Top 10 Vampire Weekend Songs

Top 10 Vampire Weekend Songs

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From Colombia University to Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Vampire Weekend Songs. For this list, we’ve chosen our entries based on a combination of the artist’s fan favorites and their most commercially successful songs.

Based on a cinematic vision of lead singer Ezra Koenig, this song tells the harrowing tale of a boy desperate to save his Cape Cod community from blood-sucking vampires. The lyrics unveil a striking affinity for poetic realism, while the chorus provides something for fans to sing and dance along to. Becoming not only a concert staple, but the song that closes every Vampire Weekend show, there’s no better way to get the hell out of Cape Cod than with this 2008 classic.

If you ever find yourself on a road trip with Diane Young, it just may be your last. With a clever play on words, Vampire Weekend offered listeners a rich tale of a death-defying dame on the prowl, and in the completely insane music video, the lads from Columbia re-created a Renaissance classic with modern indie icons, and saxophones that double as bongs. Ok, perhaps that’s not the official description of “Diane Young,” but the lyrics allow one to contemplate the essence of…dying young…and the momentous decisions of our youth. Or maybe it’s just about having fun. You be the judge.

As a slick investigation into the artistic connections of American preps and African natives, this Vampire Weekend track is lyrically thin but intellectually profound. One minute a young gal is carousing with Louis Vuitton, and the next, Vampire Weekend has us questioning the importance of Peter Gabriel. With a riff that would make Graceland-era Paul Simon proud, and a music video that is as '80s as the '80s themselves, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” established Vampire Weekend as the preppiest boys in indie music.

For this song off their second album, Vampire Weekend offered a cryptic story about a turbulent early '80s relationship. Written by Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij, “Diplomat’s Son” is based on the family background of the latter, and his own relationship experiences. While most of the lyrics are vague, the narrator offers up a few hints when describing a close encounter with his best friend and good ol’ Mary Jane. The band includes heavy Caribbean influences while maintaining their indie pop sound to create a masterpiece of a song, despite not being released as a single.

It’s easy to poke fun at Ivy Leaguers for a variety of reasons, and for this playful composition, Vampire Weekend satirized their educational background along with all the imitators that try to bite their style. Lyrically, “Cousins” may intellectually frazzle the average listener, but if one listens closely, one shall discover the band gently laying down the gauntlet on critics while protecting their fan base. The fast, frantic nature of the song is as quirky as the song’s music video, which features the band partying in an alleyway.

With a message rooted in religion, this spiritual number gently mocked the idea that a fiery end will come to all those without a steadfast belief in a higher order. In other words, you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. Regardless of your personal interpretation, “Unbelievers” was undoubtedly a well-received single from Vampire Weekend’s third album, and the song was brilliantly performed on the 30 Rock stage of “Saturday Night Live.” Always asking the important questions, Vampire Weekend delivered yet another piece of brain candy for us to chew on.

#4: “A-Punk” Vampire Weekend (2008)

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Here’s a suggestion: ignore the fact that you’ll never truly know what this song means and just embrace the musical energy. But here’s what we do know: a young gal named Johanna has a vast history with a particular ring. With a sped-up music video and a sound that works flawlessly live, “A-Punk” led Vampire Weekend to the Ed Sullivan Theatre for their television debut on David Letterman, and it was also featured on the classic 2008 comedy “Step Brothers.”

Arguably one of the most beautifully written songs of the early Youtube era, this Vampire Weekend single referenced the Dalai Lama, rapper Lil’ Jon, and of course, the Oxford Comma. As lead singer Ezra Koenig has noted, it’s more about adhering to a rebellious nature than adhering to a strict code of proper grammar. “Oxford Comma” may be a hard concept to swallow for some but it’s likely that Vampire Weekend doesn’t really care. Check your handbook, check your passport and understand that Lil’ Jon ALWAYS tells the truth.

#2: “Hannah Hunt” Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

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Metaphorically moving and beautifully morose, “Hannah Hunt” represents a lyrical eulogy for a doomed relationship. From the aptly named city of Providence to the proverbial land of Phoenix, a couple aspires to rekindle their romantic flame only to drift away along the beaches of Santa Barbara. Although not released as a single, it quickly became a fan and critic favorite, being named the 3rd and 4th best song of 2013 by Pitchfork and Rolling Stone respectively. It’s lyrically gorgeous, and the song’s climax could even make a grown man cry. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “I Stand Corrected” Vampire Weekend (2008) “Holiday” Contra (2010) “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” Vampire Weekend (2008) “Horchata” Contra (2010) “M79” Vampire Weekend (2008) “Everlasting Arms” Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

Vampire Weekend has given us songs about broken relationships and the objective nature of art, but this artistic creation is all about their devotion to music itself. The concept was born from a late 90s hip-hop song, as the aesthetics of “Step to My Girl” by Souls of Mischief not only impressed Vampire Weekend but led them to sample the track. In a world of trolls constantly stepping to their girl, Koenig and company effectively demonstrate their willingness to take on criticism while staying loyal to their artistic ideals. As they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” So, do you agree with our selections? What is your favorite Vampire Weekend song? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.