Wednesday, February 14, 2007

BTW South Song of the Day
Liz Phair, "H.W.C." from Liz Phair (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: I chose "H.W.C." to lampoon Valentine's Day. The first verse and chorus and a warning, there is vulgarity ahead:

"Give it to me, don't give it away.
Don't think about what the others may say.
My skin's getting clear and my hair's so bright.
All you do is fuck me every day and night.

You're my secret beauty routine.
Na na na na, what my body has seen!
I am looking good and I'm feeling nice.
Baby, you're the best magazine advice.
Give me your hot, white come.
Give me your hot, white come."

The Mountain of Love didn't seem to enjoy my little jest. Of course, we have very divergent views of Valentine's Day. Even before he ever had a girlfriend, the Mountain claimed Valentine's Day as his own, making it a celebration of the very concept of romantic love. I'm all for romantic love, but I don't think the corruption of St. Valentine's feast day that we celebrate as "Valentine's Day" has a single damned thing to do with the splendor of romantic love.

Valentine's Day is an abomination. As a capitalist, I'm all for marketing, but the incessant Valentine's Day drumbeat of "If you love your girlfriend/wife you'll buy her a huge diamond" drives me up the wall. The question is never, "So, do your realize what a lucky bastard you are that a girl like Pandora has somehow seen past your myriad faults and found it within her self to love you?," the question is always, "So, what'd you get her for V-Day" or "To what restaurant into which you would otherwise never set foot are you taking her?" I would adore a festival devoted to the wonder and purity of romantic love, but the orgy of falsehood and banality that is Valentine's Day as celebrated in my beloved America is dreadfully far removed from that idyllic carousal. To my way of thinking, "H.W.C." is an abundantly apropos Valentine's Day anthem.

Steel yourselves, Team Bachelor. Don't let the tyranny of The Marrieds grind you down!

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