Merry Christmas to my followers.
Here’s a song many of you might remember from 1984. If you were alive then, you must have heard it because it was everywhere!
May we always care so much about those who have nothing.
Tag Archives: 1980s music
Hey Mickey (Toni Basil)
This song from 1982 has been stuck in my head for two days. Major nostalgia! I just learned Toni Basil was 39 years old when she made this video. This is one of the greatest one hit wonders ever made.
Monday Melody: Red Red Wine – extended version (UB40)
Man, does this take me back. This reggae influenced 1983 is 34 years old, if you can believe it (I can’t).
Monday Melody: Careless Whisper (George Michael)
Since George Michael died today (f*ck you, 2016!) I thought I’d use one of his songs for this week’s Monday Melody. Careless Whisper (released in 1984) is probably my favorite George Michael tune. Now it’s touched with sadness for me, but is still a classic.
Monday Melody: Major Tom (Peter Schilling)
I’ve posted about this song before, but oh, drat–I can’t find the post now.
Oh, there it is–playing Peekaboo down there in the “Related” posts. Oh well.
Anywho…this one-hit Europop wonder by German musician Peter Schilling–intended as a sort of “answer” to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” never became that popular in the United States when it was released in 1983 but it did get a little airplay here, especially on the dance circuit, and remains one of my favorite 1980s tunes.
The beautiful, haunting chorus still gives me chills every time. Does “coming home” mean coming home to earth…or “coming home” to the afterlife? I think it’s most likely the latter.
Standing there alone
The ship is waiting
All systems are go
Are you sure?
Control is not convinced
But the computer
Has the evidence
“no need to abort”
The countdown starts
Watching in a trance
The crew is certain
Nothing left to chance
All is working
Trying to relax
Up in the capsule
“send me up a drink”
Jokes Major Tom
The count goes on
4, 3, 2, 1…
Earth below us
Drifting, falling
Floating weightless
Calling calling home…
Second stage is cut
We’re now in orbit
Stabilizers up
Running perfect
Starting to collect
Requested data
“What will it effect
When all is done”
Thinks Major Tom
Back at ground control
There is a problem
Go to rockets full
Not responding
“hello Major Tom
Are you receiving
Turn the thrusters on
We’re standing by”
There’s no reply
4, 3, 2, 1…
Earth below us
Drifting, falling
Floating weightless
Calling calling home…
Across the stratosphere
A final message
“give my wife my love”
Then nothing more
Far beneath the ship
The world is mourning
They don’t realize
He’s alive
No one understands
But Major Tom sees
Now the life commands
This is my home
I’m coming home
Earth below us
Drifting, falling
Floating weightless
Coming home
Earth below us
Drifting, falling
Floating weightless
Coming home
Earth below us
Drifting, falling
Floating weightless
Coming coming home…
Home…..(x8)
Monday Melody: Wild Wild Life (Talking Heads)
Back in the day (late 70s and most of the 1980s), the Talking Heads were among my favorite new wave bands. “Wild Wild Life” was one of those songs (“Psycho Killer” was another) that I couldn’t get enough of. I first heard it in David Byrne’s independent film project, “True Stories” in 1986 and went out and bought the album of the same name. I kept playing “Wild Life” on repeat until I had to purchase a new copy of the album. My copy was on vinyl–CDs were new on the market but hadn’t overtaken LP sales yet.
At the time I was a young newlywed and I still thought I’d married a good man. My new husband hadn’t started showing his true colors yet (or I just didn’t see or chose not to see the red flags). I remember being incredibly flattered because he often compared my looks with Tina Weymouth, the bassist for the band (and in fact, in those days I did resemble her).
So without further ado, here’s my 1986 earworm. Yes, that is a young John Goodman (of Roseanne fame) in the video–he appeared in the David Byrne film and some movie scenes are in this video.
The Cure: Just Like Heaven.
I was going to wait until I do another Monday Melody (sorry, I’ve been slacking on that series the past few weeks), but I’ve been a bit obsessed with this ’80’s hit by the Cure today and had to go ahead and post it now. Enjoy!
Monday Melody: Little Red Corvette (Prince)
In memory of Prince, I want to feature a song of his as this week’s Monday Melody. He was and still is one of my favorite ’80’s pop artists. This is one of my favorite Prince songs. It was difficult finding much recorded Prince music on Youtube, because he was opposed to his music being made available on Youtube.
I hope he is resting in peace.
Due to Prince’s objection to his music being reproduced on Youtube, his songs can’t be found there. The original video I posted was deleted, so I found another source. Unfortunately, I can’t embed this video so you will need to click on the link.
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhINumd0GjaBingOOb
Rated PG-13: I never realized how raunchy this song is, but it’s still great!
Monday Melody: Back on the Chain Gang (The Pretenders)
The Pretenders were one of the most successful new wave groups of the early to mid 1980s, and “Back on the Chain Gang” was and still is my favorite Pretenders song. Chrissie Hynde, the band’s lead singer, wrote it after the drug overdose death of her husband, James Honeyman-Scott. She was three months pregnant with their daughter at the time.
To me, both this song and video shows a maturity and depth that wasn’t present in their earlier work, without sacrificing their catchy power-pop sound. Although “Back on the Chain Gang” could be thought of as depressing, it always lifted my spirits and made me want to get up and dance. It’s also a song that, to me, defines the 1980’s, but also still sounds fresh and relevant even in 2016.
Wow. I really am old.
Have you ever been hit by an intense blast of nostalgia that almost knocks the wind out of you?
On the radio today I heard this Europop song for the first time since late 1983/early 1984 and was overcome by that sweet sadness that comes from realizing just how many years have elapsed. I was very young then; now I’m bordering on old. Wiser and more stable but more cautious and world-weary. I had no children; now I have adult children. I worried less, acted out more. I’m happier today than I was then, or at least more content. But I can’t help wishing I could go back sometimes, if only to do everything over the way it should have been done.
This song haunts me. I remembered it immediately but never knew who did it. I typed the lyrics in my browser and was able to find out who the artist was. We have the miracle of the Internet now; in 1983 doing such a thing would have seemed like science fiction.
Anyway, it’s a very cool tune. Enjoy!
Lucky Otters Haven 