Hook (song)
{{Short description|1995 single by Blues Traveler}}
{{About|the Blues Traveler song|the musical concept|Hook (music)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Hook
| cover = Blues_Traveler_-_Hook.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Blues Traveler
| album = Four
| released = August 29, 1995
| recorded =
| studio = Bearsville (Woodstock, New York){{cite magazine|last=Walsh |first=Christopher |title=Songs From The Wood: 30 Years of Bearsville Studios |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bhEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=bearsville+turtle+creek&pg=PA1 |date=13 October 2001 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=12 October 2021}}
| genre = Rock
| length = * 4:49
- 4:18 (edit)
| label = A&M
| writer = John Popper
| producer = * Steve Thompson
| prev_title = Run-Around
| prev_year = 1995
| next_title = The Mountains Win Again
| next_year = 1995
}}
"Hook" is a song by American rock band Blues Traveler, from their fourth studio album, Four (1994). The title of the song is a reference to the term hook, a short musical riff that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener".{{Cite book |last=Covach |first=John |title=Engaging Music: Essays in Music Analysis |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-19-517010-5 |editor-last=Stein, Deborah |location=New York |page=71 |chapter=Form in Rock Music: A Primer}} The lyrics are a commentary on the banality and vacuousness of successful pop songs, making "Hook" both a hit song and a satire of a hit song. Commercially, "Hook" peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 40 on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart.
Structure
The chord progression of "Hook" is very similar to the basic structure of Pachelbel's Canon in D,{{Cite web |last=Ess |first=Amanda |date=August 27, 2008 |title=.Listen.- Blues Traveler "Hook" |url=http://somethingofsubstance.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/listen-blues-travelers-hook/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819200854/http://somethingofsubstance.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/listen-blues-travelers-hook/ |archive-date=August 19, 2011 |access-date=2009-01-08 |website=Something.Of.Substance}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/blues-traveler/hook|title=Hook by Blues Traveler |website=Songfacts}} (D-A-Bm-F{{music|sharp}}m-G-D-G-A, or I-V-vi-iii-IV-I-IV-V),{{cite web|last1=Guendelsberger|first=Emily|title=Why "Hook" by Blues Traveler is actually a pretty genius work of metafiction|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/why-hook-by-blues-traveler-is-actually-a-pretty-ge-83392|date=August 7, 2012|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=August 15, 2016}} but transposed to the key of A major. This chord progression is widely used in popular music, often as the hook, leading to other satirical takes on the use of this chord structure.{{cite web |last1=Paravonian |first1=Rob |title=Pachelbel Rant |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/JdxkVQy7QLM |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|website=YouTube |access-date=July 29, 2020}}{{cbignore}}
There are several allusions in the song, one to the story of Peter Pan and his nemesis Captain Hook "no matter how much Peter loved her, what made the Pan refuse to grow, was that the Hook brings you back".
Satire
The first chorus of the song's lyrics, aimed directly at the listener, assert that the lyrical content of any song is effectively meaningless, as the song's musical hook will keep listeners coming back, even if they are unaware of the reason. In the introduction, John Popper sings:
:"It doesn't matter what I say / So long as I sing with inflection / That makes you feel that I'll convey / Some inner truth or vast reflection."
The second verse admits the singer is "being insincere" and describes how the lyrics are intended to manipulate the listener. These lyrics are a satirical take on the formulaic way much popular music is generated. Further on during the bridge, the lyrics become even more blatant by criticizing MTV and claiming formulaic music is an easy way to make money: "When I’m feeling stuck and need a buck/ I don’t rely on luck, because/ the hook brings you back..."
The musically "lazy" chord structure viewed in combination with the meta-lyrics reveal the true extent of what a critic for The A.V. Club describes as song's "genius": "the commentary is a big joke about how listeners will like just about anything laid on top of the chords of the infinitely clichéd Pachelbel canon, even lyrics that openly mock them for liking it."
Music video
The music video was directed by Frank W. Ockenfels and depicts a man, played by game show host Ken Ober, channel surfing through late-night television. He first watches a beauty pageant whose contestants lip sync the song as the host (erroneously credited as Milton Berle on IMDb) interviews them. For the second verse, a character modeled after Charles Foster Kane lip syncs at a campaign rally. The band appears in each of these segments, then plays the bridge of the song in the man's apartment, with John Popper taking his place on the couch. During the final portion of the song, the man starts changing channels quickly, often returning to see Paul Shaffer lip sync the lyrics and play keyboard with the band. Finally the man turns off his TV set and starts to read a book about the American Civil War.{{YouTube|pdz5kCaCRFM|Music Video}}
Shaffer was bandleader for Late Night with David Letterman, which gave Blues Traveler critical early exposure. Shaffer contributed backing keyboards to "Stand," another track on Four. During the final sequence of channel changes, several split-second clips from the video for the previous single "Run-Around" are seen.
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1995–1996) !Peak |
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|40|chartid=2919|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Canadarock|12|chartid=2820|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|23|artist=Blues Traveler|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|28|artist=Blues Traveler|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|22|artist=Blues Traveler|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|13|artist=Blues Traveler|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|15|artist=Blues Traveler|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|8|artist=Blues Traveler|rowheader=true|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1996) !Position |
| scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://billboardtop100of.com/1996-2/|title=Billboard Top 100 – 1996|website=Billboardtop100of.com|access-date=December 13, 2023}}
|60 |
|---|
| scope="row"|US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Mainstream Rock Tracks|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=4|issue=53|page=23|date=December 27, 1996}}
|85 |
| scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=4|issue=53|page=24|date=December 27, 1996}}
|96 |
| scope="row"|US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=4|issue=53|page=30|date=December 27, 1996}}
|29 |
{{col-end}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Format(s) !scope="col"|Label(s) !scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"|United States
|August 29, 1995 |{{n/a}} |rowspan="2"|A&M |{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} |
|---|
| scope="row"|Japan
|November 25, 1995 |CD |{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/145748/products/200839/1/|title=フック {{!}} ブルース・トラベラー|trans-title=Hook {{!}} Blues Traveler|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=December 13, 2023}} |