Episode 588: Unrequited Love in the ’80s

It’s time for our annual ’80s salute to Valentine’s Day. This year we honor the movies and songs about unrequited love in our decade. Plus, some unfortunate stories about Brad and Steve in 7th Grade. You’ve been warned.

Hey, if you heard us mention the Billy Bragg song “The Saturday Boy” on the podcast, here’s the full song and lyrics:

“I’ll never forget the first day I met her
That September morning was clear and fresh
The way she spoke and laughed at my jokes
And the way she rubbed herself
Against the edge of my desk
She became a magic mystery to me
And we’d sit together in double
History twice a week
And some days we’d walk the same way home
And it’s surprising how quick
A little rain can clear the streets
We dreamed of her and compared our dreams
But that was all that I ever tasted
She lied to me with her body you see
I lied to myself ’bout the chances I’d wasted”

“The times we were close
Were far and few between
In the darkness at the dances in the school canteen
Did she close her eyes like I did
As we held each other tight
And la la la la la la la la means I love you”

“She danced with me and I still hold that memory
Soft and sweet
And I stare up at her window
As I walk down her street
But I never made the first team,
I just made the first team laugh
And she never came to the phone
She was always in the bath
In the end, it took me a dictionary
To find out the meaning of unrequited
While she was giving herself for free
At a party to which I was never invited’

‘I never understood my failings then
And I hide my humble hopes now
Thinking back she made us want her
A girl not old enough to shave her legs.”

Stuck in the ’80s is sponsored by The 80s Cruise. The 2021 voyage has been postponed to March 2022, but we’ll still be there – along with all the original bands – for this amazing trip. Headliners include The Human League, ABC, 38 Special, Belinda Carlisle, Morris Day & The Time, Berlin and many more. Get $200 cabin credit for first-time guests when you use the promo code STUCK during booking. 

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