Top Ten Songs of 2011 – #4
Fountains of Wayne has been churning out pitch-perfect pop songs for 15 years now, and in 2011’s Sky Full of Holes they might just have released their best collection yet.
This was a more tightly focused effort than their previous albums — less of a kitchen sink approach — and as a result, more satisfying overall.
That said, Sky Full of Holes does not have as many instant classics as Welcome Interstate Managers, an album that would be perfect were it five or six songs shorter. These songs took a little longer to learn.
With one exception: today’s SOTD, ‘Road Song.’ This one grabbed me immediately and put a smile on my face in much the same way ‘Hey Julie’ did back in 2003. Like that gem, ‘Road Song’ is a very matter-of-fact love song, this time written by a musician on the road who misses his girl back home.
Great melody, great lyrics and especially great 70s vibe on the “ooh ooh oohs” in the bridge.
As far as I know
Today was Green Bay
And tomorrow’s Chicago
Wish I was lying
But there isn’t much to report
My phone is dying
So I’ve got to keep it short
I just wanted to say hey
I’ve been writing you a road song
It’s a cliche, but hey
That doesn’t make it so wrong
And in between the stops at the Cracker Barrel
And forty movies with Will Ferrell
I need some way to occupy my time
So I’m writing you a road song
I sure hope you don’t mind
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh uh-huh
I bought you a light blue
T-shirt last night
From some band I couldn’t stand
But their logo’s alright
Some kid threw a bottle onstage
He had an arm like a pro
I know it’s getting late
I guess I should let you go
But did I happen to say hey
I’ve been writing you a road song
Don’t run away cause hey
I promise it won’t be too long
I know it’s not what you’d call necessary
And I know that I’m no Steve Perry
But even if you roll your eyes and groan
I’m still writing you a road song
That you can call your own
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh uh-huh
Meet Me In Montauk 
Okay, unless you are going to remind me that you gave me this as a birthday gift, I’m fairly sure I don’t have this album, and that is something that really must be remedied ASAP. Not that you have to buy it for me, of course:)
I so love their sound and if this album is equal to or better than Interstate, I am looking forward to hearing it. Love today’s song. They are so great at not only crafting the perfect pop song, but also writing such down to earth relateable lyrics.
Incidentally, speaking of creating a pitch-perfect pop song, how ironic is it that the run time on this one is 3:05, as in the line from Joel’s “The Entertainer?” (“If you’re going to make a hit, you gotta make it fit, so they cut it down to 3:05”)