Music Detective

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

I have heard this song played at spinning a few times, often accompanied by the music video during a class that features those (most classes either show nothing on the TV at the front of the room, or have bike races playing.) Every time I hear it I am reminded of two things: 1. my dad 2. some another song that I struggle to place.

The song at spinning is:

Are You Going To Be My Girl

The song is by an Australian rock band called Jet. I only know this because I looked it up. In fact, I didn't even know the title - though I should have been able to guess it. The part that sticks with me is the line, "Oh, 4,5,6, - c'mon and get your kicks - now you don't need that money when you look like that, do ya honey." I am surprised that it reminds me of my dad so much since it was it was recorded and released in 2003, which is the year that I graduated from high school and moved away to go to university. I guess Dad had added it to his regular playlist of songs and I heard it enough in the car or when visiting home that it stays with me as part of my memories of him.

Every time I hear it I am also reminded of some other song and I keep thinking, "Man, they are so similar, what is that other song?" It always takes me a while to figure out what song something reminds me of. So today I decided to try to figure it out. All that was in my head was "dun dun dun revolution, talking bout a revolution" or something like that. I had to go through three songs before I figured it out. (Interestingly, the first two - incorrect - songs, also reminded me of my father.)

So, the song Talkin' bout a Revolution, is by Tracy Chapman. My dad liked her, or my mom liked her and my dad played her a lot. I remember this song, as well as Give Me One Reason, being played. But this wasn't the right song, too slow and soulful. Also, I was pretty sure that the song I was looking for wasn't sung by a woman.

The only other song that came to mind that it could be was Revolution by The Beatles. I knew that there was a part that went, "You say you want a revolution." However, I knew that how they sung that part was also too slow to be the song I was thinking of. I listened to it anyway, thinking that maybe I was forgetting about some faster chorus part or something. Nope, not the song.

Then somehow I figured it out - it wasn't "revolution" it was "generation" that I was looking for! Then it was really easy to find - My Generation by The Who. The line, "Talkin' bout my generation," was what was stuck in my head, and Jet was definitely inspired by this song/band for Are You Goin Be My Girl. The sound is very similar.