Hi Gang,

My wife got me into Amy Winehouse. I'm enjoying it, but I have a lyric question. Her big song is called "Rehab" and the lyric goes:

"They tried to make me go to rehab but i said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been black but when i come back you'll know know know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab but i won't go go go"

Every time I hear it I wonder what she means when she says "yes I've been black". Is that some slag for drug use that I've never heard before? I'm just curious because it could easly be construed as a raciall biased term.

I think it is more a reference to the depths to which she slides after broken relationships, and the despair caused by the associated melancholic re-examination of failed attempts at stability within manic depressive swings from mania to the "black depth" of a distorted view of self. Or not! What is revealing is the height the song reached in the pop charts in England, while US pop remained as deep as a wet sheet of paper run-over by a semi....

That makes sense. She's definately saying she just drinks because she's depressed over a relationship.

And yeah- I guess she's setting England on fire. Pop music in the US- I don't even know what to say. The lyrics to a song currently burning up the US charts:

"This is why I'm Hot
This is why Uh
This is why I'm Hot
This is why I'm Hot Whoo
This is why
This is why I'm Hot

I'm hot cause I'm fly
You ain't cause you're not
This is why
This is why I'm hot"

Well, it's clear enough I'm hot cause I'm fly. You ain't cause you're not. Probably not the melancholic re-examination of faild attempts at stability.

could it be a reference to being either in trouble "In the Red", or being successful, as in "In the Black", when one refers to business, and in the "books" (on record, in accounting, ect) and ink color- you're either in financial loss or negative "In the Red", or being profitable, as in "In the Black"?

..."This is why I'm Hot
This is why Uh
This is why I'm Hot
This is why I'm Hot Whoo
This is why
This is why I'm Hot

I'm hot cause I'm fly
You ain't cause you're not
This is why
This is why I'm hot"...

Who's that? Is it the Pussycat Dolls or something?

All I can do is say "Oh my...." and be thrilled I don't have to listen to it.

I don't see why thedelihaus couldn't be right...

I was struck by the irony of Fast_Eddie's post of Mims lyrics, in light of this quote from Amy Winehouse:

“A lot of music now is trying to be cool and like, ‘Yeah, I don’t really care about you,’ a really blasé attitude,” she said. “I think it’s much nicer to be in love, and throw yourself into it, and want to lie in the road for that person."

Hopefully, she won't self-destruct--

Have a good one!

That other lyric is just more proof of our civilisation's seemingly inexorable slide down the toilet....Maybe THAT'S what Amy Winehouse is lamenting in a roundabout way... But, I could be wrong...Usually am...

I really do try not to always be critical of everything popular, but a quick look at the top ten leaves you with little to praise. That lyric I posted if from some kid who calls himself Mime. It's (big shock coming here) a rap song. I've never been a rap fan, but I still remember when I heard Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" the first time. It really hit me over the head and made a point. I think the line everyone remembers is:

"Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Mother f@#^ him and John Wayne"

I was a college kid living in Cincinnati when it came out. If you don't know, Cincinnati is a town with more than it's share of racial tension that from time to time erupts into violence. That song forced me to take a hard look at my community and my own preconceptions regarding race. I later found that the James Brown track Funky Drumer that was sampled for the song was recorded in Cincinnati. I always found that ironic.

Anyhow, the point is, when it started, rap had a point and it was powerful. It became bigger and bigger and now dominates pop music in this country. But unfortunately, along the way it's lost it's focus and has degenerated into commercialized crap.