Rethinking the Songs of My Youth: Jermaine Stewart Edition

As I am now 30, I have decided that the time has finally come to embrace nostalgia. The mockery of the music of the 1980s has now been solidly replaced with a strong desire to hear Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" much more frequently. It's not that I ever really bashed the music of the '80s (see Lewis, Huey, love of), but I just didn't see the need for the constant barrage of '80s music or the swingin' good time of gatherings like the '80s Dance Party at the Haunt in Ithaca during my college years. "Fellow students," I recall thinking (and I started most of my thoughts from 1994 to 1998 with "Fellow students," because it sounded awfully collegiate), "the '80s only ended a few years ago. Can't we give it some time to go away before we re-embrace it?"

Well, fellow jobholders, that time has now come. Or at least it has come for me. And that is why sometimes I turn on the '80s channel on Sirius (makes a nice gift for the holidays...Howard Stern wanted me to mention that to you) and take a stumble down memory lane with whatever old MTV VJ is playing songs at the moment. Sometimes the memories are pleasant (the aforementioned "Electric Avenue," which I can remember hearing on the boardwalk at Atlantic City on a family vacation), and sometimes important realizations are made (Genesis's "Land of Confusion" is a really bad song if you're not watching the video).

Generally, it's fun to hear the songs I used sing along to when they came on the radio in the family car. Like, hey, "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" by Jermaine Stewart. I liked that one when it came out that summer. Lemme check those lyrics out:

Not a word, from your lips
You just took for granted that I want to skinny dip.
A quick hit, that's your game.
But I'm not a piece of meat, still you like my brain.

Night is young, so are we.
Let's get to know each other better, slow and easily.
Take my hand, let's hit the floor.
Shake our bodies to the music.
Maybe then you'll score.

Chorus:
So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast.
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh
Na na na na na na na . . . .

Just slow down if you want me
A man wants to be approached cool and romantically
I've got needs
Just like you
If the conversation's good
Vibrations through and through

So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh
Na na na na na na . . .

Repeat until fade.

Dear Lord. I really hope I never sang that out loud. Maybe if I dance and party all night (all night) and drink some cherry wine (uh huh), I'll forget ever liking this song. I mean, I actually liked a song with lines like "You just took for granted I want to skinny dip" and "A man wants to be approached cool and romantically"? Really? I blame it on the "na na na na na na na na na"s. Or too much Catholic school. Or, I don't know, something. Anything. Help me. I feel cold and ashamed.

So, I am now having second thoughts about nostalgia. Maybe I should have waited 'til 40.