Thursday, May 15, 2008

"Teenage angst has paid off well - now I'm bored and old"

Considering recent discussions on the condition of one's twenties, I think we can all agree at least that teenage problems are so passe. While I can certainly drum up some nostalgic enthusiasm for the angsty anthems I used to load on mix tapes, mix cds, and finally mp3 playlists, the apprehension and anxiety of adulthood affords the opportunity for even moodier introspection.

Consider if you will Toni Basil. Best known for her 1982 bubblegum smash "Hey Mickie!" Ms. Basil was charting songs all the way back to the sixties and before she was a 40 year old cheerleader she was faking her age in the opposite direction on "I'm 28," a deliciously dark and moody pop B-side about the pathos of being single, alone, and dreading the fact that your best years might already have passed you by.

Give it a listen here: "I'm 28" mp3 from Bubble-gum Machine

4 comments:

Tyler James said...

I'm confused -- do you wonder the same things as Toni Basil, like being 28 and thinking your prime is over.

Or like the other thread -- that people in their 20s are boring?

joshua francis said...

on the contrary, I don't think I'm even close to my prime yet.

at least I hope not.

23 yr old toni basil pretending to be 28 in a song written by a 20 yr old man gives me hope. Good things to come for those willing to pretend they know what's up.

Ambiguous Q. Thunderwing said...

the act is half the action

joshua francis said...

more than anything, I just needed an excuse to use that picture in a post