Come around and talk it over
So many things that I want to say
You know I like my girls a little bit older"
Every child of the 80s will immediately recognize the opening lyrics of The Outfield's 1986 hit, "Your Love". Lead singer and bassist Tony Lewis died this week, and this caused a discussion on the on-going text chat with my friends. No one claimed this was their favorite song, but all praised it being a "genius pop song" and the lyrical content applicable to the moral dilemmas of teenagers / young adults (in other words, being "down with O.P.P."). It was a radio and MTV staple back in the 80s, and an inescapable part of our HS soundtrack.
In our discussion, an interesting question arose: is the side chick younger or older than Josie? younger or older than the male? I, along with all the guys on the chat, had always assumed that the side chick was youngest of this love triangle. That's a safe cultural (and gendered) assumption. But re-reading it today I was less certain: "I like my girls a little bit older" -- wait, is she the oldest one? Is she Stacy's mom? All of the sudden I wasn't sure.
I asked Danette and she said she always assumed the side chick was the oldest of the three. Hillary said she assumed the side chick was older than Josie, but still younger than the male.
I only have a few data points, but maybe there's something to the idea of a gendered interpretation of this silly but fun song.
The Outfield - "Your Love" (official video, with extended intro), (radio & LP version)
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