This song brings two things to mind. Three, if you count the "whooo-hooo-hooo" chirping throughout the tune.
First is that when this song was popular, my undergraduate station couldn't decide on any sort of weekend programming. I've said before that weekends were usually wide open to musical formats that were mildly popular and didn't have enough music to make it five days a week. Since our core format was "modern" rock and that's what we had the most of, someone decided that for a school year we might as well make the most of the music and play it seven days a week. Which was cool. The only catch was that student management had to come up with a name for it. Let me tell ya, minds stretched for this assignment: pencils scratched and erasers erased and pointless phrases were written on dry erase boards and then wiped away onto someone's hands, and then hands were wiped on a white shirt or blouse that made a mark that was a real chore to get out. Anyway, since the weekday tock shift was "The Drive" (see I'm not listening when you say good-bye), it made sense that the weekend version was called "The Road Trip." I guess it made sense. There were liners actually identifying the six hours on Saturday and Sunday (noon to 6pm) as the Road Trip. The following school year the six hours were taken over by classic rock.
The other thing is something you have to thank the Rentals for. Matt Sharp was the head guy in the band, defecting from behind the bass in Weezer for a one-off studio session that resulted in something that sounded like sonic leftovers from a refrigerator in the previous decade. Think keyboards. Also, think about who "P" is. That's what a lot of the DJs in the 1995-era were doing. I'm not saying we were an unimaginative bunch, but when the song was played most of the DJs went down the predicted path of chatting during stopsets, or breaks, asking who P was. I probably did the same as well, so I'm not casting stones, but I can't help wonder why couldn't we think of something better to talk about?
And for the record, it's Paulina Porizkova.
Think album producer Ric Ocasek.
Think cars.
Think a Road Trip.
See, it all fits.
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Friends of P.
(Matt Sharp)
The Rentals
From the album Return of the Rentals
1995
I'm a good guy for a gal
So won't you look my palm over
I've got time for a chat
So won't you tell me my future
I'm gonna break down at fifty
and I'm not quite a stallion
I'm a good guy for a gal
and I'm mentally slipping
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, whats that you see?
Oh boy, find out, whats up with me
Oh yeah, Oh yeah, whats that you see?
Tell me, more of what's gonna be
If your friends with P., well then your friends with me
If you down with P., well then your down with me
Friends of P., Friends of P., Friends of P.
Friends
Somebody's fame a fortune
is gonna come to them early
I get two loves in my life
and I'm dying at 90