Tag: Simple Plan

Simple Plan – Saturday

Tim: So I first came across this because yesterday a just discernible as fake 5 Seconds of Summer account posted a slightly slowed down version of this as their new single, God knows, why, but it’s really very good indeed.

Tom: “Hello, Simple Plan’s lawyers? Yes, this is the Bay City Rollers’ lawyers. We should talk about that intro. No, just the intro.”

Tim: They’re a Canadian band who we’ve featured once before, with their as yet only international hit, 2012’s Summer Paradise, and this is their first track since then and an entirely different kettle of fish – that was beachy and summery and whistle and a bit French, whereas this is PARTY and ROCK and WEEKEND and SHOUTY and AWESOME and BRILLIANT.

Tom: I mean, it is basically a punk version of that Bay City Rollers track, with a bit of Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night in there — although that’s mainly because they rhymed “boulevard” and “credit card”. Can’t deny, though, it’s a good PARTY WEEKEND SONG.

Tim: Except it isn’t. You know, I’m almost at the stage of getting very annoyed indeed with songs whose lyrics don’t match the music. Because of course it’s a party song. Loud. Raucous. Energetic. But what’s it suggesting for real fun? “You, me and nothing but Netflix.”

Tom: Well, yeah, but “we can line up shots til it all goes bad” too. And end up pukiing in a taxi. Actually, that sounds like a really bad night.

Tim: I was all excited for a big party, but then “I’d rather be alone with you”, so basically, sod off.

Simple Plan feat. Sean Paul – Summer Paradise

Everything about this is a Standard Summer Song

Tim: A bit Frencher than yesterday, in that they’re a French Canadian band, and they’ve done two versions – a French and an English one. The English one has the video, and the French one may cause occasional linguistic confusion.

Tom: I automatically started singing Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” along with the verse of this. The timing, instrumentation and chords are similar enough that it works startlingly well.

Tim: Ooh, you’re right, it does and all. The idea behind the translation seems to have been “translate as much as possible, unless it doesn’t scan and/or rhyme, in which case let’s not bother.” People who take things too seriously, or school French teachers, may take issue with this, but I couldn’t care less because either way it’s a fantastic summer tune.

Tom: Yep. Everything about this is a Standard Summer Song, and I mean that in a good way.

Tim: Sean Paul’s a bit of a pain, especially once you know that he wasn’t on the album cut but was added to the single release due to being significantly better known outside Canada than K’naan (Coca-Cola songs aside), but it seems that if you want a good summer beach track, you need a rapper with an annoying voice who shouts his name at the start of the song.

Tom: I’m standing by my mantra here: “it could have been worse; it could have been Pitbull”.

Tim: Him aside, there’s not much I don’t like. The ending’s not hugely exciting (though again, the album version improves it; no idea why they changed it for this), but it’s brilliantly cheerful, the French bits give it a summer holiday vibe, and anyone who doesn’t like it can go and hide until October.