Dissect - S3E9 - Ivy by Frank Ocean

Episode Date: July 24, 2018

We continue our examination of Blonde by Frank Ocean with the heartbreaking song "Ivy." Listen to Dissect free on Spotify and get episodes a week early plus exclusive bonus episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Spotify Studios, this is Dissect, long-form musical analysis broken into short digestible episodes. I'm your host, Cole Kushner. Today, we continue our serialized analysis of Blonde by Frank Ocean. On our last episode, we discussed the album's opening track, Nike's. There, we heard a highly impressionistic expression of Frank's drug-induced experiences, loosely centered around an ambivalent love interest. We also heard experimentation in the song's production. from the pitched up chipmunk-style vocals of the song's first half to the intimate arpaigated guitar pluckings that ground the second half.

These production techniques, specifically the pitched up vocals and the use of guitar, continue as blonde progresses to its second track, the subject of today's episode, Ivy. Ivy was written by Frank Ocean and Malay. The origins of the song can be traced as far back as June 2013, as Frank performed an early rendition of Ivy at a concert in Munich. Of course, aside from Frank's vocals, this early version sounds nothing like what exists on blonde. The album version of the song was produced by Ocean, Amos Keith, Jamie X, and Roast on Batmonglish. Batmonglish is best known for his work in the band Vampire Weekend, and he's credited with Ivy's multi-part guitar arrangement. Botmonglish told the Rolling Stone, quote,

Frank played me an early version of Ivy, and immediately when I heard it, I had a vision for what it could sound like. I muted everything that was in the track, and I just left his vocal in there, and I played guitar along to his vocal. I was thinking about those kind of chords, and then I was thinking about the song Under Control

from the second Strokes album, unquote. Let's hear a little bit of under control by the strokes, listening specifically to the guitar parts that inspired Ivy's arrangement. There are three main guitar, part second prize Ivy. First we have the lead guitar which plays a half strum, half-arpaegated series of chords panned to the left speaker. The transitions from chord to chord are heavily accented with slides. Next there's a muted bass guitar that's panned right, plucking away eighth

notes that ground the meandering lead guitar. Finally a third guitar is added, simply strumming whole note chords, adding texture and dynamic interest as the song progresses. Like on the album's previous song, Nike's, Frank chooses to manipulate his voice on Ivy. Though not as dramatic as Nikes, from what I can tell, Ivy has pitched up a little more than one semitone. I'll play an excerpt of Ivy with the entire track pitched down one semitone in 15 cents, an estimation where Frank might have originally sung the track. I'll immediately compare that with the pitched up version we find on blonde.

And now at the pitch heard on When you said you love me Frank talked specifically about this voice to prepare I couldn't see you coming Start of nothing new Now It's quite alright to hit me now Feeling still deep

Frank talked specifically about this voice alteration on Ivy With the New York Times Saying it was done to sound younger To more accurately capture the time he was invoking Thematically Ivy explores the emotions Frank has toward a past relationship, reflecting deeply on the memories and feelings of that period of time. As the track begins, Frank sings the song's hook, a series of lyrical couplets that established the relationship's unexpected origins.

I thought that I was dreaming when you said you love me. I started of nothing. I had no chance to prepare. I couldn't see you coming. Frank sings the now It's quite all right. Frank sings the now iconic opening line I thought that I was dreaming when you said you love me.

It succinctly describes the surreal experience of someone telling you they love you for the first time, an experience that can be either overwhelmingly euphoric or incredibly uncomfortable, depending on how mutual the feeling is. In Frank's case, he seems startled that this relationship was moving so quickly as he follows with the lines,

the start of nothing, I had no chance to prepare, I couldn't see you coming, it started from nothing. Oftentimes, relationships begin with the intent of romance. You meet someone you're attracted to, and you pursue the possibility of a romantic relationship from the very beginning.

Other times, romance grows from an existing friendship that over time evolves into something more. In both scenarios, a relationship grows mysteriously. It's a complex, unpredictable amalgamation of timing, history, environment, circumstance, personality, priorities, and chemistry. It's hard to know when and where love grows, and so it often feels like it comes out of nowhere. Love can also grow in one person and not in another, making for a strange, complicated situation to navigate. It seemed that in Frank's case here on Ivy, the relationship he speaks of didn't end

very well, as he continues to hook, quote, I could hate you now, it's quite all right to hate me now. It's an extremely relatable line for anyone who's been in a relationship that ended badly. Hate is reserved most intensely for those we love. Emotionally, there's just so much more at stake. The intensity of our love becomes expressed in hate until sometimes hate is all we can see. It seems Frank is at peace with this feeling because he recognizes that quote, We both know that deep down, the feeling still deep down is good. Ivy continues with the song's first verse.

In traditional song structure, verses are dynamic. softer than the chorus or hook. But on Ivy, the verses increase in intensity as Frank explores a higher vocal register, while that third guitar is added, increasing the overall dynamics. Frank begins the verse, if I could see through walls, I could see your faking. This line seems to expand upon the latter half of the song's hook, in which Frank explains that while there's hate on the surface, the feeling beneath that hate is love. Though this person is putting up walls of hatred, it's merely a charade to mask the pain of a failed relationship, and deep down the two still care for each other. Frank continues the verse, If you could see my thoughts, you would see our faces,

safe in my rental like an armored truck back then. We didn't give a fuck back then. Just like the previous song, Nike's, Frank's letting his mind meander through the memories of their time together, expressing the invincibility and freedom of young adulthood by comparing his rental car to an armored truck. We can just imagine the two driving with the windows rolled down, laughing, listening to music, and feeling a summer night's breeze. Frank then juxtaposes this carefree sentiment, with for me one of the most powerful lines on the entire album. He sings, I ain't a kid no more, will never be those kids again. There's so much psychology and tragedy built into these seemingly simple lines. It implies the innocence and fleeting freedom of childhood and the altogether death-word

march of our lives. We never get younger, only older. Life doesn't get simpler, and only grows more complex and difficult. We'll never be kids again. And the inherent tragedy of life is that by the time we're old enough to recognize the golden innocence of youth, it's too late. It's gone, and all that remains are residual memories and a patchwork of images in our mind's eye. Frank concludes the verse by getting hyper-specific in his memories. He says, we'd drive to Sidd's, had the X-6 back then. It's here we can start to place an approximate time period in Frank's relationship. Sid was a member of Odd Future, and it was at her house where the crew often hung. Frank joined Odd Future in 2009. He also references an X-6, a BMW model that debuted in 2008. So based on these two references, we might speculate Frank is

referencing a relationship somewhere between 2009 and 2011. After a repetition of the song's hook, Ivy continues with its second verse. A verse will thoroughly dive into right after the break. Welcome back to dissect. Before the break, we examine Ivy's first verse, which described a former failed relationship. In the song's second verse, Frank continues to provide flashes of memory and insight into this relationship. Frank begins the verse, in the halls of your hotel, arm around my shoulder so I could tell how I meant to you, meant it sincere back then. It's another fragmented, vague yet vivid memory that

Frank surfaces while thinking about this relationship and particular time in his life. It's often these small moments of time, place, and feeling that remain years after a relationship has passed, and when thinking deeply, these sudden flashes of memory will somehow manifest seemingly out of nowhere. However strong, however powerful a relationship once was, the passing of time unrelentingly washes the majority of that relationship away, and you realize these flashes of memory are all that remain. Just like verse one, Frank repeats the phrase back then, singing, we had time to kill back then,

after which he repeats a mid-verse refrain, You ain't a kid no more, will never be those kids again. Frank then follows with one of the more puzzling lines on the song. It's not the same, ivory is illegal, don't you remember? It's not clear, at least to me, what exactly Ivory's Illegal refers to here. though I have a few speculative thoughts. Ivory is a hard white substance that comes from the teeth of animals, or commonly from elephant tusks.

It's a desirable material from which art, carvings, piano keys, and other products are created. It's also become an increasingly rare substance and has been made illegal in many places due to the decline of elephant populations caused by the ivory trade. So it seems this would be the concept behind the line, ivory is illegal, though we suspect its meaning to be metaphoric. Some possibilities include a pure love. that was illegal, perhaps due to the circumstances of their friendship or gender. There's also the saying, Ebony and Ivory, to refer to a mixed couple relationship, which might be the case here.

Ivy is also slang for cocaine, and given all the drug references in the previous song, Nike's, there's the possibility Frank could be referring to this as well. After this mysterious phrase, Ivy continues with a brief bridge. I remember had you cold and crazy screaming my name the feeling deep down is good. Frank sings, I broke your heart last week. You'll probably feel better by the weekend. Frank admits he was the one to call off this relationship, which likely led to the anger spoke about in the song's hook.

Regardless, Frank feels in a few weeks this person will get over it, perhaps implying this particular relationship was short-lived, or general commentary on how fickle relationships and emotions can be at this age. Next comes the line, Still remember how you going crazy, scream in my name, the feeling deep down is good. This is likely a memory of the two having sex,

another positive memory Frank reflects on as he works his way through the catalog of time they share together. After a repetition of the song's hook, Ivy continues with an outro that begins softly before crescendoing into the song's conclusion. Frank begins singing, All the things I didn't mean to say, I didn't mean to do.

There are things you didn't need to say, did you mean to, me too. Frank cites with incredible accuracy the messy aftermath of a breakup, the resentful, spite-fueled, compulsive things we say and do out of hurt. But with the luxury of time and reflection, Frank is able to retroactively recognize it as unnecessary and ultimately harmless. Just as the song's chorus suggests, he's going to remember the good feelings and let the messy stuff fall by the wayside.

Years later, there seems to be no utility and resentment and grudges. Ivy's outro reaches. the climax as Frank's voice is multiplied and prismatized, singing, I've been dreaming of you, dreaming of you. Now, there's been some debate over what Frank is saying on this particular part of the song, as it also sounds like, I could dream all night, or I could drive all night. But according to the official lyrics found in the Boys Don't Cry magazine that accompanied the release of blonde, it's written, I've been dreaming of you. Either way, it's safe to say Frank is dreaming in some capacity, which of course brings the song full circle, a nod back to the opening line,

I thought I was dreaming when you said you love me. This repeated line crescendos into an outright scream, followed by silence, followed in by mysterious scratching and crashing noises. While I couldn't find any legitimate sources with knowledge of what these sounds are, my best guess is that it's the sound of an electric guitar being smashed and or the strings being pulled violently from the neckboard. Conclusions In his only interview for the release of Blonde, Frank talks specifically about the song Ivy

with the New York Times. quote, sometimes I want to talk on a song and be angry, because I am angry. Then there's always a part of me that remembers that this record lives past my being angry, and so do I really want to be angry about that? Is that feeling going to have longevity? Unquote. It's hard to overstate the revelation and potential utility in the concept outlined here. In that quote, and on the song Ivy, Frank acknowledges anger.

He recognizes it in himself regarding this particular relationship. Specifically, he says, I could hate you now. It's quite all right to hate me now. But rather than let that anger breed resentment and hostility, rather than hastily acting on the impulse of those feelings, Frank chooses instead to reflect. And through reflection, he recognizes that anger is often surface level, a transient defense to hurt, misunderstanding, or the myriad other emotional and circumstantial possibilities that causes to act impulsively. What he chooses to do instead is memorialize what brought the two together in the first place, love. Because successful relationships are often

so much more than two people having feelings for one another. Timing, circumstance, and environment play a crucial role in the success of a lasting relationship. Love, on the other hand, transcends those things. It exists without our permission, and often we're left attempting to cultivate that love into something sustainable, like a relationship, which we all know can be extremely difficult. On Ivy, Frank acknowledges that while the circumstances and timing didn't align to create a sustainable relationship, the quote, feeling still deep down is good. The love between them exists purely and in the end, Frank chooses to honor that love on Ivy, not anger, not resentment. This is one of Frank Ocean's many gifts, one displayed not only here on Ivy, but on a handful of songs we dissected on Channel Orange as well. In Frank's hands, memories and their attached emotions are malleable.

reflection for him seems to yield a choice to immortalize the positive feelings of a relationship over the negative ones. At its core, this process closely resembles the concept of forgiveness. English philosopher Joanna North defined forgiveness this way. Quote, to forgive, we must overcome resentment, not by denying ourselves the right to feel resentment, but by forcing ourselves to see the culprit with compassion, benevolence, and love, even while knowing he has voluntarily relinquish his right to these, unquote. Another definition comes from psychologist McCulloch and Worthington, quote, forgiveness is a complex, effective, cognitive, and behavioral phenomenon,

in which negative emotions and judgment towards the guilty party are reduced, without denying the right to feel them, but looking at the offender with compassion, benevolence, and love, unquote. Recent studies have shown that unforgiveness, that is holding on to hostility and resentment regarding a person whom you felt wronged you, have negative emotional and physical health effects. When reflecting on a person or memory with unforgiveness, people have higher blood pressure, higher heart rates, they sweat more and generally feel upset, angry, sad, anxious, and less in control. Another study showed that the baseline of cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress,

was higher in those who are unwilling to forgive a romantic partner versus those who were. What's more, the effects of unforgiveness increase as you age and might contribute to decreased production of certain essential hormones, and according to Dr. Everett Worthington, quote, may even disrupt the way our cells fight off infections, bacteria, and other physical insults, such as mild periodontal disease, unquote. On the other hand, the act of forgiveness helps to neutralize those harmful feelings of resentment and aggression, instead replacing them with something you can build a sustainable, healthy life upon, compassion, benevolence, and love. A simple Google search on the acts of forgiveness will direct you to hundreds of

moving and often unbelievable stories of forgiveness. You'll read about the man whose wife and two kids were killed in a car crash by a drunk driver, how the victim chose to eventually forgive the killer, even visiting him in jail, and developing a relationship with the killer's children in attempt to help them heal. You'll read about the mother whose child was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, how anger left her emotionally and physically exhausted, how the choice to forgive allowed her to regain agency in her life. Quote, forgiveness felt like I was given a big pair of scissors to cut the tie and regain my personal power. It started with the choice and then became a process, unquote.

And this is not an isolated experience. And nearly all the stories I read, victims of these acts and their decision to forgive had a similar outcome, that the act of forgiveness was an empowering choice, that it allowed them to regain control of an otherwise unmanageable situation. Rather than let their life be dictated by resentment and pain, that are able to move forward with dignity and authority by choosing to forgive. And I think therein lies the key. Forgiveness is a choice.

We can choose to forgive. And while it's an extremely difficult process in some cases, there's incredible utility in the act, and for some it seems to be the only way to move forward healthily. And while this all may seem a little extreme in reference to Frank Ocean's Ivy, I do believe this to be the underlying principle at the heart of the song, and a big reason why it resonates so strongly with so many listeners. As this quote suggested, when faced with the permanency of his art, when confronted with

forever, Frank chose to commemorate love over anger, joy over resentment. It was a choice, a choice that liberates the tension inherent in bitterness, absolves the soul of the burden of resentment. And through a song like Ivy, we experience this process vicariously because forgiveness can be a difficult thing in real life. But I think we do ourselves a disservice if we hear a song like Ivy and not at least consider putting into practice its underlying philosophy. When reflecting on the failed relationships of your life, when reflecting on someone who may have done you wrong, evaluate your feelings and ask yourself

if you're still harboring anger and resentment. If the answer is yes, be honest with yourself about why that may be the case. Ask yourself if you might be doing yourself a disservice by harboring and allowing those feelings permanency. Ask yourself if you might find a way to begin the choice of forgiveness so that you too may unburden yourself from hostility, so that you too may untether the restraints of resentment, and like Frank Ocean, choose to immortalize and commemorate love over hate. Blanc continues the subjective optimism found on Ivy

with the album's next song, Pink and White. A track will thoroughly discuss next time on Dissect. Dysect is written and produced by me. additional project support by Spotify's Michelle Santucci, original theme music by Birocratic, song recreations by Andrew Atwood. Remember, when you listen to Dysect on Spotify, you'll get new episodes a week before all other platforms,

as well as access to exclusive bonus episodes only available on Spotify. Follow at Dysect Podcast on Twitter and Instagram, and join our mailing list at Dysectpodcast.com. Okay, thanks, everyone. I'll talk to you next week.