Glamorous Life

I've wanted to write about Sheila E's "Glamorous Life" for quite some time, and I stumbled upon it this evening.  The song came out in 1984, and I admit that I never really knew the lyrics -- other than the chorus.  In fact,  I hadn't paid much attention, because I was always so mesmerized by the percussion.  As we all know, Sheila E is a percussionist, and she really tears it up in this tune.  Twenty-eight years after its 1984 release, it still sounds vibrant, fresh, and amazing.  I just can't seem to get that percussion out of my head!  The video always scared me a bit.  It's a weird juxtaposition of Sheila E on stage and Sheila E playing the woman who she sings about.  You know -- the one wearing the long fur coat of mink, even in the summertime.  I had always understood that lyric, but it wasn't until this evening that I discovered the rest.  "She's got big thoughts, big dreams, and..."  Well, I had no idea until tonight that it's "big thoughts, big dreams, and a big brown Mercedes sedan."  WHAT?!  A big brown Mercedes sedan?  Yikes!  That is intriguing and disappointing at the same time.  I mean, kudos to Prince for using "sedan" in a pop song, but, sheesh.  Sedan sounds a bit dull.  Wouldn't have expected it in the "Glamorous Life," but hey, it is a Mercedes.  So...  I guess it's alright.  This is a terrific tune, and I also never realized it was a soprano sax in the sax solo.  Guess I hadn't paid attention.  If you're looking to find a Mercedes in any other songs, well, check out "Mercedes Boy" by Pebbles.  This song was the coolest in 1988 when I was in 8th grade, but boy am I embarrassed to even admit that today.  Thank goodness for Sheila E!!!!

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!