Weezer? I Don't Even Know Her

One of my favorite bands of the past fifteen years is Weezer. They are  modern and retro at the same time and are one of the very few musical acts whose videos I go out of my way to see too. Here's their latest masterpiece, for the hit single Pork 'N' Beans.  See how many YouTube "stars"  you recognize in it.

The new Weezer album just came out yesterday and for the third time now the band didn't bother to come up with a title so this one will be forever known as "the red album." One of the new songs that got my attention is called Heart Songs. It's a decade-by-decade playlist of singer/songwriter Rivers Cuomo's influences.

As a long time enthusiast of a certain 1975 Great Lakes shipwreck you can imagine my delight by the opening words of Heart Songs,

"Gordon Lightfoot
Sang a song
About a boat
That sank in the lake
At the break
Of the morning..."

The lyrics go on to name check a wide array of musicians, from Devo to Eddie Rabbitt, from Quiet Riot to Grover Washington, Jr., from Joan Baez to Michael Jackson. Everything changed for Rivers when Nirvana happened. If you remember their Nevermind album cover, you'll get the reference.

"Back in 1991
I wasn't havin' any fun
'Till my roommate said
'Come on and put
a brand new record on'
Had a baby on it
He was naked on it
Then I heard the chords
That broke the chains
I had upon me..."

Press play below to hear Heart Songs for yourself and maybe answer this question that has been puzzling me for nearly 24 hours now. Why do the lyrics suggest Debbie Gibson sang I Think We're Alone Now?

"I gotta admit though
Sometimes
I would listen
To the radio
Debbie Gibson
Tell me that you think
We're all alone..."
   

There's no way a pop music junkie like Cuomo doesn't know that remake was a #1 for the other 80s teen princess Tiffany . Is he being clever in some way that I am too dumb to get?

Comments

[Emily Alexis]

Weezer is so awesome. I love this video.

[Chris]

Debbie Gibson and Tiffany were both in Playboy in recent years. Maybe he keeps getting them mixed up.

[Vic Rattler]

I think he's saying; go ahead and admit you listened to Debbie too, it's just us here.

Maybe he should've said something like: "you know you loved her, you can't shake it." Or not. It was probably to hard to reference her songs in a lyric.

Personally, I remember Tiffany sang that song because Weird Al parodied it with "I Think I'm a Clone Now."

[db]

I haaaate Haahvaad

[Shae]

A+ Weezer- always bringing the fun videos. Who doesn't love fall on your head kung fu guy, and numma numma guy, and weird Brittney Spears crying gay guy, and abnormally deep voiced guy, crazy million dance dancer guy and.... Theonly you ube star I missed seeing in there was Lil Loca- she is so funny!

[Sarina Williams]

Maybe even an 80s music genious like Rivers messes up and forgets who did a song?

[Nicole]

Ok, clearly I do not watch enough YouTube; however i will say that song is awesome.

[Rebecca on Bainbridge]

And Tiffany was just covering the Shondells, right? So, frankly, I don't think he's being clever -- just suggesting that the Debbi Gibson version was much cuddlier and more memorable. I wholeheartedly agree.

[Francisco in North Hollywood]

Hey Bean,
He actually acknowledged that he realized he made the mistake during recording but just bothered not to change it since the two of them had commonly been mistaken for each other anyway throughout the years. Hope that puts your mind at ease.

[d33j44]

I think it was a way to reference both in one line. Rivers is so clever.

[Matthew]

Bean i agree with you sir this new weezer is a good album and the Heart song is a good one. Do you know which song was used off the contest on youtube?

[adriana]

The clarification Francisco mentions above comes from the current issue of Spin magazine, which I highly recommend. In it, Rivers talks about why he mas a mustache...b/c his dad sported one in all of his baby pictures and he wants the same for his new daughter! Well, of course!