A great take on a wonderful song by a sadly underappreciated artist. "Discipline of Love" came up on my shuffle play just this week and it made me miss him once again.
While both “Addicted to Love” and “Simply Irresistible” are classic videos from the heyday of MTV, my fondest memory is one of the guitar playing clones of the “Addicted to Love” video somehow, mesmerizingly had one bosom keeping time the entire song.
Those of you who want to see it as an ode to coke and/or crack, knock yourselves out. No really, I mean it. That would SO not have been Robert Palmer.
Speaking of which though, Brian H., any time you’d like to take a crack at parsing “Johnny and Mary,” please have at it. It’s produced a bit fast for me but is my favorite Robert Palmer song. Been a big fan since 1975.
Double deep cut! Yes, similar chord progression. That would be the first time in history someone decided to pay homage to THAT Beatle song. No offense to that song. It’s a perfectly fine song. I’m just saying. The video for Johnny and Mary is bizarre.
OMG, have I stumbled onto a mini Robert Palmer fan club?
My musical consciousness precedes the advent of MTV by 20 years. Seeing the video often ruins a song for me because it clashes with the one my mind has already produced.
I think all of “Clues” is a treat. The title track, Gary Neuman’s “I Dream Of Wires,” “J & M,” “Woke Up Laughing” all stand the 40+ year test of time.
Apropos of nothing else, the people mover subway at SeaTac airport makes a chime when the doors close that is a succession of 3 eighth notes of first, third, fifth, that are identical to the first 3 notes of “Pressure Drop,” Toots Hibbard’s song which RP covered on his album of the same name. The one with the naked model on the balcony seen from behind. I retired from a job that had me flying 3-4 times a month so that song was an ear worm All. The. Time. Could be woise.
5 years late but fuck Covid. I want Toots Hibbard and John Prine back.
So funny, I JUST heard this song yesterday. Here's another theory--rather than the woman changing her appearance ever so slightly so that he suddenly saw what was right in front of him--what if HE changed. What if HE evolved to appreciate whomever this love interest is because HE saw her differently. What if he has changed what he values, and now appreciates a sense of independence and engaging, reciprocal, balanced conversations? What if she appeals to him not only physically, but intellectually now as HE is more self-confident and not threatened by that? Maybe now, what is irresistible is to simply meet as equals? How about that? Wouldn't that be awesome? Possible? It does defy the nearly identical women behind him though, but I can always hope....
Brian, great article about a great artist. I recall (barely 😎) a concert in the early 70’s with Gentle Giant and Wishbone Ash. The opening act was Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer … and they stole the show. Thanks!
For me, Robert Palmer personified cool. Even though I never delved into the lyrics as you did in the Substack, I always had my own take one why she became so irresistible. This song came out in the time when the free love movement of the 60s had morphed into the “get some” from whoever you could of the go-go 80s, and of course that led to the predictable results of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases like the clap, chlamydia, and AIDS. Knowing that, and what the impact could be, led him to view his girl in a whole new light, & of course it made her simply irresistible. At least, that was always my take on the song.
A great take on a wonderful song by a sadly underappreciated artist. "Discipline of Love" came up on my shuffle play just this week and it made me miss him once again.
Bravo. Forgot how awesome Robert Palmer is. Now I’m going to have to scrutinize the lyrics of Addicted to Love.
That will be interesting. Get back to me on that one 🤣!
Look at Sneaking Sally Through the Alley, there’s likely a theme to his music.
Indeed! Seems like he's got a weakness.
https://youtu.be/uqXU_tDIItg?si=9YVomFZps2bA2wKW
It’s my favorite song by him.
While both “Addicted to Love” and “Simply Irresistible” are classic videos from the heyday of MTV, my fondest memory is one of the guitar playing clones of the “Addicted to Love” video somehow, mesmerizingly had one bosom keeping time the entire song.
Well, I always wondered about the story line. This explains it all! Thanks for clearing that up. I agree, Robert Palmer was amazing. Such a loss.
You are definitely overthinking this, man.
Those of you who want to see it as an ode to coke and/or crack, knock yourselves out. No really, I mean it. That would SO not have been Robert Palmer.
Speaking of which though, Brian H., any time you’d like to take a crack at parsing “Johnny and Mary,” please have at it. It’s produced a bit fast for me but is my favorite Robert Palmer song. Been a big fan since 1975.
On the same album as “Johnny and Mary” is his great version of the Beatles “Not A Second Time”
Double deep cut! Yes, similar chord progression. That would be the first time in history someone decided to pay homage to THAT Beatle song. No offense to that song. It’s a perfectly fine song. I’m just saying. The video for Johnny and Mary is bizarre.
OMG, have I stumbled onto a mini Robert Palmer fan club?
My musical consciousness precedes the advent of MTV by 20 years. Seeing the video often ruins a song for me because it clashes with the one my mind has already produced.
I think all of “Clues” is a treat. The title track, Gary Neuman’s “I Dream Of Wires,” “J & M,” “Woke Up Laughing” all stand the 40+ year test of time.
Apropos of nothing else, the people mover subway at SeaTac airport makes a chime when the doors close that is a succession of 3 eighth notes of first, third, fifth, that are identical to the first 3 notes of “Pressure Drop,” Toots Hibbard’s song which RP covered on his album of the same name. The one with the naked model on the balcony seen from behind. I retired from a job that had me flying 3-4 times a month so that song was an ear worm All. The. Time. Could be woise.
5 years late but fuck Covid. I want Toots Hibbard and John Prine back.
That tune sure is a heckuva earworm. A banger, for sure.
So funny, I JUST heard this song yesterday. Here's another theory--rather than the woman changing her appearance ever so slightly so that he suddenly saw what was right in front of him--what if HE changed. What if HE evolved to appreciate whomever this love interest is because HE saw her differently. What if he has changed what he values, and now appreciates a sense of independence and engaging, reciprocal, balanced conversations? What if she appeals to him not only physically, but intellectually now as HE is more self-confident and not threatened by that? Maybe now, what is irresistible is to simply meet as equals? How about that? Wouldn't that be awesome? Possible? It does defy the nearly identical women behind him though, but I can always hope....
That graph you made and the line “everyone remembered it was a Thursday” made me LOL. This is good stuff!
I used to wonder if “there’s no telling where the money went” was referring to her plastic surgery 😆
Thank you for this! I laughed so hard I shot coffee out my nose! And watched the video for the first time in a long time. You're right, very cool.
Brian, great article about a great artist. I recall (barely 😎) a concert in the early 70’s with Gentle Giant and Wishbone Ash. The opening act was Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer … and they stole the show. Thanks!
Thank you, Clark! Vinegar Joe. I have to look them up.
Wow! Learned something new. There were other lyrics in that song. I didn’t know. I swear all I ever heard was “Simply Irresistible.”
Thanks for that Brian, you’ve made me realise that Simply Irresistible is an updated version of the RB Greaves classic Take A Letter Maria.
https://youtu.be/njqp6uzQ8eU?si=idr1JFr_cypCRDxZ
For me, Robert Palmer personified cool. Even though I never delved into the lyrics as you did in the Substack, I always had my own take one why she became so irresistible. This song came out in the time when the free love movement of the 60s had morphed into the “get some” from whoever you could of the go-go 80s, and of course that led to the predictable results of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases like the clap, chlamydia, and AIDS. Knowing that, and what the impact could be, led him to view his girl in a whole new light, & of course it made her simply irresistible. At least, that was always my take on the song.
I like this take a lot. He got to know the girl. It wasn’t appearance related after all.
It’s about cocaine.
Nine out of ten crackheads agree: Simply Irresistible is about crack!
Most excellent. Thanks!