Hailing from New Jersey, The Smithereens formed in the early 80s, playing a stripped down but powerful form of rootsy rock. The main songwriter and singer was Pat DiNizio, Their material was, for the most part, dark, with angsty lyrics, driving basslines, sort of like early R.E.M. with a meatier guitar sound, or a rootsy, proto-grunge sound. They only had one Top 40 hit, "A Girl Like You", which peaked at #38 in 1990. The band is still together and tour extensively. "Blood and Roses" comes from their 1986 album Especially for You.
Back when "Blood and Roses" came out, I was just beginning to pay attention to music. In about 1984 or 1985, music became a big part of my life, and by my grad year in 1987, I was already branching out beyond what I could hear on the radio and on MuchMusic. When I went away for university, I got involved in college radio and began to hear lots of great bands that weren't being played on commercial radio. The Smithereens were one of those bands I heard that I couldn't believe commercial radio hadn't picked up. "Blood and Roses" was catchy, it was gritty and it was earnest. It deserved to be heard. Maybe it was the angst ridden young 20 year old at the time speaking, but this song resonated with me. The chorus was incredibly moving: "I want to love but it comes out wrong, I try to live but I don't belong", appealing to the lonely and loveless life that I lived at the time, having no idea how to change my situation. But, listening to the song again today, the lyrics and music haven't lost their power.
http://youtu.be/vqML7WbOun8
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