Song Of The Day 4/3/2014: John Cale - "Leaving It Up To You"

They All Scream: Yes, yes, I realize I've put lots of John Cale numbers up here for Song Of The Day. This is the fifth SOTD to have Cale's name attached to it, currently the all-time leader. I think he's got something for everybody, including today's song for the catatonic, paranoid and internally destructive. "Leaving It Up To You" is not a constant screaming attack; he doesn't start screaming until about halfway through. But of all the screams you've heard and will hear the rest of this week, Cale's is most likely the most dramatically effective.

It's a lumbering procession of extreme urban isolation that starts off plaintively. There's some disturbing realities right off the bat -- "All these mild-mannered friends I got / They're careless and they fall down all over the place" -- as Cale decides his best interests are probably in the city's hands. That's his biggest mistake. And the ugly scream starts pretty unexpectedly. If you're waiting for it, listen for the phrase "Aaaaaand if you-give-me-half-a-chance-I'd-do-it-NOW!" As they say on CNN, I'll just have to leave it there. Only in this song can a reference to Sharon Tate still feel too soon.

Fun fact about this psychotic piece of guerrilla laceration: That's Phil Collins on the drums. I never said he was anything less than a great drummer. This is a good example.