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TAG: 90s music

• songspeak

  Will she smell alone?

  posted by jamie | 05.22.09 | permalink | 2 comments

  This falls under the category of ridiculous lyrics. Back before Scott Weiland had yet to fall off the wagon for the first time, he fronted a little band called Stone Temple Pilots. And despite their first ever single being about brutal rape (Sex Type Thing), people seemed to like them. This was back when grunge was the bee’s knees, and they caught on. Their second song, Plush, was much more mellow, but had some of the most ridiculous lyrics ever.

  The line that always sticks out to me, and that me and my friend Joe at the time would always make fun of, was “when the dogs begin to smell her, will she smell alone?”. I mean, WTF does THAT mean, Scott? What a weirdo.

  Seriously, anyone care to analyze this mess of words they call a song?

  Stone Temple Pilots – New Music – More Music Videos

  Tags: 90s music, grunge, plush, rape, ridiculous lyrics, scott weiland, sex type thing, stone temple pilots, WTF

  2 comments

• songspeak

  Suck my crack

  posted by jamie | 05.20.09 | permalink | comment?

  This goes back to when I was in high school. 107.3 WAAF was our radio station of choice in those days, and this occurred late one night when I was either driving home after a night out or a late shift at Stop and Shop.

  Lithium by Nirvana was the latest single all the rock stations were playing by them, and the chorus has Kurt Cobain singing, “I like it, I’m not gonna crack, I love you, I’m not gonna crack”. Various phrases are repeated, but he says the “I’m not gonna crack” bit quite a few times.

  Anywho, it was nearing the end of the song, the chorus was being repeated, and randomly in the chorus, the DJ butt in and said “suck my crack” over Kurt singing “gonna crack”. It caught me off guard, and I thought it was hilarious. It was really late, but I don’t think I was imagining things. It really happened. Didn’t it?

  Nirvana – New Music – More Music Videos

  Tags: 107.3, 90s music, i'm not gonna crack, kurt cobain, lithium, nirvana, stop and shop, suck my crack, WAAF

  comment?

• songspeak

  She’s so hi, how ya doin’?

  posted by jamie | 05.08.09 | permalink | comment?

  What ever happened to Tal Bachman, son of Randy Bachman of the classic rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive?

  I’m about 99% positive I’m the only person asking that question. This post isn’t even about where he is. He could be dead in a ditch for all I know. Or care.

  What it IS about is his one big hit, She’s So High, and yet another boring story about Matt and I sharing an office together. The song had just come out when we started working at Silver Screen Design together, so we heard it on the radio a lot.

  It came on once, and Matt was really giving it his all. And when it got to the chorus, he sang, “She’s so hiiiiiiiiii…how ya doin’? How ya doin’?” It must have been a rough day, because at the time, I thought this was the funniest thing I’d ever heard.

  I know, isn’t that sad?

  Tags: 90s music, bachman-turner overdrive, dead in a ditch, randy bachman, she's so high, silver screen design, tal bachman

  comment?

• misheard lyrics

  Phew, for a minute there, I’ll ask myself

  posted by jamie | 05.06.09 | permalink | comment?

  Matt’s a big Radiohead fan, and I remember both of us really liking OK Computer when it came out. We even went to see them in concert at the Worcester Centrum. Paranoid Android got me hooked on the album, and then Karma Police caught on as well. Matt and I would listen to that CD all the time, and at one point, I was singing along, and I sang, “For a minute there, I’ll ask myself”. Well, we both tend to correct each other if we hear the other one singing incorrect lyrics, and this was no exception. Matt alerted me to the fact that Thom Yorke actually sings, “For a minute there, I lost myself”. Which makes much more sense.

  Songspeak bonus story: While a bunch of us were hanging out at Matt’s once, we had this CD playing. Our friend Joe, who we haven’t seen or talked to in quite some time, arrived to hang out as well, and Karma Police was playing. And he just uttered, “This is what I get, I guess”. It was this comment that caused us to include Karma Police on the inaugural songspeak mixtape, Songspeak’s Greatest Hits Volume 1.

  The song has one strange video. Thom Yorke sure is a weird lookin’ dude.

  Radiohead – New Music – More Music Videos

  Tags: 90s music, for a minute there I lost myself, karma police, mixtape, ok computer, paranoid android, radiohead, songspeak's greatest hits, this is what you get, thom yorke, worcester centrum

  comment?

• songspeak

  You know your man is workin’ hard, he’s worth a deuce

  posted by jamie | 05.04.09 | permalink | comment?

  There’s nothing I hate more than tennis. More specifically, watching tennis on TV. So imagine my dismay my sophomore year of college at WPI when my roommates were obsessed with watching Wimbledon. Or the U.S. Open. Or one of those queer tournaments where the guys in little white shorts slap a ball back and forth over a net.

  

  The KISS Army (feat. the ex-Mr. Lisa Bonet) says, "We want YOU...to abolish tennis!"

  They would take over the TV and watch it all day long. Rather than stab my eyes out with a fork, I decided to try to make the most of it. Lenny Kravitz had just released his cover of KISS‘ song Deuce, so it had been getting a lot of airplay back then. I know nothing of the rules of tennis, but I know every now and then something would happen with the score and the commentators would announce a deuce. So whenever that happened, I belted out my Lenny Kravitz impression, singing, “You know your man is workin’ hard…he’s worth a deuce!” I did this to be funny the first couple times, but then I did it mainly to annoy them into never wanting to watch tennis on TV with me in the room ever again. It didn’t work, as they would still watch it whenever there was a big event.

  Tennis fuckin’ blows goats.

  Tags: 70s music, 90s music, deuce, kiss, lenny kravitz, queer guys in shorts, tennis, u.s. open, wimbledon, wpi

  comment?

• songspeak

  Where do you where do you go, my lovely? Uhhhh, McDonald’s, I guess?

  posted by jamie | 04.24.09 | permalink | 2 comments

  I had lunch at McDonald’s today.

  And let’s see, I didn’t drive my Delorean there. I didn’t turn a giant frozen donkey wheel prior to leaving the office. I didn’t even get in a phone booth or anything. So why was I transported back to 1996 when I set foot in the restaurant?

  As I sat down and got ready to sink my teeth into my double-quarter pounder with cheese meal and its two sear-sizzled grade-A beef patties of goodness, what do I hear playing over the speakers? Why, Where Do You Go? by No Mercy of course. You’d know the song if you heard it. It was one of those dance hits, the style of which was uber-popular in the mid to late 90’s. In fact, until just now, I thought No Mercy was responsible for the following, but it was really Haddaway:

  All those friggin’ dance techno groups sounded the same, didn’t they? And who hasn’t bopped their head along to this kind of music like Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan? I’m not sure if that falls under the category of songspeak or dancespeak, but it’s definitely been ingrained in our culture thanks to Saturday Night Live.

  And while we’re of the subject of techno dance music, let’s have a (much belated) moment of silence for Melanie Thornton, former lead singer of La Bouche. We never had a chance to be her lover. Be her lover.

  Tags: 90s music, A Night at the Roxbury, ABC, baby don't hurt me, back to the future, be my lover, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Chris Kattan, delorean, double quarter pounder with cheese, frozen donkey wheel, haddaway, La Bouche, lost, mcdonald's, Melanie Thornton, no mercy, phone booth, plane crash, saturday night live, sear sizzled, snl, what is love, where do you go, will ferrell

  2 comments

• misheard lyrics

  Despite all my rage, I’m still just ready to cave

  posted by jamie | 04.23.09 | permalink | 4 comments

  This misheard lyric goes back about 14 years ago, when Smashing Pumpkins released Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Bullet with Butterfly Wings was the first single released from that album, and it was getting heavy airplay at the time. Back when we would make the songspeak mixtapes on cassette, we decided we were going to put this song on one of them. Volume 8 or 9, I believe. One of the ones we made at Matt’s cousin Eric’s apartment, I remember that much. Anyway, I was belting the tune out, and I sang with such conviction, “Despite all my rage, I’m still just ready to cave!” Matt admonished me and informed me that the actual lyrics were “Despite all my rage, I’m still just a rat in a cage”. I maintain that my lyrics make more sense (being so full of anger, yet ready to crumble under the pressure). And when I hear this song on Pure Rock Lazer 99.3 these days, I still maintain that it sounds like he’s saying my alternate lyrics. So Billy Corgan and his bald head can go suck it.

  Tags: 90s music, billy corgan, bullet with butterfly wings, cassette, despite all my rage I'm still just a rat in a cage, eric's apartment, lazer 99.3, mellon collie and the infinite sadness, mixtapes, pure rock, smashing pumpkins

  4 comments

• songspeak

  What time is it?

  posted by jamie | 04.13.09 | permalink | 2 comments

  I was playing poker at a friend’s house Saturday night, and it was getting late. I had to be up early Sunday morning because we had to see what the Easter Bunny had left for Quinn, as well as take her to Six Flags for her big 4th birthday. So, as it was getting later, I asked, “What time is it?” and one of the guys at the table said, “Four thirday” in reference to the old Spin Doctors song. This caught me off guard because he’s actually younger than I am, and it’s not like that was a hugely popular hit by them.

  Back in the day, Matt and I used to reference that song all the time in just that way, mainly to annoy our friend Bill, who harbored some sort of deep-seated illogical hatred for the Spin Doctors (even though he’s gone to see them live…figure that one out). This whole situation prompted me to find the video online:

  And after rewatching it, good God this song makes no sense. Chris Barron must have been high on the grass or whatever he was ingesting when he wrote this song. Wouldn’t 4:20 have made more sense?

  Tags: 4:20, 4:30, 90s music, chris barron, easter bunny, high on grass, poker, six flags, spin doctors, what time is it

  2 comments

• songspeak

  You other sponges don’t want none unless you rock square buns

  posted by jamie | 04.07.09 | permalink | 6 comments

  So last night I was watching Monday Night Raw, as usual. And then a commercial came on for Burger King that had my wife Jo in hysterics. It was for the new 99 cent kid’s meals with Spongebob Squarepants toys, and it utilizes an alternate version of Sir Mix-a-lot’s Baby Got Back. Sir Mix-a-lot even appears in the ad.

  I don’t know what’s more disturbing, watching the Burger King dance around to the song, or the fact that they’re using Baby Got Back to sell kid’s meals. And really, is it wise to use a song that glorifies fat asses to advertise a fast food restaurant that gives people…well…fat asses?

  That aside, I found an extended version of the music video, and I must say, it’s incredible. I love it. Not quite as phenomenal as McDonald’s Filet O Fish jingle, but pretty damn close:

  Here are the lyrics:

  I like square butts and I cannot lie
  Squid and Sea Star can’t deny
  When a sponge walks in, four corners and his pen
  Like he got phone book implants, the crowd shouts

  All the ladies stare
  Dang those pants are square!
  Swimming through the seaweed tangle
  Is a butt with sharp right angles

  Now Sponge Bob, I wanna get witch-ya
  ‘Cuz you’re making me rich-ah
  Underwater, we keep it grungy
  ‘Cuz everybody knows that ‘He so spongey!’

  Ooh, Rumplespongeskin
  You dance, but your hips don’t bend
  So groove it and move it
  If you got caboose, then prove it

  Sponge Bob is dancing
  And Squidward is glancing
  He’s hatin’… wet
  He’s got Sponge Bob runnin’ his set

  I’m tired of all these chairs
  They don’t accommodate these squares
  Take the average ???? tell him that
  You gotta have square back

  Mr. Krab! (yeah)
  Patrick! (yeah)
  Has Sponge Bob got the butt? (oh yeah)
  Then shake it (shake it)
  Shake it (shake it)
  Shake that cubicle butt

  Sponge Bob got back
  (Naw, dude, I said cubicle, not booty-ful. Don’t trip. Yeah baby, when it comes to sea life, curves ain’t got nothin’ to do with Bob’s selection. 2 x 2 x 2 square trousers, working that black belt, looking like dotted lines. That’s how Sponge Bob like to rock them threads baby.)

  A word to the DC sponges who wanna get wit it
  And watch Sponge Bob kick it
  I gotta be straight when I say you gotta scrub ’til the break of dawn
  Bob got it goin’ on, been known to rock him a thong
  Them round butts won’t admit it
  But they’d wear that gear if they could fit it

  You can draw his body on paper
  His waistline really don’t taper
  Your girlfriend wants to squeeze him
  Wanna push his pores and tease him

  But Sponge Bob ain’t gonna have too much of that squeezin’
  You other sponges don’t want none unless you rock square buns!

  To the new sponges in the magazines, you ain’t it Miss Thang
  We rock them cubes, gals and dudes
  Put it down at the goo lagoon

  Some other box must get jealous
  At the moves that come from square fellas
  See Bob and they wanna get him
  But Sandy Cheeks he won’t let ‘em

  If you happen to wander on land
  And you wanna be a square butt fan
  And drive the crew right to Burger King
  And give that sponge a ring

  Sponge Bob got back!

  Tags: 00s tv commercials, 90s music, 99 cent kid's meal, baby got back, burger king, burger king spongebob commercial, filet o fish, i like square butts and I cannot lie, mcdonald's, monday night raw, sir mix-a-lot, spongebob squarepants, wwe, wwe raw

  6 comments

• songspeak

  One Night of Queen: A Songspeak Outing

  posted by jamie | 04.06.09 | permalink | comment?

  

  Matt's ticket, which he promptly washed.

  Flash! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

  This past Friday night was a night 17 years in the making.  Matt and I attended One Night of Queen at Springfield Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. The ticket stub can be seen on the right. Would we play games with you?

  You see, our relationship blossomed 17 years ago in high school, where we would talk about music on the bus ride home.  Wayne’s World had just come out and repopularized Bohemian Rhapsody.  This was my first real exposure to Queen, but Matt would tell me about all the quirky songs in their vast library of work, like Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Race.  This prompted me to get Classic Queen and Queen’s Greatest Hits on cassette.  So when we found out that One Night of Queen was coming to Springfield, we realized that a bromantic evening of dinner and music must be had.

  Before the show, we went to Theodore’s Booze Blues and BBQ.  We started with a heaping plate of nachos, and we each got a ribs combo dinner.  I opted for the popcorn shrimp, while Matt went with the brisket.  Don’t we look thrilled?

  

  After dinner, we arrived at Springfield Symphony Hall. The smokers were stinking up the front steps as we saw the huge banner for One Night Of Queen. We took our seats (after a quick trip to restroom to drain our bladders of the 3 or 4 soda refills we had at Theodore’s) and anxiously awaited the start of the show.  We had been curious about what kind of crowd this show would attract, and it was surprisingly diverse.  The audience was comprised of a few middle-aged folks dragging their kids to the show (and most of these kids couldn’t look less enthused to be there, and likely have no idea who Queen was), quite a few people our age, lots of other guys out for a bromantic evening themselves, and quite a few older folks who were probably our age when Queen was in their prime.  Matt even spotted a celebrity in attendance; the guy from the local Bertera Chevrolet commercials.  We found it odd that they were playing Queen songs over the speakers before Gary Mullen and The Works took the stage.

  And speaking of Gary Mullen, he really channelled his inner Freddie Mercury.  He must have really studied old Queen concert footage in preparing for this role.  He leapt fabulously, pranced flamingly, slapped his ass, spit water, used the mic stand as a guitar, swung it like a golf club, drop-kicked his bottled water (Matt was slightly mad that he was drinking bottled water, as it didn’t exist in the 70’s and ruined the illusion of the era we were supposed to be in), supplied plenty of innuendo, and walked through the crowd, looking to have sex with anything that moved. At one point, he left the stage for an extended period of time while the band played. We assumed it was a costume change, but the only change we noticed when he came back on stage was that he had no shirt on.

  

  The setlist was as follows:

  • One Vision
  • Seven Seas Of Rhye
  • A Kind of Magic
  • Somebody To Love
  • Under Pressure (no David Bowie lookalike was present, unfortunately)
  • Another One Bites The Dust (featuring an interlude of the Sugar Hill Gang classic Rapper’s Delight)
  • Save Me
  • Killer Queen
  • Now I’m Here (featuring an extended guitar solo)
  • Don’t Stop Me Now
  • Theme From Flash
  • Tie Your Mother Down
  • Keep Yourself Alive (featuring an extended drum solo)
  • Fat Bottomed Girls
  • Love Of My Life
  • Jailhouse Rock (yes, the Elvis Presley song)
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Hammer To Fall
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love

  Encore:

  • We Will Rock You
  • Friends Will Be Friends (WTF?)
  • We Are The Champions

  And here, my best friends, is choppy cellphone video for ya… (with annotations!)…

  We were disappointed that Radio Ga Ga wasn’t performed. This was especially shocking considering Gary Mullen’s affinity for having the crowd put their arms in the air and clap to the beat.  Of course, there’s Matt’s disdain for the presence of bottled water.  We also weren’t thrilled that Gary Mullen forced us to stand for most of the show as he maintained that the seats were “redundant” and that we should be off of our asses dancing.  We were also convinced that Gary Mullen was putting on a fake British accent to stay true to his Freddie Mercury character, only to find out that he’s actually British!  And one of my personal favorite moments was near the beginning of the show, when he said, “How are you doing Springfield?” *crowd cheers* “Where’s Homer Simpson?”  Who doesn’t love an antiquated Simpsons joke? It’s like having your grandmother forward you an email about how Bill Gates is going to pay everyone a bunch of money for forwarding said email. In other words, topical.

  And good God, the guitar player sure did look like Dave Mustaine from Megadeth. But his name is really Davie Brockett, or so we’re told.

  All in all, we had a great time, and it was much better than we thought it would be. Gary Mullen and The Works have been doing this for a number of years and are currently on tour.  If you’re a Queen fan, you would be stone cold crazy to miss this show.

  

  Tags: 70s music, 80s music, 90s music, bbq, bertera chevrolet, bicycle race, bill gates, booze blues and bbq, bottled water, brisket, bromance, bromantic, classic queen, dave mustaine, david bowie, davie brockett, elvis presley, freddie mercury, gary mullen, homer simpson, i'm going slightly mad, innuendo, massachusetts, megadeth, nachos, northampton high school, one night of queen, play the game, popcorn shrimp, queen, queen's greatest hits, radio ga ga, rapper's delight, ribs, simpsons, springfield, stone cold crazy, sugar hill gang, symphony hall, the works, theodore's, wayne's world, you're my best friend

  comment?

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