Everything you need to know to be a happier, more popular you !

"Popular"... Morceau de Nada Surf, sorti en 1996, cher à la plupart des trentenaires actuels.

Matthew Caws y déclame sur un ton ironique une sorte de "how to" (be popular) à l'attention des lycéennes américaines (niveau "High School", donc). Le thème parle au plus grand nombre. Sans compter que le contexte est familier ; les films et séries US sont passés par là et ont popularisé à travers toute la planète cette imagerie faite à base de pom pom girls, de footballers américains, de longues rangées de casiers, de cours interrompus par une sonnerie caractéristique, de tables en L, de bals de fin d'année, et de remises de diplôme (à l'Université), etc...

"Sorte de" how to, disais-je, sauf qu'extrait d'un livre réel, "Penny's Guide to Teen-age Charm and Popularity", écrit par une certaine Gloria Winters (actrice de série TV, populaire dans les années 50 et 60). Le livre est paru en 1964.

La couverture
(d'une réédition, j'imagine, mais je ne trouve pas l'info)

Three important rules for breaking up : Don't put off breaking up when you know you want to. Prolonging the situation only makes it worse. Tell him honestly, simply, kindly, but firmly. Don't make a big production, don't make up an elaborate story. This will help you avoid a big tear jerking scene. If you wanna date other people say so. Be prepared for the boy to feel hurt and rejected. Even if you've gone together for only a short time and haven't been too serious, there's still a feeling of rejection when someone says she prefers the company of others to your exclusive company. But if you're honest, and direct, and avoid making a flowery emotional speech when you break the news, the boy will respect you for your frankness and honestly. He'll appreciate the kind of straight forward manner in which you told him your decision, unless he's a real jerk or a cry baby, you'll remain friends.

I'm head of the class / I'm popular

I'm a quarter back / I'm popular

My mom says I'm a catch / I'm popular

I'm never last picked, I got a cheerleader chick

Being attractive is the most important thing there is. If you wanna catch the biggest fish in your pond, you have to be as attractive as possible. Make sure to keep your hair spotless and clean :

Wash it at least every two weeks, once every two weeks. And if you see Johnny football hero in the hall, tell him he played a great game, tell him you liked his article in the newspaper

I'm the party star / I'm popular

I've got my own car / I'm popular

I'll never get caught / I'm popular

I make football bets, I'm a teachers pet

I propose we support a one month limit on going steady. I think It will keep people more able to deal with weird situations and get to know more people. I think if you're ready to go out with Johnny, now's the time to tell him about your one month limit. He won't mind he'll appreciate your fresh look on dating, and once you've dated someone else you can date him again. I'm sure he'll like it. Everyone will appreciate it : "You're so novel, what a good idea !". You can keep your time to your self. You don't need date insurance. You can go out with whoever you want to : Every boy, every boy, in the whole world could be yours, if you'll just listen to my plan - THE TEENAGE GUIDE TO POPULARITY !

Nada Surf - Popular

High/Low (Elektra, 1996)

Sur Arise Therefore, on vérifie les infos. Si le livre n'est malheureusement pas consultable en ligne, j'ai pu afficher quelques passages sur Google Books, en recherchant des mots clefs.

Où l'on voit que certains passages sont reproduits fidèlement, et d'autres, adaptés

-

PS : Ouais, je sais, j'ai déjà publié ces paroles, juste après le concert parisien du groupe le 31 juillet 2010. Mais pas avec cet éclairage !

Putain toi, t'es trop wild

Je remercie Mendelson d'exister.

Raconte comment tu t'es couchée trop tard, comment t'as trop bu et combien de pétards. Raconte ta nuit blanche, ouah trop pur, t'étais raide def, tu rentrais dans les murs. Raconte comment t'étais ruinée dans les chiottes, tu gamellais Justine qu'est une vraie pote. Raconte comment tu t'es faite troncher, par le copain de Justine qu'était défoncé. Putain toi t'es trop cool. Tu sais ça, t'es trop cool. Tu te souvenais plus comment tu t'appelles, raconte tu pogotais dans les poubelles, en hurlant Dieu, Dieu sauve la Reine et d'autres trucs vachement trop rebelles. Putain toi t'es trop wild, tu sais, t'es trop wild. Raconte encore comment t'as gerbé tes Martinis dans l'escalier, tu sais pas comment t'es rentrée chez toi, putain cette casquette, cette gueule de bois. Putain toi t'es trop cool, t'es trop cool.

Mendelson, histoire naturelle
L'avenir est devant (Lithium, 1997)
mendelson.free.fr

Cette chanson reflète mon point de vue quand j'étais en Ecole. Autant dire, une position ultra-minoritaire, là où le mot d'ordre tacite était "be drunk, be cool". Qu'on s'entende: ce que je dénie, c'est la corrélation entre les deux.

C'était la troisième et dernière partie de ma série de lyrics sur la Cool Attitude.
Lire aussi:
http://arise-therefore.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-think-that-poor-is-cool.html
http://arise-therefore.blogspot.com/2010/08/teenage-guide-to-popularity-part1.html

You think that poor is cool?

Je poursuis la thématique lancée par le morceau "Popular" de Nada Surf dimanche, en allant cette fois du côté des colleges anglais.

C'est Jarvis Cocker qui chante, et il est à nouveau question d'une nana qui cherche à être cool.

1 point à celui ou celle qui trouve de quelle série est extraite la photo qui suivra (la dernière fois, c'était facile, et vous avez tous reconnus Kelly Kapowsky)

She came from Greece, she had a thirst for knowledge
She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College
That's where I caught her eye
She told me that her Dad was loaded
I said "In that case I'll have rum and coca-cola
She said "fine"
And then in 30 seconds time she said :

"I want to live like common people
I want to do whatever common people do
I want to sleep with common people
I want to sleep with common people like you"

Well what else could I do?
I said "I'll see what I can do"
I took her to a supermarket
I don't know why
but I had to start it somewhere
so it started there
I said "pretend you've got no money"
but she just laughed
and said "oh you're so funny"
I said "Yeah
Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here

Are you sure
you want to live like common people
you want to see whatever common people see
you want to sleep with common people
you want to sleep with common people like me?"

But she didn't understand
she just smiled and held my hand
Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you'll never get it right
'cos when you're laid in bed at night
watching roaches climb the wall
if you called your dad he could stop it all

You'll never live like common people
You'll never do whatever common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
and then dance and drink and screw
because there's nothing else to do

Sing along with the common people
Sing along and it might just get you through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along although they're laughing at you
and the stupid things that you do
because you think that poor is cool
Like a dog lying in a corner
they will bite you and never warn you
Look out
they'll tear your insides out
'cos everybody hates a tourist
especially one who thinks
it's all such a laugh
yeah and the chip stain's grease
will come out in the bath
You will never understand
how it feels to live your life
with no meaning or control
and with nowhere left to go
You are amazed that they exist
and they burn so bright
whilst you can only wonder why
...

Pulp, Common People
Different Class (Islands, 1995)

Impossible de lire ces paroles sans chanter, ça doit vous faire ça aussi, j'imagine

the teenage guide to popularity

Nada Surf jouait hier en concert gratuit sur le Parvis de l'Hôtel de Ville. Je reste attaché à ce groupe, à ses sympathiques membres (interviewés en 2000), et à leurs deux premiers albums, "High/Low" et surtout "the Proximity Effect" (feat. pour ce dernier les indépassables 80 Windows, Troublemakers, et the Voices).

Autant de bonnes raisons de passer les voir, donc.

Une bonne partie du public attendait "Popular", leur hit de 1996 (que je me souviens avoir découvert sur Skyrock, chez Maurice, hum)

Mais que raconte au juste cette chanson? Sans jamais m'être vraiment penché sur le texte, je la "rangeais" aux côtés de "Creep" (1993) et "Common People" (1995), dans la thématique "être ado et se sentir cool, ou pas".

Il y a effectivement de ça.
Le contexte de la chanson est celui de ces colleges / universités / high school tel qu'on l'appréhende en France via quantité de séries TV américaines.

La chanson s'adresse à une nana.
Premier point: comment (bien) larguer son copain

Three important rules for breaking up
Don't put off breaking up when you know you want to
Prolonging the situation only makes it worse
Tell him honestly, simply, kindly, but firmly
Don't make a big production
Don't make up an elaborate story
This will help you avoid a big tear jerking scene
If you wanna date other people say so
Be prepared for the boy to feel hurt and rejected
Even if you've gone together for only a short time,
And haven't been too serious,
There's still a feeling of rejection
When someone says she prefers the company of others
To your exclusive company,
But if you're honest, and direct,
And avoid making a flowery emotional speech when you break the news,
The boy will respect you for your frankness,
And honestly he'll appreciate the kind of straight forward manner
In which you told him your decision
Unless he's a real jerk or a cry baby you'll remain friends

I'm head of the class
I'm popular
I'm a quarter back
I'm popular
My mom says I'm a catch
I'm popular
I'm never last picked
I got a cheerleader chick

Being attractive is the most important thing there is
If you wanna catch the biggest fish in your pond
You have to be as attractive as possible
Make sure to keep your hair spotless and clean
Wash it at least every two weeks
Once every two weeks
And if you see Johnny football hero in the hall
Tell him he played a great game
Tell him you liked his article in the newspaper

I'm the party star
I'm popular
I've got my own car
I'm popular
I'll never get caught
I'm popular
I make football bets.
I'm a teachers pet

I propose we support a one month limit on going steady
I think It will keep people more able to deal with weird situations
And get to know more people
I think if you're ready to go out with Johnny
Now's the time to tell him about your one month limit
He wont mind he'll appreciate your fresh look on dating
And once you've dated someone else you can date him again
I'm sure he'll like it
Everyone will appreciate it
You're so novel what a good idea
You can keep your time to your self
You don't need date insurance
You can go out with whoever you want to
Every boy, every boy, in the whole world could be yours
If you'll just listen to my plan
THE TEENAGE GUIDE TO POPULARITY

I'm head of the class
I'm popular
I'm a quarter back
I'm popular
My mom says I'm a catch
I'm popular
I'm never last picked
I'm a cheerleader chick

Nada Surf, Popular
high/low (1996)
www.myspace.com/nadasurf