An '80s Lyrical Curiosity: Michael Sembello's "Maniac"
Like any other era or style of music, the '80s had its share of puzzling lyrics lacking in sense, meaning or even careful consideration. Today, my virtual class of esteemed peers, let's examine a prime example, one of the biggest hits from the monster Flashdance soundtrack, Michael Sembello's "Maniac."On top of the bizarre fact that this aerobicized little ditty was originally inspired by the gritty 1980 slasher flick of the same name, the final line of the chorus is also a serious head-scratcher. The line, "And she's dancing like she's never danced before," can easily take on two highly opposite meanings, a reality of which the songwriters may not have been aware. Of course, armed with the knowledge that the film's star, Jennifer Beals, actually does no dancing in the movie, perhaps it's appropriate to follow the interpretation that was clearly unintended, that the welder-dancer doesn't know what the hell she's doing when it comes to rocking it in a leotard.
Now, I can't say I've ever thought of this double meaning before today, which makes me wonder where all my literary explication skills have been applied during all these years. Nonetheless, it's nice to be reminded that pop music of even the most superficial depth is made up of words carefully (or carelessly) arranged, words that have the power to remain vital across decades.
Album Cover Photo Courtesy of Casablanca Records
Comments
And what does Steve Miller mean when he says “the Pompatence of love”????
Pompatus
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This Source
The word pompatus (also spelled pompitous, ) is a neologism used in the lyrics of Steve Miller’s 1973 rock song “The Joker”:
Some people call me the space cowboy.
Yeah! Some call me the gangster of love.
Some people call me Maurice,
‘Cause I speak of the pompatus of love.
The words “space cowboy” and “gangster of love” are both references to previous Miller songs. The “pompatus” line is also a reference to an earlier song of his, “Enter Maurice,” which was recorded the previous year:
My dearest darling, come closer to Maurice
so I can whisper sweet words of epistemology
in your ear and speak to you of the pompatus of love.
Although Miller claims he invented the word, all of his song-writing shows strong rhythm and blues influences, and a 1954 song called “The Letter” by the Medallions had the lines:
Oh my darling, let me whisper
sweet words of pizmotality
and discuss the puppetutes of love.
The song was composed by Vernon Green as a description of his dream woman. “Pizmotality described words of such secrecy that they could only be spoken to the one you loved,” Green explained. He coined the term puppetutes “to mean a secret paper-doll fantasy figure who would be my everything and bear my children.”
Pompatus in pop culture
Because of its peculiarity and seemingly nonsensical usage, the word pompatus has become a minor pop trivia icon. DJ Wolfman Jack frequently referenced the phrase and has a soundclip of him using the line within the song “Clap for the Wolfman” by The Guess Who. A 1996 movie titled The Pompatus of Love starring Jon Cryer featured four guys discussing a number of assorted topics, including attempts to determine the meaning of the phrase. Humor columnist Dave Barry frequently refers to the song line as a source of comedic value, particularly in his 1997 book, Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs. The line has also been mentioned in various television show gags, including The Simpsons and South Park. Pompatus is also used by Michael Ondaatje in his 2001 book, Anil’s Ghost.