Songs I'd Forgotten Existed, Let Alone Loved (an Occasional Series): Special Homage to "The Bickersons" Edition

[I originally ran a version of this back in 2012; I'm re-upping it because a) it gives me an excuse to post that utterly fab Del Amitri live clip, and b) because it reminds me that I'm not actually the dazzling urban sophisticate I like to think I am. Enjoy, if possible. -- S.S.]

So anyway, the other day I was talking with a certain Shady Dame of my acquaintance about a gorgeous remake of The Hollies' "Look Through Any Window" (by Michael Carpenter) that I had posted here earlier in the week. And I mentioned that it had just occurred to me that in some ways the remake was an attempt to give the song a more modern sound along the lines, specifically, of Del Amitri's 1997 "Not Where It's At." A record which as I have noted here on previous occasions is perhaps my favorite piece of power pop jangle of the last several decades.

Here's the artifact in question, as the band performed it on Conan O'Brien's show; I have appended the lyrics for reasons that will be soon be obvious. Give it a listen, won't you?

With some girls it don't matter who you hang with/With some girls it don't matter how you talk/And some girls they are easy to be yourself with

But the one girl that I want, ain't easy to please with what I've got

With some girls it don't matter where you're aiming/With some girls it don't matter how you act/And some girls they don't care what car you came in

But the one girl that I want, she wants that one bit of geography I lack

Yeah she don't want me 'cos I'm not where it's at

Yeah I'm not where it's at

And some girls they will worry about reactions/And some girls they don't give a damn for that

But somehow I ain't ever in on the action/'Cos the one girl that I want, she wants that one little quality I lack

Yeah she don't want me 'cos I'm not where it's at

Yeah I'm not where it's at

I don't have my finger on the pulse of my generation

I just got my hand on my heart/I know no better location

Yeah she don't want me 'cos I'm not where it's at

Yeah I'm not where it's at

You're welcome.

In any event, I proceded to make my case to said Shady Dame by putting up a YouTube of the song which had the lyrics scrolling down as the tune progressed, and the following conversation ensued. [Note: All dialogue rendered verbatim.]

ME: See what I mean? Sounds a lot like Carpenter's "Look Through Any Window."

SHADY DAME: Yeah, absolutely.

ME: Of course, the Del Amitri song could have been a hit in 1965 also.

SHADY DAME: Well, except for one thing, obviously.

ME: What do you mean?

SHADY DAME: The girl in the song is gay. That might have been a problem back then.

ME: Gay? What are you talking about? She doesn't want him because he's not where it's at, i.e. he's not trendy enough. As he says "I don't have my finger on the pulse of my generation."

SHADY DAME: Uh Steve -- "The one girl I want, ain't easy to please with what I've got."

ME: Come on, that doesn't...

SHADY DAME: "The one girl I want, she wants that one bit of geography I lack..."

ME: Oy gevalt.

And there you have it, folks. It's official -- I'm the densest humanoid on the planet.

Seriously -- I can't believe I'd been singing along to that record for almost twenty years and never noticed the, uh, subtext.

PS: Here's a clip of that "Look Through Any Window" remake I mentioned up top.

I think you'll agree that's pretty freaking gorgeous, but if you try to tell me it's actually about voyeurism I'm gonna be very upset...😎