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Such Great Lows

Posted at 8:59 AM on February 9, 2007 by Jacquie Fuller (24 Comments)

There's more than one way for a song to be ruined. Sometimes an ex ruins it for you. Sometimes it's advertising.

I've been trying to compile my responses for the Current's big Love Songs and Break-Up Songs countdown on Valentine's Day. Naturally, I had to start with my favorite love song. It's the Iron and Wine cover of the Postal Service's "Such Great Heights." It was my wedding song.

(Here, I'll hold your hair back for you. Good. Now brush your teeth.)

But, seriously. "Such Great Heights" was a pretty solid song to begin with--a modern classic, if you ask me--and Iron and Wine brought such warmth and intimacy to a song that was otherwise cool and airy.

But then a few M&Ms on a bad trip ruined my wedding song forever. I don't even understand what the concept of this commercial is.

Any of your favorite songs tarnished forever by advertising?

Comments (24)

I hear what you're saying, Jacquie. But, shouldn't we be accustomed to this by now? I used to be turned off when I heard a favorite song co-opted by a car company, or whatever. Now it is so prevalent it's almost like I don't notice anymore. Perhaps being inured to this phenomenon over the years is unhealthy. But it is hard to get outraged. And if part of the advertisers' intention is to connect music to product, I think they fail. I rarely associate the song with the product. I heard Teddybears "Punkrocker" on TV. But don't ask me what the commercial was. And I still like the song. When I listen to Iron & Wine I'm not thinking, "Wowww, the colors!" No harm, no foul, as far as I can tell.

Posted by Tony Lopez | February 9, 2007 10:02 AM

Every time I hear "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop, I want to go on a cruise, or by some juice, or go bungee jumping. or... Is that perhaps the most co-opted song of all time by advertisers? It has to have been featured in at least 5 different ads.

Posted by frick | February 9, 2007 10:39 AM

Jacquie, what's your feeling about UPS using the original Postal Service track for their new 'whiteboard' ad series? (I'm totally grooving on the not-so-hidden irony.) I agree that there's a certain headslap-eyeroll-groan factor when the track being used was chosen SOLELY because it was popular back in its day, and the company blatantly mooches off that popularity to further its own brand awareness (like Cadillac using Zep's "Rock and Roll" - argh!,) but if there's some obvious thought behind the track-product decision (like the new UPS ad, or Choice Hotels using Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere",) I'm all for it. In fact, if a product is already popular, an artist might WANT their song to appear in that product's ad. Why? Exposure to an instant national audience. For example, Apple's use of Rhinoserose's "Cubicle" to promote the iPod Shuffle. I had never heard the song before it started appearing in those ads. It blew me away and quickly became one of my favorites (in fact it's my current ringtone.)

Posted by UptownTodd | February 9, 2007 11:24 AM

Uptown Todd makes a good point about how some artists might want an ad deal to gain exposure. Granted, some advertisers have an odd understanding of what a song is about and there are some truly unfortunate pairings between product and music.

To your question about if a song has been tarnished for me, well, no, not personally. I have heard others bemoan the "loss" of a song.

Although I've mentioned this in other places...

Even

*A commercial for birth control
*A somewhat dispelled rumor that it is/isn't about heroin addiction (Who can tell? This doesn't make or break that theory, at least for me)
and
*A low, slow, deeply shaking break up

cannot tarnish or otherwise judder The La's "There She Goes" for me. In a personal pursuit for grace I find it to be a rare, pure song. I don't care if it doesn't do anything for anyone else or if advertisers slap it on a lipgloss video in Times Square. There's that little internal line that prevents outside dilution, y'know?

Posted by Julia Schrenkler | February 9, 2007 12:01 PM

Hey.. what happened to Tone Lope's and my comments from earlier? They disappeared.. So too have other comments from other threads.

Funnily enough I was listening to the La's when I read your comments, Julia. However, it was not "There She Goes".

Anyhoo... to repeat what I had originally posted was that how many times has "Lust For Life" been used for a commercial? I can think of a cruise line, a car company, and maybe even a juice or soda ad. There may be others.

I wonder what the most licensed song for ads is? Anybody know?

Posted by frick | February 9, 2007 12:26 PM

Hmmm I saw Tony's earlier and can see two from you now. Let me see if I can find the ghost in the machine.

Posted by Julia Schrenkler | February 9, 2007 12:37 PM

A commercial can't ruin a song for me because I don't watch that much TV. In fact, it tickles me pink when I hear a song on a commercial and I know it from the Current.

On the other hand, one of my ex-boyfriends totally ruined the B52s for me. I gave away all my B52s albums after a particularly emotionally wrenching breakup, and have rarely ever listened to them since.

Posted by auntie smedley | February 9, 2007 12:44 PM

Well, I chased down Tony. That's better!

[cracks knuckles] I'm going back in.

Back to your regularly scheduled commenting!

Posted by Julia Schrenkler | February 9, 2007 12:51 PM

Yep, they're back now.

I was listening to a recent "Sound Opinions" and they were talking about John Mellencamp's new album, and how now one of the songs is used in a car ad and the like. It was only a few years ago that he gave Bob Seger guff for "selling his songs" for commercials, now he's basically (pardon the pun) changed his tune, and has said that "If I can get my songs on the television and people will hear then, then I will."

That's too bad about the B-52's Auntie. Remind me to never put one of their songs on any compilation I may give you. I don't think I've had a band ruined for me by a breakup.

Posted by frick | February 9, 2007 12:53 PM

Todd, I couldn't agree more! When advertisers match a song to a product in a way that's smart and/or ironic, I find myself cheering. (In fact, I keep wishing our own Metro Transit would co-opt the Cloud Room's "Hey Now Now.") Advertising is an art, but it doesn't mean that everyone who makes advertising is an artist.

Tony's got a good point, too. I don't get seriously bent out of shape over this, I just sort of go, "Aw!" (I probably wouldn't have cared if it hadn't been my wedding song.)

On a different but related note, I do understand that artists have to pay the bills, too. In some respects, I'm glad this is a trend in advertising, as it's an additional way for indie artists to get national recognition. I hope Sam Beem and Ben Gibbard got a nice chunk of change for that song, or at least a lifetime supply of M&Ms.

Posted by Jacquie Fuller | February 9, 2007 1:19 PM

Oh, and ruined by a breakup? It's been 5 years since the guy and I split, and I can only now listen to Wilco's "A.M." again.

Posted by Jacquie Fuller | February 9, 2007 1:22 PM

Not to worry, Frick, this was quite a few years ago so I'm no longer overly sensitive about it. Bombs away!

Posted by Auntie Smedley | February 9, 2007 1:56 PM

Apropos of absolutely nothing: In college they called me Rock Lopester.

Posted by Tony Lopez | February 9, 2007 2:05 PM

Let's talk Dr. Pepper for a minute. I recently saw a commercial where Dr. Pepper had changed the words, but used the tune of "Turning Japanese" by the Vapors.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but isn't "Turning Japanese" about masturbation?

There are any number of horribly disgusting and clever things I could say about this...

I can't resist. When you drink a Dr. Pepper, the Saints cry.

Posted by Haiku Jim | February 9, 2007 2:40 PM

Rock Lopester... that's very funny!!!

Uh...I think Dr. Pepper just made my list of things not to buy ever again.

I wonder if "She Bop" or "Dancing With Myself" or "I Touch Myself" will ever be co-opted by a soda company. Or worse yet, K-Y or Kleenex.

Posted by frick | February 9, 2007 2:48 PM

Frick: I wish I had an answer for how many times Lust for Life has been sold. It's a true bummer. I think the Lust for Life CD was in heavy rotation at home for at least 2 years when I was youngster, and it really bummed me out to hear it in commercials.

Posted by Christina Schmitt | February 9, 2007 2:56 PM

That's great guys.

Anyway, I heard a Modest Mouse song (Gravity Rides Everything) in a commercial for a minivan. I was kinda upset at first, until I realized that lots of folks who hadn't heard it would now. So, I guess that's the price.

Posted by Michael Wells | February 9, 2007 3:00 PM

I used to have something of an attitude about songs in ads, then I realized that, in the case of someone like Nick Drake or Alex Chilton, that's more money than either of those folks ever saw while A) Nick was alive and 2) Alex was in Big Star. It's all good since I'm sure Alex can use it and Nick's family is a little better off.

So, good for them, I say.

Posted by Kevin | February 9, 2007 4:11 PM

I once heard "She Bop" playing over the Muzak system at a Wal-Mart. I thought that was pretty darn funny.

Not like I shop at Wal-Mart. I mean, I was there ... for work. I was working on a video shoot ... As Emily Haine's stunt double ... Her, uh, brunette, non-skinny, looks-nothing-like-her stunt double.

Posted by Jacquie Fuller | February 9, 2007 4:13 PM

The big drag for me about music and advertising is that, more and more, advertisers are not using original music. I guess they figure it's just easier to secure the rights of a song rather than hire an agency to compose original music. I mean, hey, these guys are working musicians, too, you know!

Posted by Tony Lopez | February 9, 2007 4:52 PM

Well Tony, I'm no advertising whiz but I reckon the value of the music is in how recognizable it is to the audience no matter how big the stretch. ("Blister in the Sun" doesn't exactly make me think of a Wendy's cheeseburger...feel free to make whatever associations you'd like)

Where have all the good commercial jingles gone?

Posted by Julia Schrenkler | February 9, 2007 6:55 PM

Where have all the good commercial jingles gone?

Julia, you are opening up a whole new can of earworms with that one. You know that don't you?

Plop Plop Fizz Fizz...

Posted by frick | February 9, 2007 7:13 PM

Song About Heroin Used To Advertise Bank

Posted by Mac Wilson | February 10, 2007 3:45 AM

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