The Singers: The Pointer Sisters
The Songwriters: Trevor Lawrence, Anita Pointer, June Pointer, Ruth Pointer
If you ever want to feel super cool -- I mean Hollywood-star level cool -- I highly recommend going to the south of France, renting a convertible, and driving down the Cote d'Azur. I got to do this late last year, and in the idiotic words of Ferris Bueller, "It is so choice." Once I got over my initial terror of the unfamiliar rules of the road and the fear of ending up like Princess Grace, the coolness factor kicked in hard, and I felt like five-and-a-half feet of pure oxygen-breathing awesomeness.
The one thing missing was some excellent driving music. French radio leaves quite a bit to be desired. I mean, you know you're in trouble when the best song you can find is this (which, while admittedly hilarious, is extremely NSFW, a point I cannot emphasize strongly enough, although apparently it's totally okay for blasting out the speakers of your Renault). But fortunately, somewhere on the road to Avignon, classic 80s pop showed up on the radio and rescued us in the form of this:
Tonight's the night we're gonna make it happen,
Tonight we'll put all other things aside.
Give in this time and show me some affection,
We're going for those pleasures in the night.
Fans of our last entry (a mere 11 months ago) may recall that the song in question was just a tiny bit sexual in nature. I trust that is not what Anita is referring to when she talks about "those pleasures in the night."
I want to love you, feel you,
Wrap myself around you.
I want to squeeze you, please you,
I just can't get enough,
And if you move real slow,
I'll let it go.
Aw, come on. Really? Songfacts, help me out here.
The infectious Pop groove of this song disguises the extremely sexual lyrics. The singer is "so excited" because she's looking forward to a sexual encounter.Well, heck.
I'm so excited,
And I just can't hide it,
I'm about to lose control
And I think I like it.
I'm so excited,
And I just can't hide it,
And I know, I know, I know, I know
I know I want you, want you.
To be fair, Songfacts is absolutely right about the groove masking the message. "I'm So Excited" is one of those songs where you really don't pay any attention to the words except maybe the first couple lines of the chorus there. And then when you actually sit and listen to it -- like my wife and I did, cruising through the French countryside -- you realize it's really dirty.
We shouldn't even think about tomorrow,
Sweet memories will last a long long time.
We'll have a good time baby don't you worry,
And if we're still playing around boy that's just fine.
This is actually pretty funny, because it's clear that the object of these lyrics is desperately concerned that he will not get the maximum enjoyment out of his evening. Above, Anita tells him, "Give in this time and show me some affection," which suggests he has been less than attentive in the past, and now she has to keep him from getting all "What about my needs?" This is not, it would seem, a selfless lover we are dealing with. In fact, if he'd had his druthers, he'd probably have been finished and out the door before the first chorus. So instead, she's the one reassuring him. "No, baby. It's all about you. You just relax." Frankly, he ought to count himself damn lucky this girl is giving him the time of day. She's told her last lover what to do, and expected him to say, "How high!"
I'm so excited,
And I just can't hide it,
I'm about to lose control
And I think I like it.
I'm so excited,
And I just can't hide it,
And I know, I know, I know, I know
I know I want you, want you.
PIANO SOLO
It's fun to imagine the Pointer Sisters all sitting around, laughing, working on this lyric. Fun, and then you remember they're sisters, and then it's a little disturbing.
This really is an excellent piano solo, by the way. And a superb showcase for the dancing waiters in the video, one of whom appears to be Rob Schneider.
Let's get excited,
And we just can't hide it,
I'm about to lose control and I think I like it.
I'm so excited,
And I just can't hide it,
And I know, I know, I know, I know
I know I want you, want you.
Fun Fact: This song was one of five Top 10 hits for the Pointers in 1984, which fits most definitions of "having a good year." For me, though, their best work remains the recordings they made some 12 years before. And my son agrees. You're welcome.
