#3 - Tesla, Signs

OK - this is a fascinating song for several reasons to me, and a completely inane topic. But here goes.

First of all, this is a remake. Initially it was performed in the 70s by a Canadian band called the Five Man Electric Band. They were obviously the worst kind of hippies, based on the lyrics of the song. Here is my thing - I know the 60s and 70s were all about protest and all, but someone in the band was bothered enough by the presence of like, roadsigns and billboards enough to write a song about it. Seriously - during the height of Vietnam and the civil rights movements. I have to think that the conversation went like this in the Five Man Electric Band:
1 - Hey - I wrote a new song!
2 - What is it about?
3 - Is it another Vietnam protest song?
1- Nope.
4 - Is it about the unfortunate treatment of blacks in not only Canada but the US?
5 - Oh, I know - we are Canadian, so it must be about French people seceding - good God I hate those frog bastards.
1 - Nope. This song is about how much I hate Signs!
2 - The terrible movie that won't come out for another 30 years?
1 - NO! Like, street signs and shit.
3 - Really? Like, 400 soldiers died in a pointless war yesterday.
1 - Yeah, but there are enough songs about that. I just hate signs!
5 - Let's hear it!
1 - (plays song)
2 - That could work
5 - Maybe 20 years from now, some other band will make this song famous.
4 - I mean yeah, we are Canadian, what do we know?

Also, the lyrics are somewhat suspect because, well, let's take a look.

(First of all, it is a song about how some dude is pissed off at signs enough to write a song about it.)
First verse - dude totally wears a hat to a job interview and gets hired. Then, the fact that Tesla is associating their long hair with that of hippies of the 60s/70s. I mean, the long hair of that era was counterculture in response to buzz cuts and the 50s and such. Hippies did drugs and had sex like bands in the hair band era, but that is about all they have in common. Hair bands were somehow hyper-masculine by dressing up like women. That is why Tesla has long hair - to get chicks, do drugs, and have sex. Hippies were seen as less masculine because of their long hair. The association of hair bands with hippies always bothered me.

But I get the point here, don't judge a book by its cover. Yadda yadda.

Second verse - okay, I agree here that it is silly that someone thinks they can just shoot you if you happen to walk along and get pushed off the sidewalk into their yard. It doesn't make murder legal just because you have it on a sign.

Bridge - Heaven forbid that any exclusive club exists that requires a membership. Stupid hippies.

Last verse - Here is what bothers me. They are attacking signs in this song, then mention that a church has a sign that says "everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray." Assholes. Then he makes a sign for God at the end - isn't the whole point of the song to rail against signs? I get it - God doesn't care about money. The church is just trying to make some money for some new drywall or something! Get over yourself, hippie!

Ha - I told you I would do some inane posts!