Gem Music Video of the Week # 21: For Duty and Humanity
Song: Superman’s Song by The Crash Test Dummies
(Songwriter: Brad Roberts)
May 29, 2008
I’ve often wondered if the band ‘Crash Test Dummies’ had a conversation along these lines: “Ok, we have a very strange name for a group and a lead singer/songwriter who has a vocal range only a Mom could love and which most certainly will not survive the test of time. We need to release something good right from the start and capitalize on it before wearing thin with the masses”. If so, then they could not have done much better than this week’s Gem Video ‘Superman’s Song’.
Along with Mac & Bruce, I was a pretty avid comic book reader back in the mid 70’s. In those days, Marvel Comics were at the height of their game, with great writers covering the X-Men, Spider Man, The Hulk, Iron Man, and others. Their closest rival, DC Comics, was way past its creative 40’s / 50’s hey day, slipping into predicable, one-dimensional story lines for the likes of Superman, Batman and other sad sacks. To us, ‘DC’ stood for ‘Dog Crap’ and we avoided DC comics like the plague (although I still believe Bruce bought copies when we were not with him and hid them in places we could not find them for fear of ridicule).
Despite my slanted 70’s vantage point, ‘Superman’s Song’ captures the essence of what a superhero is all about to a kid. It’s not so much about the power or the glory as it is the sacrifices super heroes make. Often in Marvel storylines, the superhero was looked upon in misguided disdain by the very souls he/she was trying to protect.
Has anyone ever seen this video? I never did until stumbling into it a few weeks ago. It shed a new light on the song, with the singer giving the eulogy at a hypothetical Superman funeral….Wonder Woman, Flash, and others mourning the loss of a friend. Very creative...
“Sometimes, when Supe was stopping crimes
I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit and turn his back on man
Join Tarzan in the forest
But he stayed in the city
And kept on changing clothes in dirty old phone booths
Until his work was thru
With nothing to do
But go on home”
- Pete
Gem Music Video: Superman’s Song
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About the Video: Made for MTV type video.
And: Pat
Hey -
How is Pepperell? Good video - I had forgot about those guys. How did you remember them?
Have you ever thought about "blogging" your gem music vid?
See ya, and 'hello to Nanc and the kids!
Pat
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Best Feedback: Dad
pete, thanks for starting my day on the right track-i'm on my way to a phone booth to change to my work clothes-love , dad
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And: Fred
Another winner. I shouldn't be surprised by your range.
I spoke with Dad this morning. He LOVED this Gem
F
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