And What the Hell Does That Even Mean, Anyway?

OK, so does anyone else remember a song from the early/mid-80s called "Go for Soda" by a Canadian guy named Kimball Mitchell? I haven't heard it in years, but it's an extremely catchy tune and for some reason it' s been running through my head all day. Maybe because I was thirsty and I didn't have anything handy to drink besides water and coffee, and I didn't get around to going to the store until after 6:00 PM? This might make sense, except that a) I don't really like soda, and b) I don't even call it "soda," I call it "pop." (Note: I purchased milk, coffee, coffee cream, two things of raspberry juice, two things of orange juice, a four-pack of B&J Tropical Mango drinks, and a bottle of wine, so I ought to be set for the rest of the week.)

Here are that song's rankings on the Canadian charts for August, 1984. (Which Canadian charts? Billboard? Something else?) I notice too, that the sixth hit on my Google search for "Go for Soda" is none other than the blogrolled Sarah Weinman, who shares that last year, Mr. Mitchell found employment in the afternoon drive-time slot on one of Toronto's classic rock stations. She also shares this interesting anecdote: I must say, the songs are ridiculously catchy, in an evil-FM kind of way. Although funny story about "Go For Soda": it was adopted as the theme song by MADD when it was released...even though it had been the second single off Mitchell's album. The first? "Lagers & Ale." Eventually MADD, at Mitchell's behest, stopped using the song for their purposes.

(Note: Ms. Weinman and I share at least one thing in common; She and I both encountered the guy dressed like a toilet at Book Expo this summer and kept right on walking.)