Seeing this clip of a pop show rendition of Deep Blue Something's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" reminds me of when a song is abused too much. In my own experience, it really kicked in when I saw my high school drill team dance to the Offspring's "Come Out and Play."
I don't recall ever playing the song in marching band, but I do remember seeing the sheet music and groaning. At that point, when it came to pop tunes played at halftime and in the stands, they were relegated to songs from the Sixties or Seventies. Here was a song -- a pop-punk song no less -- that had only been out for a couple of years and now it's a half-time entertainment piece. This was a song I enjoyed and credit it (along with "Longview" and "Basket Case") for getting me into the pop-punk genre. Now here I was seeing it played for people who I always thought could give a flying you-know-what about this band, its fans and its style of music.
It was then I began to realize how music can be obtained by anybody and used in any way. For me, as a teenager who kept to himself, had a small circle of friends and cared passionately about the music I loved, this was alienating. A song like "Come Out and Play" wasn't written for mass consumption like an ad jingle or a Celine Dion song. But I never got to a point where I hated the Offspring for becoming popular. Unlike everyone around me at a show at Fitzgerald's, I couldn't justify throwing middle fingers up in the air after Jack Grisham of the Joykiller mentioned they had recently toured with the band.
Of course, there could be really odder choices for drill team or pop show songs. I highly doubt a Zao song or a Dillinger Escape Plan song would get the treatment, but you never know.
I don't recall ever playing the song in marching band, but I do remember seeing the sheet music and groaning. At that point, when it came to pop tunes played at halftime and in the stands, they were relegated to songs from the Sixties or Seventies. Here was a song -- a pop-punk song no less -- that had only been out for a couple of years and now it's a half-time entertainment piece. This was a song I enjoyed and credit it (along with "Longview" and "Basket Case") for getting me into the pop-punk genre. Now here I was seeing it played for people who I always thought could give a flying you-know-what about this band, its fans and its style of music.
It was then I began to realize how music can be obtained by anybody and used in any way. For me, as a teenager who kept to himself, had a small circle of friends and cared passionately about the music I loved, this was alienating. A song like "Come Out and Play" wasn't written for mass consumption like an ad jingle or a Celine Dion song. But I never got to a point where I hated the Offspring for becoming popular. Unlike everyone around me at a show at Fitzgerald's, I couldn't justify throwing middle fingers up in the air after Jack Grisham of the Joykiller mentioned they had recently toured with the band.
Of course, there could be really odder choices for drill team or pop show songs. I highly doubt a Zao song or a Dillinger Escape Plan song would get the treatment, but you never know.
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