Best Song of 2001: Heat #6 Run-off

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

The universe manages not to end thanks to Vitalic progressing through - he's joined by Nelly, Basement Jaxx, Sugababes and... oh lord, it's a three-way tie. J-Lo, Wyclef and Andrew WK must fight it out in the run-off below (last minute vote change from the Lex discounted because I'd already typed out the poll and can't be arsed changing it).

[Poll #1440917]

Which is all the poll action you're getting from me today, I'm afraid - I'm off my jolly hols for a couple of weeks so it wouldn't really be fair to give the next heat an extended ticking run. I'm sure you'll all cope.

In the meantime I can point you at meserach's 2001 Spotify playlist, and the nominations box for the Lex 20p Indie Prize are still open.

Comments

we goin to the disco

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

Everybody who did not vote for Perfect Gentleman please listen to it again now and then change your vote (http://open.spotify.com/track/3kJrESsM3ISObFTfBQfJ8H). The chorus is a series of barely connected statements! Awesome.

There is also an bit where he sort of implies he likes her better when she cries, which I haven't noticed before and which possibly makes me like it a bit less.

We gonna elope to Me-he-he-heee-co

[hoshuteki.livejournal.com]

The lyrics are a bit confused, so I'm not entirely sure what he's trying to say, but I believe the heart is in the right place. Yes, people who voted incorrectly really must change their vote!

call up my mama say i'm in love with a stripper yo

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

It's the attitude to the passage of time that makes it particularly confused, I think. I mean, he's telling us that just because she dances go-go, it don't make her a ho (no), and that's fine, that's just laying the logical foundations of the rest of the chorus. But, we've sort of assumed that he's actually watching her dance while he's singing this, so the next line - in which he requests that she wear a specific pair of shoes, because they're going to the disco now - sort of blindsides you, because suddenly they're both at home and Wyclef is standing by the front door ready to go out and Maxine is still faffing with her eyeliner, and he's going "JUST WEAR THOSE NICE RED SHOES OKAY, no-one's going to notice if your lipstick isn't *exactly* the same shade". Then just as you've got this (sort of enchanting) image fixed in your mind, they're eloping to Mexico, and... is this the same night? Does he tell her they're going to this cool club night his friend has, and then change his mind and say, actually, let's just drive to Mexico and get married? It's sort of a relief that the next line actually makes sense, that he's taking advantage of Maxine paying for the petrol and stocking up on Ginster's to call his mum (who must, let's face it, have suffered quite a bit with this one) and let her know exactly what's going on.

In conclusion : tick.

Re: call up my mama say i'm in love with a stripper yo

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

I think the first two lines of the chorus are more related to eternal verities - in fact Wyclef may well be making the stronger statement that just because she has danced go-go at some point, doesn't make her a ho at any point.

Re: call up my mama say i'm in love with a stripper yo

[hoshuteki.livejournal.com]

I think it telegraphs the passage of quite some time into just the four lines. They all logically flow from one another: he spies her in the club (oh yeah, fellas, don't pretend you don't go, you're really missing out, etc etc), they move in together, they elope, they're married and he needs to break the news to his ma.

Re: call up my mama say i'm in love with a stripper yo

[koganbot]

Curious what you'd think of a country take on this theme (a song that I think is truly powerful, by the way)(and the fact that there's a man wooing her and winning her is strictly subtext).