Cotinued experiment:
Spokane Photography

I'm being a shill for a minute....maybe I will also post again soon.
Spokane Photography

Leader of the Pack

To kick things off, a nice little oldie. "Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-Las.



This song is utterly fucking ridiculous.

I'm going to go bit by bit:

[Spoken:]
Is she really going out with him?
Well, there she is. Let's ask her.
Betty, is that Jimmy's ring you're wearing?
Mm-hmm
Gee, it must be great riding with him
Is he picking you up after school today?
Uh-uh
By the way, where'd you meet him?

Nothing of particular note so far, other than her total disinterest in what her friends are asking her, but hey, who doesn't hate their stupid friends asking stupid questions. This next bit is where it gets absurd:

I met him at the candy store
He turned around and smiled at me
You get the picture? (yes, we see)
That's when I fell for (the leader of the pack)

Leader of the pack almost certainly denotes the leader of a motorcycle gang. She met the leader of a god damned motorcycle gang in a candy store? What? I admit I didn't live in 1964 when this song was written, but everything society and pop culture has ever told me about the 1960's and motorcycle gangs, and 1960's motorcycle gangs, tells me that the leaders of motorcycle gangs did not hang out in candy shops.
Also, "you get the picture?" Yeah, it's not like you wove a tapestry rich with symbolism, metaphors and mind tricks, you simply said you met him at a candy store, and he smiled at you...this bitch really hates her friends.

My folks were always putting him down (down, down)
They said he came from the wrong side of town
(whatcha mean when ya say that he came from the wrong side of town?)
They told me he was bad
But I knew he was sad
That's why I fell for (the leader of the pack)

I know I always echo my friends' sentiments when they say something, down down. I'm starting to understand why she hates her friends. They don't know what "came from the wrong side of town" means? It seems incredibly easy to figure out. Is anyone not familiar with that term? Feel free to comment, so I know that I shouldn't talk to you again. She seemingly fell for him for two different reasons at this point. The first: he smiled at her. Second: He's sad. I guess the lyrics say she fell for him WHEN he smiled at her, and BECAUSE he's sad....either way, this chick loves her dichotomy in her motorcycle gang leaders.

One day my dad said, "Find someone new"
I had to tell my Jimmy we're through
(whatcha mean when ya say that ya better go find somebody new?)
He stood there and asked me why
But all I could do was cry
I'm sorry I hurt you (the leader of the pack)

I understand needing to dump someone because your father said so, otherwise he may beat you. That's what fathers do, beat their daughters. Especially when their daughter is dating somebody who leads a group of stereotypically tough men who have no regard for the law. Lord knows the father wouldn't fear repercussions for angering the leader of the Hell's Angels or anything. Moving on, this girl's friends now don't know what it means when her dad tells her "to find somebody new." Anybody else confused by that? Maybe he means a baby. Babies are new. Oh wait, maybe he means some other guy, one who has regard for the law and doesn't lead a gang. Nah, probably the baby thing. Then, he asks her why they have to break up, and instead of just going "My Dad's a real idiot-stick!" she cries, and doesn't tell him a thing.

He sort of smiled and kissed me goodbye
The tears were beginning to show
As he drove away on that rainy night
I begged him to go slow
But whether he heard, I'll never know

Look out! Look out! Look out! Look out!

Oh, she could beg him to go slow, but not explain why she couldn't date him anymore...makes sense. Also, does it matter whether he heard her begging him or not? If he heard her, then he's willfully disobeying his EX-girlfriend...isn't that what everyone does immediately after breaking up with someone, do exactly what they wouldn't want you to do? And if he didn't hear her, well, that doesn't really matter either.

I felt so helpless, what could I do?
Remembering all the things we'd been through
In school they all stop and stare
I can't hide the tears, but I don't care
I'll never forget him (the leader of the pack)

In school they all stare...wait, but these chicks asking you about him, they seem like they're your friends, I mean they're providing backing vocals and whatnot, they don't know what happened to Jimmy, but every other person in school knows? Worst. Friends. Ever. And dumbest as we've seen.

This is clearly just another song about how dumb teenagers are, and about how the 1960's made no sense.