On Lily's Playlist: "If I Had $1000000"

Okay MGF Readers…a new feature. Tuesday’s are going to be “On Lily” (Yeah, yeah Lenny…I know you want to be on Lily too.) In case you didn’t notice, I like to write and talk a lot. Outside of the blog, I’m usually talking about my other passions in life: Music, books, food, and movies. So I thought I’d share some of my favorite stuff with you! To kick it off, we see what’s on my ever present iPod. Where are we going next week? You’ll just have to come back and find out!

Like most people in the U.S., I first heard the Barenaked Ladies when a little ditty called “One Week” hit the airwaves in the late 1990s. I remember hearing the song for the first time and thinking “Wow! That was different…I hope they’re not a one hit wonder!” The Canadian quintet of Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart, Jim Creeggan, and Kevin Hearn bring a mix of quirky lyrics and eclectic beats that makes any BNL song stick in your head after the first listen through.

The music genie granted my wish, and the Barenaked Ladies stuck around. They have developed a very committed following and given us more hit songs like the angst-ridden-but-you-can’t-help-but-sing-along “Shoe Box” (my 4th favorite BNL song) to the laid back and soothing “Pinch Me” (my 2nd favorite BNL song). All the while, they have remained the same bunch of fun-loving guys they were when the group formed in 1988. Don’t believe me? Check out their personal videos on their official website www.bnlmusic.com.

Like most music lovers, tunes have a way of stirring up emotions when I listen to a particular song. The symptoms are usually the same. First, I notice the notes and how they blend together creating the sound of the song. Once the music catches my attention, it’s not long before I start really listening to the lyrics. As a previous post stated, I love a good lyric. Once it passes that litmus test, mentally I try to relate the something. It could be an attitude, a mood, or even someone I know.

When I heard “If I Had $1000000,” I never laughed and cried so much at a song in my life.

I first heard BNL’s “If I Had $1000000,” as an acoustic version on a CD made by a local radio morning team. If you are a BNL fan, you’ll know that the group is famous for being pretty spontaneous and witty. So when the opening strains of the song came on, I was already excited to hear it. Then the first verse of the song came on:

“If I had $1000000 (if I had $1000000)I’d buy you a house (I would buy you a house)If I had $1000000 (if I had $1000000)I’d buy you furniture for your house(maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)If I had $1000000 (if I had $1000000)I’d buy you a k-car (a nice reliant automobile)If I had $1000000 I’d buy your love...”

My first thought was, “What’s a k-car?” (I felt immediately stupid because they explained that is was a nice reliant automobile). The next thought was “What an awesomely sweet song!” As it went on, the song snowballed and took a life of it’s own. I immediately fell in love with the song after one listening.

In my head, I imagined a guy singing to his girlfriend about all the things he would buy her if he had the money. My friends pointed out that the line “If I had $1000000, I’d buy your love,” was kind of shallow. My answer to them? You’ve never been in love, I guess. “If I Had $1000000” had everything I wanted in a hokey love song. It was sweet, without being sickly. In short…it gave me the warm fuzzies.

And who wouldn’t get all warm and fuzzy as you listen to Ed and Steve go on about what they would buy for their girls with $1000000. Among my favorite items is the offer to buy a monkey (Yes Lenny, I still want a monkey), purchase John “The Elephant Man” Merrick’s remains, take a limo to go to the store, and build a tree fort in the yard (And that’s why I want a tree fort, Sam).

Humor is infused into the song in between the verses as the vocalists banter about some of the items that they would get. One line in particular cracks me up every time. Upon declaring that if they had a million dollars they would eat more Kraft dinners, one says they would also buy expensive ketchups with it. “Buy all the fanciest…Dijon ketchups…mhmm…” DIJON ketchup, people! What the heck is that?

It’s a song that possesses lyrics girly enough, but the music isn’t so sappy that a novice Romeo couldn’t pluck it out on a guitar. It’s a simple song…but it’s so damn cute and funny that I’ve listened to it over 40 times since loading up BNL’s Greatest Hits CD on my iTunes three weeks ago.

So if you get a chance, take a listen to the song. Even if you’re a love song cynic, you might find something for you in “If I Had $1000000.” If it isn’t love…it should at least be a laugh! And if you don’t feel anything – loosen up for Pete’s sake! It’s just a song!