So I guess we'll stick with the bird theme for one more post.
Fun fact! Wikipedia tells us that in 2004, A Flock of Seagulls was part of the "Nike Run Hit Wonder," a series of 5,000- and 10,000-meter road races, featuring popular bands that are frequently classified as one-hit wonders (including Devo, General Public, and Tommy Tutone) who performed along the race course. This sounds like the kind of thing that would make me want to run a road race, something I would normally avoid at all costs.
Also, Wikipedia says lead singer Mike Score told VH1 that he "resents" the success of this song. I suppose he also resents the giant mansion and solid gold toilet and rare species of antelope that he was able to buy with all of his ill-gotten money? With a name like Mike Score, you could've easily supported yourself with a reputable career such as pornography or ... pornography.
Also, isn't this video creepy?
Lyrics!
I walk along the avenue / I never thought I'd meet a girl like you / Meet a girl like you
Sure, maybe on a boulevard or a cul-de-sac or even a thoroughfare I would've expected to meet a girl like you, but an avenue? Jesus Christ! Fuck!
With auburn hair and tawny eyes / The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through / Hypnotize me through
"Tawny" means "of a dark yellowish or dull yellowish-brown color," according to dictionary.com. So yeah, I would not expect to ever meet a girl with yellow eyes, on any sort of roadway. Is it time to consult our old friend WebMD? A female aged 25-34 with yellow eyes may be suffering from hepatitis A, B, or C, cirrhosis of the liver, syphilis, mononucleosis, or tuberculosis, among other things.
And I ran / I ran so far away / I just ran / I ran all night and day / I couldn't get away
Presumably to avoid contracting one of these diseases.
Seriously, though, why is he running away? I really want to know. Maybe listening to some more verses will clear up this mystery!
A cloud appears above your head / A beam of light comes shining down on you / Shining down on you
That sounds like an image of heaven, although usually when we think of heaven, we think of clouds parting and then light coming down, not a cloud moving in. The cloud would tend to block the light, right?
The cloud is moving nearer still / Aurora borealis comes in view / Aurora comes in view
A cloud would also tend to obscure the aurora borealis (Northern Lights).
And I ran / I ran so far away / I just ran / I ran all night and day / I couldn't get away
Still not sure why you make with the running, Mike Score. A beam of light? The aurora borealis? Those are pretty nice things. Things that would make me want to stick around.
Reached out a hand to touch your face / You're slowly disappearing from my view / 'pearing from my view
OK, I was sort of with you on the whole repeating-the-last-part-of-the-previous-lyric thing, but "'pearing from my view"? That's just sloppy songwriting!
And furthermore, aaaaaaagh. I thought you were trying to run away. Now you're reaching out your hand to try to touch this person? You're all over the map on this, Mike Score.
Reached out a hand to try again / I'm floating in a beam of light with you / Beam of light with you
According to allmusic.com, Mike Score was a hairdresser when he joined this band. Not really sure what we're supposed to do with that information.
Allmusic also says that A Flock of Seagulls' lyrics are "forgettable."
And I ran / I ran so far away / I just ran / I ran all night and day / I couldn't get away
It's time to play Two Truths and a Lie!
1. This song was the inspiration for the movie "Forrest Gump."
2. These lyrics are really flipping great.
3. I'm having a really easy time wrapping up this blog post, and I think that it's probably my best ever!
OK, that was three lies.
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OK, I have to admit I actually like this song. But then I never listen to the lyrics anyway. That's why I never realized what a dumb-ass song this really is. And this video is absolutely the WORST. Talk about low-budget! Also, if my keyboarding skills were as lame as Mr. Score's, I don't think that would be the focal point of my video.
ReplyDeleteOf course I like it too, otherwise we wouldn't be here.
ReplyDeleteI was about to scream something about how Devo was NOT a one-hit wonder band; then realized that if you define "hit" as "songs that got heavy rotation on Top 40 radio" and not "songs that stoned college kids think are really awesome", then yeah... they kind of were.
ReplyDeleteTopic: I never knew the guy's name was "Mike Score". Hilarious. And how many bands can claim to have had a haircut named after them? Granted, a really terrible haircut that almost immediately become a universal object of mocking and derision, but still!
Being no angloparlant gives an advantage in these situations. If you like a song, just don't make any effort to understands the lyrics. So you can enjoy the rhythm without dully or bizarre sentence's interference.
ReplyDeleteI think the meaning behind this song is pretty obvious. He sees this cute girl on the street but then a space ship (see: cloud, or aurora borealis) comes up and starts to suck her up into its tractor beam. He momentarily tries to pull her out, but changes his mind and gets the fuck out of there. End of story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the spaceship interpretation.
ReplyDeleteYes on the spaceship. But he couldn't get away. He was taken too eventually cause the aliens had his scent, and this is where the hair comes from.
ReplyDelete