David

3/24/09

“Lean on Sheena”; The Bouncing Souls; The Gold Record; 2006

The Bouncing Souls, another obscure band, found their way into my heart when I heard this song playing on the radio. Finding them was no easy task, since they weren’t found in Wal-Mart. I had to look for them in Best Buy, buying the only CD in stock, The Golden Record.

The Bouncing Souls are not special in any sort of way, unlike many of the other bands that populate my collection. They don’t have a trumpet in the background, they don’t have an accordion coming thought the speakers, they don’t even have odd lyrics. I haven’t even seen them in concert, not even on YouTube. A few of their songs are too disorganized and loud for me. They’re good, somewhat noteworthy, but “Lean on Sheena” is a very exceptional song, a gem by this small-time band.

The main reason I like this song is a personal connection. Me and my girlfriend consider this to be an unofficial “anthem” of our relationship. The story in the song tells of a girl who is held back, or even abused, by a father figure, who likes to drink “at the corner bar.,” where she hopes that he won’t be. The girl and the narrorator have to “hold on to what [they’ve] got,” until at some point, they separate: “Say goodbye to the corner bar/ not a friend ‘til the end/ but she's never coming back again/ now its on my mind and in my heart.” We always listen to this song and wonder what happened to a couple that were apparently well-off.

“Lean on Sheena” isn’t very special, in terms of instruments or music, so the fact that it stands out in the first place makes it noteworthy. It’s simply a great song, and has a deep personal connection to me. I can’t help but feel uplifted whenever I hear it. This song, as it turns out, is a cover of another band’s (Avoid One Thing) “Lean on Sheena.” Both songs have a great rhythm and feeling to them, but The Bouncing Souls’ version of it is much more rock-oriented, and has better vocals, making the cover sound, in my opinion, better than the original.