Song of the Day: “Still Alive”

How incredible is the idea of finding one of the year’s best songs, equal parts somber, comic, and earnest, in the credits of a video game? If you’ve played “Portal,” it’s not incredible, just true. “Still Alive,” written by Jonathan Coulton and performed by Ellen McLain, the deadpan voice of the game’s narrator, is infectious, with tinkling piano, soft guitar that creeps in at the first chorus, and about the funniest congratulatory message ever: “I’m not even angry/I’m being so sincere right now/Even though you broke my heart/And killed me/And tore me to pieces/And threw every piece into a fire.” It’s very hard to listen to with tapping a foot or bobbing a head, and nigh impossible not to smile as McLain’s vocoderized computer warbles about cake and science. As a single, this would be manna for the offbeats everywhere; as an in-joke, it’s perfect.

From credits of “Portal”: “Still Alive”

~ by Andy Hutchins on December 11, 2007.