As you may already know by now, I listen to a lot of pop music, partly because it’s fun to listen to and partly because I have a 2 hour commute and can only handle talk radio and podcasts so long before I just need background noise.
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Before we move forward, I’m going to make the following assumptions:
- The main audience for this song is people in their early- to mid-twenties
- The main audience has gone to college
- The main audience is okay with casual theft
With those things in mind, let’s get to this crazy and unfortunately catchy song!
I know it breaks your heart
Moved to the city in a broke down car
It seems very irresponsible to move to a new city in a broke down car. Everyone knows you should get your car checked out before you move, whether or not it’s a new city. Do you really want to have car bills when you’re moving? Moving is expensive.
Maybe they planned on abandoning their car when they got there. Maybe it’s a commuter-friendly city. Yes, let’s go with that. Still not super responsible, but not the worst thing you could do.
And four years, no calls
Now you’re looking pretty in a hotel bar
And I, I, I, I, I can’t stop
No, I, I, I, I, I can’t stop
Four years, no calls? Really? Did you unfriend each other on Facebook? It must have been a big break up to unfriend one another on Facebook.
Hotel bar? Okay, assuming this person is around 26 years old, that would probably mean she or he is at a conference. Why else would someone that age be at a hotel bar?
Okay, so a work conference. That’s a great sign! That means someone in this song has a job, which means they probably have fixed their car. Sounds like they’re getting back on track in the life department. High five! Or, as the younger people say nowadays, #adulting?
So baby pull me closer in the back seat of your Rover
That I know you can’t afford
Wait, what? You’ve presumably bought a new car because your other one broke down and a) it’s a Range Rover? Or maybe a Land Rover. That should be a little cheaper.
Either way, it doesn’t matter because you can’t afford it! Why are you buying a car with such high monthly payments? You better keep that job. Maybe pick up a side hustle.
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Maybe lay off on the tattoos. Unless you’re getting a free tattoo from a dude who “wants to practice” (not recommended!!!), your payments should probably go to getting out of debt or getting a more affordable car. Come on.
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in Boulder
Seriously?? You stole a mattress from your roommate? Setting aside the financial depravity of theft, stealing mattresses from roommates is gross! Do you know what could have happened on that mattress? How do you know that mattress isn’t covered in bed bugs?
Also, stealing from your roommate in Boulder? That’s just rude. Although it’s pretty hard to steal a mattress – they’re heavy and bulky. Did you “steal” it as in you asked and you joke that you “stole” it? Or did you really steal it in the middle of the night while your roommate was out of town? I’m concerned about the adult decisions you’re making.
We ain’t ever getting older
We ain’t ever getting older
We ain’t ever getting older
You may not be acting like it, but you’re definitely getting older. You are definitely getting older. You are DEFINITELY getting older.
All critiques aside, I do find this song really catchy and even sing along to it in the car. Face it: most of us are not taking financial advice from songs, which is generally a really good thing! In fact, most songs you should take the opposite advice of. If you want to have a job and get raises, you should not party like a rockstar, steal from people, sell illicit substances, and most of the other things singers sing about.
Do you like pop music and do you listen to it, and what do you think about some of the questionable financial advice given by pop or other music stars?
Too funny. How about “Party like it’s 1999”. Implying that the world is about to end so that we need to blow through all of our savings and do things that have life-long consequences if the world doesn’t end.
Seriously, world probably isn’t ending soon. Keep savings. You’ll need the funds for a while.
cd :O)
So true, Chris! Hopefully most people don’t take these songs seriously, but you honestly never know!