Spellbound
We’re sad to say it, but summer is coming to an end. For a lot of people, that means one thing: back to school. When we think of school, we think of spelling. And when we think of spelling, we think of...the 5th grade spelling bee circa 1992. Picture this: You're 10 years old. The final word is committee. Two Ms, two Ts, two Es. Yep, you nailed it. So give yourself a pat on the back, pull out your golden dictionary, and enjoy these spelling inspired tracks on this month’s Knockmix.
Jackson 5 with "ABC"
In our opinion, this is the most famous spelling song of all time. The five Jackson boys are doing some educating in this one. You and me, as easy as 123…ABC.
Weebie with "Independent"
I-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t do you know what that mean? Well, it means independent. It’s clear that Weebie is tired of these girls using him for his cash—he needs a woman who don’t need no man. Weebie wants to only pay one kind of bill: his own.
Tammy Wynette with "D-I-V-O-R-C-E"
We think Tammy Wynette is a country rarity: a woman in relationship turmoil that doesn’t plan to take a Louisville slugger to all four windows or pop any tires. Nope, Tammy doesn’t want J-O-E to leave. You can’t spell this hurt away, Ms. Wynette. S-O-R-R-Y.
Daryl Hall & John Oates with "Method of Modern Love"
This song—with its confusing melody and confusing chorus—must hold the record for longest amount of spelled out words. Someone get Hall or Oates on the line! What exactly is a Method of Love? We hope gifting a pair of shades is one of them.
Gwen Stefani with "Hollaback Girl"
Play this song a couple times and don’t get it stuck in your head. We dare you! If there was a “stuck in your head” contest, b-a-n-a-n-a-s would rank right up there with Jim Carrey spelling out “b-e-a-uuutiful” in Bruce Almighty. We appreciate the lifetime of spelling help, Gwen.
Bay City Rollers with "Saturday Night"
Ah, Saturday night. After a long workweek and conquering a list of Saturday morning chores, nothing is better than popping a few brewskis, throwing on some white patent leather dancing shoes, and letting it all hang out. Time to dance!
Queen Latifah with "UNITY"
This particular selection is for the ladies. The original Queen wasn’t Bey, it was Latifah—keepin’ it real with all the fellas who want to disrespect women out there. Wanna test it? Queen Latifah will leave you with a black eye and handcuffs.
Motorhead with "Ramones"
Motorhead’s Lemmy was the personification of rock n’ roll…a real legend. But even legends have idols. Ramones were the forefathers of Punk Rock and Lemmy wanted us all to know that. Bad boy rock, bad boy roll.
The Lonely Island with "Spell It Out"
Thankfully Lonely Island did spell it out. Otherwise, this song would be 100% NSFW, or for the Knockmix. We’ll just spoil it for you, his name is Lenny. Please don’t Google the lyrics.
Aretha Franklin with "Respect"
Honestly, this Knockmix theme was on our calendar several weeks ago, before Aretha passed away. Respect, Aretha. I guess you could say we saved the best for last. When it comes to spelling songs, it's mighty hard to top this one. But uh… does anyone know what TCB stands for?
BONUS: CCR with "I Put A Spell On You”
Get it? Like, spell? Whatever…we thought it was clever. When it comes to CCR cover songs, “Heard it Through the Grapevine” is probably their best. We’d argue that this one is a close second.
