If there was ever a song that was entirely overlooked at the time, and continues to rest in obscurity today, it is the song “Giant” by The The, from 1983. Sonically, it’s way ahead of its time, with a funky synth beat that sounds like an antecedent to George Michael’s “Monkey”. Even if it had no lyrics, or throwaway pop notions, it would be fabulous. But the song is both seriously danceable and seriously introspective.
As far as I can surmise, it’s about someone who was a bully, asshole, a giant of something, whether a cartel or a corporation, who finally realizes the error of his ways later on in life, when it’s just too late to change the results of his fate. That’s pretty heady and heavy stuff for a dance song. Like almost anything that came from Matt Johnson of the The The, it defied easy categorization. It’s a dance song that isn’t even a 12″ single, as far as I can tell.
The first half of the song is introspective and full of regret and lament, and then segues to the second half, which is an awesome Afro-tribal drum chant type of rhythm that makes the 9 minutes go by so very fast. I’ve loved this song ever since I discovered it accidentally about 20 years ago.
