Blister in the Sun, came out by Violent Femmes in 1983, and shortly after in 1988, I came to New Haven from Ukraine. There was a VH1 music video for the song in my memory banks of the strange little cat. The song was played at proms, dances, and later in life, in clubs, bars and coffee shops. In High School, “I am high as a kite,” made us feel like we were listening to something illegal.
“Body and beats and I stain my sheets,” was pornographic and I couldn’t believe that we could dance to this, while adult supervision conversed, unknowing what the song was saying.
Recently, it started to haunt me. I felt the songs gravitational pull and “I don’t even know why.” I kept walking into spaces and there it was… again.
There was an earlier song, Little B, by the Shadows on an album, Out of the Shadows released in 1962 that was obviously borrowed by the Femmes. The Shadows have been together, with some changes in lineup from 1950-2000. While, Violent Femmes broke up when Gordon Gano (the guitarist) licensed “Blister” for use in a Wendy’s commercial, prompting bassist Brian Ritchie (the original founder) to unleash a lawsuit. It is ironic that the song that broke them up, was originally someone else’s. The two songs have their own life force and both feel genuine. I can’t compare the two, but there is plagiarism.
I saw a girl on the subway wearing shoes that I liked, if I see them I will buy them.
We plagiarise each other without realizing it. Sometimes it’s shoes, but sometimes it’s also emotions, sometimes it’s even each other’s lives that we try to emulate. There is a balance between being same as other people and being an individual. Too different can end you up in isolation and the other side (too much like everyone else) will end you up in boredom. The middle is that special feeling that Violent Femmes took what was not theirs and did with it something that made the world hear it.
I still don’t know what Blister in the Sun means, but sometimes when I am walking, I strut my stuff.
Lyrics
“Blister In The Sun”
I’m high as a kite; I just might stop to check you out
Let me go on… like I blister in the sun
Let me go on… big hands, I know you’re the oneBody and beats, I stain my sheets — I don’t even know why
My girlfriend, she’s at the end — she is starting to cry
Let me go on… like I blister in the sun
Let me go on… big hands, I know you’re the oneWhen I’m out walkin’, I strut my stuff — yeah, I’m so strung out
I’m high as a kite; I just might stop to check you out
When I’m out walkin’, I strut my stuff — yeah, I’m so strung out
I’m high as a kite; I just might stop to check you out
Body and beats, I stain my sheets — I don’t even know why
My girlfriend, she’s at the end — she is starting to cry
When I’m out walkin’, I strut my stuff — yeah, I’m so strung out
I’m high as a kite; I just might stop to check you outLet me go on… like I blister in the sun
Let me go on… big hands, I know you’re the one
Musicannal 