flashback friday - tomorrow wendy

so, back when i was in high school, i listened to a lot of concrete blonde's very excellent album bloodletting. i can't remember exactly what got me into it (probably KROQ, which was still great at the time and played good music without repeating the same playlist every hour like they do now), but i do remember wearing out both the cassette and cd i had - even going as far as needing to replace the cd at one point.



the band, who initially formed in 1982, chose the moniker "concrete blonde" for several reasons - one, it represented a clash between introspective lyrics and rock music. two, it also was a slam against hair-spray bands (think of pretty much any metal band of the 80's/early 90's and you'll know what i mean). then there's lead singer johnette napolitano's believe that concrete and blonde simply sounded good together. they've put out 14 albums (including several best ofs), but really, their premier and best known album is the previously mentioned bloodletting, mostly due to a very catchy ditty called joey.

i loved joey when it came out. absolutely loved it. but it's not my favorite off the album by any means - that, instead, would have to be tomorrow wendy. written by andy prieboy of wall of voodoo and about a girl dying of AIDS, tomorrow wendy manages to capture the bitter cynicism that may come with an early death.

it is complete now
two ends of time are neatly tied
a one-way street
she's walking to the end of the line
and there she meets
the faces she keeps
in her heart and mind

they say
"goodbye,
tomorrow, wendy, you're going to die"

underneath the chilly grey november sky
we can make believe that kennedy is still alive
we're shooting for the moon
and smiling jackie's driving by

they say
"good try,
tomorrow, wendy, is going to die"

i told
the priest
don't count on any second coming
god got his ass kicked
the first time he came down here slumming
he had the balls to come
the gall to die
and then forgive us
no i don't wonder why,
i wonder what he thought it would get us

hey hey
goodbye
tomorrow wendy is going to cry

only god says, "jump"
so i say, "in good time"
'cause if he ever saw it
it was through these eyes of mine
and if he ever suffered
it was me who did his crying

hey hey
goodbye
tomorrow wendy's going to die

(mp3) tomorrow wendy by concrete blonde

here's a video of napolitano in 2010 singing the song:



buy bloodletting, the album tomorrow wendy is off of, HERE.