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There are many worthwhile tracks on “Dames,” the 2011 album from Chicago-by-way-of-Indiana folk-pop band The Bears of Blue River. But the track that I return to, that buried its hooks in me (even if I initially missed its punchline), is “The Joke.”
Laid over sunny/infectiously buoyant instrumentation are lyrics that speak of the desire to have a friendly hookup that doesn’t end in the inevitable regret/contempt but in continued, perhaps lifelong, friendship. A hookup that’s a joke told now to be laughed at by its participants in the future, when they’re old “bags of bones that drive real slow.” I would imagine any Chicago barfly prone to late-night, existential dread-fueled Tinder swipes will connect with these sentiments.
Truly, though, I interpret the lyrics as having as much or more to do with lead singer Gavin Ellis’ desire for artistic relevance. When he sings, “I hope, I hope you don’t think I’m a joke,” I think he’s speaking both to the person he just shared a bed with and the person he just shared a song with. When he sings, “It’s a slippery slope to the top, but I hope when we get there we’ll be past an affair, “ he is hoping he’s making meaningful and lasting art–hoping his desire to express and yours to listen will amount to more than just a mere one-time pleasant listen … a fling. In this I’d say he succeeds, but swipe right and decide for yourself.
Dames by The Bears of Blue River
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