Talk about catchy pop hooks: "Breakout," by

Swing Out Sister had me hooked solidly from the first time I heard it in 1987. Kind of a breezy, jazzy thing, it stood out amidst some fairly dire Top 40 dross and -- for me, at least -- remains one of the most pleasantly infectious pop songs of that beleagured era. The lyrics, too, hit home at that time, as they do now...1987 was a fairly significant year for me, with the first of a periodic set of massive changes (I'm in the midst of perhaps the most massive of all right now) going on. In fact, the lyrics are very much the story of my last couple of years and of my today, just as I suspect they are of many others' experiences:

When explanations make no sense
When every answer's wrong
You're fighting with lost confidence
All expectations gone
The time has come to make or break
Move on, don't hesitate
Break out

Don't stop to ask
Now you've found a break to make at last
You've got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Break out

When situations never change
Tomorrow looks unsure
Don't leave your destiny to chance
What are you waiting for
The time has come to make or break
Break out

Some people stop at nothing
If you're searching for something
Lay down the law
Shout out for more
Break out and shout
Day in day out
Break out

Unforttunately, I hesitated, to say the least, but in the end the only viable option is always to take this song's advice. :-)

Again, I'm sure I'm not alone here...

For that matter, this song kinda sums up the 2004 Presidential election.

Speaking of catchy pop ditties from 1987, or thereabouts, the Moody Blues' "Your Wildest Dreams" is another that grabbed me from the start and never let go. It's lyrics are also probably universally relatable:

Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Reflected in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams

Once the world was new
Our bodies felt the morning dew
That greets the brand-new day
We couldn't tear ourselves away
I wonder if you care
I wonder if you still remember
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams


Yeah, I'm taking a break with iTunes... :-)

Now I'm going to have that goddam earworm in my head for the rest of the day.

Guess I'll have to throw on a little Blue Oyster Cult's "Agent of Fortune" as an antidote.

:D

Took me almost 20 years to get that one out of my head, and then I downloaded it last year... :o

Also by SOS is great.

put Abba's "SOS" on my mental jukebox... :-)

Lovely words and simply melodic. :D
I can also heavily relate to all that massive change stuff. 1987 was a year like that for me to an extent. I was pretty young, but a cross country move at that age was a pretty big deal. 1990 was probably the bigger year- too many changes all at once and I think it rather numbed me out for a few too many pivotal years afterward. Change can be good, but scary at the same time. I know that all too well.

Yeah, they can be both good and scary, or just good, or just scary. Or scarily good and, possibly, goodly scary. :-)

But at least music's always there, no matter what. Good medicine.

You got that darn song stuck in my head (the "Breakout" one), upon which I went around singing it today. Then she picked up on it and was singing it around one of her friends subconsciously. Do you know how uncool that thing is in the world of 12 year olds? Poor kid.

:P


Oh...I see. Yes, that is, indeed, reason for pause. The degree of contagion inherent to many earworm songs really does require prodigious levels of personal responsibility in their handling...one slip, and you've got someone singing or thinking "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo" for the next few days to a month... :D

Wildest Dreams is great and also You and Me

And me and you?

Sorry...went into a Turtles trance.

I'll go hunt that one down, too. I like their music, what I've heard, and "Wildest Dreams" just hit me in the right place at the right time -- maybe always is the right time, 'cos it's a great song.

There's a leafless tree in Asia
Under the sun there's a homeless man
There's a forest fire in the valley
Where the story all began

What will be our last thought?
Do you think it's coming soon?
Will it be of comfort
Or the pain of a burning wound?

All we are trying to say
Is we are all we've got
You and me just cannot fail
If we never, never stop

You're an ocean full of faces
And you know that we believe
We're just a wave that drifts around you
Singing all our hopes and dreams
We look around in wonder
At the work that has been done
By the visions of our father
Touched by his loving son

All we are trying to say
Is we are all we've got
You and me just cannot fail
If we never, never stop
All we are trying to say
Is we are all we've got
You and me just cannot fail
If we never, never stop
You and me just cannot fail
If we never, ever, never, ever stop...

I think of this song as kind of the univeral peace and love song. :D

Good candidate for a DU theme song, too. :-)

time...check out Twilight World...oh and get yourself a little Basia too...like Cruisin for Bruisin

Oh...Basia. Actually, I think I might've heard them. Got a Swing Out Sister CD somewhere (promo, greatest hits kinda thing), so I'll have to dig that up and check out this "Twilight World." I like their style.

I think I have it somewhere on a 45. Haven't listened to it in years, though. Guess I'll have to dig out that old hunk o' vinyl now.