Talk to Me

I am in big, big trouble here...  Yeah, I know.  I had been blogging just about everyday, and then it seemed as though I fell into a black hole.  I apologize and agreeably put myself in the doghouse as my parents used to say.  Couple of things have happened since my last post -- including a nice, much-needed vacation.  In fact, as I was driving home for vacation, I heard "Talk to Me" by Stevie Nicks on the radio.  I hadn't heard this song in ages, and I really enjoyed listening to it again.  My favorite part is when she sings "you can set your secrets free, baby."  Yeah, how cool is that?  I can imagine someone holding a bird, maybe a dove, and just letting it go.  Or, perhaps opening a window and letting those pesky old secrets out.  Set them free, baby!  I just think that has to be another one of the absolute coolest lyrics ever in the history of pop/rock music.  I listened to the rest of the lyrics, and it's pretty clear what the song is about.  I like the angle of having Stevie sing to a man, because he is the one with the secrets for a change.  Seems like women are always the secret keepers.  Anyway, the song paints the picture of a couple, and they are having an awkward time because of his secrets.  Yeah, I think he's probably got another girlfriend that he's hiding, and it sounds like he may be doing this out of spite because he was hurt for some reason.

The video for this tune is also pretty neat.  Can't remember seeing it much back in 1985 when it was released, but I guess it was up against a lot of competition.  Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, etc...  You can see the fashion influence of the time, because Stevie is wearing red lace gloves at one point in the video.  I think it's terrific, and I love when she kind of "melts into a puddle."  I am thinking she did some of her own choreography, although other parts also seem very typical of the day (like when Stevie is joined by four other dancers in that "V" type figure).  And, alas, there is a saxophone solo in this tune.  I hadn't noticed it until I watched the video again.  No offense, saxes, but it was pretty nice when I was driving along and hadn't noticed that part...  However, a good ol' sax solo was also pretty standard for the '80s.  Come to find out the tune was written by Chas Sanford, who co-wrote John Waite's "Mising You."  Lots of similarities, but I think Stevie really makes this her own.  Kudos, Ms. Nicks!

Down Under

I've wanted to write about this song for quite some time.  The video always made me laugh, and the song had such a positive, happy groove.  I never really understood the lyrics in their entirety--just little bits here and there.  I think my favorite part is "I met a strange lady, she made me nervous, she took me in and gave me breakfast."  Just kind of funny, and the way Colin Hay sings the lines of the verses, they keep you on the edge of your seat.  He met a strange lady? She made him nervous?  And.......  Ah, she took him in and gave him breakfast!  She said, "Do you come from a land down under?"  And then it is all good.  Chorus comes in, and everything is alright.  The song has several verses that have the intrigue of some sort of mysterious situation--with a bit of doom or something eerie, and then it's okay.  Everyone's happy when they find the common thread of being from the land down under--or at least a common understanding.  I think the video is pretty funny, and I imagine it is supposed to be.  Not many videos have a man playing flute up in a tree.  In fact, I think this song wins for the best use of a flute in pop music--at least for the '80s (that award should be given to "The Hustle" for the previous decade).

I was reading some commentary about the song, and Colin Hay said it's not really a patriotic song, but rather a bit of a protest against the over development and commercialization of Australia.  I can understand that.  I am sure it was a nation of immense natural beauty and indigenous people who were kind of trampled over from colonization and all that.  Unfortunate, but here in the U.S., everything is one "melting pot" as we've heard so many times.  Kudos to Colin Hay for remembering and celebrating the true heritage and beauty of the country--and especially for giving us such an incredibly fun, likable, upbeat, and unique tune.  Spotlight on a woodwind instrument never hurt, either!  I've included an additional version of the song from a live performance by Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band, which includes Sheila E and John Waite.  Pretty cool.  Nice to get all those legends together on stage.  Enjoy!