Today’s song is sad to listen to. I guess it’s the same with any song that reaches out to a particular person, you can actually feel their pain if the lyrics are powerful enough. You may have even known someone in a similar situation, or maybe they were depressed too and you think of them when you hear it. That’s pretty much the drive behind today’s entry…
Joey was released as a single in November of 1990 from the band’s third album, Bloodletting. It became their biggest hit, spending four weeks on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks and taking the #19 spot on the Hot 100.
The lyrics are about a man who is an alcoholic. The band’s lead singer, Johnette Napolitano, was dating Marc Moreland (Wall of Voodoo) who died in 2003 of liver failure. In an interview with MTV, Napolitano stated she wrote the lyrics on an envelope during a cab ride to the recording studio. The music was already done and their manager was pressuring her to write the lyrics so she waited until the last possible moment. What a way to write a hit song, huh?
Above is the official video. There may be a short ad before it plays.
