Song of the Week: Taking Back Sunday - "Morning Sickness"

What Song is It: “Morning Sickness” is a track from the Taking Back Sunday EP “Demos And Other Genius Musings” which was a 6-song EP only available only on the pre-order package for the band’s fifth studio full-length, the self-titled Taking Back Sunday. The song deals with much the same material as the tenth-track on the full length, “You Got Me:” his girlfriend’s (now his wife) unplanned pregnancy and the couple wrestling with the question of abortion.

Why is it Song Of The Week: When the pre-order demos were first leaked to the public, many people said that “Morning Sickness” should have replaced “You Got Me” on the actual album. The song impressed fans of the band that much, and it’s easy to see why. The song starts off with a somber Rhodes piano that sets the mood of the song instantly. And just as singer Adam Lazzara begins to sing, drummer Mark O’Connell comes in with a massive repeating drum beat, and guitarist John Nolan echoes the Rhodes with some tender harmonics. The chorus, “It’s my body, boy, not your body / Look here, for Christ sakes we’re just kids” is just as powerful here as it is when adapted to the bridge of “You Got Me,” perhaps even more so. Lazzara perfectly captures the emotion of the situation with his vocals (He says in the commentary, “this was a really tough one for me”).

Why is the song significant to the band’s discography:  For one thing, it’s the only song in the band’s discography that curses (“What about your plans, well they’d all get fucked up,” Lazzara sings in the second verse). Although it is an odd choice from a band that once went on a rant at Bamboozle about bands cursing at fans, the lyrics really helps to display the dire situation that Lazzara found himself in. It’s also significant because if some online rumors are to be believed, the song was not allowed to be on the record by Taking Back Sunday’s record label, Warner Bros (Nolan says in the commentary: “The song takes it’s time to build to something, which I think is cool but is also scary for record labels.”)

Where can I find it: If you didn’t pre-order the record, there is no way to order the EP from the band’s web store. The only way to legally acquire the EP is to purchase it off EBay or other secondary markets. For now though, you can listen below.