#MusicMonday – March 26, 2018

On this Music Monday, there’s a story in my eyes…

Ah, ’80s rock.  A love song can still maintain its love feel even when there is a rock edge to it.  Today, for your Music Monday, such is the case.

When Survivor wasn’t contributing fight montage music for Rocky Balboa and Daniel LaRusso, they were churning out love songs, such as the material on their 1984 album Vital Signs. Track #1 on Side One is the lyrical confession of someone professing their love.  They can’t hold back, they’re on the edge, they can feel you tremble when they touch, and while they don’t promise they’re not a stalker, they’re probably not singing this directly to someone.

“I Can’t Hold Back,” part of the aforementioned Vital Signs (Survivor’s fifth album, and the second with lead vocalist Jimi Jamison), was released in December 1984 as that album’s first single (followed by “High on You,” “The Search is Over,” and “First Night.”  It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.

In the music video, we have our protagonist (lead vocalist Jimi Jamison) fantasizing about a girl while perusing a book/record store with his bandmates.  There is this whole fantasy sequence in which he performs a concert for her, only for the dream to end, his bandmates to drag him out of the store, and he goes after her.  Why fight fate, Jimi?  Go get the girl!

Of course, why should I describe it, when you can watch it?  Click play for the music video!

It’s your classic 80s love story – guy sees girl, guy fantasizes about girl via the concert he’ll perform for her while giant industrial fans blow her hair around off-camera, his friends come between budding romance, and he gives chase, only for guy to lose girl to fate.  Fate, by the way, is a train.

Girl, it’s too late to turn back now.  Because your train is leaving.

Well darn.

And, there you have it, a love song/confession, with a total downer of a music video.  Man, that’s sad.  I hate sad endings.  But it’s not a sad song, so there’s that.

That does it for this Music Monday.  Until next time, have a great Monday, and enjoy the music!

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