Monday, August 16, 2010

Unsolicited Song of the Week: The Full Retard*

Got the mp3 below via e-mail the other day, along with this understated note:
"Came across your blog while looking for info on Pete Townshend's tune "Peppermint Lump" and thought you might enjoy this."
As you might imagine, the reference to my all-time fave Townshend single completely got my attention.




The song is "Sam I Am," by Chicago popsters Squeegee, and Squeegee auteur Sam Barker, who sent it to me, is right -- I dig it the most. In fact, it reminds me, favorably, of something the aforementioned Pete Townshend might have done for Stiff Records. In any case, you can find more about the band (and check out a few more songs) over at their myspace page.

I should add that Sam posed an intriguing question to me in a subsequent e-mail: "For ten points and the game -- from where/what did I steal "Sam I Am'?" And to be honest, although the damn thing rings a more than vague bell, I can't for the life of me place it.

That being the case, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize will be awarded to the first reader who can. Help me out here, people!



[*It's a joke from Tropic Thunder; direct any complaints to Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr.]

13 comments:

cthulhu said...

"Sam I Am" is from the Dr. Seuss children's classic, Green Eggs and Ham.

steve simels said...

Uh, I assumed that the question of where "Sam I Am" was stolen referred to the music, rather than the well known Dr. Seussian title.

Perhaps I was wrong...
:-)

mister muleboy said...

I hear Matthew Sweet's "I've Been Waiting," ya know, but that's not the source.

Kid Charlemagne said...

Nice song. Sounds Supertrampy to me.

steve simels said...

Let's leave Madonna out of this, okay?
:-)

Anonymous said...

Your best line in months Steve.

ROTP(lumber)

Dan said...

There was a band called Samiam...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samiam

Anonymous said...

Sorry. I find this song kind of irksome, actually.

Anonymous said...

I hate the word retard. It bugs me because it mocks the disabled. that's so wrong

steve simels said...

As I said, it's from the speech Robert Downey Jr gives to Ben Stiller about why Sean Penn lost the Oscar. "You never go the full retard."

It's deliberately offensive, obviously, but as I alos said, direct complaints to those guys.

Anonymous said...

self-parodying humor is always a high-wire act.

but what song is that lick from?? I think the Supertramp suggestion is right, but I tended to deny their existence whenever possible when they were current.

AP

steve simels said...

"Substitute."

Once you know it, it's surprisingly obvious.
:-)

Anonymous said...

Nice. Stealing big, always a sign of great creative talent.

AP