Date: May 24, 1975
Weeks: 1
This song has recently been used in a series of TV commercials, and it's a testament to how poor the ads are that I can't remember what company they're for. I want to say FedEx? But I can't find it by searching that, so... I guess not. It's also a testament to the song's quality that its impact isn't diminished by that.
I think the reason for that is the fact that the song's chorus is what gets overused and overexposed, but it's not the chorus that draws me in. The more interesting and entertaining part of the song is the verses. The format of the verses, with the strong bass line and loose vocal style, is the part of the song that's really fun. That's the part of the song that makes me want to get up and dance. That bass line, with occasional brass interjections, is classic and I really enjoy it. It's really a shame that when the chorus comes along, it turns into a different song. The bass falls away, the vocals get less loose, and I'm left waiting for the chorus to end so the good part of the song can come back.
The vocal harmonies in this song are good. I already mentioned the loose vocal style in the verses, which I really enjoy. It's only during the chorus, again, where the life seems to go out of the vocals. What is it that inspires that chorus to be so bland?
There's not a lot to nitpick in the lyrics. It's a generally positive song that tells the listener they're special, a shining star. It sounds a lot like the Mr. Rogers message of "everybody's special," which isn't a bad message for kids to get. It's also pretty clear that the line that a shining star will "shine its watchful light on you" is intended to be a religious message. It's a decently-crafted metaphor. I can't object to it.
My verdict: Like it. I wish they would crank up the bass in the chorus, as that would vastly improve the song. But that's a fairly small nitpick against a really good song.
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