Musical Monday: The Knack for Summer
Most of blog youth probably were introduced to The Knack’s, My Sharona in the 1994 film, Reality Bites. I’m not going to tell you the exact year it became the song that best conjures the high school years for me. It was not 1994.
Disco ruled the airwaves on most of the FM dial, except on WRXL 102.1, where rock and roll held a precarious toehold. In a musical landscape that revered Earth, Wind, Fire and Donna Summer above all else, we believed that with The Knack we had found our defining zeitgeist. My Sharona was everywhere, not just on our beloved XL-102. We didn’t know what the heck punk and new wave were. We just knew we liked this song. I still have no clue what The Knack was singing about.
The driver’s license was new and so was Dad’s car. We were bored by driving around in the family’s Kingswood Estate wagon looking for action in the sleepy beach community where we were staying with my family. Going to buy huge Big Gulps was what we meant by action. That and turning up the radio as high as it would go whenever My Sharona was on. That day we borrowed my dad’s new Audi for that all important errand of running to the 7-11.
Cup holders were unheard of then. I know. Shocking. So there we were: two teenage girls, with two giant Big Gulps, no cupholders and an uber four on the floor stickshift. The first casualty came before we had even left the parking lot. Volumes of Coke and giant jeweled sized ice cubes with holes in them spectacularly spewed all over the floor, the seats, the gearshift and us. I ran back in to the 7-11 to buy a roll of paper towels laughing so hard I was crying. Yes, there was Coke on my crotch. We laughed for three straight days as we worked on our tans, My Sharona playing in the background the entire time. I really can’t think of any other songs from that summer.
We were only a little disappointed that My Sharona was a bit of a one hit wonder for The Knack. It was better to have loved and lost, than to not loved at all.
That My Sharona received a second life on a movie soundtrack in 1994 pleased me. It also pleased me that the song seemed to have had some kind of impact on Nirvana.
For more Musical Monday, be sure to visit Jori and Diane!
I never knew this existed!
… sweet
My memories of “My Sharona” are car related too – although I think I still didn’t have my driver’s license that year, so someone else managed the stick shift and drink simultaneously. I was free to sing along loudly, waving my hand out the window.
I never did really get the words, so I made them up.
Speedcat, I didn’t either until today!
Vic, it’s a great song to tap tap on the wheel and dashboard to, I guess. And scream and hang out the windows like the school girls we were
Good song choice I remember this song thanks for the visit. I hope you have better luck with your computer issues than I am having.
Interesting version. My mom loved the Knacks version because her name was Sharon.
Ooooh! I am old enough to remember when My Sharona was first released. We'd skate to it at the roller rink! Such a great song! ("My, my, my, my, my, whoooo!""
robin
Happy MM!
cinnamon & honey
Wow, and here I was thinking I’d heard everything Nirvana had ever played. Cool.
I did know My Sharona before Reality Bites, however I am ashamed to admit I was introduced to Bohemian Rhapsody through Wayne’s World.
My formative years were the 80s, and I still love most of that music. I did get a little tired of some of the songs that contained preachy sociological messages in their lyrics such as: “Oh Mickey, you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, hey Mickey.”
Lapa37, What is up with the computers? I can never figure out where the problem is, so no clue who to call. Ghostbusters be good. Thanks for coming by!
Amy, Is Sharona a real name, I wonder? I’ve never known one. Maybe The Knack WAS singing about your mother
Cinnamon, That Whoooo! was great, huh?
Shawn, Glad to be of service. Nirvana was actually big when I was preggers with my first. She turned flips inside of me when I went to see Wayne’s World. Knowing how you feel about babies and all, I just thought I’d share.
Jeff, The eighties were interesting as far as music. It was nice to see the move from disco to the MTV age. I guess. Oh Mickey your so fine was really pushing it.
I am actually related to a couple of the guys in Devo! Whip it. Whip it good.
I bet this song brings back some ’80s memories.
Love My Sharona!! Thanks for a stroll (car ride) down memory lane!
My Sharona was the #1 song the day I was born… shall I let the cat outta the bag on what year that was??? Muwahahahahahaha!
this is a freaking awesome song! and i’m talking about the original! i’ve been known to bop around the house singing it from time to time. lol
Good memories, Margo–thanks for bringing my own back to me. I remember those days of “My Sharona” on the radio–it was sooo different than what we were used to. WE LOVED It!!! Thanks for the chuckle.
Hit 40, which begs the question… where are they now?
phdyogurty, you are welcome. thanks for coming along
Heather Cherry, I am such an old person. Oh, I take that back. I mean, you are such a young person
xxx ooo
Diane, I actually bought it today for old times sake and was frightening the children, I’m afraid. Thanks for stopping by!
Lin, you are welcome. Thanks for visiting!
Looks like I’ll be shopping on Itunes today!
I have great memories of My Sharona too. Great youtube clip!
And yes…it was entrecard that brought me back…a little!lol
*sigh* I was around when it first came out too.
Also Bohemian Rhapsody
My high school “big” song was Stairway to Heaven. What does that tell you about my age?
*sigh*
Or that they wanted “Tonight’s the Night” for our prom theme but the school board said it was too suggestive.
But you gotta milk the goat first!
Oh, the memories….
That song incited quite a bit of head-banging-hair-flinging in my ’72 Pinto!!! You drank Big Gulps, we drank Slurpees. It seems they went better with rum;)
BTW – I was listening to XL-102 on my way home from work yesterday. Unfortunately, they did NOT play “My Sharona”.
Thinkinfyou, it’s too easy to buy music these days, but My Sharona was definitely worth it
Kelly, I hope you’re enjoying being back among the card dropping obsessed!
Pricilla, Tonight’s the night, baby girl! What prudes at your high school! A losing your virginity theme would have been fine. Anywhere but my daughters’ schools – ever.
BigHairEnvy, hair flinging is right. I saw you lived in RVA… I was looking at your tea party photos! I can’t believe XL-102 is still around – classic rock now, right?
Growing up, I spent every summer in Ocean Isle Beach, NC.
As soon as I could drive, we spent every night hanging out in North Myrtle. There was always music blaring and sodas flying.
Thanks for the memories.
Although I was well out of high school, I remember “My Sharona.” I didn’t realize, though, that Nirvana attempted to sing it.
) Funny, I just happen to have put up a Nirvana playlist today!
Interesting meme, Musical Monday.
As soon as I read “My Sharona,” I started to sing it in my head. The wierd thing is that just yesterday, as I was cooking dinner, that song was going through my head, and I was wondering if Monk’s (the defective detective) fomer caretaker Sharona, was given that name because of the song.
Maybe My Sharona is just in the air this week!