Why, Those Mostly Good Punks! Nobody Oughta ...

Album: The Godfathers, Birth, School, Work, Death, 1988

Best Track: "'Cause I Said So"

Lasting Memory: I will nevver forget the day I stopped wanting "Cause I Said So" to be my personal theme song simply because every single word of the song was acknowledged to be biographically true -- welcomed, even -- about me by every single other person. That regrettable day will be one day after my death.

I am kidding, of course. But there are times when anyone would want the following to be true about themselves:

I wake up in the morning and I feel like a king
Make love not work I can do anything
Can rule my own world and never have to listen
I'm living like there's no tomorrow
You know there really isn't

'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so

Every day's a thrill when you're living like me
Don't read Baudelaire's poetry
And I don't need no Ph.D.
'Cause I'm ten times smarter than you'll ever be

'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so

'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so

Now listen all you
peoples to what I have to say
Every night's a gas if you want it that way
All you need is money and a little bit of luck
I ain't greedy baby all I want is all you've got

'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so
'Cause I said so

Only two of the lines accurately describe my reality. Assuming this is a teest, how do you score?

More than a few of the songs on Birth, School. Work, Death are thematically anthemic. The title track, in particular, is a half-lament, half-call to arms against British proletarianism. The album also offers up a few ineptly romantic songs, like "Just Like You," which I can't find even a clip of to link to. Make up your tune, then, for this chorus:

It's not because I'm feeling down
That I want you around
I just want to share the good times with
Someone who looks just like you.

What The Godfathers are serving up on this album is pop punk before there was such a thing for the likes of The Offspring, Green Day, and Blink 182 to lay claim to. I'll have more to opine about the success the Godfathers achieved in mixing pop and punk without really having a commercial example to follow in my next post.

And you know that my opion will be unalterably true. 'Cause I wrote so.

Up Next: The Godfathers, More Songs About Love and Hate, 1989