Confessions of a Classic Soul

Despite my younger age, I’ve managed to parachute down to the 1980s, especially into the music scene. For me, the ’80s are timeless, and I can listen to them year round. However, summer nights combined with ’80s music make up one of my favorite pairings. So, to cap off the summer of 2020, let’s jump back into the ’80s for a powerful song that is still relevant today.

The late ’80s are pretty cool, with even more synthesizers and drumming. The late ’80s sound definitely plays a key role in Taylor Dayne’s 1988 song “Don’t Rush Me,” which is featured on her debut album Tell It To My Heart. The instrumentation behind the song promotes the confidence and assertiveness we hear in Taylor Dayne’s vocals. But why doesn’t she want to be rushed?

“Don’t Rush Me”

The first lyric that stands out to me is “iffy.” On one hand, I really want to know why the situation is iffy? On the other hand, assuming this is a first or second date, then the lover is still probably “iffy.” In other words, Dayne can’t say for sure whether or not this guy is the one. “Iffy” is a word you’d never expect to hear in a song, and I like how it is inserted so effortlessly.

Already, the song is building up the “don’t rush me” theme. Even when Dayne puts emphasis on the “slowly” at the end of the first verse, we know what’s coming in the chorus. What we don’t know is how she will explain it.

The meaning of the song, though simple enough, boils down to the fact that Dayne has rushed into love way too early and doesn’t want to go down that road again, especially if she is still unsure–which it is clear that she is in this same situation. She’s trying to avoid some deja vu. At the same time, the meaning here could become a bit broader if we dare to take it that far. Is it unfair to extend this idea to life in general? Why rush life? As humans, we know that time is either on our side or mocking us from across the room. Friendships take time; building a career takes time; finding your sense of identity takes time; volunteering takes time; projects take time. While Dayne’s message here is as simple as it seems, it lines up with our notion of time. This situation is familiar and it might even remind us to slow down in other areas of our lives.

The second verse actually adds one more layer to the song and to our conception of time. Dayne connects desire and danger. In her context, she is referring to love and one-night stands. I appreciate these lines because many songs positively incorporate one-night stands. On another level, we can realize that other human desires, such as greed, can lead to danger if we submit to them quickly, without thinking. If we take the time before jumping in, we may benefit greatly. We may even kick our old habits.

On a musical side note, I’ve mentioned before in previous Monthly Mixtape features that I love when a lyric is sung over a descending pattern of notes. Dayne performs that very perfectly in her verses.

I love how powerful she is on the chorus. She really hones in her message, her plea. There is a lot of confidence behind the lyrics. When the chorus shifts into the bridge, though, the music grows softer. The music weakens just as she does. It’s okay that she’s weakening, from my viewpoint, because it shows that she might be on the right path after all. Maybe she and this lover were meant to be. Simultaneously, I could be completely wrong. Maybe she is still uncertain–even the tiniest bit. But he has everything she’s been looking for, so maybe she won’t have to slow down as much. Yet, it could go the other way, which is likely why the confidence builds back up as she belts out the final rounds of the chorus.

Dayne soars at the end, reminding us that she’s made the mistake before and won’t do it again. “Don’t Rush Me” is one of those powerhouse ’80s songs that showcases one of the finest female singers in pop history. And it’s a reminder to us that we don’t have to rush.

Before You Go…

Don’t forget to listen to (and follow!) my Spotify playlist dedicated to the Monthly Mixtape songs featured every month. I know the playlist looks a bit short right now, but it’ll grow each month with every new Monthly Mixtape song.

As if having “Double Vision” wasn’t enough, now Lou Gramm’s got a “Spellbinder” on his hands. Liz from Michigan suggested several bands that we could feature on Monthly Mixtape. I got excited at the idea of diving into the Foreigner files since I don’t know many songs besides the classics.

Searching through Foreigner’s discography, I came across “Spellbinder.” True, I judged the song by its title, and I was curious to know what the song sounded like. The title suggests that the song will have a mysterious and even possibly eerie vibe to it, and I wondered how it compares to “Double Vision,” the title track of the 1978 album of the same name. I have a bad habit of forgetting that Foreigner debuted in the late ’70s. Here’s my working theory: music at the beginning of a decade sounds similar to the end of the decade before it. This is a result of the simple fact that the new decade hasn’t completely found its unique sound yet. Thus, my brain automatically associates Foreigner with the early ’80s, when some of their massive hits stormed the airwaves in the late ’70s. From my experience, you can tell when a track belongs to Foreigner. They have their own powerhouse sound that never grows old as the years progress. That’s classic rock for you!

“Spellbinder”

On hearing the instrumental to the song, I was surprised that it was soft and sort of gentle. I was expecting it to be a bit more eerie (perhaps I’m still thinking of “Love Potion no. 9” from February!). However, I do like the little pauses that are in this introduction. It’s suspenseful, and you’re waiting for vocals to come in.

Instantly, this song is different than other songs. Here, womanizer ways are put aside. It’s the woman who is victimizing men. Right off the bat, I’m interested in the lyrics. This song seems so simple, yet I enjoy the way the lyrics are arranged. I’m also stuck on the “wrong place, wrong time” reference. Usually it’s the “right place, right time.” When a man looks at a woman across the room, there are positive feelings. It’s usually the perfect night, not a tragic night. Already, this song is a contrast to other songs. The fact that the song itself is not played at a incredibly fast tempo also helps to showcase Gramm’s lament. He’s really reflecting here, and the reflection is about to get deeper.

I have to say, imagery shines through. I can picture him standing there, calling this woman’s name. I see her spin around (maybe a hair toss, too?) and then he’s awestruck. Again, it’s simple, but certainly not lost on the crowd. We’ve seen or encountered these situations before, but now we experience it in a new light because we know something bad happens. The guitar instrumental between the first and second verse also emphasizes that sense of “awestruck.” It’s almost as though he’s frozen, staring at this woman, and the instrumental reminds the listener of that image. It really strings the sound, image, and lyrics together.

The second verse is what strikes me the most. I like that he admits he’s not easy to please, yet this women is able to do so. I love how he says she made “life unreal.” These two lyrics leave me questioning: is that a bad thing? Would he rather live in reality? We definitely see that she is able to captivate him, but where does it all go wrong? The verse goes even further to note that she had it all planned out! So this isn’t her first rodeo! She’s manipulative. She knows what she’s doing.

Before moving on, I’d like to point out the rhyme scheme in this song. All songs are poetry, and “Spellbinder” has a “AABB” rhyme scheme. In other words, couplets. The last word in the first line rhymes with the last word in the second line. The last word in the third line rhymes with the last word in the fourth line. Rhyming in the world of literature today doesn’t always work out, as many readers like free verse. In songs, however, rhyme is perfectly acceptable. In “Spellbinder,” the rhyming is so subtle. I think this is partly due to the slower tempo. It’s still upbeat rock, but the listener isn’t being bashed over the head with couplets that sound cheesy. Lyrically, this song is very well done! But I’d expect nothing less!

As always, Gramm’s vocals soar on the chorus and we’re in full Foreigner land. In the bridge of the song, Gramm laments about knowing what love can do. A-ha! A moral to the story. The song comes full circle. We’ve been taken on this journey, this narrative. We’ve had exposition, a climax, and now we get a resolution. Of course, it’s not a happy ending because he can’t break free from her. A tragedy then. As it’s noted in the end, other men may be in disbelief of this spellbinder’s power, but they only have to fall prey and find out for themselves. Men will be made into tragedies.

The live version of the song takes off in the end. The riffs grow more intense. The instrumental really accompanies Gramm’s emotion about the spellbinder. He’s trying to make a point. He’s spouting out his feelings while trying to warn others. Did he succeed? I guess we’ll never know.

Conclusion

Foreigner is so iconic that they don’t need an introduction. Their music will always be memorable and fresh, whether you’re blasting “Cold as Ice,” chilling with “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” or jamming to forgotten tracks like “Spellbinder.” Maybe Foreigner isn’t so foreign after all.

Request a Song!

Do you know of a lost or underappreciated song that seemed to slip through the cracks–somewhere between 1950 and 1989 (some exceptions apply)? If you think it’s a song we might like to feature on Monthly Mixtape, please go to the “Contact ” page and fill out a form.

Join the Discussion!

What Foreigner song brings back the most memories for you? What song is your favorite?

About a month or two into quarantine, my friend texts me that she heard the birds chirping outside her window at 2 a.m. She was not pleased. Birds are naturally more active in the morning, but 2 a.m. was just a bit too ambitious. And so, we began a conversation thread about birds. I jokingly suggested she stick her head out the window and yell at the birds, but we decided we don’t want to end up in a modern version of Hitchcock’s The Birds.

Ever since I took an intro to environmental science course last Fall, I’ve begun to notice and appreciate birds a lot more. True, this may sound a bit cheesy. They’re birds. They exist, they help nature, but why obsess over these winged-creatures?

Years ago when I was younger, I heard soft cooing from a bird outside my window. Often times the cooing would greet me as I woke up. At first I found it a bit annoying. There was a rhythm, maybe even a meter to the song of this bird. My annoyance grew into curiosity the more I heard the gentle bird, as I was left wondering, “do we have doves in Western Pennsylvania?” Why yes, we certainly do!

The Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove, or Zenaida macroura, look like small gray pigeons and generally make a cooing sound when it’s going to rain (or so I’ve read somewhere ages ago). Their diet consists mostly of seeds, which can include peanuts, wild grass, etc. Every once in a while they eat berries and snails. They typically like to be in open land and on the edges of woodlands. They can also be found on telephone wires. In the winter, they will stay in wooded areas. While their nests are not very sturdy, mourning doves don’t mind being around humans.

I soon realized that the coo emitted by these small birds is sort of comforting, even though it is sorrowful. Although the same coos I heard over the years outside of my window were likely not from the same bird, I equated the sounds with one dove. Even when I am away from home, I say to myself, “there’s my dove buddy!” My dove buddies are always around. I guess you could say that their coos represent stability. They’re always around and gently remind you that they are there, perched on a telephone wire. Needless to say, I’m always on the lookout for Mourning Doves.

References

Dockett, Eric. “16 Common Songbirds of Pennsylvania.” owlcation, 10 January 2019, https://owlcation.com/stem/Songbirds-of-the-Northeast

“Mourning Dove.” The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2019, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/overview

Citizen Science

My newfound love for Mourning Doves helped inspire my interest in birds. In my college science course, we learned about the concept of citizen science, which is exactly as it sounds. Citizens like you and me who do not possess a degree in science volunteer to gather data for scientists to analyze. Birding (aka “Bird Watching”) is when citizens log how many birds they see in a specific location for a specific amount of time. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has an online site where citizens can log their birds and even find more information on certain bird species. Other online logging programs are also available.

Here is the Cornell Lab site: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home?utm_campaign=2020%2004%20FY20%20Big%20Day&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=88195201&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8nzEtMn6huR2w_E4cw8XccttAKEz6in-Q8R-N8lzmCBzS7mphvQMS7s5hWFpSQeA3JXLxxvZMScju302G3a-uH2xY7_R-NAbAG5ZzqENPyUWC1Q4U&_hsmi=88195201

Why Should We Care?

The data that citizen scientists gather about birds helps scientists to learn about the populations of different bird species. As a result, scientists can determine which bird species are thriving and which are headed for endangerment or extinction. Then scientists can implement a plan of conservation for endangered birds. Really, birding in a citizen science context is all about tracking bird populations and developing ways to conserve these populations. According to the American Bird Conservancy, bird conservation is important because scientists use bird populations to estimate how healthy an environment is. Bird conservation is important because over 500 species of birds in the U.S. are heading toward extinction. Birds who eat insects are predators who help continue the food chain.

Did you know that…?

• Birds help regulate the number of pests on farms and in other locations.
• Birds carry nutrients from one location to another, which helps plants receive essential nutrients.
• Birds help combat climate change by spreading seeds; birds help to promote diversity by spreading seeds.

Read more here: https://abcbirds.org/about/mission-and-strategy/why-conserve-birds/

Birds and the Old Soul

Many old souls are introverts, and they need time to themselves to reboot and relieve stress. Birding, whether you submit data or not, is a solitary activity that can help relieve rumination, or those thoughts that keep churning in your brain. Nature is proven to have positive effects on mental health (there are many studies to support this theory). Birds, then, can be medicine for the old soul!

Conclusion

All in all, birds are pretty darn cool. One of my biology friends even went to Cape May New Jersey last year for a birding contest. Birding (and citizen science) is indeed a popular (and apparently competitive) field. Birds are vital to the ecosystem, and they can boost the human mood, too! There are so many species, it’s hard to know where to start. If you’re truly interested, you can always find a guide that will help you decipher the winged-creatures zipping through your backyard.

Birds used to blend into my everyday life. Now I’m starting to take notice, all thanks to my dove buddy! Even more, I have a guest at my house: an American Robin who built a nest on my porch swing. I think baby birds are due soon!