BSPH: Neil Cicierega / Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away Lyrics

"Fly Away Lyrics" is a reinvention of a Lenny Kravitz song "Fly Away" executed (with extreme prejudice) in 2014 by digital media extraordinaire Neil Cicierega. In its original form "Fly Away" was catchy but user-friendly cocky, arrogant pop-/-rock-ish dancehall bow-wow-wow. "Fly Away Lyrics" turns it inside out and a little bit backwards and gives it Frank Zappa / Captain Beefheart spin.

Neil Cicierega manages to pull a neat trick with keeping the balance and changing right amount of elements while leaving song relatively recognizable but fundamentally different in the same time. On a surface "Fly Away Lyrics" is barely differs from "Fly Away". But the more it goes - more wrong it feels and more bizarre and off-putting it gets.

Changes in music are subtle. Instead of richly detailed sonic tapestry of the verses Cicierega took more straightforward breaks and put chunks of lyrics on top of it. Beat subtly stumbles time after time and the repetitive nature of arrangement plays up the surreal feel.

Lyrics are the main subject of changes. Technically what Neil Cicireiga did is a cut-up. Words are reconfingured into a mishmash that builds increasingly surreal narrative of Lenny wanting to fly away just like a dragonfly and having certain kind of complicated feelings towards Milky Way chocolate bars while longing to consume the sun. Lenny Kravitz' seductive delivery gives it additional layer of oddness.