Bad Song Friday

Oh Grace Slick, how could you? There's very little I need to say about this week's selection. Blender magazine voted it the worst song of all time a few years ago.


We built this city,
We built this city on rock and roll

Say you don't know me, or recognize my face
Say you don't care who goes to that kind of place
Knee deep in the hoopla, sinking in your fight
Too many runaways eating up the night

Marconi plays the Mamba,
Listen to the radio
Don't you remember?
We built this city
We built this city on rock and roll!
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll

Someone always playing corporation games
Who cares they're always changing corporation names
We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage
They call us irresponsible, write us off the page

Marconi plays the Mamba,
Listen to the radio
Don't you remember?
We built this city
We built this city on rock and roll!
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll

It's just another Sunday in a tired old street
Police have got the choke hold, and we just lost the beat

Who counts the money underneath the bar
Who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars
Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools
Looking for America, crawling through your schools

Don't you remember ...

Marconi plays the Mamba,
Listen to the radio -
Don't you remember?
We built this city,
We built this city on rock and roll
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll

We built, we built this city yeah
We built this city
We built, we built this city
(Repeat - fade)

I'm amazed that we've been doing this for 9 months, and this is the first Bette Midler song we've had. I mean, we could basically pick anything from her catalog and have a winner. The Rose? Fuck me. Wind Beneath My Wings? Kill me now.

Anyway, this one has perhaps the most stick-in-your-head syrup of any of them.

The following video is Bette's warbling song done (and done very very well) by the "Candy Capped Crusader". I'll let you be the judge of what that means.


From a distance
The world looks blue and green
And the snow capped mountains white
From a distance
The ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight

From a distance
There is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It's the voice of hope
It's the voice of peace
It's the voice of every man

From a distance
We all have enough
And no one is in need
And there are no guns,
No bombs and no disease,
No hungry mouths to feed

From a distance
We are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope
Playing songs of peace
They are the songs of every man
God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us
From a distance

From a distance
You look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance
I just cannot comprehend
What all this fighting's for

From a distance
There is harmony
And it echoes through the land
And it's the hope of hopes
It's the love of loves
It's the heart of every man

God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us
From a distance

God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us
From a distance...

Special bonus Wednesday post!

I'm not even sure what to make of this. You just have to watch it. I think the original song qualifies for BSF-hood, but this version and the accompanying video are mesmerizing in a really bad way.

Debbie: I'm sure I will be hated for choosing this song and I will admit at one point to liking it. Now, however, I am sick of it and it makes me dread the holidays. My goal is to make it through one Christmas season without hearing it once.

I so disagree. I'm posting it anyway, just so my objection is noted, but I love this song and look forward to hearing it all year long. I'm going to play it even more now that I've had to post it here.

The version Save Ferris does is great as well.

Here's a video of the Spice Girls' version of the song, made by some drunk chicks or something. Now that's entertainment!


"Bah, humbug!" No, that's too strong
'Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year's been a busy blur
Don't think I have the energy

To add to my already mad rush
Just 'cause it's 'tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left from

Last year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of '81 passed along those lines.

So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.

Calendar picture, frozen landscape,
Chilled this room for twenty-four days,
Evergreens, sparkling snow
Get this winter over with!

Flashback to springtime, saw him again,
Would've been good to go for lunch,
Couldn't agree when we were both free,
We tried, we said we'd keep in touch.

Didn't, of course, 'til summertime,
Out to the beach to his boat could I join him?
No, this time it was me,
Sunburn in the third degree.

Now the calendar's just one page
And, of course, I am excited
Tonight's the night, but I've set my mind
Not to do too much about it.

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.

Hardly dashing through the snow
Cause I bundled up too tight
Last minute have-to-dos
A few cards a few calls
'Cause it's R-S-V-P
No thanks, no party lights
It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax
Turned down all of my invites.

Last fall I had a night to myself,
Same guy called, Halloween party,
Waited all night for him to show,
This time his car wouldn't go,

Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late,
Trudge on home to celebrate
In a quiet way, unwind
Doing Christmas right this time.

A&P has provided me
With the world's smallest turkey
Already in the oven, nice and hot
Oh damn! Guess what I forgot?

So on with the boots, back out in the snow
To the only all-night grocery,
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
In the line is that guy I've been chasing all year!

"I'm spending this one alone," he said.
"Need a break; this year's been crazy."
I said, "Me too, but why are you?
You mean you forgot cranberries too?"

Then suddenly we laughed and laughed
Caught on to what was happening
That Christmas magic's brought this tale
To a very happy ending!

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!