So, yesterday I talked about ‘I am a Rock’ being an awesome winter song, albeit not one that you should necessarily listen to in the winter. Today I'm going to talk about it in a different context, what I'm calling - 'red flag songs'. A red flag song is a song that someone calls 'their song', that is so weird or 'off' that it should give you a red flag as to something being wrong with the person. For instance, if you are on a first date with a gal and she asks you what your favorite song is and you say, 'Helter Skelter' by The Beatles, that should be a red flag song to her. Relating that strongly to a song that was used in the connection of murder and Manson should be enough for her to excuse herself to the bathroom and not come back. Make sense?
So, 'I am a Rock'. I was friends with this guy in college who was obsessed with his ex girlfriend taking him back. I never understood it because the few times I met her she seemed like a really icy bitch to me. So one night, we're talking about music and he tells me that 'I am a Rock' was her favorite song - 'her song'. I immediately started laughing and told him that it explained a lot about her. He didn't get it. He didn't understand the concept of a 'red flag song'. Out of the millions of songs that have ever been recorded, to pick one about being locked in a fortress deep and mighty as your favorite is like wearing a sign around your neck that says, "I'm a bitch!" - and he thought that I had man issues...
So, now that you have all been informed as to the concept, what other red flag songs could we add to our list?
From an older generation, but still -- any guy who told me his favourite song was "Under My Thumb" by the Rolling Stones would be someone I'd run from pretty quick. You don't even need to hear the rest of the lyrics, since the title says it all!
ReplyDeleteIntrospectively, I find that I have many "red flag songs" from day to day. On a day when I have woken too early, spilled coffee down the front of my white scrubs, and my three year old has found her mouth a useful tool it may be "Bad Day" by Default. On the day I have the unfortunate reality of having to see my mother-in-law my song might be Ben Fold's Five "Brick" (words changed ever so slightly for my own amusement) "She's a bitch and I'm drowning slowly/ off the coast and I'm headed nowhere". On my most positive of days I could be belting our some socially acceptable pop culture top 40-esque number. Or what about those days when we feel indestructible and ever so rebellious and rogue is it Biggie, NWA, or a little Tupak? At times when I travel home to rural Ohio too see "the 'rents" I may diversify into some country music just for old time reminiscence. I suppose it is a free for all on most days with the moods we ebb and flow into. Perhaps we should wear a sign, or magnify what is on our Ipods so others know what their "in for". But then people would know our guilty pleasure song.....eeek!
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteNirvana would definitely be a red flag for me. In high school I was a huge fan, but I know that my own head wasn't in a good place then.
Marie-Lynn,
Under my Thumb!! What a perfect red flag song! Thanks for sharing.
Courtney,
I love your interpretation of 'Brick'. I find myself doing that as well. Off topic, but a funny story nonetheless. I have a friend who sang 'Ring of Fire' to his wife while she was giving birth. Songs can have all sorts of meanings!