3 Beautiful Songs by the National
By: Thomas Jenkins
Tags: The National, Music, Songs, Culture, Writing

All the Wine

“I’m put together beautifully,” Matt Berninger sings on the first line of “All the Wine,” continuing with “big wet bottle in my fist, big wet rose in my teeth.” These are bold, hubristic words by design, making the song feel like a bold anthem right from the beginning. And if you keep reading the lyric sheet, you’ll find more lines that follow the same pattern.

In fact, taking just the words by themselves, “All the Wine” seems like one of the most arrogant, brash songs ever written. The chorus, “All the wine is all for me” (repeated several times) seems to hammer that point home. But actually listening to the song a few times leaves one with a different conclusion. In reality, it’s sad, almost tragic.

Because no matter how proud, how confident the words of the song sound, there’s a sense of melancholy to the music beneath them. Berninger also repeats many of the lines — especially the titular “all the wine is all for me” — several times. And while it’s possible to read this repetition as a brag, I think it makes more sense as someone trying to convince himself of something. The words sound desperate by the end.

The reason I chose to write a few paragraphs about “All the Wine” is that it’s a truly beautiful song (a description I try to use sparingly). The sense of unease that permeates the verses, Berninger’s incredible delivery vocal delivery, and the subtle guitar notes create an ensemble that remains among the band’s best. Even several albums later, this song remains one of the best in The National’s catalog.

Rylan

This song makes the list because of a driving piano line in the chorus that I find mesmerizing. It’s actually much older than the album it appears on — 2019’s I am Easy to Find — and has been a fan favorite at shows for many years. In any case, it’s a really enjoyable song to listen to and has all of the hallmarks of The National’s style.

“It was fun to have a song we played live and didn’t put out,” Berninger said in an interview with /Pitchfork./ “We could tell it was getting better. I kinda wish we could do that with all of our songs.” As someone who rarely goes to concerts anymore, I’m really glad this one finally made it onto an album since I otherwise wouldn’t even know it exists.

Like many of The National’s songs, “Rylan” has several lyrical layers. At its core though, this one seems to be about offering advice to a younger person. “Rylan, you should try to get some sun,” Berninger sings several times, “you remind me of everyone.” There are plenty of other good lyrical moments, but I find that “Rylan” as a song works not because its words are profound on their own, but because their marriage with the music just works when one listens to it.

I’ll Still Destroy You

One of the things that I appreciate the most about The National is that their music can be either background music or occupy my total attention. The melodies are smooth enough to help me concentrate or write, but the lyrics themselves are incredibly deep and poignant. That’s not exactly news to anyone even remotely familiar with the band. But, it helps me set up why I want to write about “I’ll Still Destroy You”: it’s one of the bands very best songs.

The lyrics deal with anxiety, addiction, parenthood (and a few other themes). And like so many other songs by Berninger, there’s a quiet sense of desperation that lies just beneath the surface of the music. It’s a similar feeling to the wild lyrical gesticulating of “All the Wine,” but delivered much more reflectively. Where “All the Wine” is fast-paced, “I’ll Still Destroy You,” starts off slowly before building into a glorious crescendo at the end.

I’ve been making playlists to listen to while I work on various projects or exercise, and I find myself coming back to this song in particular when I make them. The National is one of the few bands whose music can fit many different settings or moods, but this song is one of the most versatile (at least for my tastes). Just like the other two on this list, its true appeal comes from how the words and instruments fit together.