Today's Song: "Let Me Take You Away"

Wilhelm Tell Me’s “Let Me Take You Away” is one of my absolute favorite finds of 2014, which makes me even more excited to be sharing it for Today’s Song. An indie pop gem, “Let Me Take You Away” succeeds at being short, catchy, dynamically explosive, and memorable. If pop music were a science, then those four traits are the primary ingredients. Wilhelm Tell Me have concocted three minutes of lively pop/rock perfection.

“Let Me Take You Away” hooks listeners in immediately. A bright, staccato piano chord, repeated in time to a quick beat, signals the song’s uptempo nature. The entrance is abrupt, and purposefully so – Wilhelm Tell Me hit the ground running. A series of breaths – airy, but short like gasps – add a textural, percussive component. It’s hardly an intro, but the opening seven seconds of “Let Me Take You Away” set the stage for things to come.

And things do come, in a big way. Lead singer Henning Sommer begins the verse as the drum beat hits in unison with the bass guitar. The instruments are established and pounding, and the focus is free to shift. Sommer takes advantage of that space, turning attention toward his full and clear vocals with one of the most captivating opening lines I have heard: “I’ve got a heavy little secret – I’m about to fall in love with you.”

Listen: “Let Me Take You Away” – Wilhelm Tell Me

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I’m about to fall in love – the song is in the future tense, and it is that forward-driving momentum across both the music and the lyrics that keeps “Let Me Take You Away” in the spotlight for its duration. This push is especially noticeable in the chorus, as the instruments drop out for the last beat of the building pre-chorus before returning in full force, as Sommer sings, “Oh, I wanna take you away. Can I get a second with your heart alone? Don’t let your head get in the way.”

I’ve got a heavy little secret – I’m about to fall in love with you.

“Let Me Take You Away” is fast and fun, with the message to throw your reservations to the four winds and live in the moment! That can be interpreted as love, youthful lust, pining, or many more things under the sun, but this song definitely wins me over every time.

Wilhelm Tell Me - © Verena Knemeyer — Wilhelm Tell Me – © Verena Knemeyer

German trio Wilhelm Tell Me are an indie pop/rock group with a lot to offer, and with hints of classic rock and pop (a la Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer“), “Let Me Take You Away” is, by all means, a pop tune. It runs just under three minutes, and yet that catchy chorus somehow manages to pop up at least three times in the song. However, when one listens closer, the amount of close detail and care put into crafting this number becomes very evident. Wilhelm Tell Me worked hard to build their song up just right, and their success (per this writer) makes that effort all the more praiseworthy.

If you like “Let Me Take You Away,” you can discover more Wilhelm Tell Me on Soundcloud or find the full A Short Story For The Road EP, featuring additional noteworthy tracks “The Cool Kids” and “Growing Younger,” on Spotify!

And now, for the much-needed, pun-infused summary that everyone’s been waiting for:

Let Wilhelm Tell Me Take You Away with
“Let Me Take You Away”

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Listen: A Short Story For The Road EP
– Wilhelm Tell Me

“Let Me Take You Away” – Wilhelm Tell Me

I’ve got a heavy little secret
I’m about to fall in love with you
I know that I should keep it to myself
But I can’t play it that cool
You say there’s someone waiting for you
But do I really need to know
Your promises are getting smaller
The higher we go
And all these little things
That you’re saying to me
They’re driving me crazy
Oh won’t you tell me what to do
To get close to you!

Oh, I wanna take you away
Can I get a second with your heart alone?
Don’t let your head get in the way
Oh, I wanna take you away
Can I get a second with your heart alone?
Don’t let your head get in the way

You think I’m fooling around with you
You think it’s part of the game
What if I told you I’m serious?
Would you kiss me again?
Tell your daddy I’m a good catch
Tell your mother I’m kind
Tell your brother I’m tender
And tell your boyfriend you’re mine
And all these little things
That you’re saying to me
They’re driving me crazy
Oh won’t you tell me what to do
To get close to you!

Let me take you home tonight
You’ve got a heart one of a kind
Don’t leave me begging on my knees, no
Let me take you home tonight
Because soul mates are hard to find
Don’t leave me begging on my knees