I’ve wondered sometimes about the reasons behind the fate of one-hit wonders. Presuming there’s some level of talent involved in producing a quality song that strikes a nerve with the listening public, what keeps an artist from leveraging that talent into a sustainable career?
Is it bad luck? Or perhaps that one song is all he or she had in the creative bank to begin with? Might, say, a-ha have gone on to have the career of Duran Duran under different circumstances?
I mention this as a way to back into the start of a 2-week Aimee Mann theme, because it seems that back in 1985, when ‘Til Tuesday released ‘Voices Carry,’ they (and she) could very well have ended up as one-hit wonders.
The signs were there: a well-crafted, catchy song that nevertheless bears the distinct stamp of its era and a lead singer whose fashion (and hair) choices were ripe for parody. But, though ‘Til Tuesday didn’t do much else, Mann went on to be one of the most celebrated (critically, if not commercially) singer-songwriters of her time. She’s certainly among my very favorites.
I’d like to think Mann’s pure talent allowed her to make a living writing and recording albums over the past 25 years, but I suspect a lot of talented people haven’t had the same outcome.
At any rate, I’ll take a look at Mann’s fascinating career and stellar discography over the next two weeks. I was actually shocked to realize I hadn’t focused on her yet, apart from a couple of SOTD picks over the past 479. I’m happy to take that opportunity now, starting with the song that introduced her to the world.
But I’m frightened of the things I might find
Oh, there must be something he’s thinking of
to tear him away
When I tell him that I’m falling in love
why does he say
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
I try so hard not to get upset
Because I know all the trouble I’ll get
Oh, he tells me tears are something to hide
and something to fear
And I try so hard to keep it inside
so no one can hear
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
He wants me, but only part of the time
He wants me, if he can keep me in line
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, shut up now, voices carry
Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry
Hush hush, darling, she might overhear
Hush, hush – voices carry
He said shut up – he said shut up
Oh God can’t you keep it down
Voices carry
Hush hush, voices carry
Meet Me In Montauk 
This is such a powerful song. The title – and chorus – are quite chilling, when you really think about what’s happening here. And the audacity for the singer to sing out that she must not speak out is just wonderful.
I guess there might be another category altogether for bands that break up while an individual member goes on to have a successful (or at least continuing) career. Would Aimee Mann have recorded so many albums and received such critical acclaim had she stayed with “Til Tuesday? Hard to say. Can’t think of other examples at the moment, but I”m sure there must be a ton (both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins left Genesis, though not because the band was struggling for an audience).
I’m not sure if Mann has had much in the way of commercial success since this hit, but she has certainly sustained a career of making great music for a a core fan base.
From time to time, I hear Mann’s acoustic version of this song, stripped of its 80’s production. I think it provides (as most acoustic versions do) a better sense of the songwriting talent. Here is an acoustic version, done live:
This song is on the Sky High sountrack as a cover… š
My little brother thought for years that she was singing “It’s so scary.”