Song of the Day 7/23: The National, “Secret Meeting”

I once heard The National described as “REM for the 21st century,” and the comparison makes some sense. Both groups are guitar-driven alternative bands that feature inward-looking, literate, cryptic lyrics and vocals by their brooding front men. Both write songs that, as the rock-crit adage has it, reward repeated listens. This song, which led off their breakthrough 2005 “Alligator” album, remains one of my favorites, and one that still features prominently in live performances.

This is the original:

The shouted background vocals were the subject of more than a decade of speculation among the band’s fans. Guesses ranged from “Don’t talk an ace and fold it” to “Italian ice recorder” before they finally revealed what you can hear once you know: It’s “I’m talking ace this morning.”

There are at least a dozen live versions online. My favorite is from a 2008 Norwegian outdoor festival:

“Secret Meeting” is still in their set list. On their 2017 tour they dressed it up with a horn section.