Pop Culture Geek Close to Becoming a Pop Culture LOSER!

I honestly was in no mood to blog tonight...having spent the past hour working on homework for a class that I think that I have decided to drop anyway. Yet a song came on from my iTunes library and I realized that I must blog about it. I don't know how to classify it...or even really introduce it...but nevertheless I will be devoting this entire post to this song. I can't quite explain it and apologize in advance.

First let me say that it was the summer of 1999 when this song came out and I remember that we were driving down Flamingo BLVD in Las Vegas, NV when I first heard it. I was riding shotgun in my friend Ryan's truck when the radio station played this song. We were sitting in traffic so we had nothing else to do but listen to it. (I have always been a lyrics geek so this should come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog with any regularity.) So we listened to it and periodically one of us would turn to the other and say something along the line of "Are you kidding me?" or "Is this a fucking joke?" Well apparently the DJ was thinking the same thing because once the song ended he came on and said that it couldn't believe that Clear Channel was forcing this song into rotation. Then he played it again because he said that he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

I probably wouldn't remember that moment so clearly if it hadn't been so surreal. I forgot to mention that Ryan's truck had no A/C and July in Las Vegas = 105 degrees at least. So picture if you will two friends stuck in traffic, sweating into hysteria, and then a song that completely baffles the mind comes on out of nowhere. All we could was shake our heads in disbelief and laugh...which was pretty much the standard of our friendship. It was a weird friendship but a good one...and one that I miss...but I digress.

And now without further ado the song of the night is....

Summer Girls by LFO -

The Chorus: New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits, Chinese food makes me sick and I think it's fly when girls stop by for the summer (for the summer). I like girls who wear Abercrombie and Fitch. I'd take her if I had one wish but she's been gone since the summer (that summer).

Okay so any song that opens up with a reference to NKOTB is a gem in my book. It had me hooked from that moment.

Highlights from the 1st Verse:

- When you take a sip you buzz like a hornet, Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets.

- Stayed all summer and then went back home, Maculay Culkin wasn't Home Alone.

- Fell in love but now we ain't speaking...Michael J Fox was Alex P Keaton.

So clearly the idea behind this song was to throw in as many pop culture references as possible and make them rhyme. As embarrassing as it is to admit...I appreciate and respect the effort. Moving on...

Highlights from the 2nd Verse:

- Love New Edition and the Candy Girl, it reminds me of you because you rock my world.

- There was a good man named Paul Revere. I feel much baby when you're near.

- You love Fun Dip and Cherry Coke. I like the way you laugh when I tell a joke.

Next comes the 1st bridge of the song...which is my favorite part of the song. Take that with however much salt you need.

1st Bridge:

In the summertime girls have it goin' on, shake and wiggle to a hip hop song.

Summer time girls are the kind I like. I'll steal your honey like I stole your bike.

I think that might be the worst pick up line ever...but on the other hand...I think that such a silly and desperate attempt might would warrant at least a drink.

Highlights of the 3rd Verse:

- Bugaloo shrimp and pogo sticks, my mind takes me back there oh so quick.

- Call you up but what's the use? I like Kevin Bacon but I hate Footloose.

2nd Bridge:

In the summer girls come and summer girls go. Some are worthwhile and some are so so.

I ended up buying the album because apparently Clear Channel sobered up and pulled the song off the air quickly. I bought the album because it is impossible not to laugh when I hear this song. From what I have read, the song was meant to be taken seriously...but I somehow doubt that it was. Oh well.

LFO never reached the mega stardom of The Backstreet Boys or NSYNC. In fact, their name rarely gets mentioned on the list of boy bands. "Girl on TV" which was their next song that was released was slightly better received, but only because it was written about Jennifer Love Hewitt. A few years later they released another album and did okay with song "Every Other Time" (another post entirely) but the band broke up after that. Lead Singer Rich tried to reach the big league when he signed on for VH1's show "Man Band". I think that they cancelled it after like five episodes.