The world is getting harder. My psyche, fried. Nightmares accelerating. Politics like wrecks on the Freeway every quarter mile. Another suicide bombing/shooting? In a school/mosque? An outbreak of what? Where is that country? But what about Timmy’s erectile dysfunction…and getting the cat hair off this rug…
I gotta go downtown. Get my fix. Fly away to a better place, where there’s joy, abandon, peace, love…and booty. A place where peoples of every race, creed, weight, hairdo, fashion fantasy and bike dream scream in the streets in heavenly unison: Downtown!!
I assume you’ve heard it…the chart-climbing single from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. “Downtown”. (And the most hilariously entertaining video of the past decade.) I’m obsessed with it.
How is this song’s accomplishment even possible? Taking a subject as esoteric and random as shopping for a moped and turning it into an unhinged anthem for a jaded planet. Here are the opening verse lyrics, rapped with effortless nonchalance by Macklemore:
I went to the moped store, said “Fuck it”
Salesman’s like “What up, what’s your budget?”
And I’m like “Honestly, I don’t know nothing about mopeds
He said “I got the one for you, follow me”
What? Where’s this going? After a few more verses about ass, cash, rides, hair, hangouts & hookups we finally get to the awesome chorus, sung by Eric Nally (who??)…who KILLS it:
Downtown, downtown (Downtown)
Downtown, downtown (Downtown)
She has her arms around your waist
With a balance that could keep us safe
(Downtown)
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
(Downtown)
Of the leather seat between your legs
(Hey-ey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey-ey)
(Downtown)
You don't want no beef, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
(Downtown)
What you see is what you get girl
Don't ever forget girl
Ain't seen nothing yet until you're
Downtown
So. Eric Nally. Lead singer of the now defunct Queen-ish rock band Foxy Shazam , an artist we can expect to hear from in the not distant future based on his star-turn “Downtown” performance.
YouTube comment from some guy named ‘Lincoln E’: “I got into a major car accident yesterday listening to this song…so I'm going to forever associate it with the sound of my ribs cracking…reminds me that at least I'm still alive and have things to look forward to.” Brilliant!
But wait, there’s more! Macklemore & Lewis add heft and street cred to the proceedings with in-your-happy-face performances by hip-hop legends Mellie Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz. Inclusive.
If we decided to write our masters thesis on The History of the Pop Anthem in American Sociopolitical Culture we’d probably be making a big stretch over a hell of a lot of coffee. But we’ve got a little time, right?
I think we can all agree there’s little musical resemblance between Petula Clark’s “Downtown” circa 1967 and the downtown we’re visiting today. But this song arrived at the height of the war in Viet Nam, one of the most polarizing moments in American history. People couldn’t easily articulate their unrest—other than marching in the streets—but music helped. It’s what music does. So let’s forget all our cares…and go to a downtown, populated by white people!
That very same year a far more transformative song dominated the airwaves and became a defining battle cry (shall we say ‘peace cry’?) of its generation, the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love”—still remarkable after nearly 50 years.
Skip a few beats to 2010 and Katy Perry’s “Firework”, which undoubtedly inspired her 76 million Twitter followers (sweet jesus…) Wikipedia calls it a “dance-rock self-empowerment anthem” and I guess I’d agree. You CAN beat that disease. They can’t bully YOU. Baby you’re a firework!
In 1983 Van Halen’s “Jump” was an over-the-top synth-rock masterpiece. (I’ll never forget not wearing skin-tight floral print leotards on the 1 Train that year.)
I have no idea what the sociopolitical significance of this song was. Reagan was in office. Apple introduced the Macintosh computer with Ridley Scott’s legendary “1984” commercial. Might as well jump—go ahead and jump…
Contrast that with 1985’s “We Are The World”, an anthem written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie and performed by an unprecedented lineup of America’s most popular artists to benefit USA For Africa.
The song and the album of the same name went to number one worldwide, selling over 30 million copies and winning numerous awards. Our country was emerging from recession—a time when our “better angels” could be summoned in song.
I’m sure there’s an anthem for every generation. Probably for every year.
But this ain’t a masters thesis—and I gotta head downtown, with a leather seat between my legs. Meet you there…you can forget all your cares…
