1989: Blank Space
"Simple Pleasures" (1989), by Bobby McFerrin
Welcome to the 1989 project, where each month we’ll start with a Taylor Swift song from her 2014 album 1989 and leap from that to music that was released or charted in the year 1989.
Track two of 1989, “Blank Space” has no obvious relation to today’s album - at least not thematically. But there’s something Taylor does with her vocals that I found interesting. Here’s the meat of the song (emphasis mine):
'Cause we're young, and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless, mm
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name“Blank Space” (T.S.)
It doesn’t render in text very well, but there’s a sound the singer makes after the word “baby” that adds a specific meaning. That “chk” or “tssk” sound that resembles a kiss or the sound a rider makes to get their horse to move - that sound adds a layer of emphasis and meaning to what the singer is saying. It’s hard to define, but it captures something authoritative (as in, “I’ve got this”) and dismissive (as in, “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it”) that makes the lyric a little more sassy.
Here’s one example I was able to dig up of that sound being used this way:
“Gotta listen to the little man (chk)!”
As a vocalist, I’ve studied the choices that performers make to get their point across or to enhance the meaning of the material they are performing. It’s a craft that often gets overlooked or dismissed as a gimmick, but there have been a few artists who have mastered the use of non-verbal sounds to create meaning in their music.
And nobody has mastered this the way human jukebox Bobby McFerrin has.
Strictly speaking, “Don’t Worry Be Happy” was a 1988 phenomenon, but the 1988 Grammy Awards were handed out in February 1989 - and after spending 55 weeks in the Billboard Top 200, Bobby’s Simple Pleasures took Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
(And, on a more personal note, our high school show choir performed the song in my senior year - 1989.)
Popular legend was that “Don’t Worry Be Happy” was written after Bobby hit a low point and considered suicide when faced with the failure of his music career. There doesn’t seem to be much truth to that story. Bobby was anything but a failure before his unexpected breakthrough took him to the top of the charts. Most likely the story was an exaggeration of something he or a publicist said about his extensive touring behind his earlier albums. Touring will take it out of you.
But his talent as a vocalist was something that he fought hard to perfect, and he earned a lot of attention with his interpretations of rock standards. Here he is performing a Beatles’ classic1 for an appreciative crowd in support of his 1984 album, The Voice:
The songs on Simple Pleasures are half originals and half classic rock covers. The Beatles’ “Drive My Car”, Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”, rockabilly swamp rock “Susie Q”, and a blistering version of doo-wop hit “Good Lovin’” balanced out Bobby’s own inventive compositions. I still dig out my copy of this album to hear him pour the cereal out for his kids (in “Simple Pleasures”) or to enjoy his sinuous impression of a brass section (“All I Want”).
It’s a fun collection for 1989 - and the non-verbal evidence of the artist’s overwhelming positivity shines through, especially in contrast to the darkness we see from other 1989 artists (like last month’s Lou Reed album).
There is an enduring charm in Bobby’s use of his body for percussion and sound effects, and his impressive vocal range serves him well as backing vocals and instrumentation. But it’s not just fun, and it’s not just the culmination of years of practice and hard work on the part of one artist - it’s a testament to the range of human expression and a demonstration that each of us has more to give if we just dig a little deeper and open up a little more.
I have known people who hated “Don’t Worry Be Happy” and to this day, they will rail against it for being “insipid” and frivolous. But to me, it’s a song that carries a Great Truth, especially for times like the ones we are living through:
You can’t always choose your circumstances, but you can choose how you respond to them.
Bobby McFerrin’s name sometimes pops up on those lists of “one-hit wonders” that float around from time to time. And the “one-hit” part is technically true if you only count sales of singles or albums. But Bobby used his unexpected year of fame to build something much more enduring, and for any musician, much more impressive. He keeps the “wonder” part alive as an educator and as a conductor.
To this day, he tours the world, performing and demonstrating his great talent - but what makes him special is the way he challenges his audiences to participate. He brings so much joy to the table, he dares people to break out of their self-consciousness and fears, and do that thing that is so universally human: To make noises that mean something.
He’s an amazing player, but his life’s work has been to bring more people into the game.
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game“Blank Space” (T.S.)
There are dozens of videos of Bobby on YouTube, entertaining and educating people, whether through his sessions of Circle Songs or visiting schools and conferences to talk about music. I’ll leave you with two of my favorites.
…and forty years later, a Beyonce classic…