If you were here a couple of weeks back when I did sex, you'll understand the rules. This time it's ten great songs with 'sexy' in the title. In tribute to the second issue of Too Much Sex & Violence, out now...
The original title was 'Maharishi', written by John after the Beatles' India experience. I don't mind including the occasional Beatles track in these lists, but I like to get them out of the way early on because they hardly need my help to sell any more records.
Of course, if you're a huge Beatles fan you'll probably be horrified to see them one place below Dr. Hook, but them's the breaks. This song reminds me of that old Kenny Everett gag about "the woman in the bar who rolled her eyes at me... so I picked them up and rolled them back."
Bret, she was looking at me No, she was looking at me Bret, she was looking at me, She had her eye on my knee Dog, I'm sorry, she had her eye on my guns Are you loco? She was checking out my buns No, bro, she had an eye on me She had an eye on me Well, how could she have an eye on both of us? Wait a minute, you talking about the girl with a lazy eye? I think she might have had a slightly lazy eye
We're both in love with a sexy lady With an eye that's lazy The girl that's fly with a wonky eye She's smokin' with an eye that's broken I think it's hot The way she looks left a lot Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The word 'genius' cannot be used enough when talking about Flight of the Conchords.
It's hard enough trying to search for the word 'sexy' on youtube, try searching for the full title. Then try finding a version Prince's record company haven't objected to being there in the first place. All that said, it's worth the effort for a song that was (understandably) edited to death for radio play.
See also Lovesexy, somewhat less obscene yet still impossible to find on youtube for the reasons outlined above.
For those of you frightened that I'm about to unveil my staggering lack of knowledge / interest in dance culture... quiver ye not. No banging club anthems here. As Groucho Marx put it, "I don't care to belong to any club that would have me as a member". Chances are none of these would, but I'm filing my application as we speak...
I tried to ignore it, but I couldn't. Bored with the Beatles I may be, but there's no denying this record was important and contained some of their finest moments - notably She's Leaving Home and A Day In The Life. I always thought the title track was self-consciously kitsch though...
One of the earliest Monkeys songs, never officially released (I don't think) though they did give it away online, along with much of their early material, to help build their reputation. You know, back when tricks like that actually worked.
Little Man Tate sprung up in the wake of the Arctic Monkeys success, another Sheffield band who traded in witty observational lyrics and twanging guitars. Success never really came their way though and a lot of critics unjustly labelled them Monkeys wannabes. This song, released towards the end of their career, responded thus...
And I know that it must be great To have a friend in a higher place But suddenly someone forgets your name And we're another band that sound the same And everybody's searching for the next big thing Then they laugh and they point as they stare at them sing Nothing worse than to just criticise With a tongue in your cheek and a mouth full of lies
Their tongues are shaped like razorblades You're not welcome in this place Don't you ever show your face Oh now listen, son, remember You will never be a member of the... Self-Appreciation Club.
To show my appreciation, I purposely placed them higher than the Monkeys in this list. Let them win just once...
From Self-Appreciation to Self-Hate... two sides of the same coin?
Former member of both The Television Personalities and The Times, Edward Ball went solo in the late 80s and scored his biggest "hit" with this poppy little number sometime around the height of Britpop.
Step one, don’t kill yourself Step two, don’t do yourself in Step three, don’t play with knives Step four, don’t trust anyone
When you’re kicked around and knocked down And you’ve got nothing left to give And you can’t breathe, and you can’t hear yourself think Climb up on your box, take the rope down from the beam Baby wake up, it’s not a dream
Yes you’ve made it, you’re here At the failed suicide club Sitting in a circle, crying…
I can't help but be reminded of Queen's similarly helpful ditty Don't Try Suicide ( from The Game) with its equally didactic refrain...
Don't try suicide Nobody's worth it Don't try suicide Nobody cares Don't try suicide You're just gonna hate it Don't try suicide Nobody gives a damn
But enough of that. I'm saving them both for the inevitable Top Ten Suicide Songs... possibly the last Top Ten I ever write.
I wish that I was good at football, baseball and lacrosse Darts and basketball, and poker, golf and chess
I wish that confidence was all you could see in my eyes Like those interviews in locker rooms with talented sports guys
I wish I had no self-awareness like the guys I know Float right through their lives without a thought
And that I didn't give a shit what anybody thought of me That I was so relaxed you'd think that I was bored
I'm sorry that they didn't hand it to me On a silver platter, like they did to you I'm sorry that I wasn't able to become The man you think I should aspire to
And... because it's bound to come up in the comments... here are ten other clubs I'd have no objection to joining...