You know what sucks about waking up late in the morning? Pretty often, the only thing that's on TV is The View. As a dude, this is a bit shameful to admit, but I actually keep the TV on ABC to watch the show. The View, as you know, supposedly offers insight into what women talk about. It's an interesting watch in that regard.
Take this past Monday's show with Lady Gaga, for example: We got a rich quote by Gaga about hot dogs being jealous of cigarettes and insightful comments about late musicians Amy Winehouse and Clarence Clemons.
On the other hand, Gaga played her latest single, "You and I," alone on a piano, backed by recorded instruments.
"You and I" sounds like Gaga's stadium-rock bid to reach her fans in Middle America by singing in a country drawl and bringing up working-class images.
The first problem is that she singles out a special dude in Nebraska. I bet a few fans in Iowa, Missouri and Kansas feel cheated that their state didn't get a mention.
The chorus, meanwhile, unreliably transcribes a conversation between Gaga and her Nebraska guy. If Gaga was recalling this in spoken word, it might sound like this: "Yeah, shoog, I heard you. Something, something... this place... me smearing lipstick all over you... Oh yeah, you're from Nebraska"
The chorus, meanwhile, unreliably transcribes a conversation between Gaga and her Nebraska guy. If Gaga was recalling this in spoken word, it might sound like this: "Yeah, shoog, I heard you. Something, something... this place... me smearing lipstick all over you... Oh yeah, you're from Nebraska"
And girls say guys never listen.
Another line in the second verse crowds up a couple vehicle metaphors into a confusing image: "Muscle cars drove a truck right through my heart," Gaga sings. Actually, that's not so terrible. Muscle cars driving trucks sounds like a neat idea for a Hot Wheels campaign.
Another line in the second verse crowds up a couple vehicle metaphors into a confusing image: "Muscle cars drove a truck right through my heart," Gaga sings. Actually, that's not so terrible. Muscle cars driving trucks sounds like a neat idea for a Hot Wheels campaign.
But, overall, it comes off rather weak -- kind of like that salsa from New York CIty that tried to pass itself off as the real thing in those old Pace Picante ads. Like that sauce, Gaga started writing the track in New York City.
New York City?!?!?!?!?!
Well, to be fair, they really do make some mean sauces there.
But "You and I" just sounds weaksauce.
