“Blurred Lines”
Writers: Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, Clifford Harris Jr., Marvin Gaye
Original Release Date: March 26, 2013
Since Christmas is over but I’m still sort of in the holiday spirit, I wanted to end the year with something a little bit different. But first I’m going to make you listen to Robin Thicke.
I don’t want to spend too much time dwelling on Robin Thicke’s single, mostly because thinking about the lyrics hurts my brain, but it does have a sick beat (thanks, Pharrell). There was a lot of controversy surrounding the song, as I’m sure you remember, from the way the lyrics seem to promote rape culture and misogyny, to the Marvin Gaye lawsuit (you may have noticed Marvin Gaye’s estate was eventually granted posthumous songwriting credits). It was a pretty inescapable song for about a year, and, overall, it has a summery vibe: whether that’s because of the poppy beat or the video featuring half-naked women, I’m not sure.
As my last (Un)Covered of the year, I wanted to share something that’s more parody than straight-forward rendition. There have been tons of “Blurred Lines” parodies, enough to warrant an entire section on the song’s Wikipedia page, but my favorite has to be from the DJs at London’s BBC Radio 1. There are so many amazing lines in this version, I’m not even sure where to start; I always like shouting “NO NOG FOR ME”, but there are multiple gems to choose from. The beat is pretty much the same as the original, except with a few more chiming bells at the beginning, but the way they changed the lyrics around to apply to the holiday season was genius. And the video, featuring DJs Chris Smith and Greg James (aka Father Chris Smith and Pharr-elf), plus a veritable cameo fest including Coldplay, Jake Bugg, Keith Lemon, and Jamie Oliver, is a fun and quirky way to celebrate the holiday season. And as a certified Anglophile, this is exactly the type of content I live for!
Save a couple of brain cells and sing along to the “Mulled Wines”—it’s a lot more clever than the original and it will leave you with a craving for mince pies…even if you don’t know what mince is.