190-186: I Need a Banker to Finance My Home

190. "Real Live Girl" by Matt Monro [iTunes? Yes]
"Pardon me miss, but I've never done this with a real, live girl. Straight off the farm with an actual arm full of real live girl." (Hmmm...I wonder why these particular lyrics would be meaningful to me when I was 40 years old?)

Other fun lyrics: "Pardon me if your affectionate squeeze fogs up my goggles and buckles my knees." And: "Speaking of miracles, this must be it! Just when I'd started to learn how to knit."

I put this song on my first mix-tape for The Wife back when she was just barely The Girlfriend. For some reason, it spoke to me.

I had never heard of Matt Monro until I started collecting records from Deseret Industries and other thrift stores. He has a nice baritone voice that is within the range that I am best able to (attempt to) sing along with. Matt is one of those old-style crooners that roamed the free ranges of the 1950s and 1960s. You might say he is Sinatra-esque. Or, you may not say that. If you don't, I will: Matt Monro is Sinatra-esque.

Matt Monro: Sinatra-esque crooner

(Plus, he looks a little bit like my brother-in-law Jeff.)


189. "Self Esteem" by The Offspring {#45; 9/94} [iTunes? Yes]
I like this song and I use this song. I use it often. Whenever there is something on the television or movie screen that I don't want to see or hear (like a preview for a show I'm really interested in), I close my eyes, cover my ears, and sing the opening refrain from this song: "La, la, la-la-la. La, la, la-la-la." You could say I use this song as my personal "Spoiler Alert Prevention" alarm.

This song is from my mid/90s "attempt" to stay "with it" period.

188. "Sky High" by Jigsaw {#3; 8/75} [iTunes? Yes]
"You, you've blown it all sky high. By telling me a lie. Without a reason why. You've blown it all sky high."

I really like the big, dramatic, theatrical/orchestral opening to this song. It's just great. And then they jump right in a nice use of the echo-echo-echo vocals-vocals-vocals effect.

When I think of Jigsaw, my older sister's K-Tel records come to mind. (Ah, K-Tel! Now, that's what we called music!) There was a tiny picture of the guys from Jigsaw on one of the K-Tel albums. The lead singer (I assume it was the lead singer, because he was the most awesome-ish looking member of the band) had a wide-lapel 1970's leisure suit and big Grandma Alice/Elton John-ish glasses! And, he looked a little bit like Alan Alda.

Alan Alda sings!!!

Yes, Jigsaw was cool!!!

187. "Back On the Borderline" by Midnight Oil [iTunes? Yes]
Speaking of lead singers who have to be the lead singer, here's Peter Garrett and Midnight Oil. If you were to line up all the guys from Midnight Oil, it would be blatantly obvious that the giant, bald-headed man flailing about is the lead singer. (Okay, 95% chance he's the lead singer, 3% chance he's the drummer, and 2% chance he's an insane asylum escapee who wandered onto the stage.)

"Back On the Borderline" is a great, rocking tune. It's an excellent exercise song. It's got the driving guitars and screaming Peter Garrett vocals make Midnight Oil so Aussie-ly awesome.

186. "Close to the Borderline" by Billy Joel [iTunes? Yes]
"Back On the Borderline" was close to the borderline of being the best song to feature "borderline" in the title. But, "Close to the Borderline" was closer.

"I need a doctor for my pressure pills. I need a lawyer for my medical bills. I need a banker to finance my home, but I need security to back my loan."

"I got remote control and a color t.v. I don't change channels so they must change me."

"I get attacked by a kid with stereo sound. I don't want to hear it, but he won't turn it down."

Wow. Them's some great lyrics. Looking at the words a little more closely now, I'm thinking this song should be a lot higher on the list. Oops.

My only real question is: What the heck is "a buck three-eighty?"

COMING UP NEXT: Her finger and her thumb in the shape of an "L" on her forehead.