Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
If there’s ever an award for the most intriguing, thought-provoking song titles, John Vento would be a permanent fixture on the nominations list and a perennial winner of the accolade. The Pittsburgh music veteran who’s famed for his notorious versatility has a special talent for picking captivating song titles which he uses to create memorably catchy songs that are thematically rich with first-rate melodic quality.
No One Wears A Watch Anymore is the third track off Vento’s upcoming album Brick By Brick. The Nied’s Hotel frontman enlisted the help and contributions of several well-talented musicians in the making of this introspective but upbeat, fun-to-listen-to song. The guitarists David Granati and Bob Zigerelli are responsible for the beautiful, melodic guitar riffs and progressions that constitute the mellifluous instrumentals. Frank Ferraro on the other hand is credited for some of the compelling lyrics Vento uses for the song.
Delivered in Vento’s powerful gravelly voice, the song addresses how people rarely take the time to fully live and cherish the present moment because they are too caught up in other distractions. The song is replete with metaphors to this effect that exemplify our indifference to the tumultuous times in which we live in and the chaos that surround us.
The lyrics of No One Wears A Watch Anymore are evocative, creative and wildly imaginative. Vento provokes the listener’s thinking by posing serious questions such as “The world has turned so dark, or are these the best of times” and “How can we buy the time?” Lyrics such as “The waters are rising”, “The captain has one last cigarette before he leaves the game” and “Another concrete needle pierces the sky” gives one an eerie feeling that as humans we are on the precipice of a chilling disaster.
As a remedy to all this indifference to what is going on around us, Vento pricks you into starting to appreciate life and cherishing the present moment with truthful statements such as “You can walk through darkness to see what you can find” and “Sometimes you gotta leave to feel what you left behind”.
Overally, Vento does an applaudable job on this song. His vocals and the instrumentals blend fluidly into each other without stress or strain and the lyrics hit you at the core and spur you into action. Perhaps it’s time for us to start wearing watches again so we can be aware of the times we live in. Kudos Vento!
- Ken Murerwa
