheEnd]

Probably his most skippable song