Monthly Archives: March 2009

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Song of the Day #239: ‘Kokomo’ – The Beach Boys

beach_boys1OK, it’s come to this. Remember that scene in The Dark Knight where Alfred tells Bruce Wayne about a terrible bandit who wreaked havoc on a village for no reason but the sheer thrill of it? “Did you finally catch him?,” Bruce asks. Alfred says yes. “How?” “We burned the forest down.”

By selecting The Beach Boys’ ‘Kokomo’ as a Song of the Day, I am burning the forest down, practically destroying this blog to make a point. I was asked to present some “feel good” songs, and this must be the most painfully bad feel good song of them all. I hope that its inclusion will pave the way for more of the murk and melancholy I favor.

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Song of the Day #238: ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ – Wham!

whamThat’s right… I’m not playing around here.

You asked for it and you’re getting it. And don’t bother with the Joni Mitchell requests… no room for over-achievers. This week is one inch deep and a mile wide.

I remember being shocked when Wham! shed their pretty boy image and went all dark and leathery. The guys prancing around in this video were so feathery soft they were in danger of floating up to the ceiling. Watching this, it’s amazing there was a time people doubted George Michael was gay.

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Song of the Day #237: ‘Shiny Happy People’ – R.E.M.

furryThis song is almost a parody of happy songs. And again, it’s a song that has been all but disowned by its writers. Michael Stipe reportedly hates ‘Shiny Happy People’ and kept it off the band’s greatest hits collection despite it charting relatively high.

I find it harmless enough. I like the little waltz-y string intro, though the chorus gets annoying pretty fast. I do like how Stipe’s voice sounds accompanied by B-52’s singer Kate Pierson’s. She was used to even better effect on Out of Time‘s final track, ‘Me in Honey.’

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Song of the Day #236: ‘The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)’ – Simon & Garfunkel

sandgKeeping things light around here, man.

Paul Simon has always said he hates playing this song and hopes he isn’t remembered for writing it. But I can think of far worse things to be remembered for.

Certainly his contribution to popular music, both lyrically and musically, is far deeper and more meaningful than this little ditty (or bauble, as my father would say). But is there really anything wrong with writing a song that puts an instant smile on people’s faces?

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