It’s Haim O’clock: the Top 5 Haim Songs
In celebration of the release of "I quit" here are the top 5 Haim songs so far.
To celebrate the release of “I quit” I’ve recruited my dear friend and musician Jackie Baker to help me compile a list of the top 5 Haim songs, prior to the release of the full album. While my music knowledge and ear are mediocre at best, Jackie brings actual artistry and taste to this endeavor. Jackie has been writing, recording and performing music since she was a kid. In 2019, she graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a B.A. in Audio Production and has since worked as a music teacher, music producer, band photographer and general multi-hyphenate artist.
This conversation was conducted in a Google doc in the days before the “I quit” album release. I’ll use JB to identify Jackie Baker and MG to identify myself.
MG: Jackie had the excellent idea for us to start by sharing why we love Haim and how we started listening to the band. I’ll start, I think I discovered Haim around 2018 or 2019. I distinctly remember hearing and loving “The Wire.” From there I was hooked. So much of their music feels in conversation with what came before them and I love that I can hear those influences in these songs that also feel really fresh and modern. I’m also a sucker for music by women around my own age. Give me a song about being in your thirties, and you’ve won me over — “Everybody’s trying to figure me out” is all over my playlists right now. I also have Haim, and Jackie, to thank for one of my favorite concert experiences ever. In the summer of 2022 Jackie and I went to the Women In Music Pt. III tour, and it was probably my favorite concert ever. So Jackie, why do you love Haim and how did you start listening to them?
JB: Firstly, I want to thank you for asking me to collaborate on this! What better way to amp myself up for “I quit” than by revisiting their discography? To be honest, I was a bit late to the party…I didn’t really become a fan until I’d heard “Women In Music Pt. III.” I was blown away by the quality of the production, how beautiful the arrangement and instrumentation were. I think it was a massive step-up for them. It’s been a while since I’d listened to that album too, I really enjoyed revisiting it. One thing that immediately resonated with me as a fan was the fact that they were sisters; I’m the youngest of five girls and growing up, I wanted so badly to be in a family band (Pipe dreams, etc…) Right off the bat, it just seemed like Haim had SO much fun performing together. Their joy and love of music was so tangible and obvious. Both of their parents are musicians, so it’s no surprise that much of their discography pays homage to their predecessors. With such a wide array of influences, they still maintain their own unique signature sound. Haim’s music is deeply personal and cathartic, while at the same time being so much fun to listen to. It feels like driving with the top-down right after it’s stopped raining. Even their more somber songs have a strangely comforting effect. I’ve loved the “I quit” singles they’ve released so far and I can’t wait to hear the full album. Musically, they’ve evolved so much already, so I know the full album is going to be something special. Women fucking rule! (...can I curse in here?)
Man from the Magazine
MG: Haha you can definitely curse in here! I completely agree that “Women In Music Pt. III” was a massive step-up for Haim. As I think about my top Haim songs I have to throw out a favorite of both of ours, “Man from the Magazine.” This song hits me in such a visceral way, and I know this song means a lot to you too. Can you share a little about why you love it?
JB: Well, I’ve always interpreted it as the thesis for the whole album. It’s a song about being a woman working in the music…and how agonizingly frustrating it can be. It’s about how the thing that you’re so passionate about can get bogged down by the industry and by people who want to make you feel small. The stark opening line addresses an actual reporter who asked Danielle a grossly unnecessary question during an interview.
“ Man from the magazine, what did you say?
“Do you make the same faces in bed?”
Hey, man, what kind of question is that?
What did you really want me to say back?”
When I was getting my Audio degree, it was often the case that I was the only woman in the room, and I remember so many instances of feeling isolated or patronized. This song and its lyrics capture that feeling. It discusses how women are expected to resign to the way things are. To succeed in the industry, you’re expected to adopt a grin-and-bear-it mentality. You have to be the “cool girl” who doesn't take things too personally. “It is what it is…It was what it was.”
It’s a beautiful but lamentful song that gave me a lot of comfort during a time when I needed it. I also want to mention the music video from which the album gets its cover art; Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, one of my favorite filmmakers, it’s a great visual companion for the song. Give it a watch if you haven’t. Overall, I’d have to rank this as #1 for me. It may not be the most complex or upbeat, but it’s got such an emotional resonance that it's the top of my list.
MG: I completely agree this song deserves the #1 slot. I’m glad you called out the line, “It is what it is… It was what it was.” Not sure if you hear it this way, but I go back and forth on whether I think this line is an internalization of how women are often asked to downplay the negative attitudes and actions they run up against or if it’s an assertion that the things they experience happened and are fucked up. I think the ambiguity I feel about this line is one of my favorite things about it, because both of these interpretations are a little bit devastating in their own ways.
JB: It is devastating. There’s definitely a sadness, both in the lyrics and the way Danielle chooses to sing this song with a sort of tiresome malaise; it matches that sense of defeat that comes from being pressured to downplay or repress our own experiences.
FUBT
JB: I love this one, it's so bittersweet. The use of flanger pedal and the distorted crunch of the guitar riff gives it a uniquely washy sound, reminiscent of “Yellow Ledbetter” by Pearl Jam. Danielle’s vocals are drenched in reverb and the way the vocal melody drifts around the guitars is downright ethereal. Lyrically, I interpret it as being about messy love and codependency. I made a lot of really questionable relationship choices in my 20’s— I can really relate to being with someone who isn’t good for you but being too afraid to break things off. This is definitely one of their more melancholy songs, but it has an underlying sense of empathy.
MG: Oof, that fatalistic feeling of loving someone past the relationship’s expiration date. These lyrics capture that moment and feeling so well.
Summer Girl
JB: This one was interesting to revisit and gave me a new understanding of what the song meant. I used to think it was such a vibey song and had all the quintessential factors to make the perfect summer bop. It was so catchy and optimistic. I almost interpret it now as being about a summer situationship? When you’re with someone for a brief time, but you can’t hold onto this person and you feel them slipping away from you. Take a look at the lyrics for example:
“Walk beside me
Not behind me
Feel my unconditional love”
That’s what I think makes Haim a great band, is how their music can grow with you. I’m always picking up on something new, even from songs I’ve heard a ton of times. The way the reverb gets stronger in the mix as the song comes to a close is such a beautiful way to end it. It leaves you with this really spacey, liminal feeling, particularly for a song that starts off relatively upbeat.
MG: It’s funny, I remember this song as such a summer bop, but on the relisten, it’s a little more like driving music. There’s a quality to the song that makes me want to procure a convertible and drive to the beach. Also on the relisten, I’m struck by how wistful this song is. It’s really dreamlike with the, “du-du-du” lyrics. I also love the part of the song that is more spoken-word and starts with the lines,
“Peer around the corner at you
From over my shoulder I need you.”
Leaning on You
JB: This one feels like such a nod to Fleetwood Mac; the twang of their guitars and layering of vocal melodies bring to mind “Never Going Back Again.” Este, Danielle and Alanna’s voices blend together so perfectly here, showcasing how musically in sync they are.
About a minute into the song, the drums come in with this chugging, pulsey rhythm that immediately made me think of “Tusk” (I realize this article isn’t about Fleetwood Mac, but I never miss an opportunity to nerd-out about that band). Towards the end, it delves-off into this psychedelic interlude where the entire mix is run through reverb and the guitars start sounding really improvisational. It's a unique, bold way for them to end an already gorgeous song.
MG: I love that you mentioned the nods to Fleetwood Mac in this song. I’ve started to play a little game with myself when listening to Haim music. I call it, “this sounds like that.” Haim is very unapologetic about bringing their influences into their music in a way that feels very intentional. And they're not afraid to pull from a wide swath of music genres. One song we’re not talking about on this list, but I really hear this in is “Little of Your Love.” It sounds so much like Wilson Philips to me.
JB: Absolutely, I love when a band really knows their music history and isn’t afraid to pay tribute to the greats.
Relationships
JB: I have listened to this approximately 3 times a day since it dropped back in March, so I would be remiss not to put it on my list. Based on the title and the singles released thus far, it’s safe to assume that “I quit” is a breakup album. The Haim sisters are no strangers to writing music about the difficulties and fleeting joys of being in relationships; this has been apparent since their breakout song “The Wire.” This song approaches those same themes from a more adult perspective, over a decade later. If “Women In Music Pt. III” explores the ways these three women navigate the music industry, “I quit” seems it will explore the ways these women navigate love.
Based on the singles alone, I feel confident in saying that “I quit” will be a further expansion of Haim’s musical dexterity, and an exciting addition to an already impressive collection of music.
MG: This song is such a jam. These lines make me giggle every time.
“But I keep asking why, why, why in this relationship
Baby, how can I explain when an innocent mistake
Turns into 17 days fuckin’ relationships?”
According to an interview with W Magazine, they have been working on this song for years and it was never quite right. I’m curious if they would say the perspective age facilitated a more interesting and ultimately better version of this song.
Honorable mentions
Gasoline
MG: I think it’s hard to have a conversation about Haim without mentioning their friendship with Taylor Swift. The band has definitely benefited from a bump in visibility and name recognition that comes from existing within Swifts’ orbit. Of the two songs Haim and Swift have collaborated on, I much prefer “Gasoline” to “no body, no crime.” This is one of my favorite songs on “Women In Music Pt. III.” I also love the irony of a slow song called “Gasoline.”
If I Could Change Your Mind
JB: This song has such 80’s, power-pop, “Miami Vice” energy, I just had to include it somewhere on my list. It's so punchy and impossible not to dance to. I had a hard time narrowing down my list and felt I had to show a little love to “Days Are Gone.”
Want you back
MG: This is my favorite song on “Something to Tell You.” It makes me want to dance every time I listen to it. This may be my deranged brain, but tonally this song reminds me of “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher, another fantastic song to dance to when you’re pining for an ex. I also love the music video.