Sunday July 17, 2022 “A Girl Like You” Smithereens

The Smithereens were formed by Scotch Plains, NJ resident and singer/songwriter/guitarist Pat DiNizio who always referenced his musical influences as Buddy Holly and the Beatles with a little Elvis Costello thrown in for attitude..  The remaining members of The Smithereens, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, and Mike Mesaros, were all from Carteret, New Jersey.

Let’s get this out of the way.  According to DiNizio, the band's name comes from a Yosemite Sam catchphrase, "Varmint, I'm a-gonna blow you to smithereens!"

In addition to today’s song ‘A Girl Like You’ The Smithereens would score hits with ‘Blood & Roses’, ‘Behind the Wall of Sleep’ and ‘Only a Memory’

I saw Pat DiNizio in 2001 when he was doing his ‘living room’ tour where he played in, well, living rooms of peoples homes.  He had put on a considerable amount of weight and it seemed somewhat sad/weird that he would be doing a tour like that but he sounded great, did all The Smithereen songs and was delightful.

DiNizio also ran unsuccessfully  for a New Jersey Senate seat in 2000 and as a result was the subject of a documentary Mr. Smithereen Goes to Washington.

Pat DiNizio left us in 2017 at the young age of 62, but he left us with a great catalog of fine tunes.

Stay safe and well…and the lyric ‘I'll say anything, almost anything except goodbye’ sounds a bit like Jim Steinman may have lifted that theme for the Meatloaf song that he wrote,‘I Won’t Do That’ ...doesn’t it.

I used to travel in the shadows

And I never found the nerve to try and walk up to you

But now I am a man and I know that there's no time to waste

There's too much to lose

Girl, you say anything at all, and you know that you can call

And I'll be right there for you

First love, heartbreak, tough luck, big mistake

What else can you do

 I'll say anything you want to hear

I'll see everything through

I'll do anything I have to do

Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you

 People talk and people stare, tell them I don't really care

This is the place I should be

And if they think it's really strange for a girl like you

To be in love with someone like me

I want to tell them all to go to hell

That we're doing very well without them you see

That's just the way it is and they will see

I am yours and you are mine, the way it should be

 I'll say anything you want to hear

I'll see everything through

I'll do anything I have to do

Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you

A girl like you, oh yeah

 (Go!)

 Now if I seem a little wild, there's no holding back

I'm trying to get a message to you

I won't take anything from anyone

I won't walk and I won't run, I believe in you

London, Washington, anywhere you are I'll run

Together we'll be

Inside, outside, got my pride

I won't let 'em take you from me

 I'll say anything you want to hear

I'll see everything through

I'll do anything I have to do

Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you

A girl like you, a girl like you

A girl like you, a girl like you, oh yeah

 I'll say anything (I'll say anything)

I'll take anything (I'll take anything)

I'll say anything, almost anything

Except goodbye

I'll say anything (I'll say anything)

I'll take anything (I'll take anything)

I'll say anything, almost anything

Except goodbye