Say You, Say Me.....Say What???

Say You, Say Me by Lionel Ritchie

The mid 1980's belonged to Lionel Ritchie. #1 albums, #1 singles, many grammy awards. But what was going on with this song? Lionel was famous for incredible lyrics but it sounds like he phoned this one in. Lets examine the evidence.....

   [Chorus]

    Say you, say me
    Say it for always, that's the way it should be
    Say you, say me
    Say it together, naturally

 

(seems ok...little vague but not too odd)

    I had a dream,
    I had an awesome dream
    People in the park
    Playing games in the dark
    And what they played
    Was a masquerade
    And from behind the walls of doubt
    A voice was crying out

 

(ok...what the heck? He had an "awesome" dream? Me thinks someone found some old lyrics from a much earlier song writing session....in the trash)

[Chorus]

    As we go down
    Life's lonesome highway
    Seems the hardest thing to do
    Is to find a friend or two
    That helping hand
    Someone who understands
    That when you feel you lost your way
    You've got someone there to say,
    I'll show you

 

(now this seems more like the Lionel we know and love....a little sappy but closer to his usual quality)

[Chorus]

    So you think you know the answers, oh no
    Well the whole world's got you dancing
    That's right, I'm telling you
    It's time to start believing, oh yes
    Believing who you are, you are a shining star

 

(ok, ok, ok....stop the crazy train.....what the serious hell?? Its like he recorded this for an entirely different song and just slapped it in here to finish this mess off....this is not the makings of a hit song)

[Chorus]

    Say it together, naturally 

 

Ok, so we can see that there is a huge mess here....but this song went to #1 on the US charts and the R&B charts. It was the used in the film White Knights and it earned an Oscar for Best Original Song .....So apparently I have no idea what constitutes a "good song", or at least what makes a song not sound like a 4 minute mess.

Please enjoy

Its An Anti-War Song.....But Its Fun

Its A Mistake by Men At Work

I LOVED this band. I'll be writing about many of their songs and videos but I thought I would start with this beauty. Released in 1983, the third single off their sophomore release, it reached #6 in the US charts and the video was played on MTV about 9 million times.

The subject matter was nuclear war....it seemed to be on a lot of minds back in the 80's and honestly, we were all a little scared of dying in a bright red flash of light, or worse, surviving and having to rebuild this semi-doomed planet of ours. But we were lucky to have artists like these to make some of the images less horrific. When you feature the band as soldiers and the lead singer getting smacked around by a granny with an umbrella (not to mention a not-so-subtle caricature of then President Reagan) you're definitely playing it for laughs. In the end, we see that even the guys with their finger on the button can make a mistake.

Please enjoy

That Time That Ferris Bueller Almost Started WWIII

War Games.

The idea of a world ending nuclear war had been around for decades but no one had ever considered that it might be an unthinking computer (or was it?) that would be the end of all of us. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy and Dabney Coleman and was released in June of 1983.

Matthew plays David, a Seattle high school student and hacker

Ally Sheedy is his friend and they unknowingly break into the NORAD computer system that controls all of the nuclear weapons in the US arsenal.

Sounds tempting....but what games are available? Lets take a look at the list....

Well, what teenage kids wouldn't want to play a game called "Global Thermonuclear War"? Only problem is the computer doesn't understand the difference between the simulation and the real thing and plays havoc with the real nuclear command system, WOPR.

(incidentally, the lights on the side of the movie prop above was controlled by a guy sitting inside it with an Apple II computer)

So, David gets arrested for hacking into the system and he is taken to NORAD (still makes no sense to me) where he escapes and with Ally Sheedy's help, finds the man that wrote the original computer code, Dr. Falken. Together they try to convince him that the computer program he created, Joshua, is trying to play the game for real. Eventually he decides to help them and they're on their way back to NORAD (where David DOESN'T get in trouble for escaping). But in a strange, I-never-understand-the-thought-process-behind-this-one moment, they actually let the kid that broke into the system have access to the command console....

....and they even let him sit down and type commands into the system.

 In the end (spoiler alert!) the computer learns that in this game, there is no winner...

....Another happy ending.

Now, I know I sound like I'm not a fan of this film, but I really am. I've just been staring at the small plot holes for 30 years so I'm razing it a bit. But I recommend seeing this film for just about anyone. Sure the computer graphics are dated and the main character is taken directly into the most high security area in the country but its moral message about using a computer for nefarious purposes is completely lost behind the anti-war message.....and isn't that what the 80's was all about?

Nerd Rock!!!

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding By Elvis Costello and The Attractions

Take a good look folks....that was what punk rock looked like in the very late 70's. We never thought a guy that looked like us would be a rock idol, but he was. They say every generation has its Bob Dylan....well Elvis was ours. His lyrics were smart, witty and spoke of exactly what was in our hearts and heads. And since he was kinda nerdy, it felt like he was one of us.

This song, released in 1978 (but far and away a true 80's song as it was the direction the decade was headed) was actually a cover song (!!!) Written by the albums producer, Nick Lowe, it was originally only available on the b-side of Lowe's single, American Squirm, (yep, Nick put out a single with Elvis singing the entire song, go figure) but the song proved to be so popular that it was quickly added to the US version of Costello's 1979 album, Armed Forces.

Please enjoy

Drunks With Broken Hearts

Another Nail In My Heart by Squeeze

If you're gonna suffer a broken heart, the best place to be is at the bar.....unless Squeeze is there reminding you of how bad it all ended.

Released in January of 1980, this was where the 80's all began. Catchy pop with equally catchy melodies. Add in smart, catchy lyrics delivered by guys you'd want to drink several pints with and this was a winner. In England. Not released in the US, it was played heavily on college radio (and in Los Angeles on KROQ).

The video was typical of a Squeeze video....silliness and a great performance. Being British, they had a sense of humor and that showed.

Please enjoy Another Nail In My Heart

Songs That Need Our Love....Part 23

Too Late For Love by Def Leppard

The fourth single off the Pyromania album, it followed the #1 classics Photograph and Rock Of Ages and the Top Ten Foolin'. It reached #9 itself on the Mainstream Rock charts but it received far less love than those other huge hits. The video was a shortened version of this great song but its still worth watching.

Please enjoy

Its A Song About America's Hat

Take Off by Bob & Doug McKenzie

Who would have thought that two Canadian comedians (say that 3 times fast) would have a huge hit song? Well, if you include Geddy Lee, bass player and singer of the band RUSH, I can understand how that might happen.

Released in 1981 the song is just the two actors improvising as brothers Bob & Doug McKenzie, the ultimate Canadian "Hosers", while they leave the actual singing to the professionals. The duo started out on SCTV, the Canadian version of Saturday Night Live and it was their sketch as these two beer swilling hockey-nuts that grabbed the public's imagination. The song even reached #16 on the US charts and inspired a film that will be covered later in another blog.

But lets take a listen to this bit of silliness. Sadly, there is no music video for the song but....someone made their own version of a music video and its funny so I'm including it here. This is the album version of the song that includes banter with Geddy Lee before and after the song.

Please enjoy and TAKE OFF!!!!