We Built This City

So, the other night I was listening to Pandora radio on my computer, and "We Built This City" came on.  It's not surprising since I listen to "80s Radio" on there 100 percent of the time.  I have to say that I believe my perspective has changed over the years, and I guess I hadn't noticed until I heard this song again.  It was a HUGE hit in the '80s, specifically in 1985 when it was released.  I remember thinking it was so cool because it had a radio announcer in it.  Turns out that was an MTV exec playing a radio announcer, but nevertheless, it was awesome.  The song seemed to be a rock anthem in many respects -- not really like a hard rock song that is so popular it becomes an anthem, but rather a song supporting rock music.  It's upbeat, and kind of a "hey, we're not going anywhere" type of song.

The lyrics are pretty interesting, and not really complicated or elaborate, but just very thorough for a rock tune.  I guess it's more of a pop tune.  Well, maybe it's best classified as "Top 40" for the day.  Anyway, I thought for years they were singing "My Coney plays the mamba..."  My Coney?  Like Coney Island?  I wasn't sure, and I certainly couldn't understand why those would be the lyrics, but that's what I thought!  Much later, I discovered simply from listening, that it was "Marconi plays the mamba...."  AHA!  Okay, that makes much more sense.  Marconi, father/inventor of the radio.  Yup.  Got it.  There are a couple of other lines I misheard, but that was the funniest.  I did hear "corporation games," though, which makes me say "right on!" especially since I can understand that now.  "Someone's always playing corporation games...who cares they're always changing corporation names."  I can certainly hear and relate to those lyrics very well today.

This tune does make me smile, and it is pretty "fun," but I've discovered "Somebody to Love" by listening to Nights with Alice Cooper.  I think I probably heard it a few times in my youth (I seem to remember my parents having that record), but now I can really appreciate it from a musical and lyrical standpoint.  I think it's a better representation of the root of Starship -- Jefferson Airplane.  I'm not sure of the whole evolution, but I do like this one so much more now.  So, I've included them both.  Hope you enjoy the retrospective.