Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Sorry to Embarrass You

I can't believe I didn't talk about this song sooner! Maybe one of the reasons is because it doesn't seem to exist online anywhere. Therefore, here is a Yousendit link to the song. You have 7 days to download it, so don't wait too long! I don't even trust the internet to give me the right lyrics, so I actually transcribed them myself. That's just how great this song is; it deserves no less than hand-transcribed lyrics. Here they are-- check them out while your file's downloading:

Sorry to Embarrass You
By Razorcuts (1986)

Across the space that separates
Your social world from mine
We built a threadbare bridge of words
It didn't stand the test of time.
Now we're here,
I don't know why.
I'd rather talk some more
Than look into your eyes.
Just waiting for the bell to ring
So we can live our separate lives.

Sorry to embarrass you,
I thought you might feel the same.
Sorry to embarrass you
Again.

I watch the patterns on the water,
Reflections of the city lights.
And somehow both ends of this bridge
Look very far away tonight.

Sorry to embarrass you,
I thought you might feel the same.
Sorry to embarrass you
Again.

I can hear your voice
In every word that I say,
Every word I say.
I can hear your voice
In every word that I say,
Every word I say.

Sorry to embarrass you,
I thought you might feel the same.
Sorry to embarrass you
Again.

Sad that Razorcuts only ever released two albums, isn't it? I think the whole song is kind of like a great pop haiku, but I especially adore the line, "I'd rather talk some more than look into your eyes". It's obviously a song about two people with very different lifestyles and ideas for a relationship. Whether it's sexual/asexual or just a guy who was too twee and introspective for his girlfriend, I relate.
Question: Why do you write about so many of those dern indiepop songs? Dontcha know it's the devil's music? Yarr!
Answer: Believe it or not, this kind of music began in (roughly) 1981 as an alternative to UK punk. As such, it's always been very ironic and cynical about traditional love and romance, which I appreciate. Although indiepop songs are almost always about love, they usually explores love's darker side in a funny or strange way. The fact that most indiepop bands are able to package such a message in a candy-coated shell is just, to me, part of its genius.

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