What Drops of Jupiter Taught Me About Music

Pre-order my book Century of Song now!

Barnes and Noble:

Blackwells:

Indie Bound:

Amazon:

Books-A-Million:

Books Inc.:

Chapters:

[kenyaholloway-reliford]

I remember my grandmother listening to this song for the first time and asking me what the name of it of was. I told her it was "Drops of Jupiter". She grew to love the song instantly and made it a part of her daily playlist. Several months later, I would lose her to cancer. Now, whenever I hear this song, I can only think of her.

[Billy_t__]

Honestly man, the whole being embarrassed to like something or playing it off as ironic is a product of age and immaturity. I went through it myself. Now in my mid-40s, I honestly don’t care what people think of the things I like, and it’s very liberating

[limeymcfrog]

Meet Virginia was definitely a sizable hit in the late 90’s. They are at least a 3-hit wonder.

[halpsion]

I have a weird connection to this song. Right after I was born in 2002 I was hospitalized and almost died. While I was in the hospital my mother heard someone playing this song and she says it brought hope that I would be okay. Obviously only being a few WEEKS old I had no idea this happened to me. Fast forward to 1st grade my class puts on a concert for the school/parents this being one of the songs we sang. I remember at the time thinking the lyrics were weird but still finding something hopeful about them. After the concert my mom tells me about that time in the hospital. So even though I don't think it's an amazing song, it holds a very special place in my heart.

[roseopheliashepherd]

A song written for a late mother is still a love song 💔

[ryanb]

It’s honestly wild how many songs by train people know but just don’t realize are by train, or even by the same band

[ShaughnessyMusic]

One of the best sentiments I've ever heard about the collaborative nature between musician and audience was from Wayne Coyne of The Flaming lips in regards to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (paraphrasing here) he said "We're the band that plays a silly song about a girl who fights pink robots, and somehow we get to take credit for the amazing song our audience wrote"

[alexanderbrady]

The song that I always come back to is "Love Song, " by Sara Bareille. In my opinion, it does an incredible job of encapsulating the kind of contradictions you discuss in the video. The standout line from the chorus is "I'm not going to write you a love song." Meanwhile, the song actually functions pretty well as a love song. And then there is the meta-commentary about the song, as Sara said in interviews that her label was unsatisfied with the songs she was writing and was pushing her to write something more like a mainstream love song. "Love Song" was written in this frustrated circumstance, and was instantly a hit with her label and I believe is still her top chart performance in her music career.

The perfect example of a song that somehow manages to satirically criticize the request, while simultaneously fulfilling the request.

[nathanlowry]

Even if the words are silly (at times) the emotional delivery is completely compelling so that the thrust of the message is believed - because he believes it too.

[zdoesgame]

This is one of my favorite songs of all time and I'm glad it's getting its due respect in a Polyphonic video.

[GothVampiress]

it's impossible NOT to call drops of jupiter a love song when you hear its origins; it's a song about a mother loving her life, and her son. that's not any less about love than a romantic one.

[CanadianOldChannel]

Haven't finished the video, but I remember as a kid making fun of the lyrics, just a goofy song with stupid lyrics about chicken and lattes. But after finding out what it was about, the goofy lyrics kind of hit home, just longing for a normal day, going out for a coffee and hanging out one more time with a passed away loved one. Sometimes if it comes on it just gets me in my feels.

[tangois]

This song was first released around the time when I first got in touch with my HS girlfriend. It had already been over 17 years since the last time I heard or spoke to her. It was great seing her again, then a completely grown woman and a mother. I always remember her when I hear this song. Many blessings to her!!!

[patricktheflame]

Something similar happened to the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic. At the surface level, you can say that it is about relationships, new beginnings or endings, etc. But once Dan Wilson explained his point of view of that song, it was actually inspired by his wife giving birth to their kid.

[gabe_s_videos]

“Drops of Jupiter” is the song that made me grateful for Shazam. I was ten when it first came out and it took me two years of asking around an fruitless internet searches to find out what it was called and who did it, because I’d never hear the DJ say it when it came on the radio. All I knew was the “Tell Me” hook and that didn’t yield many useful results. I only got lucky that my mom heard them say it in the car when we were driving home from somewhere, after which she drove me to Best Buy to get the CD. And it was worth it. I absolutely love this era of pop rock music, with, as you described, that crisp production and beautiful, almost cinematic string arrangements. Simultaneously cozy and bigger than life.

[JPA]

As has been mentioned, "Meet Virginia" from their first album was huge before Drops Of Jupiter. And if i remember correctly there was at least one other single on that same album that was pretty big also.

[DarttheLegend]

I always assumed the song was about a former love who left but he never got over. “Did you fall for a shooting star, one without a permanent scar?” Referencing his own actual face scar. I always assumed it was a melancholy “still not over you” song.

[Scott_Silver]

RIP Charlie Colin the bass player of Train. Definitely one of the first "modern" rock songs I remember hearing us a kid.

[captainmidnight]

Truly the soundtrack of getting driven home from school while no one is paying attention to the radio!

[boomerdell]

Thanks for this, Noah. Really nice work here. I love your views about how we experience art, and how that experience is usually quite personal and individual to each person. Now that I have context and background about this song, I’ll hear it a whole new way.