// August 9th, 2006 // 7 Comments » // Music
OK, so I’m listening to the radio, and almost threw up a bit in my mouth. You see, at first I was intrigued when I heard the familiar strains of Of Montreal’s “Wraith Pinned To The Mist”. I was surprised that such an indie band was being played on a big rock station. My surprise quickly turned to horror as I began to pay attention to the lyrics. At first I thought maybe it was a song parody. No, it was worse. IT WAS A COMMERICAL!
For Outback Steakhouse no less!
Here are the lyrics of the original:
WRAITH PINNED TO THE MIST
(AND OTHER GAMES) by Of Montreal
Let’s have bizarre celebrations
Let’s forget who forget what forget where
We’ll have bizarre celebrations
I’ll play the Satyr in Cypris you the bride being stripped bare
Let’s pretend we don’t exist
Let’s pretend we’re in Antartica
Let’s have bizarre celebrations
Lets forget when forget what forget how
We’ll have bizarre celebrations
We’ll play Tristan and Izolde but make sure I see white sails
Maybe I’ll never die
I’ll just keep growing younger with you
And you’ll grow younger too
now it seems too lovely to be true
but I know the best things always do
let’s pretend we don’t exist
let’s pretend we’re in Antartica
Now, I don’t recall what the changed lyrics to the first verse were, but the chorus was changed to “Let’s do Outback tonight” or something like that.
Appalling.
I understand that bands are increasingly allowing their songs to be used in advertising, and have bergudingly grown to tolerate it over time. However, it’s one thing when the song is featured as it was originally recorded, but quite another when the intergrity of the song is bastardized to sell a product.
