the Buzz for March 11th, 2011

11
Mar

Terence Trent D’Arby — “Wishing Well” — Wishing Well - Do You Love Me Like You Say: The Very Best Of Terence Trent D'Arby
(from Do You Love Me Like You Say: The Very Best of Terence Trent D’Arby)

A and I caught this video on VH1 Classic the other morning, and then there was a question about Mr. D’Arby on Jeopardy the following day (the category, and I’m not making this up:
“1980s #1 Hitmakers”), so the universe is clearly trying to tell me something, and I’m a big believer in staying attuned to such cosmic messages. Shortly after this track flew to the top of the charts in the spring of 1988, D’Arby famously proclaimed himself to be the finest musician drawing breath; not coincidentally, that very same season, George Michael poked holes all the way through D’Arby’s foolishly fallacious theory, and Bono, Sting, and Prince finished it off in kind. Nonetheless, I think you’ll find it a pleasant surprise how solidly this tune continues to hold up. (Incidentally, I won’t divulge what I thought he was singing, but I had no idea until this moment that the chorus’ final line is “a wishing well / of crocodile cheers.”)