Anyone familiar with FX/Hulu’s The Bear knows that the show’s musical choices are not just background noise; they are integral to the unfolding emotional and narrative arcs. Season 2, Episode 7, titled Forks, showcases a transformative moment in the life of Richie Jerimovich, a misanthropic, sometimes abrasive character, whose personal hero’s journey crescendos to the haunting and hypnotic rhythms of David Byrne’s “Glass, Concrete, and Stone.”

Released in 2004, Byrne’s track is far from obscure, yet its sudden resurgence in a pivotal episode like this makes it feel freshly minted as if rediscovered in the collective consciousness of its listeners. The song’s layers of rhythmic orchestration and Byrne’s nuanced vocal delivery evoke a sense of being both out of place and in perfect harmony with the world—a sentiment Richie embodies in Forks.

The Rhythm of Transformation

Byrne’s “Glass, Concrete, and Stone” plays like a mantra, its lyrics deceptively simple yet potent. “Everything possible when you’re an animal” feels less like a whimsical musing and more like an existential directive—an invitation to embrace the primal, the messy, and the unrefined. In the context of Richie’s journey, it underscores his transition from the fragmented chaos of his former self to someone who, for the first time, experiences what it’s like to belong, to be part of something larger than himself. The show’s choice to place Byrne’s song here is brilliant, offering a sonic reflection of Richie’s internal turmoil and newfound clarity.

From the Screen to Our Ears

As a listener, one cannot help but be “sonically smitten” by the orchestrally rhythmic pulse of Byrne’s song, an unexpected companion to Richie’s arc. The track feels like a cognitive redirect, a sonic paradigm shift that pulls you into its groove and doesn’t let go. In many ways, it serves as a mirror to the transformative experience of watching The Bear. The show’s ability to awaken something dormant in the viewer through music aligns perfectly with the way “Glass, Concrete, and Stone” woke up our Beginner’s Mind—forcing us to reengage with both the song and the character in new ways.

A Timeless Masterpiece Revisited

Though this track was released nearly two decades ago, its appearance in The Bear breathes new life into it. As Byrne has always shown in his music, there is no expiration date on artistic relevance. When music, old or new, is deployed with such precision in a visual narrative, it transcends its original context, becoming something entirely new for both longtime fans and first-time listeners. This track isn’t just a song; it’s a vehicle for transformation—Richie’s, the show’s, and ours as listeners.

So, is “Glass, Concrete, and Stone” worth your time? Absolutely. Whether it’s your first time hearing it or your thousandth, the song, much like the show, invites you to engage with the world—and yourself—in a way that feels both familiar and new.