Shnootz - Reaction Video (Thomas Dolby - I Scare Myself)

[@WYVEREX5]

This is like some strange bossa nova filtered through Thomas Dolby's unique soundscape. Percussion and bass, the horn sounds, especially the solo section. That piano like water pouring. I love Thomas' vocal and how the song is so floaty. That horn seems improvised, and its imprecision makes it more emotional. Touches of Spanish guitar, mysterious and dreamy. It becomes a bit more forceful in the final section when he is proclaiming "then I'll be with you." I think the key lyric in the song, which was written by Dan Hicks, is "Cause the stars already crossed our paths forever, and the sooner we realize it, the better." The narrator lets his thoughts of his lover run wild whenever they are apart. He seems obsessed! And his thoughts running rampant are frightening, but he is calm when he is with her. It could be he wants to make sure she feels as deeply about him as he does her. Perhaps that's why he says that about the stars crossing their path, and now he needs her to see it that way, too. "Then I'll be with you, and I won't scare myself." Then he will know that she loves him, and he no longer have doubts and stop worrying about their relationship. Such a cool song!

[@alanmichels7584]

I loved Thomas Dolby back in the day. The best concert I ever went to was his "Golden Age of Wireless" tour. I saw him at The Bronco Bowl in Dallas where I grew up. Just an incredibly talented man! Just a man & all his machines.

[@MarkSatchwillArt]

This is a cover - the original was written and performed by Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks. The original version released is a little more upbeat but Thomas found another version which was slower and more haunted, so that inspired this version. I think the song is about someone who has demons, who is impulsive and prone to (self) destructive behaviour and thoughts - they have now met this person whom, when they are together, brings a sense of peace and calm, almost like a spell has been cast. They are hoping that if they can get together his problems will be solved. There is definitely a dark edge to it, a hint of obsession - he's might be scaring himself but if I was the object of his affection I might feel a bit scared too. Kevin Armstrong was the guitarist and also played the trumpet on this track, something he had never played before the session, so hats off to him.

[@EC-dz3fb]

Never knew that. Thank you!

[@novindichar]

I love this hidden gem. I have it featured on one of my playlists called "A Chequered Past", it's a moody playlist centering around internal turmoil and external pressure. It has a mix of genres from dark wave to prog rock, and this track fit right in when I discovered it. I think Thomas Dolby is really underrated, he has quite an interesting output that is often overlooked, and I feel like his signature song, She Blinded Me With Science doesn't really represent his work as a whole very well, it's a shame it's all he's really known for.

[@ohfour-seven6228]

You're right about the Latin flair in the song, but I also heard Arabian touches as well. Dark, mysterious, almost desert like at time. Love this track, Dolby always surprises, part of why I love his music so much!

[@eng605]

It's one of my favorite tracks on this album, along with Dissidents. I like the experimental tone and at the same time a little dark, mysterious that it gave compared to the original version.