It’s been a while since I last did a Music Monday. So long, in fact, I begin worrying about whether or not I can still do it. As you know, I like to give Music Monday a theme as and when. So today I want to draw up a list based on the tunes from a show I loved so well, Scrubs.
The show was loved for a host of reasons, not inconsiderable among them was the music. I should appologise now: if you are reading this, the chances are good that your favourite song was not included. With that warning, let’s see if I’ve still got my mojo working.
Erasure – ‘Give A Little Respect’ (1988)
What starts out as a playlist for Dr Kim in surgery becomes a refrain recurring for the whole episode. An ear worm of a tune, many of the major and minor characters end up singing this song at some point. The episode culminates in JD running to find Eliot before he is ‘friend zoned’. This is, of course, the frustrated beginning of their relationship.
The Coral – ‘Dreaming of You’ (2002)
This song has vocal arrangements reminiscent of the Beach Boys with whining electronic key boards. It tells of blossoming love, making it appropriate that it is used the first time JD and Eliot get together. Actor Robert Maschio, who played Todd, regards it as one of the hottest scenes of the whole show, and it is not difficult to see why… in a nutty sitcom sorta way…
Joshua Radin – ‘Winter’ (2006)
It is difficult to separate meaning from a song used in a film or TV show. In the show, it is the background of Ben’s (Brenden Fraiser) funeral. It is a haunting scene, one that shows the talent of actor John C. McGinley, who played Dr Cox. The song could be read as the end of a relationship. However, the end might not be one where one of those involved died, but where one actively opted for severance. Decoupling what that song meant in the show with the thing itself is hard, especially for those that loved it. It is made more difficult by the dreamlike quality of the piece. Yet it is worth doing if only to give you an appreciation for the standalone tune.
Say Anything – ‘Alive With The Glory of Love’ (2004)
Unraveling the meaning of this song from it’s use in the episode ‘My Point of No Return’ is easier. The song tells of love in a dystopioan world. An adolescent fantasy within an adolescent fantasy. The singer professes his love in the face of an unforgiving world. In the show it refers to the persistent attraction in spite of unfavorable odds. At this point in the show I am certain many swore never to watch again, though I would be curious to know what proportion stuck to this decision. Personal resolve, or lack the of, notwithstanding, this is a great tune for rediscovering your teens, those years of upward-raised middle-fingers and head-banging.
Guy Love – (2007)
An original composition from the episode ‘My Musical’, actors Zach Braff and Donald Faison have performed this number on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. For many, the show’s enduring bromance of JD and Turk has its ultimate expression in this song. Shall I pick the dynamic apart? I could, but I think it’d be better if you just listened…
Men At Work – ‘Overkill’ (1983)
While not an original piece, Colin Hay re-recorded the song for the show. It deals with worry and paranoia, and captures that feeling that’s like nagging an itch in the middle of your head.
OK Go – ‘Here It Goes Again’ (200)
This is a song that never fails to cheer you up. The video is impressive and probably caused more accidents than any other video of the decade when fans tried to recreate the choreography. It’s used at one of the show’s zanier moments. As a person who has a changeable relationship with zany humour it is, in hindsight, a miracle I liked this show at all!
What did you make of the show? What do you make of this week’s line-up? Let us know in the comments!
