#ok so the meme. yes this has been memed into infamy and become something legendary. but I'm of an age (cough) to remember this the
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Infinite list of favourite lyrics: 216/?
4 Non Blondes - What's Up? (1992)
"And I try,
Oh my God, do I try;
I try all the time
In this institution.
And I pray,
Oh my God, do I pray,
I pray every single day
For a revolution!
And so I cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out, what's in my head,
And I -
I am feeling
A little peculiar.
And so I wake in the morning and I step outside,
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I
Scream from the top of my lungs:
'What's going on?'"
#favourite lyrics#4 non blondes#what's up?#linda perry#1992#bigger better faster more!#ok so the meme. yes this has been memed into infamy and become something legendary. but I'm of an age (cough) to remember this the#first time round‚ as a surprise smash hit that briefly dominated the radio waves and launched a hitherto unknown alt rock band#into the stratosphere (albeit briefly; the band was done and dusted by 94). there's a few things to cover here: it would be remiss#of me to not mention Perry's frankly astonishing vocals here‚ regardless of song content. she has the range darling! quite simply one#of the greatest vocal performances of the decade right there on this one hit wonder. actually 4NB hadn't appeared from nowhere‚ they'd been#plugging away since about 89‚ but Bigger was their sole album effort and it dropped in 92 (What's Up? got a single release the following#year). as i said‚ the band would disintegrate pretty quickly without ever replicating their brief taste of superstardom#there had already been shake ups before the album release‚ with founding members Wanda Day and Shaunna Hall unceremoniously fired#and replaced; also a contributing factor was Perry's image as an out lesbian band leader‚ often performing with a 'dyke' sticker fixed to#her guitar‚ including on television performances. the band had got their start playing at queer venues but there was apparently some worry#amongst the rest of the band about the particular image they were presenting‚ as well as the spotlight shone on their own sexualities#the band have played down any meaning to the lyrics in later years‚ but i think it's telling that it was Perry who wrote this before the#band‚ whilst she worked waiting tables and lived in a windowless one room apartment; it's difficult not to read into this both a frustrated#cry of rage‚ as well as a cathartic sense of self propulsion; a paean to self confidence and to the internal urge to rise above and beyond#the current situation. not without a hint of desperation ('oh my god do i pray..') but ultimately grounded in an unshakeable sense of self#(note just how many lines are delivered 'And I..'‚ almost affirmation like). this sense of identity and courage served Perry and the band#well; producer David Tickle (responsible for Hall's firing) reworked the song drastically pre release‚ adding instrumentals and switching#lyrics. the band were adamant he was wrong and went over his head to record exec Jimmy Iovine; he agreed and let them rerecord the song#to be more in line with Perry's demo. they did it in one day‚ and that's the version that went on to sell millions of copies and top charts#worldwide. that‚ Mr Tickle‚ is What's Up.#pride month#this counts!
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