First off, thank you to everyone who shared nice comments this week or sent me a DM. Whether I was able to reply or not, each one was received, appreciated, and felt.
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I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about this song for the last few days. My wife is embarking on a journey of self-discovery, one that’s putting time and space between us. My emotions have been heavy. Writing about a song named for having the ability to act or speak appropriately during social situations has felt ironically impossible. For the last 48 hours, I would say that I have zero savior-faire.
Extra Savoir-Faire is track seven on John Henry, and it’s a chill, horn-filled little number written by John Flansburgh on his wife’s upside-down ukulele (he’s left-handed). It’s also got some of his best falsetto vocals on the album, which gives the song an air of highbrow flair that perfectly matches the ego of its narrator. It’s a chill vibes song.
This song has the unique distinction of having taught me what “savoir-faire” even means: loosely, “knowing how to act.” When I first heard it, I immediately thought of the Kids in the Hall sketch “The Best Looking Man in the World.”1 I've always considered both of them to be about the same kind of guy: the one who has absolutely no business being as confident as he is, and yet, somehow, it works out for him anyway.
I never related to that kind of guy. Especially not now. I knew a few of them in school. And in comedy. Loud, performative confidence with no real depth. Guys who act like they’ve got extra savoir-faire when really, it’s just hubris and swagger.
This post is messy. I know that. But so is my life right now. Maybe that’s the real savoir-faire; showing up with the truth when everything feels sideways. Flansy wrote this song while strumming his wife’s uke upside-down. Maybe this is me doing the same.
Take care. See you next week.
This post is from my John Henry run — the era where the band got louder, bigger, and stranger in all the right ways. For me, these songs dug deep into adolescence, identity, and all the sharp edges of growing up.
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From Kids In The Hall:
Sorry about the rough patch! This is song is how I learned about savoir-faire too :)
I know what it’s like to try and be creative and witty when life leaves you feeling the exact opposite of that. I hope you find a sense of equanimity soon.
I think of this song as another brilliant takedown of the blowhard male ego. Also, Flansie’s vocals are so wonderful on this. Maybe one of his all-time best.
The Johns really don’t get the accolades they deserve for their vocal ranges.