Utter Wonder: The Idle Thoughts Of C. Monks

Bruce Springsteen's New Song.

Posted 10/04/2007 07:25 AM by cmonks in My Thoughts and Stuff Are Important and Powerful.

We heard Bruce Springsteen's new song "Radio Nowhere" on the car radio yesterday. Kind of catchy. I'm a big fan of his, though most of his recent stuff I'm just sort of meh about. But "Radio Nowhere" isn't that bad. The Chosen One and Lil' Buddy seem to like it too. They bopped around in the backseat as the payed. Everyone loves The Boss.

So about five minutes after we got home, I heard The Chosen One singing a different song to himself. It was "876-5309/Jenny-Jenny," that guitar-driven song from the 80s that was all the rage for a spell. He kept singing the chorus over and over again. "876-5309...876-5309...876-5309..." Gave me a headache.

And then it hit me: "Radio Nowhere" is "876-5309/Jenny-Jenny". It really is. Some jangly guitar, same everything. Not exactly the same, of course, but pretty darn close. I'd prove it to you by posting MP3s of each song for you to compare but I haven't the technical know-how nor the time. I mean, I'm eating ice cream and tutoring a half-dozen underprivileged kids as I type. (I'm a multi-tasking machine.)

So just trust me on this one. "Radio Nowhere" and "876-5309" are the same song. Tell this to all your friends at Columbus Day parties this weekend. They'll thank you for it.

You're welcome.

This post is dedicated to marzipan.

Comments.

more toe pictures please

Posted by: Anonymous at 10/04/2007 10:00 AM

Have you ever dialed that 867-5309 number? Boy, they get pissed off for some reason.

Posted by: simpleton01 at 10/04/2007 01:19 PM

when i think of the chosen one, rocking, trance-like, and repeating 876-5309 over over, i can't help but think of the shining. as i am diligent and through in everything that i do, i took the time to figure out backwards, 876-5309 is 9035678, which spelled out on the phone key pad is THE BOSS. freak out!!!!

Posted by: Michael Murray at 10/04/2007 03:12 PM

The bass line is definitely "Jenny." Wow. The Boss is so "George Harrison-My Sweet Lord - 1969."

Weird about the phone number backwards thing though. Does Radio Nowhere say, "Clarence is Dead" Repeatedly if you play it backwards? And can you do that with cds? Or mp3s?

Hmmmm....

Posted by: Carolyn at 10/04/2007 05:57 PM

By the way, I think it's "867-5309." Not to be a stickler or anything. I just remember because I once told a cop that was my social security number when I was drunk at a bar in college.

Posted by: wvbaby at 10/07/2007 11:01 PM

Yeah, it's 867, but good call on the plagiarism, C.

Also, vocally, it sounds a lot more like Warren Zevon than Bruce ever has before.

Also, lyrically it reminds me of Billy Joel's No Man's Land.

Also, in terms of hard core mediocrity, it also reminds of Billy Joel's No Man's Land.

Posted by: Gladstone at 10/08/2007 09:45 AM

NO MORE TOE PICS---PLEASE!

And there are only so many notes and combinations. Your bound to sound like someone else.

Posted by: Patti at 10/09/2007 10:49 AM

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