- Kelly O says, “Whenever the shit’s about to hit the fan in my life, ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ is playing somewhere, at a creepy low volume, whether I can hear it or not.”
“EMOTIONAL RESCUE” BY THE ROLLING STONES
“Emotional Rescue” starts out so innocently. It’s vintage Rolling Stones white-boy soul, the hi-hat tinging, the bass deep, Mick Jagger’s harmless falsetto chiming in—it’s catchy, and you can’t quite understand the words, and you’re ready to dance, aren’t you? When I heard it on the radio as a child, it always fooled me with its innocuous beginning: “I was dreaming… last night…” Dreams are nice. Not like nightmares. I’m just a little girl, living life, listening to some rock and roll while playing paper dolls or whatever. No problem. “You could be mine, mine, mine, mine, all mine,” the man in the song says. Okay, like “Be mine” on a valentine… okay.
Things that are horribly creepy are all the more creepy when you’re not expecting them. Children are forgetful. “Mmmmmm,” the man on the radio says with monstery relish, and the happy bounce of the bass falls away. “Yeeessssssss, you could be mine. Tonight and EVERRRRY night. I will be your KNIGHT in SHINING ARMOR, coming to your eeeeee-MO-tional rescue.” Nooooo. Incantatory, casting a spell, now: “You will be mine you will be mine all mine…” over and over and over. The saxophone here sounds terrorized, like it’s bleating a warning before it gets slashed with this monster-man’s claws. Now, wait—no, stop—”I will be your knight in shining armor, riding across the desert, on a fine Arab CHARRRRGER.” He inhales with a hisssss. NO NO NO NO NO. Run across the room, turn off the radio, heart beating fast. Even a girl can see that this is not a rescue, emotional or otherwise. This is a demon looking for a host.
Continue reading about all the other songs that scare the shit out of us! »