Monday, January 4, 2010

Steve Perry -- "Oh Sherrie"

Awesomely Bad Lyrics, Vol. XL: In which Steve Perry rubs up suggestively against a wrought-iron balcony.

So after watching the video, in which said rubbing transpires, I was thinking, "Oh boy, this is just another bizarre, poorly conceived rock video that consists basically just of a bunch of random images and scenes that make no sense." Which is true.

But! There is a longer version that makes perfect sense and is actually sort of clever and mildly entertaining. I suppose it had to be cut down for MTV, in which case, worst editing job EVER because it is basically impossible to understand what's going on without the context that's removed.

Also, I really love how the YouTube label for the shorter version makes it seem as if it is a song by Journey called "Oh Sherry (Steve Perry)."

You should've been gone knowing how I made you feel / And I should've been gone after all your words of steel

Coming soon from Roget's: "WORDS OF STEEL"!!!! This ain't your grandpa's thesaurus!!!

Oh/ I must've been a dreamer / and I must've been someone else / And we should've been over

OK, I'm sensing a theme here. Sherrie should've been gone AND you should've been gone AND you must've been a dreamer AND you must've been someone else AND your relationship should've been over. That's a lot of strikes against this blessid union of souls. So, ipso facto, there must be some amazing reason that this partnership should, against all odds, work out. I can't wait to hear it!

Oh Sherrie, our love holds on, holds on / Oh, Sherrie, our love holds on, holds on

Uh. OK. Well, that's not a reason. Just ... a thing. Good old Steve Perry must just be building anticipation for the big reveal, though. What a storyteller!

While we're waiting, did you know the girl in the video is actually Sherrie? Sherrie Swafford. She was Steve Perry's girlfriend when he wrote the song.

I want to let go, you'll go on hurtin' me

More bad stuff. You are really building a strong case for ending this relationship, Steve. (Keep in mind also that Sherrie is a real person who he was romantically involved with when he wrote this song. How would you have felt if you were Sherrie and you heard this little ditty? I would've felt bad. Steve Perry likes to make people feel bad.)

You'd be better off alone if I'm not who you thought I'd be

OK, more bad stuff (I think). But I have a feeling that we're about to find out just what it is that makes these two tick!

But you know that there's a fever

(leans in closely) Uh-huh???

oh

(cocks head in anticipation)

that you'll never find nowhere else

(braces for inevitable disappointment) And?

Can't you feel it burnin' - on and on?

That's it, folks! That's why Steve Perry and Sherrie Swafford continue to date despite overwhelming evidence that they should not: "There's a fever" (where?) that she will "never find nowhere else." (Which, I guess, means that Steve Perry *can* find the fever? What a fucking arrogant bastard.)

Surprise! Steve and Sherrie broke up in 1985, the year after this song came out. Now, nearly a quarter-century later, when you search for "sherrie swafford bio" on Google, the first page that comes up is called "Steve Perry's Biography." So, that must make her feel really good. Are you happy, Perry? Are you?!

Oh Sherrie, our love holds on, holds on

You son of a bitch.

But I should've been gone long ago, far away

Why are you still singing?

And you should've been gone / now I know just why you stay

Because Steve Perry is such a sexy bastard, and he sings like an angel and is utterly irresistible to every man, woman, child, and beast of the field. Right? Right?!?!

Douchebag.

CODA: Apparently after he and Sherrie broke up, Steve Perry wrote an explanation of why it happened on his Web site. It's ineloquent, but clearly heartfelt and sort of touching. It makes me feel bad that I just made fun of him and called him names.

Steve Perry likes to make people feel bad.

Asshole.

40 comments:

  1. Yay, BLB is back!

    True story: when I was a kid and this song was an omnipresent monster hit, I heard "Oh Sherrie our love/ Holds on, holds on" as "She's not dead, just all alone/ Chromosome, chromosome." I was a pretty strange child.

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    1. i'd sure like to know how they got all their videos removed from youtube. AND the radio. NEVER do you even hear them. And if you try and opemn any of their wallets, they creak and a moth flies out. They are fuckin' cheap. And never that great. Their catalog is 5 songs if you ask me. Go pound sand, 80's icons.

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    2. i'd sure like to know how they got all their videos removed from youtube. AND the radio. NEVER do you even hear them. And if you try and opemn any of their wallets, they creak and a moth flies out. They are fuckin' cheap. And never that great. Their catalog is 5 songs if you ask me. Go pound sand, 80's icons.

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  2. you think maybe they broke up because if they had gotten married her name would've been Sherrie Perry? just a thought.

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  3. See, I always thought it was "Oh Sherrie, I'm alone/hold on, hold on," which made me think it was either a song about how he wanted to go out with Sherrie but the two of them could never manage to both be single at the same time, or perhaps that he knew that while his relationship with Sherrie sucked, it was the only one he had and he was so damn lonely and miserable that he'd honestly prefer dealing with all the grief of a relationship with her.

    Either way, the song made me feel bad. So Steve Perry gets what he wants again, I guess. What a jerk.

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  4. After he and Sherrie broke up, he explained it. On his website. In 1986?

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  5. Did you not see the portrait? Steve Perry is Robocop, man...he has access to technology and science far beyond our feeble imaginings. He probably had his website up and running in 1979, and was just waiting for everyone else to finally catch up with him.

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  6. hmm, yeah. I guess maybe he wrote the explanation in 1986, then posted it on his Web site later? Or else he was an early user of the ARPANET? fishy.

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  7. and I guess you could have done better!!! do not dog Steve Pery...he is kind and loving, and much more of a person than you are...

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  8. First off!! Steve does NOT have a website!! Your "explanation" obviously came from a interview. Try doing a little fact checking?! The nerve of some wannabe hack trying to make himself famous off of the an actual artist like "The Voice"! Hmmm, you must be deaf and blind not to see what has been known by all music lovers...Steve was burned by Sherrie...she cheated on him with a guy in a corvette...he truly loved her but, she couldn't deal with what comes with the level of fame and loving someone that is adored by the masses!! Typical boy meets girl but real life drama complicates the whole we want to be together love story! It's so basic "Love Story 101". Seriously, you are the douche bag and to belittle someone that actually has talent, REALLY?!! So, what did we learn here? First, you are a parasite that has nothing in their repertoire other than to ramble about persons who actually have a skill. Secondly, you don't fact check. Thirdly, you need to have someone proof your work!
    Steve Perry is a ROCK GOD and you should bow down before him a beg for him for forgiveness. You speak of what you don't know...your a child and you show your ignorance on this crappy blog! Some people count...

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  9. Maybe someday you will know love and be better able to understand the concept!! You dare to speak the name of "Mr. Steven Ray Perry"...your the douche bag! Get your facts right! Steve does not have a website! He ONLY makes statements through persons he trusts such as Lora Beard at Fan Asylum. This is a prime example of why "children" shouldn't play with ink pens! Shame on you...you wanna be Perez Hilton!! Get a life!!

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  10. Just because Steve Perry has a secret Web site that only I can read doesn't give you the right to get upset.

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  11. Ahhahaa.
    I love deranged submoron fans who can't grasp far-out concepts like "humor". And the absolute best are those who bitchily spit: "Like YOU could do better!", as if thas has any relevance to anything. I'll quote the best response I ever heard to that stupid request:
    "What would be the point? You'd be too stupid to recognise it anyway. This is the most frequently seen, most dull-witted and most easily dismissed response, inevitably resorted to by the dimmest bulbs on the block, of whom there are disturbingly many. Put simply, critical faculties and other creative faculties are not necessarily related; excellence in a given field is not required to have a critical insight into that field. Or put even more simply, you don't need a Michelin Star to see the jizz on the cupcakes."

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  12. Whoever you are, I found your synopsis of the whole situation hilarious. Love your observation and metaphors. I had a really good laugh. On the other hand, if I were Sherry, I would've held on to this hunkie dorie with all my might. He's so fine, wish he'd been mine. Even if he's old, I would love to hold, that fine bastard. Ha !

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  13. idont care what others sy steve your the best singer and you wrote the song oh sherrie for her diane pletcher south bend ind

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  14. steven perry kept journey from touring for over ten years. he was so paranoid that he would open the door to his hotel room on the road with the chain on and a can of mace behind the chain. i saw it with my own eyes. the thing is, the band pandered to him and did what he wanted in fear that he would bolt. it was their fault as much as perry being a total ass hole rock star. he pitted the band against management, played one against the other. he would smile to your face and give you those double sincere 'brother' bits, while at the same time twisting the knife in your back. he won't put out another record because he has lost the timbre of his once great voice. yes, he can't hit the notes that he once did. steve perry is a miserable fuck, and he made all around him on the journey tours miserable as well, the crew, band, and everyone around him would have to walk on eggs. he couldn't be himself, didn't know how, was afraid of his fame, and thought everyone wanted something from him. steve perry just couldn't be real. it's sad.

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  15. Wow do you have anger issues! Sometimes the bad in a relationship is deeper and more prevalent than the good! The love however simplified it seems binds so tightly that it's very hard to break! I'm sure that both Steve and Sherrie agreed on this at the time!

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  16. Steve Perry is Journey and will always be...Arnel is a song stealing ass that needs his own songs...Steve Perry is the one who sang the ballads to our proms and night clubs and noone will replace him as the frontman of Journey

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    1. i 100% agree with anonymous april 29,2013 no one can replace steve perry. as far as oh sherrie goes you can love someone so much that you stay even though you may not get along and fight alot and some times you say things in anger that you know will hurt the other person because you are hurt and want to hurt back.
      but you stay because of your love and try to make it work. that is what the song is about.

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  17. to anonymous july 25 i think you are just dumb , journey did not tour because they are nothing without steve perry as proven they could not even get a record deal till he joined the band. he left to do his solo lp in 1984 after other members did watch behind the music and you will hear for yourself also the other members admit he brought the hits not only with his voice but he wrote or co-wrote most of the songs. please also note the songs you still hear on the radio are steve perry and journey. and if the new singer is so good why do we not hear him on the radio. as far as touring they are still mostly doing the s perry songs with a singer that tries to sing like perry and that is what they looked for so he is nothing but a fake perry want a be,so to sum up they were nothing before perry enter perry record deals hit records sold out stadiums, exit perry no journey , perry comes back for ror lp wow hits again and sold out concerts,perry leaves for personal reasons no journey, perry comes back for trail by fire hits again also a nod for a grammy. need i say more

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  18. i totally agree with anonymous May 29 2013...even the other journey members were so frustrated over the years when steve withdrew from public view thats why they tried so hard (especially the egoistic schon) to find a STEVE PERRY SOUND A LIKE guy..now they have arnel and they go on touring again BUT...they couldnt fill an arena, they couldnt even get a GOLD or platinum album, the only constant thing that theyve been doing is REVIVALS! of what...? of journey songs WRITTEN and CO-WRITTEN by steve perry not to mention songs which were sang by steve himself. so how could there be any asshole insult the name of steve?

    im a filipino, but i think arnel should have worked hard for HIS OWN LOCAL band in the philippines than tried being a steve-perry sound a like (literally puppet of neal schon's ambitious owning of the band)! isnt it frustrating even for arnel that an artist himself is not being recognized as arnel having ARNEL's voice becoz he's trying to simply mimic steve perry!

    oh shame on the new lead singer!

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    1. Absolutely. Arnold shud have a manager who supported development of a NEW band - and WARNED him that schon was USING him as a puppet to continue the money flow. Shame on schon - can't stand on your own? Then step down, old man. You missed the opportunity to rearrange 'your' band (ha) to something that might have worked. Instead, you Cruz the internet to find a copy-cat-cover-singer? Whatever, dude. You can't shine one of Mr Perry's shoes. Jonathan should break away, too. Run,run while you can, Jon - there is a position out here for you - just say you are available! As for the interpretation on Oh Sherrie, it seems the blogger has never been in a long term relationship that had to break up. It is complicated, the heart needs one thing, the mind knows something new is needed. Sorry, but it IS difficult to break up. But for you - it's difficult to WAKE UP. Steve Perry is more of a talent than most and more experienced in life than you could ever be - go travel, be in love, lose, win, lose and win again. Then, write. And guess what, you'll have your OWN STORY.

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  19. Please put the anger between you and the rest of the members of Journey aside. If anything, by now you should have learned how short life can be. You were born with a great voice and with your former bandmates you had an orchastra. You have the power to make a lot of
    sad people happy. Not many people can do that.
    Use your talent.

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  20. I love the "Oh Sherrie" lyrics, the video and Steve Perry!!!!!!!!

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  21. What a jerk I bet you couldn't do what Steve does so get off his ass he is the best singer ever I bet he is a great man I can't say much about you. I think you are the arrogant one not Steve get that fricking chip off your shoulder

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  22. If you really knew the person, Steve Perry, you would know that he loves with all his heart and thinks of other's and their sufferings way before his own. Heart of gold, not douchebag, is appropriate.

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  23. If you really knew the person, Steve Perry, you would know that he loves with all his heart and thinks of other's and their sufferings way before his own. Heart of gold, not douchebag, is appropriate.

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  24. I totally agree with Lillian Zachur. Steve Perry has a heart of gold. The song is about how couples who love each other stay together because of their burning love even though they have disagreements and say things they don't really mean in the heat of an argument. Unfortunately, Steve and Sherrie broke up soon after this song came out, but both Steve and Sherrie have said that they were truly in love and remain friends to this day. Neither Steve nor Sherrie ever married, and even though Sherrie's subsequent romances have never been made public, Steve did open up recently about the woman he called "the love of his life" and it wasn't Sherrie. Unfortunately Steve lost her (the love of his life) in 2013 to cancer after only a year and a half together. In some of the solo concerts Steve did ten years after he and Sherrie broke up, he states that he still misses her, and that it's OK to miss her, and dedicated the song "Missing You" to her. And to whomever said that Sherrie cheated on him with a guy in a corvette, that is totally wrong. The girl who cheated on him with the guy in a corvette was the inspiration for the sing "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezing'" and was well before Sherrie's time. Get your facts straight! Steve dedicated "Missing You" to Sherrie and in that song he says, "I was wrong. The secret's not worth keeping. I had no faith that you would still believe, but now, my heart is in your keeping. Here I am, missing you." He is lamenting that she is not still lying next to him at night, and indicates he still keeps her picture nearby. He says that SHE felt pain and that HE was the "king of pretenders alone in shame." So even though I am a huge Steve Perry fan (otherwise I wouldn't know all this), don't go accusing Sherrie of cheating on Steve. There is no record of that. He mentions in some interview when asked about Sherrie, that it's hard for anyone to be the girlfriend of a famous singer when women are always throwing themselves at him and wanting to "do things to (him) with a fork." ?? I have had fun with that image but all I can think of is running that fork through his lovely locks, maybe? I don't know!

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    1. You are 100% correct! Thank you for clearing it up for everyone. Steve Perry is a gentleman and not a douchebag! Sherrie did not cheat on him! Steve Perry is a private person and only his true fans know this about him.

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  25. I miss Steve Perry's singing, his voice. Arnel is no substitute, and I agree with the person who suggests that he would be better off to create his own career, his own authentic music. I can also identify with the experience of loving someone so much that it really hurts to break up, yet to stay together isn't fair to both people when certain important dreams and goals just can't be achieved if the relationship continues. Sometimes to truly love someone and have their best interest in mind, you have to let go. I have no idea if that was he and Sherrie's situation, but I'm sorry they had to feel the pain of breakup for whatever reason. It must be difficult for both of them to have the legacy of that song to remind them of good times forever gone.

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  26. In all the articles that I have read about Steve Perry, the man loves, and he loves with every part of himself. I hurt when I read about his love dying so soon after they met, but he has had love and lost love, like the rest of us. I envy her, in the fact that she died with Steve loving her, I don't know if that will happen to me. I could only hope.

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    1. I just want to say that he is a wonderful man. My cousin lived by him in his home town and they became best friends. If u hear his music and are a true fan you will know he is not a ass whole. He is romantic and sweet he loves with all of him. When he dated sherrie he was young and so was she. Come on people just like everyone else it is human to date fall in love and brake up. Don't hate they both gave there all. It was just not ment to be. But they remained friends. She was very lucky to have been with him. Any girl would die to have a chance at 💘 with him. So with that being said we love and care for u steve. Hope to hear more of your music soon please stay safe.

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  27. Cheating is something that is very, very hard to deal with in a relationship, but if you're looking for ways to win your partner's heart back after separation Pls contact dr_mack@yahoo.com, he restored my relationship and mine is perfect now

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