Editor's note: "Origins" will be a weekly column running Mondays in the Arts & Entertainment section. The goal is to discuss one song from a band's catalog in depth with the songwriter.
Sergei Prokofiev was considered one of the greatest composers of the 20th century.
Lucky for modern-day music listeners, he piqued the curiosity of Tim Smith, lead singer and songwriter of Denton, Texas, indie-pop band Midlake.
Prokofiev's influence might not be immediately noticeable to fans of Midlake's sophomore album, "The Trials of Van Occupanther," but for serious dissectors of the band's catalog, the year 1891 takes on a whole new meaning.
It was the year of Prokofiev's birth and set the backdrop for Midlake's surprise hit "Roscoe," which tells the tale of a group of stonecutters who travelled from village to village fixing leaky roofs before the rains came.
Smith said "Roscoe" was not a part of the original batch of songs being considered for inclusion on the album.
The father of drummer Mckenzie Smith (not related to Tim) spent some time at the band's recording space, their living room, and rented a baby grand piano for the occasion.
"I was just goofing off and happened to be recording what I was playing," Tim Smith said in a recent phone interview.
"When I listened to what became the intro to 'Roscoe,' it sounded a lot like the theme song to 'M*A*S*H.' But later it sounded like it could be a Midlake song."
Smith said "Roscoe" was the working title of the song before it had any lyrics, but he liked the name and wanted to work it into the lyrics of the song.
The tune has a classic rock feel, reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, and Smith's wistful vocals make it easy to picture a bygone era.
"Writing the song was a tedious process," he said. "We didn't realize how good it was until we started showing it to people."
In the first two weeks after the song was released to iTunes, it was downloaded more than 80,000 times. Seeing as the band's debut album sold "probably 5,000 copies worldwide," Smith said he considered such numbers a success.
"It's great to play shows where people know who we are instead of having to try and prove ourselves," he said.
Pitchfork Media listed the song among its top 100 of 2006, and "Roscoe" helped propel "The Trials of Van Occupanther" onto "best of" charts for The Onion (No. 3), Mojo (No. 9), Q (No. 21) and NME (No. 40).
"British psychedelic music has for a long time had ties to their ancient folk music, but it's unusual to hear American rockers invoke the Old West this way unless they're Neil Young," said Marc Hogan, a music writer for Pitchfork.
Hogan gave the album as a whole a 6.8 but considered "Roscoe" an instant classic.
"The music just kills," Hogan said. "It has a lot in common with the Alan Parsons Project's 'Eye in the Sky.' And that only makes the contrast between the vaguely spacey, Flaming Lips-like elements and the rugged historical imaginings even more distinct."
Additionally, he said, Midlake draws a connection between the past and the present.
"'They're a little like me' - that's maybe a little obvious in retrospect, but totally powerful in the context of the song. It's how 'Roscoe' needs to end."
Lyrics to "Roscoe"
Stonecutters made them from stones Chosen specially for you and I Who will live inside The mountaineers gathered tinder Piled high In which to take along. Driving many miles, knowing they'd get here.
When they got here, all exhausted On the roof leaks they got started And now when the rain comes We can be thankful
Ooh aah ooh When the mountaineers Saw that everything fit, they were Glad and so they took off
Thought we were due for A change or two Around this place When they get back they're all mixed up with no one to stay with
The village used to be all one really needs That's filled with hundreds and hundreds of Chemicals that mostly surround you You wish to flee but it's not like you to listen to me, listen to me
Oh, oh, oh and when the morning comes, We will step outside We will not find another man in sight We like the newness, the newness of all That has grown in our garden soaking for so long
Whenever I was a child I wondered what if my name had changed into something more productive like Roscoe Been born in 1891 Waiting with my Aunt Rosaline
Thought we were due for A change or two Around this place When they get back they're all mixed up with no one to stay with
1891 They looked around the forest They made their house from cedars They made their house from stones
Oh, they're a little like you, and They're a little like me We have all we need
Thought we were due for A change or two Around this place (This place) (This place)
When they get back they're all mixed up with no one to stay with (When they get back they're all mixed up with no one to stay with)
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