When listeners connect emotionally with a song, they almost always want to know more about its origins. What inspired the lyrics? Why is it composed in the manner that it is? Song Exploder is a Netflix documentary series that dives into those questions. The show uses a wild combination of recordings, interviews, archival footage and other tools to really break a song down to its foundation.
Hrishikesh Hirway hosts the series which is based on the podcast of the same name that he created back in 2014. Hirway has great interview skills. He clearly does he research and asks open questions that allow the artists to provide answers with their own unique insight.
Episode one features the collaboration between Alicia Keys and Sampha on the song, “Three Hour Drive.” Sampha had just lost his mother at the time and Keys had just given birth to a son. That crossroads helped each of them take their disparate backgrounds to drive the lyrics. Sampha wasn’t even supposed to sing the song, but Keys and James Napier talked him into it and the result was the excellent collaboration.
In an introspective moment, Keys makes the observation that she was coming to the lyrics from a place of joy, even at Sampha was approaching them with grief. This culminates in the song’s key lyric, “you give me life.”
The show’s second episode centers around “Wait for It” from the Tony award winning musical, Hamilton. Hirway interviews star and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with musical director and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire. Their breakdown of the song gets into the historical nature of Aaron Burr, his family history of loss, and the manner in which his personality was the direct opposite of Alexander Hamilton.
Lacamoire takes pride in explaining the structure of harmonies he used to turn the simple digital delay on the original demo into an arrangement for a full ensemble cast. He and Miranda also point out a couple of things that happen only once in the song, delighting in that one little change that is almost nonexistent, but brings them such pride.
Episode three is about R.E.M’s “Losing my Religion.” Michael Stipe is one of the first people who admits he has no idea how the song ever became a hit. The episode begins by showing the band’s offbeat approach to music and the unusual manner in which they came together. They were six albums in to their careers by the time 1990 hit and Rolling Stone magazine called Peter Buck one of the greatest rock n roll guitarists.
By that point, the band was ready for a total change. Buck put down the guitar and picked up the mandolin. One night he went home and wrote what became the signature riff for the band’s unexpected hit song. Bill Berry and Mike Mills add in their own unique takes to fill out the rhythm section’s approach.
Stipe’s lyrics are largely stream of consciousness, but at the heart, they are wrapped in the emotions of insecurity. He also points out the hilarity that this song is on the same record as “Shiny, Happy People”, a song that couldn’t be more opposite. Being released in the early 90’s, the song was taken in a number of ways. The southern turn of phrase wound up being a protest song against organized religion in large swaths of the world.
The final episode follows Ty Dolla $ign and his love song to his city, “LA.” He brought in Kendrick Lamarr, Brandy, and others to help him write. This episode begins with the amazing story of Ty’s brother who is in prison, serving a 67 year sentence for a murder that he allegedly didn’t commit. Ty wanted to begin the story of his debut album, “Free TC”, by explaining his brother’s plight.
The producing duo known as Blaq Tuxedo brought the beat and the chorus. It took Ty like five minutes to write the verses. Ty drove around the corner and got Lamarr to record his verse. This expanded to a huge cast including Benjamin Wright, who conducted the orchestral arrangement. The episode ends as each does, with a video playing of the song in its entirety. “LA” is a great example of the layered, complex culmination of so many ingredients and artists contributing to one project.
Season One was released on October 2, 2020 and includes four episodes. Season Two is set to be released on December 15th. Fans who are struggling to “wait for it” can listen to the podcast, which currently has 177 episodes available.