SOUNDTRACK: CAPTAIN SENSIBLE-“Wot” (1982).
Captain Sensible was a founder of The Damned. And then sometime in the 1980s he had a solo career. And, inexplicably, this song was a hit. Well, I assume it was a hit, it was included on a New Wave Hits collection.
I never actually realized that there were verses as the whole song seems to consist of: “He said Captain, I said Wot.” But there are indeed verses (the video explains the lyrics rather well) and they seem to be about the Captain being awoken by a noisy street repairman. I assume that this was a hit because it was oddly funny, but the bass line is really quite infectious. There are no real guitars to speak of and the drums are simple (probably a drum machine), but the bass is big and bouncy with a cool slinky line. I won’t say that the bass line sold the song, but it’s still pretty interesting.
Novelty hits are a fascinating genre of music and I often wonder what makes a whole nation of people like the same goofy thing.
[READ: February 26, 2013] Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman
As the fifth book opens Ms Ribble (the lady with the beehive hairdo) says that she is retiring. The kids cheer. But not today Aw maaaan. She insists that the class all write her a goodbye card (and she composes the lines herself). George and Harold decide to make her a comic book instead (what could go wrong?).
So they create Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman. In it Ms Ribble (who is evil) gets crushed under a stack of book reports. The doctors rebuild her bionically. Now she is evil and she has super powers (like claws that come out of her hair). This comic is important because it reveals Captain Underpants’ one weakness–starch! And once Wedgie Woman sprays the Captain with starch, he is helpless. A little fabric softener saves the day though.
Naturally Ms Ribble is not amused. And she sends them to the office. The most unbelievable things about these stories are the preposterous things that the teachers allow George and Harold to do (that’s right, more preposterous than Captain Underpants himself). As if Miss Anthrope would let George and Harold photocopy the weekly schedule (which they rearrange when they see her computer is left open). But even more crazy is that Mr Krupp would sign a “card” for Ms Ribble that George and Harold have not written yet.
What I loved about this story was the huge surprise of what George and Harold write in the card that Mr Krupp has signed. Nothing bad, Indeed, it is quite nice–Mr Krupp proposes marriage! (and then spends the rest of the week saying nothing but “B-b-bbubba bobba hob-hobba-hobba Wah-wah.”) Ms Ribble doesn’t seem too happy either, but the teachers set about making the wedding plans for that Saturday. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 