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One​-​Hit Wonder

from Could've Been King by Blair Packham

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about

I walked out of a shopping mall after seeing a movie in 1992 only to see Bobby Pickett on the back of a flatbed truck in the parking lot. Here was the guy who wrote and sang "The Monster Mash" playing to an indifferent crowd, and I thought, "God save me from such a fate!". Then I realized that I'd be lucky to have people wanting me to play my songs to them in 30 years' time. In about two minutes, I went from sneering at the one-hit wonder to admiring him for keeping on keeping on. Afterwards, I thought about how we like to sneer at the one-hit wonders, and how sad that is, really. What have YOU done lately that makes people dance and sing along?

lyrics

words and music by
Blair Packham

Imagine: Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett
In a parking lot
Sarasota, Florida
The evening air is not too hot
It’s Halloween night, 1992
Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett
With a pickup band
Who’re hoping just to make a splash
But thinking “Not tonight,” as they all shake hands
And crank up the chords to “The Monster Mash”
Twenty people or so glance up from their beers
As Bobby is introduced
And for the millionth time
In thirty years
The monster’s revived and let loose

And they clap for the one-hit-wonder
And laugh at the tune they know
And they dance and they sing
To the song that they first heard so many years ago

He’s wearing Frankenstein greasepaint
An old suit and boots
Standing on the makeshift stage
It’s a nightmare gig and it’s not too cute
But his rent is due so Bobby bears down
Trying to feel out the crowd
He starts reminiscing
As the band goes from bad to worse
Some moron yells out “Hey, shutup and sing!”
So Bobby launches into the verse
Fronting this band of mulleted boys
Who are younger than his song
Bobby shuffles his feet
And finds his voice
And with knowing grins
The crowd sings along

And they clap for the one-hit-wonder
And laugh at the tune they know
And they dance and they sing
To the song that they first heard so many years ago

Bobby will joke that it’s all been a lark
But thirty years on he’s still trapped in the dark
His Hollywood gang
More famous or more dead
Don’t hang out with him no more
So Bobby gigs instead

And they clap for the one-hit-wonder
And laugh at the tune they know
And they dance and they sing
To the song that they first heard so many years ago

And they laugh at the one-hit-wonder
Well, what the hell have they ever done
Have they ever hit the heights and had a string of hits?
Well, the one-hit-wonder had one

The one-hit wonder had one

At least the one-hit wonder had one
-----------------------------------------------------
© 2003 No. 1 Imperfects {SOCAN}

credits

from Could've Been King, released January 31, 2004
Blair Packham, vocal and guitar. Craig Northey, other guitars and harmony vocals. Doug Elliott, bass and group vocals. Pat Steward, drums, percussion and group vocals. Simon Kendall, organ, Stylophone and group vocals. Engineered by Colin Nairne and assisted by Mike Rogerson. Recorded at Baker Street, North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Mixed by Jeremy Darby at Canterbury Music, Toronto, ON, Canada.

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Blair Packham Toronto, Ontario

New album "The Impossible Dream" coming soon! Thirteen years after 2004’s “Could’ve Been King," Blair Packham returned with a collection of clever and heartfelt songs, called “Unpopular Pop.” A bit Beatle-y, with shades of Elvis Costello, Blair’s songs are undeniably all his. He made the record at home and then called on Ron Sexsmith and ex-Barenaked Ladies’ Steven Page to make vocal appearances. ... more

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