D’ Original “D’ Punks”

Forgive me if I dwell on The Cascades yet again.

When we were growing up my dad would often play their long-playing vinyl album every Sunday morning (if not that he’d play the soundtrack of The Sound Of Music or any of our Ray Conniff albums). So yesterday in a fit of nostalgia I decided to play their CD while we were having lunch. My younger brother and I were discussing the album when I suddenly had a surprising realization. Surprising because I’ve been singing along to the songs for more than four (!) decades and it was only yesterday that the following realization dawned on me:

McVie: “My god! Do you realize that all of the Cascade songs are sawi sa pag-ibig songs? They’re always about a lost love or wanting a girl but not getting her?”

McBro (incredulous): “Owwws.”

So we looked at the track listing, and as we ran down each and every song we kept cracking up. My gosh, those Cascade dudes were big-time losers! To wit:

“Angel On My Shoulder” – He already has an angel on his shoulder, a lucky penny in his pocket and a four-leaf clover in his wallet. Furthermore, he has wished upon all the stars above him (there are a million of them), caught the nearest rainbow, tossed a lot of nickels in a wishing well, saved all the fortunes from fortune cookies. But despite all of those, what he really needs is “a warm and tender love”, something he still hasn’t found yet. What a loser. Oh, and he also has a mustard seed. Wow, big f**kin’ deal.

“I Wanna Be You Lover” – It’s the classic “let’s just be friends” dilemma, and we all know how they often end.

“Dreamin’” and “Was I Dreamin’” – Two songs about the girl of his dreams who may actually be just a dream. What a pathetic loser.

“Let Me Be” – Despite the clap-happy tune, this song is about a guy who can’t shake his ex off. “You cheated and you lied, I hope you’re satisfied. Oh why won’t you let me be?” Hey boy, why won’t you let her be and take charge of your life? Loser.

“Lucky Guy” – It’s a song about a guy who loses his girl to another guy. Enough said.

“My First Day Alone” – The day after the break-up. Loser.

“Punch And Judy” – “Judy makes a fool of me…. Even though I know the score, I keep coming back for more.” Pathetic—an emotional punching bag. He should charge her with emotional violence, but he’s too much of a loser to fight back.

“Rhythm Of The Rain” – This is the cousin of the song “Crying In The Rain,” an ode to tears of loss and the heavens pouring in sympathy. Well, they get no sympathy from me.

“Shy Girl” – At first you think the problematic person in this song is the girl, not the guy. But no: “If only you knew I’m shy like you, you might not run away. Oh please don’t shy away. I’ve got so much to say.” What a loooser!

“There’s A Reason” – The girl leaves him and he’s looking for a reason why she said goodbye. Loser.

“The Last Leaf” – For me this is the most pathetic song of the bunch. The girl promised to come back to him “before the leaves of autumn touch the ground.” But then “one by one the leaves began to fall” and still no girl. So now he’s clinging on to “the last leaf that clings to the bough.” Now isn’t that pathetic or what?

Then my brother had another stunning realization: “Wow, I think The Cascades created the first punk album way before punk was created!”

Now it was my turn: “Owwws?!”

McBro: “Think about it—songs about love and loss, all under three minutes, all sounding alike. The Cascades are sooo punk!”

My god, he’s right. Rey “PJ” Avellana should re-visit his famous line from the movie D’ Punks: “Ma, hindi n’yo kami naiintindihan eh. Kami’y D’ Cascades!”

Which got me to thinking: why do most Pinoys love Cascades songs? Are we a nation of losers, mga sawi sa pag-ibig at buhay? Are we a nation of feeling-underdogs? Do we gravitate towards sad songs because they give us an outlet to vent out our frustrations in a civilized manner?

But if we are a society of underdogs, then how do we explain the popularity of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” in karaoke and videoke bars all over the country? Perhaps “My Way” is really the true antithesis of the sawi songs, because how else do we explain the numerous violent drunken episodes attached to the song? Does the deadly combination of “My Way” and alcohol transform us from passive losers into violent aggressors?

Do we really attach any sociological implication to all these musings?!

But really, why are the Cascades so popular here? There must be a reason; I’d like to know why, oh why, oh, I’d like to know. For now I hope that one day we can drop this La Aunoric ako-ay-api mentality and be a more pro-active and take-charge society. But until then, I’ll just keep on dreamin’, keep right on dreamin’.