Probably cos Glenn and Chris have to sing it! Drives home the point it's a woman's answering machine?
I just looked at the comments for this song on my iPhone instead of my desktop. Every time the song title “853-5937” shows up, the phone shows it as a dialable number. If you tap the link, the phone offers to call the number. All it now needs is the area code.
Hourglass - 5/5 This was my actual entry point to the band, as I bought the 7" aged 6, from Woolworth's on Elgin High street. I've managed to get it signed by Chris and Glenn, though I might have my work cut out tracking the rest down. A very well-deserved actual hit single, and it's a lovely bit of irony that the lyrics depict Chris' frustration regarding the band's lack of commercial progress of the last few years. Makes me wonder how Ray Davies felt when 'Lola', from an album largely about music business woes, was a gigantic smash after several years spent largely in the doldrums. Glenn's demo is way more groovy and Prince-like than the Squeeze version - perhaps it was to their strength that they played this album much more 'like Squeeze' than they had in quite a few years. Footprints - 5/5 Another song that deserved to be a hit, although that can be said frequently from here on. Glenn channeling Prince at his most poptastic, but ultimately sounding like Squeeze as we knew them, just having moved a little more comfortably with the times. Tough Love - 4/5 In hindsight, this does feel like a bit of a turning point for the band - something does appear to suggest that Chris' songs about booze battles, be they a character's or his own, are becoming more mature and sensitive in tone. You can hear the demo when it was known as 'Lovers' Tree', with a very different set of lyrics about an expectant couple that doesn't do the tune justice. The Prisoner - 3/5 Although this album is largely on the right side of what some could generalise as '80s production', the synth horns sound like they could be at home on some horrible game show. It's a shame, as it must have been a great live number, and works well as a companion piece to Tough Love. I like the dig at readers of The Sun as well. Perhaps this would have been a good deep cut to dig up with they had the brass players from Nine Below Zero join them when they toured The Knowledge album a few years ago? 853-5937 - 3/5 I was very amused to discover that Chris and Glenn truly loathe this song, and were horrified to watch it become an actual US hit. What is truly impressive, is that they have successfully blocked it from appearing on any future 'hits' albums - I mean, the flop singles from Cosi and Frank find a home on the 1992 Greatest Hits album, but there's seemingly no room for a bona fide US hit! Perhaps the band have some power of veto written into their contract? The only place it has ever been compiled since has been on their video collections (see also Hits Of The Year). Growing up with this song, I never hated it and had never really considered how contentious it's cheesiness might have been. I wonder if Glenn has ever been persuaded to bust it out at a solo gig. I also wonder if Glenn is more at peace with it these days and would ever entertain the idea of putting it back in the set again, or does he consider it truly dead and buried forever? Also, this song boasts the dubious accolade of having been performed on UK TV show 'Jimi'll Fix It'. Don't look for that on Youtube any time soon.
Our votes for "853-5937" 1-3 2-3 3-11 4-10 5-2 Average: 3.1093 Cumulative Rankings For Babylon And On 1. Hourglass - 4.2321 (updated) 2. Tough Love - 3.8696 (updated) 3. Footprints - 3.8296 (updated) 4. 853-5937 - 3.1017 5. The Prisoner - 3.0212 (updated)
BY THE WAY, if you've ever wanted to witness Hourglass being performed by none other than Chuck E. Cheese, then it is your lucky day.
OH-MY-GOD!!!! This is the most bizarre thing ever! Of all the songs in all the land, Chuck E! Alright. I'm picking up my jaw now. Yowzer!
Today's song is "In Today's Room" Alternative access: Squeeze Youtube channel Squeeze – In Today's Room Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Chris was inspired by Prince, wanting to write something in his style. The lyrics are written more as a collected mish-mash of ideas than a complete story. Glenn admits that he was influence by Prince as well, indicating that the song was him “pretending to be Prince”.
In Today's Room Perhaps the most Prince-indebted of them all (although an unlikely song on ‘Play’ might just take that crown after all...), this is Squeeze comfortably fitting in with being a contemporary band in 1987, without having to trade in what makes them work as a unit. On subsequent albums, all the great material they produced could never truly cover up for the fact they were permanently out of step with any kind of zeitgeist. Although unlikely to have been selected as a single, this is a well-executed album track that Is absolutely one of the highlights. Glenn sounds truly relaxed, rather than at many points on Cosi when the performances and arrangements were excessively heavy-handed. 5/5
In Today's Room This has grown on me over the years. I especially love the almost tribal chanting during the chorus. Also, any song that references strawberry jam is alright by me! 4.25/5
In Today’s Room The Prince influence is evident across the track, except it’s lacking the quality that Prince brought to his best songs. This is style over substance, and the song starts to grind and wear out its welcome as it reaches its close. I don’t hate it, but it doesn’t really go anywhere that interesting. 3/5
In Today's Room is a great closing track to side one. I never noticed the Prince influence, but now I may never hear it with out thinking about it. It's another song that took a while to appreciate, but now I do. For me it ends a very successful album side that was well sequenced. Score 4.1
Chuck E. knows how to put feeling into his singing. I think Glenn's delivery has it by a bit but if Glenn retires the may have found the replacement lead vocalist. Too funny
"In Today’s Room" Hmm, this one never struck me as Prince-esque and even listening now with that in mind I'm still not sure I hear it. Maybe if Glenn suddenly demanded that a woman spread the strawberry jam all over herself so he could lick it off..? I've always liked it, the verse melodies are nicely through-composed and build slinking and slithering (ok, that does sound like Prince ) into the chorus. On an album where many tracks try to mask pedestrian melodies with pseudo-soul bombast it's refreshing to hear something more understated, especially since close listening rewards you with some delectable details. 4/5
In Today's Room-- Another winner, closing out a pretty excellent album side. Prince is definitely an influence here-- but they're referencing Prince while he was referencing the Beatles and other classic British pop, so this kinda brings things full circle. And it still sounds very Squeeze, reviving their old tradition of closing side one with the moodiest track they've got. I always heard the lyrics wrong on this one-- Thought it was "Wolves at the door," which fits the slightly ominous nature of the tune. Turns out of course that love was at the door, and this is a more existential song about seizing the good days while love is in your life. Makes it better still. 5/5
LOL! This is the WEIRDEST video I have ever seen on this site. I'm sure that Chris and Glenn were honored beyond words...
Finally this album comes back to life with "In Today's Room". Wasn't sure about the electric sitar intro when I first heard it, but the groove kicks in pretty quickly. Although the melody is good, the real star here is the vocal arrangement between Glenn's lead and the "answer" vocals that follow. Glenn in particular sounds terrific - this might be his "sexiest" vocal performance ever in the studio. Kudos also for the bridge - more good melodies just spilling out all over the place. Second-best song on the album. 4.5/5
You've just turned my mind inside out and bent it backwards and twisted it upside down. I am not sure I will ever recover from that!
