BigYawn

So, 80s pop is a bit of an obsession of mine, thanks to Casey Kasem, that devil. Perhaps my favorite song in the whole wild world comes from this era: “Your Love” by the Outfield. The misconception is that the Outfield were a one-hit wonder. Hardly. A quick examination of Big Innings: The Best of the Outfield disproves that theory (pay particular attention to “All the Love,” “Say it isn’t So” and “Since You’ve Been Gone.” But even I can’t argue “Your Love” is their biggest hit.

The guitar intro is unforgettable, the first verse, “Josie’s on a vacation far away…”, that’s some powerful stuff right there. To me, that is more powerful than the opening of the “Star Spangled Banner.” It is a perfect, 3:36 pop song. Which is about as long as a pop song should be. It is also not over-played at 80’s nights. Sure, it gets played, but not quite too much. When you hear it, you always get excited, right? Don’t argue with me, I know my 80’s pop.

There has been rash of attempts to cover this song lately, from artists as varied as Katy Perry to Bon Iver. I can’t say I hate any of the versions, but they are a little… special? Listen for yourself, and take the opportunity to hear the magic of the original one more time. As lovable and simple a song as it is, I am always haunted by the question, where exactly did Josie go on vacation anyway?

Your Love - Bon Iver