(no subject)

[spatch]

One of earliest signs that irony is dead in this country involves those who simply cannot take a song for anything but its literal wordy hook, either because they just can't understand or they're too lazy to listen beyond it. We discussed Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" earlier, but there's also the joy of people who use ironically inappropriate songs for their wedding song or for part of the reception. Love turns people's brains into Cream of Wheat, and that is why songs like REM's "The One I Love" and "Every Breath You Take" by the Police are often used by the moronic-in-love people as "their song."

Hey, awesome. The One I Love calls the object of the singer's affection "a simple prop to occupy my time." And Every Breath You Take, of course, is about a stalker. But they use phrases like "This one goes out to the one I love" and "Oh can't you see? You belong to me" so OBVIOUSLY it's a song that's going out to the person they love.

Earlier today I was pointed to the dominance of Hey Ya! as a wedding song in recent times. Not as a first dance or a "our song" song, mind you, but as a song played loudly at weddings. A good wedding DJ, by the way, is going to understand that there are just some songs you don't want to hear at a wedding reception. Songs that go directly against the proven fact that today, these two are In Love Forever and That's How It's Going To Be. For instance, I remember my aunt's wedding in 1989 and oh, that Tone Loc was such a popular fellow, so they played Funky Cold Medina at her reception. The DJ wisely segued to another song before the third verse, which is all about how Tone Loc uses his Funky Cold Medina sex potion on a girl, but when she starts "...talkin 'bout plans for a wedding" Loc cold dumps her ass. You get the idea.

So what's Hey Ya! about? The death of a relationship held together far too long by atrophy, with lyrics I shall paraphrase to sound a bit more prose-y:

My baby don't mess around because she loves me so, and this I know for sure
But does she really wanna, but can't stand to see me walk out the door?

and

If what they say is "nothing is forever"
Then what makes love the exception?
And why are we so in denial when we know we're not happy here?

That's an excellent song to play at a wedding, because hey, divorce foreshadowing. Brilliant.

Course, nobody listens to lyrics anymore. That's a proven fact. Andre Ice Cold 3000 knows it, and pretty much sums up the whole thing the best:

Y'all don't wanna hear me, you just wanna dance.

Truth.

Comments

[muse0fire.livejournal.com]

The one that always bugged me was back in high school when the girls would go all gaga and swoony over "More Than Words", thinking it was this sweet love song because it was sung in harmony, ballad-style, by a bunch of pretty boys with long hair. In reality the song's lyrics boil down to: If you loved me you would sleep with me.

My husband has always thought it would be funny to play "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" at a wedding. I'm afraid one of these days he's going to bribe someone's DJ.

[amandaruth2001.livejournal.com]

I, TOO, AM IRKED BY "MORE THAN WORDS." The whole undertone of "I really don't care if you love me or not as long as I'm gettin' some." There's also that creepy pedophile ring to it, 'cause those guys were like 30 or something when they recorded it, weren't they?

[zrblm.livejournal.com]

The summer that song was on the radio, I was working a crappy warehouse job. The radio was on CHOM (shit-tastic Montreal RAWK station) all the time, and bygawd, that song was on at least once every couple of hours.

In all that time, I never paid attention to the lyrics. I was too focused on how UTTERLY FUCKING ANNOYING it was.

[cropherb.livejournal.com]

Although, weird counterexample here, as far as the appreciation of irony is concerned. I was a guest at a wedding that actually featured a live acoustic cover of "More Than Words" - during the actual ceremony itself. What made it especially cute was that it was the bride's choice, and she was fully aware of all the ribald lyrical implications, and that's exactly why she wanted it.