Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Come See About Me (1964)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Diana Ross sings that she's given up her friends for her boyfriend. Have you ever had a lover your friends disapproved of? Has a friend ever dated someone you didn't care for? Throughout my 20s I was involved with a man some of my friends adored, but my oldest friend couldn't stand him. Or more precisely, she saw through him. She was right. Spectacularly right. I'm very grateful she never did the "told you so" dance, though she deserved to.

 

 

 

 

2) Without her man at her side she feels uncertain. Let's be more positive: what's something you're sure of? "The sun'll come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun." Yeah, I know, it's corny. But I truly believe tomorrow can be better than today. There's always hope. Really.

3) When this song was popular, the Supremes were known for their elegant hair and wardrobe. When was the last time you got dressed up? A year ago. My friend's daughter's wedding. I wore a coral pantsuit. It was flattering, but I unexpectedly stood out in a sea of blacks and grays. I am still a little ambivalent about it when I see the photos. I look pretty enough but boy, I'm conspicuous!

 
4) The Supremes went on to have a dozen #1 hits. This must have been hard for Betty McGlown, the fourth Supreme, who left the group before they recorded their first song. Can you think of an opportunity you missed? A friend offered me a job about 20 years ago. I would have made more money, to be sure, but she would have been my boss. I was afraid that would be weird, so I passed on it. I'm pretty sure it was the right choice, but I think longingly about that salary sometimes.

5) After she left the Supremes, lead singer Diana Ross went on to have a successful solo career. But it hasn't always been easy. She stumbled in her high heels and broke her ankle as she left the stage after a November 2012 concert. Have you taken a tumble recently? Over the summer I took a tumble in front of the grocery store. Cars turn into that lot very fast so I had my eyes on the traffic ... and I missed the uneven pavement. Bloodied my leg and scraped my arm but I did not break the jar of tomato sauce I had just purchased to donate to the local food pantry.

6) Ever the trooper, she honored her commitment to perform at a White House-sponsored Christmas concert just weeks later, even though her leg was still in a cast. Tell us about a time when you "played hurt." There was the spring I had sporadic coughing fits and was tired all the time. I had to spend time with the guys in the lab and while they were explaining things to me, I couldn't stand anymore and was leaning on walls and file cabinets. This was weird because I was 29 and otherwise healthy. Finally, after about four weeks of this, I suddenly lost my voice. Since my job required a certain amount of speaking, I just couldn't do it anymore and finally went to the doctor. Walking pneumonia. I was off for a week (at 29 you bounce back pretty fast). But here's the thing: I was contagious. It was outrageous that I tried to work through it and even worse that my bosses were more upset about the week off than the viral droplets I'd been dispensing with each cough. That's one good thing that came out of the covid lockdown: no one thinks you're heroic anymore for coughing and sneezing at work.

7) In 1964, when this song was popular, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was born. What was in your most recent Amazon shipment? My OTC allergy meds will be delivered today.

8) Also in 1964, women still routinely wore white gloves to complete a outfit. Short gloves that ended at the wrist were popular for everyday wear. What fashion trend do you wish would come back? Shoulder pads! Every woman suddenly appears to have a waist again. 

 

9) Random question: If you were in the witness protection program, what new name and occupation would you choose for yourself? Lottie Zisk, dogwalker.