28. Neko Case "People Got A Lot of Nerve"

I'm a man eater

Amidst the animal imagery, the sunny guitars, and Neko Case's sweet intonations, lies a song of wild savagery. Counterbalancing the Byrds-era guitars with tales of wild revenge, "People Got A Lot of Nerve" exemplifies the fiery brand of lyricism and imagery that Case excels at. Vividly violent, Case's descriptive lyrics imagines killer whales pinning down a trainer at the bottom of a tank, taking half your leg and both your lungs, cops shooting a hailstorm of bullets - a Bonnie and Clyde-style shoot-out. In Middle Cyclone, Case's passions run wild and in "People Got A Lot of Nerve" so does her anger. Yet despite the savage revenge of the lyrics, the melodies remain sweet and jangly, catchy. Her clever phrasing and expert counterbalance creates a song of virulent rage wrapped in a fun and sweet package.