I am very sure that "Cheapskate" was in a holiday advert from years and years ago that was on the television. I know it has been used in a film or two, but I am certain I remember it being played for about 30 seconds somewhere else...
The music video was never shown in the United Kingdom. It was a US only single though and got into one of the many music charts that the country has. The band also chose not to release the video on their 'best of' DVD for reasons unknown.
The opportunity for me to see the 'lost' Cheapskate video was back when I was twelve or so. I randomly searched 'Supergrass - Cheapskate' into YouTube, and to my surprise it was there. The version here is what I watched, and is quite different to the one above. The speakers for the family computer were busted, so I had to make do with opening iTunes and playing the song along with the video. A minor inconvenience, yes, but it all worked out well in the end.
But why do I like "Cheapskate" so much? Well the song starts off with this funky groove, apparently influenced by Kool & the Gang according to the band themselves, which carries on through the verses before launching into an atmospheric chorus where the guitar blares out its chords and the overall volume of the song just rises. That along with its lyrics, "I need someone to be around 'cos I'm breaking into life/Somebody stop me, 'cos I'm looking for my high.", just makes me feel warm and very happy inside.
What is the song about? Haven't got a clue. Why is it called "Cheapskate"? The word isn't mentioned once in the lyrics, so your guess is as good as mine. What matters is, I like it, you should probably listen to it, and try and find that advert that I talked about because it is really bugging me just thinking about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment