Smug - They Never Read The Book

Start off with a cool scat, play some rock drums with lots of cymbals and then say “Jennie Lynn, she wears clothes that show a lotta skin” and you have a beach song ready for summer boys to dance to in a fun and exciting way. But the story isn’t as rockin’ as the music. There’s some serious messages being put out by these guys, and they’re worth hearing. Jennie Lynn, for example, is bolemic. Carol Anne has problems, but at least she has parents who “try to understand”. The next character we meet is a guy who “kept his feelings locked inside.”

As we briefly meet these characters I realize these are people I know in my life, and at times in my life these characters were myself. “Is it in act 3 that we confront our insecurities?” The point of the song is that there is no book on life, we’re all in this a day at a time. Let’s take care of each other, and one way to start is by dancing. Great song. Shoutout for Change, which is about change, but includes changes in rhythm and emotion to enhance the meaning if the song. The arrangement is well done, and the lyrics are great fun. “A friend once said that no one’s happy till their dead. He got that from a book he read. I’m glad I don’t read.” Some very nice guitar work. Smug