The Waitresses - Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful - 1982

If you've only heard "I Know What Boys Like" then you are in for a real treat. This record by The Waitresses is so much better and more than that one novelty hit.

When I ripped this a few weeks ago I must have listened to it 4 time in a row. The lyrics are clever and fun. The music is great. It delves into funk and jazz excursions that are surprising and satisfying.

A little side story about this record is that when I was in fifth grade I made radio collages. What that means is that I would surf the radio dial and record anywhere from 1 second to a few seconds of songs. It made for some really weird listening and today serves as an amazing time capsule of 1982. Well on in the montage of snippets there is a clip from the Waitresses and all these years I never knew who it was. It is a clip from "Pussy Strut".

"No Guilt" is a great opener. It sets the mood for the record. The lyrics are fun. There is a great line in the second verse "I know someone who really met Belushi". I love the line because it is so of its time. I also love it because I think it says volumes about the character in the song. Great, great line. The song also has a "Square Pegs" feel to it, which The Waitresses also did.

I also like the albums point of view. It definitely is coming from a female perspective. And from a perspective with an attitude. In fact the attitude in my opinion is very punk rock. You really get the sense that Patty Donahue wasn't going to take any guff from anyone, male or female. "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful" is a great example of this. Patty sings, "What's a girl to do? Born to shop?" to which the back up singers shout "no" and she replies "pretty victories" Then she sings "What's a girl to do? Scream and screw?" and again the chorus shouts "no"and she replies "pretty victories". All this is done in a catchy poppy bouncy fashion.

Here's a link to all the lyrics to "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful". Definitely worth reading.

Another few great lines are.

Spit out the F-word, like a shotgun
A shot gun, if they can't take a Joke!

Get tough, don't be so patient
Get smart, head up, shoulders straight
Since when is it a disaster?
If the "S" on your cape is a little frayed?

"It's My Car" is a great little ska-light number. Sounds a lot like The English Beat. It's probably my favorite track on the record, but to be honest they are all good.

"Pussy Strut" is also great. The music is crazy underneath everything. The horn player just lets loose throughout this whole thing.

Enjoy!

01 No Guilt.m4a
02 Wise Up.m4a
03 Quit.m4a
04 It's My Car.m4a
05 Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful_.m4a
06 I Know What Boys Like.m4a
07 Heat Night.m4a
08 Redland.m4a
09 Pussy Strut.m4a
10 Go On.m4a
11 Jimmy Tomorrow.m4a

Here are sides 1 & 2 in two zip files for your convenience.
The Waitresses - Side 1.zip
The Waitresses - Side 2.zip