Deborah Lipp

Listening to The Waitresses on the drive home last night, and I was struck by how much I still love these lyrics:

Get tough, don’t be so patient
Get smart, head up, shoulders straight
Since when is it a disaster?
If the “S” on your cape is a little frayed?

What’s a girl to do?
Born to shop? No! Pretty victories
What’s a girl to do?
Scream & screw? No! Pretty victories

Chris Butler was a man writing from a woman’s point of view. Sometimes he got it and sometimes he didn’t, but mostly the songs were great. And this one, Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful?, reads almost like a feminist anthem.

The song is written as “girl talk.” One friend speaks to another who has dropped by, giving her a pep talk about relationships and self-esteem.

Don’t work your buns off, for a fool, for a fool
Who can barely tie his shoes.

Twenty-four years later, Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful? feels fresh and smart and interesting, and expresses both anger and hope. And now I have it stuck in my head. Full lyrics below the fold.

Hi! Nice to see you
C’mon in, c’mon in
Sorry the place is a mess.

Need an ashtray?
Drink some coffee, some coffee
I know you’ve been upset. What I mean is…

Maybe a part of your problem is simply, you were teased
I know what you’d like
but the good stuff promised
Is hard fought and not for free.

Get tough, don’t be so patient
Get smart, head up, shoulders straight
Since when is it a disaster?
If the “S” on your cape is a little frayed?

What’s a girl to do?
Born to shop? No! Pretty victories
What’s a girl to do?
Scream & screw? No! Pretty victories

Go out jumpin’ with your dumplin’; your dumplin’,
Go wheelin’ with your pet

Never worry even a bit, just a bit
If there’re any good ones left…use your credit

At the boybank, the boybank if those you’ve
bounced, you’ve broke

Spit out the F-word, like a shotgun
A shotgun, if they can’t take a joke!

Get tough, don’t be so patient
Get smart, head up, shoulders straight
Since when is it a disaster?
If the “S” on your cape is a little frayed?

Starting to see what I mean?

Nice things
Nice things
Oh oh oh
So many nice things
As your biggest fan
I want you to have them

Nice things
Nice things
Oh oh oh
So many nice things

Don’t mean nothing, if they’re dumping
Things that sting on you!
Don’t take that, honey.

Don’t work your buns off, for a fool, for a fool
Who can barely tie his shoes

Don’t answer phone calls, from that old boyfriend, old boyfriend
who’d love to see you lose
(You don’t need that!)

When your girlfriend, your girlfriend, falls
For all those creeps

Can you tell her? Take the cure,
Take the cure, love is obsolete? (Maybe)

Starting to see what I mean’?
Sure, stop by anytime
Will yesterday be better?
I think you’ll do just fine
….(grin!!!)