Quitter’s Playlist: Fountains of Wayne, “Hey Julie”

To much of the world, Fountains of Wayne were and will always be the “Stacy’s Mom” guys — and not wrongly, as that unforgettable bit of satirical fluff from the golden summer of 2003 (only golden because I happened to be 16 that year) has so much staying power that you might see memes about it on Instagram tomorrow.

But, they were so much more than that. Co-writers Chris Collingwood and the late Adam Schlesinger had a knack for straightforward pop with or without sideways lyrics, and I suggest you check out some other things they did if you’re ever hard up for something fresh and timeless.

“Hey Julie” is a Simon & Garfunkel-flavored strummy bop sung from the point of view of a guy whose only pleasure, after a hard day of mind-numbing office work, is a backrub from his gal.

The job I just left did not see me “working all day for a mean little guy” like the one in the song, but implicit despair in the corporate rat race was all too familiar. Like Julie, my wife Mel has always been supportive of me, and she made it clear I didn’t need to bend myself completely out of shape to contribute to the household, that there had to be some other way to live. And for that I’ll always be grateful.

Scotto isn’t employed! That was his choice and he fully understands if you would rather put your money elsewhere. But if you like what you see, consider leaving some money in the tip jar at Ko-Fi.