The first 15 seconds of “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)” has the sound of a “Hey, last night I wrote this song for you” dorm room original. Frankly, this didn’t catch my ear on the initial listen. But like many tracks I naïvely pass up based on the intro, only a second time through did I experience the warm and downright cozy truth.
Portland’s Ages and Ages released “Divisionary” in November in preparation for their March 25, 2014 album release. My appreciation of this single notwithstanding, I feel a moral obligation to follow up in March. The track is simple and welcoming, with an inescapable refrain that makes you roll your eyes, but also makes you a slightly better person.
Through its catchy tune and relentless repetition, the message “do the right thing” has lingered in my thoughts, making loose associations with Spike Lee’s 1989 movie of the same name. In looking for evidence to support my association on the group’s Facebook page, I came across a relevant quote the group posted nearly six months earlier. The quote was from Jason Collins, the NBA player recently hailed for boldly coming out in the hyper-masculine world of American athletics. The quote read: “I want to do the right thing and not hide anymore… I want to be genuine and authentic and truthful.” Maybe the quote had some effect on the creation of the track. Or maybe it’s just a curious coincidence.
If you need any reason to think about the track just a bit more, check out the video.