Listening to The Waitresses on the drive home last night, and I was struck by how much I still love these lyrics:
Get tough, don’t be so patient
Get smart, head up, shoulders straight
Since when is it a disaster?
If the “S” on your cape is a little frayed?What’s a girl to do?
Born to shop? No! Pretty victories
What’s a girl to do?
Scream & screw? No! Pretty victories
Chris Butler was a man writing from a woman’s point of view. Sometimes he got it and sometimes he didn’t, but mostly the songs were great. And this one, Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful?, reads almost like a feminist anthem.
The song is written as “girl talk.” One friend speaks to another who has dropped by, giving her a pep talk about relationships and self-esteem.
Don’t work your buns off, for a fool, for a fool
Who can barely tie his shoes.
Twenty-four years later, Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful? feels fresh and smart and interesting, and expresses both anger and hope. And now I have it stuck in my head. Full lyrics below the fold. » Read more..
