::School Week:: Fountains of Wayne - Too Cool For School

Although they may have written "Stacy's Mom," that ridiculous song from the early 2000s, Fountains of Wayne are still pretty cool. Its just fun to listen to their goofy style of pure power pop. Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger can write some catchy tunes.

This song was taken from the Scary Movie soundtrack and has a bit of a 60s vibe from the very first distorted chord that sounds exactly like the opening to "A Hard Days Night." It keeps up the fun 60s pop feel as it plays out, even including an organ solo.

He walks alone under the big city lights
He always knows just when the time is right
He never shows what he's thinking
He keeps it inside
Because he's too cool for school

He comes alive when the sun goes down
He gets it right
You know he's always down
He's got one eye open and his ear to the ground
Man he's too cool for school

He's an operator
He's a real player
And if you mess with him
You know you'll never win
He's an instigator
Enemy eliminator
And when he knocks you better
You better let him in

He's got his own way of getting things done
He's always looking out for number one
Don't try to beat him 'cause he's already won
Man he's too cool for school

He's an operator
He's a real player
And if you mess with him
You know you'll never win
He's an instigator
Enemy eliminator
And when he knocks you better
You better let him in

He walks alone under the big city lights
He always knows just when the time is right
He never shows what he's thinking
He keeps it inside
Because he's too cool for school
Because he's too cool for school
Because he's too cool for school 

::School Week:: Vampire Weekend - Campus

Well, I give up on the whole finding a positive song about school. And you know what? Its because school sucks. Sure you learn some stuff and I'm definitely not advocating dropping out of school, but I'm not advocating not dropping out school either. Learn what you want to learn for the love of Pete. And who knows, maybe something good can come out of school. Like a fling with a foxy professor, which is what our next song deals with.

Vampire Weekend's first self titled album blasted them into fame after they graduated from a New York prep school. Sure they may be a couple of smart rich J.Crew kids who sing about Oxford Commas, rickshaws, diplomats and ion displacement, but, hey, its good music. "Campus" is, as stated, about a lustful semester with a purdy prof. The ascending bass and bright, cheery synths give this song a very happy energetic feel, and who can resist cracking a smile at the line "I spilled kefir on your keffiyeh?"

I wake up
My shoulder's cold
I've got to leave here
Before I go
I pull my shirt on
Walk out the door
Drag my feet along the floor
I pull my shirt on
Walk out the door
Drag my feet along the floor

Then I see you
You're walking cross the campus
Cruel professor
Studying romances
How am I supposed to pretend
I never want to see you again?
How am I supposed to pretend
I never want to see you again?

Walk to class
In front of ya
Spilled kefir
On your keffiyah
You look inside
And turn to the door
Drag your feet across the floor

Then I see you
You're walking cross the campus
Cruel professor
Studying romances
How am I supposed to pretend
I never want to see you again?
How am I supposed to pretend
I never want to see you again?

In the afternoon
You're out on the stone and grass
And I'm sleeping on the balcony
After class

::School Week:: Supertramp - Logical Song

Ok, so school's not all bad right? I mean the whole purpose is to gain logic, yeah? So let's focus on that. Enter, Supertramp's "The Logical Song". Supertramp are a British rock band from the 70s, who's album, Breakfast In America  made it big in...America.

So it starts off nice with a synth melody, and some description of a fine childhood with singing nature and playful attitude. And... oh come on. Yup. More negativity. I mean sure it's all true, what with the forcing children to fit into this predetermined mold of society but there's gotta be something good about it. Right? Anyway the song continues on with some great rhyming patterns, digital sound effects and a killer sax solo near the end. The search continues.

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,
oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me.
But then they sent me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, oh responsible, practical.
And then they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
oh clinical, oh intellectual, cynical.

There are times when all the world's asleep,
the questions run too deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am
I said now watch what you say they'll be calling you a radical,
a liberal, oh fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable!
Oh Take it take it yeah!

But at night, when all the world's asleep,
the questions run so deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am,
Who I am x 3 !!!

Who knows who's so logical.