Recently, I listened to a song by a female duo called - ugh - Wet Leg. (What a revolting name.) They had been lauded [gelobt] in a newspaper article, especially for their big hit entitled Chaise Longue. I thought I'd give them a go and see what all the fuss was about.
As I watched the video and listened to the words, my jaw dropped. THIS is supposed to be good?
I grew up listening to a wide variety of music, including songs from the musicals - thanks to Benny Green's music programme on BBC Radio 2 which relied heavily on what is called the "Great American Songbook", with songs written, for example, by Rogers and Hart, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and George and Ira Gershwin.
Here are the lyrics to "The Way You Look Tonight", written by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields in 1936:
[Verse 1]
Some day, when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight
[Verse 2]
Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me, but to love you
And the way you look tonight
[Bridge]
With each word, your tenderness grows
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh wrinkles your nose
Touches my foolish heart
[Verse 3]
Lovely, never, never change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight
[Instrumental Break]
Some day, when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight
[Verse 2]
Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me, but to love you
And the way you look tonight
[Bridge]
With each word, your tenderness grows
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh wrinkles your nose
Touches my foolish heart
[Verse 3]
Lovely, never, never change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight
[Instrumental Break]
[Bridge]
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
It touches my foolish heart
[Verse 3]
Lovely, don't you ever change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you
A-just the way you look tonight
[Outro]
Mm-mm, mm-mm
Just the way you look tonight
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
It touches my foolish heart
[Verse 3]
Lovely, don't you ever change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it? 'Cause I love you
A-just the way you look tonight
[Outro]
Mm-mm, mm-mm
Just the way you look tonight
And here is a video clip of Fred Astaire singing the song to Ginger Rodgers:
I don't listen to BBC Radio 2 much any more because a lot of the old programmes have gone. However, there is still one that I like to listen to every week and that's "Sounds of the 60s" with Tony Blackburn. I find the music of the 60s to be very diverse and, a lot of the time, fun.
Here are the lyrics to a great-sounding 60s oldie: "Daydream" by The Loving Spoonful from 1966, 30 years after the song above:
[Verse 1]
What a day for a daydream
What a day for a daydreamin' boy
And now I'm lost in a daydream
Dreamin' 'bout my bundle of joy
[Bridge]
And even if time ain't really on my side
It's one of those days for takin' a walk outside
I'm blowin' the day to take a walk in the sun
And fall on my face in somebody's new-mowed lawn
[Verse 2]
I've been havin' a sweet dream
I've been dreamin' since I woke up today
It's starrin' me and my sweet dream
'Cause she's the one makes me feel this way
[Bridge]
And even if time is passin' me by a lot
I couldn't care less about the dues you say I got
Tomorrow, I'll pay the dues for droppin' my load
A pie in the face for bein' a sleepy bull toad
[Bridge]
And you can be sure that if you're feelin' right
A daydream will last along into the night
Tomorrow at breakfast, you may prick up your ears
Or you may be dreamin' for a thousand years
What a day for a daydream
What a day for a daydreamin' boy
And now I'm lost in a daydream
Dreamin' 'bout my bundle of joy
[Bridge]
And even if time ain't really on my side
It's one of those days for takin' a walk outside
I'm blowin' the day to take a walk in the sun
And fall on my face in somebody's new-mowed lawn
[Verse 2]
I've been havin' a sweet dream
I've been dreamin' since I woke up today
It's starrin' me and my sweet dream
'Cause she's the one makes me feel this way
[Bridge]
And even if time is passin' me by a lot
I couldn't care less about the dues you say I got
Tomorrow, I'll pay the dues for droppin' my load
A pie in the face for bein' a sleepy bull toad
[Bridge]
And you can be sure that if you're feelin' right
A daydream will last along into the night
Tomorrow at breakfast, you may prick up your ears
Or you may be dreamin' for a thousand years
[Verse 1]
What a day for a daydream
Custom-made for a daydreamin' boy
Now I'm lost in a daydream
Dreamin' 'bout my bundle of joy
What a day for a daydream
Custom-made for a daydreamin' boy
Now I'm lost in a daydream
Dreamin' 'bout my bundle of joy
And this is what it sounds like:
Fast forward to 2021 and the debut single of what was then just a duo, Wet Leg.
Here are the lyrics to "Chaise Longue":
[Verse 1]
Mummy, daddy, look at me
I went to school and I got a degree
All my friends call it the big D
I went to school and I got the big D
I got the big D
I got the big D
I got the big D
I went to school and I got the big D
[Verse 2]
Is your muffin buttered?
Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?
Excuse me (What?)
Excuse me (What?)
Hey, you, over there
On the chaise longue, in your underwear
What are you doing sitting down?
You should be horizontal now
[Refrain]
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on thе chaise longue
On the chaisе longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
Mummy, daddy, look at me
I went to school and I got a degree
All my friends call it the big D
I went to school and I got the big D
I got the big D
I got the big D
I got the big D
I went to school and I got the big D
[Verse 2]
Is your muffin buttered?
Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?
Excuse me (What?)
Excuse me (What?)
Hey, you, over there
On the chaise longue, in your underwear
What are you doing sitting down?
You should be horizontal now
[Refrain]
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on thе chaise longue
On the chaisе longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
[Verse 3]
Is your mother worried?
Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?
Excuse me? (What?)
Excuse me? (What?)
Hey, you, in the front row
Are you coming backstage after the show?
Because I've got a chaise longue in my dressing room
And a pack of warm beer that we can consume
[Refrain]
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
Is your mother worried?
Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?
Excuse me? (What?)
Excuse me? (What?)
Hey, you, in the front row
Are you coming backstage after the show?
Because I've got a chaise longue in my dressing room
And a pack of warm beer that we can consume
[Refrain]
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue
On the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue
And here's the song:
About halfway through, your mind will probably start to feel somewhat numb. Well, mine did and I had to switch off.
You know what? I think the research was right. Songs have, as one article put it, become "simpler, angrier, self-obsessed and more repetitive". And the ratio of non-repeated lines has increased, with, often, one line repeated ad nauseam [bis zum Erbrechen].
It's no wonder I don't bother with most modern music and return again and again to the music of last century.
If you fancy doing the same, here are some music programmes from BBC Radio 2 that you can listen to at your leisure - no need to listen live:
Sounds of the 60s with Tony Blackburn
Sounds of the 70s with Bob Harris
Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies
And if you're young enough to think the 90s had good music, too, here's Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton
And for those who like musical theatre, here's Elaine Paige's show:
Enjoy!
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