Fireland

The Smithereens / Listen To Me Girl

In high school I asked a girl who was really tall and sun-dappled to make me a copy of U2’s new album. I didn’t like U2 but I liked this girl so I said um maybe you could make me a copy and then fill up the rest of the tape with whatever you want? I.e., songs carefully selected to reveal your true sexy feelings for me?

That’s how I made moves back then and it worked about as well as you’d imagine. (I would later make her an elaborate Valentine’s Day card, embedded with secret messages, in MacPaint.)

Anyway on Side B she put the entirety of Especially For You which became one of my all-time faves. The Joshua Tree did not. The sun-dappled girl went on to be sad and alone forever, I bet.