Old-Timer Tuesday
Most of the music posted here is new or newish. However, as a nod to the elders, Tuesdays are reserved strictly for music that was written and/or recorded before the year 2000.

1994

An e-friend* over at Faithless Street.org who goes by the screenname “grimlithics” recommended this video the other day, and it’s great. (*For these purposes, an “e-friend” is an acquaintance you know only over the internet.)

I’d known Colin Hay’s songwriting in the same way that many people know his songwriting, by one song and one song only: “Land Down Under” by his former band Men at Work.

Little did I (and probably you) know, he has also written some great, quiet, acoustic songs like the one below.

Men at Work only released three records, but Mr. Hay went on to have a long and successful solo career. To date, he has released 11 records over the course of three decades.

Song meanings get misunderstood all the time. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” isn’t really about drugs. “Born in the USA” isn’t the least bit patriotic. “Every Breath You Take” and “Crash Into Me” are both creepy stalker anthems that only sound like love songs. Dave Matthews and Sting should probably be on some kind of predator list for writing them.

According to Mr. Hay, his song below is a victim to misunderstandings too. Oblivious newlyweds apparently play it at their weddings. And why not? At a wedding, presumably your “new life” is “waiting to begin”, and that’s like, totally perfect for your wedding day, right?!

No, no it is absolutely not appropriate for that. You might consider it wildly inappropriate, actually. The guy in this song is clearly in a relationship that he knows is terrible, and he’s hoping that someone or something snaps him out of it.

Misunderstandings aside, it’s great.

And again, this cannot be stressed enough: Dave Matthews and Sting are probably creeping outside your window right now. Happy listening.

(Thanks again to Monsieur Grim for the recommendation.)

RIYL: John Prine, good music, Jim Croce, earnestness

(Song starts around 2:28, but the intro is well worth listening to too.)