What's Up is way worse - that vocal hook is unbearable
― joe schmoladoo from 7-11 (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:43 (ten years ago) link
You almost tricked me with that Vote for the WORST question.
At any rate, I about just put a hole through my computer screen ticking the 4NB tab.
Had a little crush on Edie when this song came out. Now I watch that video and think, Good Lord, teenage Pleasant Plains. You could've been watching Heather Thomas on Fall Guy.
― pplains, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:44 (ten years ago) link
What's up, my dick?
That is all
― Charlie Slothrop (wins), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:44 (ten years ago) link
Always get 4 Non Blondes and L7 mixed up in my head. That's pretty unforgivable on my part, but it happens.
I like What's Up. I understand why people don't like it but I need to be true to myself here and vote for Edie Brickell.
― Treeship, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:45 (ten years ago) link
I don't know what the hell "Religion is a smile on a dog" means, but it's helluva more poetic simile than LIFE IS A HIGHWAY.
just thought I'd throw that one back out there.
― pplains, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:46 (ten years ago) link
yeah my mum actually bought the cd because she likes whats up so for that alone it gets my vote.
One song i really really hate as much as that song is Cher - Believe but that has its fans on ilx.
xp
haha i did consider putting it up against life is a highway
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:46 (ten years ago) link
what is this'what's up' is one of the best songs of the 90s and inspired this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjVugzSR7HAthe other one is one of the worst things ever releasedwhy would you put them in the same poll? *cries*
― kinder, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:47 (ten years ago) link
"What's Up?" is a hideous misconception of a song from top to bottom and is only halfway listenable because the overwrought, wholly out-of-place vocal screeching
"What I Am" is basically what Phish would sound like if they didn't want me to punch them in their phishy phaces
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:49 (ten years ago) link
^^^ gets it
― Here's the storify, of a lovely ladify (Phil D.), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
Literally cannot decide but watching Edie now is a cruel reminder of what a hippie I was in college.
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
i had no idea that the singer of 4 non blondes was a pioneer of steampunk fashion!
― call all destroyer, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
What's up, my dick?That is all
so otm
the My Dick Band has permanently elevated the 4 Non Blondes song into the upper echelon of lol
― tight in the runs (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
I mean, I've rolled my eyes at Edie's empty platitudes before but I've never had the full-on painful belly laughs like I have with "And I try/OH MY GOD DO I TRY"
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
I couldnt even pick Bush or Hootie because we brits just didnt hear anything by them. And I refuse to believe they were worse than whats up.
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
As a budding bass player I was of course enamored by the intro to "What I Am" and would play it for hours. "What's Up" has never made me want to do anything but drop-kick puppies.
― Here's the storify, of a lovely ladify (Phil D.), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:51 (ten years ago) link
What's Up is one of the worst songs ever made whereas What I Am is kind of sweet and spawned a great Balearic remix which led to Primal Scream's Loaded so this is an easy one.
― Deafening silence (DL), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:51 (ten years ago) link
smithy im sorry for reminding you of the pain of the edie song
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:51 (ten years ago) link
I PRAY EVERY SINGLE DAYFOR REVOLUSHUHHHHH-AHHHH *turns into pteradon, eats unlucky baby, flies into the sunset*
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:52 (ten years ago) link
Every time I see people complaining about Jessie J or Karmin, I remember that Linda Perry sang on a hit song.
The time that I liked Edie Brickell is coincident with the time I liked Over the Rhine, who looked like this in those days:
http://www.weblo.com/music/images/artists/full/Over_the_Rhine_48f5eec1bfeaa.jpg
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:52 (ten years ago) link
My gay mum loves what's up btw
― Charlie Slothrop (wins), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:53 (ten years ago) link
it is true that he-man what's up is an invaluable piece of internet ephemera
― call all destroyer, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:53 (ten years ago) link
I have never played her the my dick version
― Charlie Slothrop (wins), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:54 (ten years ago) link
OMG Over the Rhine. Since they were an Ohio band we were legally obligated to play them on our college station. I have a signed CD from them. I am not joking.
PS They are still around and still playing festivals and stuff.
― Here's the storify, of a lovely ladify (Phil D.), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:54 (ten years ago) link
if this were strictly on the merits of the original, I hate both of these but at least you can ignore "What I Am." However "What I Am" irritates me more lyrically, which is really saying something, because "What's Up" is not exactly Leonard Cohen. A difficult contest in which the only real fair move is self-immolation
― tight in the runs (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:54 (ten years ago) link
The Edie is sooooo much better. Minus the Jerry Garcia envelope filter diaper-guitar solo.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:55 (ten years ago) link
I still have love for OtR. They were not bad.
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:55 (ten years ago) link
What's Up LyricsTwenty-five years I'm alive here stillTrying to get up that great big hill of hopeFor a destinationI realized quickly when I knew I shouldThat the world was made up of this brotherhood of manFor whatever that meansAnd so I cry sometimesWhen I'm lying in bed Just to get it all outWhat's in my headAnd I, I am feeling a little peculiar.And so I wake in the morningAnd I step outsideAnd I take a deep breath and I get real highAnd I scream from the top of my lungsWhat's going on?And I say: HEY! yeah yeaaah, HEY yeah yeaI said hey, what's going on?And I say: HEY! yeah yeaaah, HEY yeah yeaI said hey, what's going on?ooh, ooh oooooooooooooooohooh, ooh oooooooooooooooohand I try, oh my god do I tryI try all the time, in this institutionAnd I pray, oh my god do I prayI pray all sanctityFor a revolution.And so I cry sometimesWhen I'm lying bedJust to get it all outWhat's in my headAnd I, I am feeling a little peculiarAnd so I wake in the morningAnd I step outsideAnd I take a deep breath and I get real highAnd I scream from the top of my lungsWhat's going on?And I say, hey hey hey heyI said hey, what's going on?And I say, hey hey hey heyI said hey, what's going on?And I say, hey hey hey heyI said hey, what's going on?And I say, hey hey hey heyI said hey, what's going on?ooh, ooh ooooooooooooooooh oooooooooooooooohTwenty-five years I'm alive here stillTrying to get up that great big hill of hopefor a destinationmmh mh
Twenty-five years I'm alive here stillTrying to get up that great big hill of hopeFor a destination
I realized quickly when I knew I shouldThat the world was made up of this brotherhood of manFor whatever that means
And so I cry sometimesWhen I'm lying in bed Just to get it all outWhat's in my headAnd I, I am feeling a little peculiar.
And so I wake in the morningAnd I step outsideAnd I take a deep breath and I get real highAnd I scream from the top of my lungsWhat's going on?
And I say: HEY! yeah yeaaah, HEY yeah yeaI said hey, what's going on?
ooh, ooh oooooooooooooooohooh, ooh ooooooooooooooooh
and I try, oh my god do I tryI try all the time, in this institution
And I pray, oh my god do I prayI pray all sanctityFor a revolution.
And so I cry sometimesWhen I'm lying bedJust to get it all outWhat's in my headAnd I, I am feeling a little peculiar
And I say, hey hey hey heyI said hey, what's going on?
ooh, ooh ooooooooooooooooh ooooooooooooooooh
Twenty-five years I'm alive here stillTrying to get up that great big hill of hopefor a destinationmmh mh
vs
I'm not aware of too many thingsI know what I know, if you know what I meanPhilosophy is the talk on a cereal boxReligion is the smile on a dogI'm not aware of too many thingsI know what I know, if you know what I mean, d-doo yeahChoke me in the shallow watersBefore I get too deepWhat I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?What I am is what I amAre you what you are orOh, I'm not aware of too many thingsI know what I know, if you know what I meanPhilosophy is a walk on the slippery rocksReligion is a light in the fogI'm not aware of too many thingsI know what I know, if you know what I mean, d-doo yeahChoke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deepWhat I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what you are andWhat I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?Don't let me get too deepDon't let me get too deepDon't let me get too deepDon't let me get too deepChoke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deepChoke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deepChoke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deepChoke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deep
Choke me in the shallow watersBefore I get too deep
What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?What I am is what I amAre you what you are or
Oh, I'm not aware of too many thingsI know what I know, if you know what I meanPhilosophy is a walk on the slippery rocksReligion is a light in the fogI'm not aware of too many thingsI know what I know, if you know what I mean, d-doo yeah
Choke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deep
What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?
What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what you are and
What I am is what I amAre you what you are or what?
Don't let me get too deepDon't let me get too deepDon't let me get too deepDon't let me get too deep
Choke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deepChoke me in the shallow waterBefore I get too deep
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:55 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVK3Zo95Vhg
― pplains, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:56 (ten years ago) link
yeah I mean
Philosophy is the talk on a cereal boxReligion is the smile on a dog
that's game over in the horrible lyrics contest forever, flawless victory, none left standing, smoking pile of ash in the corner of every potential opponent. And then she goes and runs up the score with
― tight in the runs (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:57 (ten years ago) link
if we had an open thread titled "name the worst most bad and hated song that ever charted: GO!" the answer would still be What's Up.
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:58 (ten years ago) link
ah do yeah
― pplains, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:58 (ten years ago) link
I swear I cant think of a worse song than What's Up
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:58 (ten years ago) link
Mind you I cant think of a worse guitar solo than the one in What I Am
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 17:59 (ten years ago) link
I just realised this is why I hate 'what I am' and that I've never heard the original, I don't thinkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEOeClFSQ1o
As much as I love 'what's up' I've always been annoyed at "And I scream from the top of my lungs"You scream FROM the bottom of your lungs or AT the top of your lungs
Screaming from the top of your lungs would be like ~hhh eeehhhhh ehhh~ creepy shit
― kinder, Monday, 5 August 2013 17:59 (ten years ago) link
almost kinda miss these white hippie bands with like nine members. "Hey, you know how to shake the gourds? Well, we're not Camper Van Beethoven or anything, but if you were good enough for Poi Dog Pondering, you're good enough for us."
― pplains, Monday, 5 August 2013 18:00 (ten years ago) link
That Rusted Root song (dunno the name, it's in a bank commercial now or something) should've been a third poll option.
― Esperanto, why don't you come to your senses? (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:00 (ten years ago) link
xp to aero: but dog is god backwards DO YOU SEE
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:00 (ten years ago) link
yeah it was baby spices first solo song
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:00 (ten years ago) link
tarfumes i dunno it and these 2 songs are well known all over the western world (which is why black velvet beat life is a highway)
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:01 (ten years ago) link
even if "what's up" wasn't my least favorite song of all time (w/ "zombie" and "breakfast at tiffany's" right behind it) and even if "what i am" didn't quote popeye i'd still give it to brickell. she's capable of making steve martin laugh apparently which is something. plus there are other edie brickell songs i very passively enjoy in a shopping for produce and listening to solo natalie merchant way. otoh linda perry has actually been involved w/ a number of actually great songs. but none of them were by 4 non-blondes.
― balls, Monday, 5 August 2013 18:01 (ten years ago) link
like i couldve chosen toploader or that dodgy song but only the brits would know that
― ..it would have sounded about as heavy as Talulah Gosh. (Algerian Goalkeeper), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:02 (ten years ago) link
these are both great songs everyone is just jealous of how catchy they are!
― stefon taylor swiftboat (s.clover), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:02 (ten years ago) link
ohh yeah zombie coulda been a contender for whats up
Edie Brickell is easily explained when you realize she is super fucking stoned
Nothing can explain Linda Perry
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:03 (ten years ago) link
she's mad at grandma
― kinder, Monday, 5 August 2013 18:04 (ten years ago) link
"What's Up?" is a hideous misconception of a song from top to bottom and is only halfway listenable because the overwrought, wholly out-of-place vocal screeching"What I Am" is basically what Phish would sound like if they didn't want me to punch them in their phishy phaces― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, August 5, 2013 12:49 PM (13 minutes ago)
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, August 5, 2013 12:49 PM (13 minutes ago)
^^Truth.
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 5 August 2013 18:05 (ten years ago) link
I just keep imagining 4 Non Blondes as a band in the studio, putting down the backing tracks, and then Linda says "welp, time for me to BLOW SOME MINDS" and picks up the mic and screams into it while the anticipatory smiles on the faces of the rest of the band freeze and then become incredibly strained because they all remember what happened to Becky
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:05 (ten years ago) link
In Flight is a really nice album
― stefon taylor swiftboat (s.clover), Monday, 5 August 2013 18:05 (ten years ago) link
Hear that lonesome whippoorwillHe sounds too blue to flyThe midnight train is whining lowAnd I scream at the top of my lungs, "What's going on?"
― who even are those other cats (Eazy), Tuesday, 14 March 2017 16:24 (seven years ago) link
argh
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 14 March 2017 16:30 (seven years ago) link
good lord, that spring break performance is dire. band and audience both seem bored and tired, and perry cannot adjust whatsoever to a different vibe/scale of audience. not sure a laid-back, beachy good-time version of "what's up" is possible but it would have been worth it to try.
― tales of a scorched-earth nothing (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 14 March 2017 16:54 (seven years ago) link
I was just going to ask about that really fucked up acoustic guitar, can't search the thread on my phone but shocked of that hadn't been brought up yet.
Also the mocking of the envelope filter guitar solo the other day got me listening to a bunch of 70s versions of "Fire on the Mountain" which has been good.
― joygoat, Tuesday, 14 March 2017 19:13 (seven years ago) link
Thanks, y'all, for helping me focus my hate.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 28 October 2017 03:09 (six years ago) link
Touch of grey was a the shitty mulch imo, seemed like he inev conclusion
― for the last while (Hunt3r), Saturday, 28 October 2017 03:44 (six years ago) link
This stupid bar has played both in the last hour
― calstars, Monday, 5 March 2018 22:09 (six years ago) link
Hate to be a bummer, but it's possible you had an unexpected and deadly accident and are now in the bad place.
― Moodles, Monday, 5 March 2018 22:20 (six years ago) link
It’s true
― calstars, Monday, 5 March 2018 22:32 (six years ago) link
I love how it was uncool in the 90s to name your song after the chorus and What's Up is my favorite example and on an unrelated note my least favorite song of all time
― orifex, Monday, 5 March 2018 23:06 (six years ago) link
yeah I like what I am moreAlfred you definitely bring up a good point that Edie pioneered that college radio reared hippies market niche that Matthews et al took to the bank
― It's not delivery, it's Adorno! (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 5 March 2018 23:28 (six years ago) link
i hope he was really drunk when those songs played
― Algerian Goalkeeper (Odysseus), Sunday, 18 March 2018 04:40 (six years ago) link
Why is the 4NB song so bad and hated? It's inarguably chock full of hooks. I think they're GOOD hooks. I like the unabashed use of acoustic guitar which you really don't hear much in top 40. The sentiment is corny and maudlin, sure. Is that what people hate about it? It's hard to call it hackwork, Linda Perry has an extensive catalog of good songs. WHAT'S UP is basically what I'm asking.
― GarugBand (rip van wanko), Wednesday, 16 January 2019 16:27 (five years ago) link
kinder at 9:43 11 Mar 17What's Up is brilliant
― kinder, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 17:10 (five years ago) link
What's Up is bad enough that an earthquake was unleashed to attempt to kill the band before they could record it. a bit harsh if you ask me but there it is.
― omar little, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 17:25 (five years ago) link
hmm this story checks out. am i going to hell for liking this song
― GarugBand (rip van wanko), Wednesday, 16 January 2019 17:48 (five years ago) link
kinder I applaud your courage
― GarugBand (rip van wanko), Wednesday, 16 January 2019 18:09 (five years ago) link
I tryOh my god do I try
― kinder, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 19:53 (five years ago) link
Don’t try
― calstars, Wednesday, 16 January 2019 19:56 (five years ago) link
In What I Am, Edie Brickell sings "I know what I know if you know what I mean? D-do ya?", but at first I thought she was singing "D-derriere."
On a different note, I don't think I had ever put together until just now that her future husband had a song called "I Know What I Know" on Graceland. I mean, I knew his song but didn't catch on that she also had the title in her lyric.
― peace, man, Thursday, 17 January 2019 12:58 (five years ago) link
― THE WORINÐLVE (DJP), Monday, August 5, 2013 1:52 PM bookmarkflaglink
― Lover of Nixon (or LON for short) (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 06:53 (three years ago) link
My son's girlfriend loves 'What's Going On' so I am now not allowed to say bad things about it.
but I pray, oh, my God, do I pray
― Clean-up on ILX (onimo), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 08:25 (three years ago) link
You should pull a reverse "Rude" and show up at your son's girlfriend's house and break up with her for him.
― Joe Biden Shot My Dog - Vols. I-XL (PBKR), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 12:31 (three years ago) link
She's really nice she just likes a bad song.
My rudeness extends to commenting out loud on the size of Linda Perry's mouth and speculating on whether she or Steve Tyler could eat the biggest whole orange.
― Clean-up on ILX (onimo), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 12:37 (three years ago) link
Hatgoggles
― velcro-magnon (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 12:46 (three years ago) link
Imagine a Linda Perry/Steve Tyler screech duet
― DJP, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 14:18 (three years ago) link
i love that this poll is on ile
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 14:20 (three years ago) link
Finally, a Tyler Perry that white people can understand.
― pplains, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 15:00 (three years ago) link
holy lol
― DJP, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 15:28 (three years ago) link
great songs both
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Saturday, March 11, 2017 12:11 PM (five years ago) bookmarkflaglink
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Monday, 6 June 2022 15:54 (one year ago) link
screaming at the top of my lungs
― Gymnopédie Pablo (Neanderthal), Monday, 6 June 2022 15:55 (one year ago) link
best “What” song from this era: Haddaway’s “What Is Love”
― butt-mooning is a polysemous word, hoss! (breastcrawl), Monday, 6 June 2022 16:25 (one year ago) link
Or Tribe's "What?"
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 6 June 2022 16:31 (one year ago) link
Whiney otm
― brimstead, Monday, 6 June 2022 19:27 (one year ago) link
Lol whoopsThe remix of “what I am” with the soul2soul/“loaded” beat rules
― brimstead, Monday, 6 June 2022 19:29 (one year ago) link
assumed bump was for https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jun/06/linda-perry-non-blonde-pink-christina-aguilera-dolly-parton-gwen-stefani-courtney-lovelooking at the Guardian took me a few times to not read it as Legendary Hat Maker
― maf you one two (maffew12), Monday, 6 June 2022 19:42 (one year ago) link
I have What's Up stuck in my head this morning and I want to die
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Wednesday, 31 August 2022 14:37 (one year ago) link
^fav Nirvana b-side
― and the worms, they entered his ass (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 31 August 2022 17:31 (one year ago) link
4 Non Blondes - What's Up (Official Music Video)1,373,815,500 views
― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Wednesday, 31 August 2022 17:40 (one year ago) link
grocery store last night, place is basically two big rooms/areas and i guess they have two different sound systems. "What's Up?" was coming out of the speakers in the frozen/meat room; near the front, by the juice bar, another speaker was pumping out something where the lyrics got muffled out by the aisles of canned goods, but this chunky, thunky beat was coming through --- the kind of thing that 90s Yamahas keyboards would include as a "rap" or "hip-hop" beat, like bassy RZA drums with no spooky samples. anyway they were really locking together well, the BPM didn't synch completely so not everything worked but it sorta grounded and slowed down "What's Up?" in a way that i think really helped it a lot. maybe the best it's worked for me in years.not sure "What I Am" would be susceptible to this process, as its coffee-shop rhythm section is so much a part of the songwriting itself.
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 17 November 2022 17:08 (one year ago) link
The unusual name of the band came from an experience the group had in the Bay Area with a blonde family. According to Christa Hillhouse, "Right next to us, there's a trash receptacle with a piece of pizza on top and the kid wanted to pick it up. The mom said, 'No, it's probably dirty, what with the pigeons and people.' And she stared right at us. We were Non Blondes."[8]
The experience and the name became a symbol that they didn't fit the California stereotype.
― omar little, Thursday, 17 November 2022 17:16 (one year ago) link
not sure "What I Am" would be susceptible to this process
just came across the existence of this thanks to an aside in David Cavanagh's Creation book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq3RJaAgh3U
― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Thursday, 17 November 2022 18:00 (one year ago) link
great find. wow the Mad Magic DJs really burned the midnight oil on that one, huh?
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 18 November 2022 12:22 (one year ago) link
hell yeah, balearic my friends
― lets hear some blues on those synths (brimstead), Friday, 18 November 2022 17:43 (one year ago) link