Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I Saw the Light

So last week when I posted a clip of Lisa Loeb as the clue to the weekend's Listomania, a number of people sensibly, if wrongly, guessed that the theme was "Songs About Eyeware."

Which struck me, actually, as a pretty funny, if limited idea. So here's one of my favorites (granted, I can't think of too many others).

From 1972, and The Night is Still Young (probably their only really good album featuring mostly original songs), please enjoy Sha Na Na and their haunting paean to the invention of corrective lenses, the Jeff Barry-produced "Glasses." Written, played and sung by nice Jewish boy Jon "Bowser" Bauman, a prince.





BTW, I interviewed Bauman not too long after this came out, and I asked him what Sha Na Na used to slick back their hair. His answer? K-Y Jelly, which despite being designed (or so I've heard) for other purposes makes perfect sense, when you think of it, as it's completely water soluble. To this day, I can't figure why the band never did commercials for the stuff.

10 comments:

Dave said...

Don't forget "Judy in Disguise" -- another classic in the annals of eyeware song lore.

steve simels said...

Also "Four Eyes" by the Lovin' Spoonful.

David said...

Yeah, "Judy in Disguise" is probably the ultimate glasses song, while "Cheap Sunglasses" is not far behind. Less well-known is Portastatic's "Skinny Glasses Girl" and while not a song, the line "What color are his eyes? I dunno, he's always wearing shades" from "Great Big Kiss" is one of rock's great glasses mentions....

Wendy said...

"The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk3

:-)

Noam Sane said...

Brando used butter.

steve simels said...

Is that true about Brando?

I should know better than to ask...
:-)

Mike said...

You're really lookin' sharp wearing sunglasses after dark. And that was some 3 decades before that dope Corey Hart.

JB said...

Oh my GOD--the first song that came to mind as soon as I read the word "eyewear" in this post was that Sha Na Na song. I thought I'd dreamed--if dream is the word for it--owning that album.

Occasionally I get a song in my head that I think is from this album. It begins, "Sunday morning in my hometown so long ago."

steve simels said...

"Sunday Morning Radio."

I burned a copy of the album from vinyl a few months ago. E-mail me and we'll work something out to get it to you...

Blue Ash Fan said...

I would be remiss not to mention Kenny Howes' "Girls with Glasses." This is a power pop blog, correct?