Tag Archives: Squeeze

Song of the Week – If I Didn’t Love You, Squeeze

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Ignored           Obscured            Restored

“A healthy marriage is composed of windows and walls.  The windows, which must stay open, are between you and your spouse.  The walls are between the two of you (together) and the outside world.”

These quotes come from a very interesting article I read recently that you can check out here:

https://psiloveyou.xyz/i-cheated-on-my-husband-and-now-ill-never-love-someone-for-their-potential-23b6284ba4fa

Somehow, I’m not sure I can explain why, that story reminded me of a song I love – today’s SotW, “If I Didn’t Love You” by Squeeze on the album Argybargy (1980).

This is a typical Squeeze (Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook) composition that has wonderfully detailed lyrics and a quirky musical arrangement.

If I didn’t love you, I’d hate you
Watching you play in the bath
A soap suds stickleback navy
A scrubbing brush landing craft
Your skin gets softer and warmer
I pat you down with a towel
Tonight it’s love by the fire
My mind goes out on the prowl

If I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I

And later, they goof on their own repetition of the “If I” lyric in another verse that includes the line “The record jumps on a scratch.”

And if that’s not enough for you, check out Tillbrook’s slide guitar solo at the 2:10 mark.  Amazing!

But back to the windows and walls… — Difford was quoted as saying the lyrics  mean “at the back of your mind you’ve got that insecurity about your inability to have a proper relationship with somebody.”

I guess that’s it!

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Bigelow 6-2000, Brenda Lee; Beachwood 4-5789, The Marvelettes; 6060-842, B-52s; 853-5937, Squeeze

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IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED

Ever since the telephone became an essential appliance in homes, it has also found a place in music… in the form of songs referencing telephone numbers.

The earliest example I know of is “Pennsylvania 6-5000,” the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s 1940 hit (though I’m sure there are even earlier ones). Does anyone remember the scene form Twin Peaks when Leland Palmer puts it on his Victrola then dances with his murdered daughter Laura’s photograph? Creepy in that Twin Peaks way.

By the mid 1950’s a phone number was used in the Brenda Lee rockabilly hit “Bigelow 6-2000.” Brenda is impatiently sitting by her phone, waiting for her “baby” to dial her number. (If he doesn’t, she’ll call him!)

Motown got into the act in 1962 with the release of “Beechwood 4-5789” by the Marvelettes. In this one the singer wants very badly for a guy she’s eyeing at a dance to take her number and give her a call.

In 1979 The B-52s released “6060-842” on their debut album, a song about a disconnected number. (It starts off the same way Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309” does, with “a number on the wall.”)

“853-5937” was released by Squeeze in the late 80s on their album Babylon and On. It’s about a guy who is frustrated because he gets Angela’s voice message machine every time he calls her. In the end, the jealous and paranoid guy thinks his friend – who also isn’t answering – may be hooking up with Angela.

Of course there are many others including the aforementioned “867-5309,” Wilson Pickett’s soul classic “634-5789,” Etta James’ sweaty R&B on “842-3089 (Call My Name)” and the funky “777-9311” by Morris Day. And these are just examples of songs that have the phone number in the title! There are probably countless others that have a number in the lyrics but not the title. Alicia Key’s “Diary” (489-4608) comes to mind. My daughter informed me that (678) triple 9-8212 is referenced in Soulja Boy’s “Kiss Me Thru the Phone.”

Can you think of any others?

Enjoy… until next week.