...
Click here to buy "We're Desperate" from Amazon

Back to Discography
...

Most of the songs I wrote about girls were indeed about living, breathing, actual, specific girls. In most cases I'm going to identify said sirens by an initial, so as not to offend them. In this case, however, since the song is not specifically a torrid romantic diatribe but rather a socio-political observation, I'll name names.

Brother Mike had known these three girls from his glitter days, and introduced me to them January 1977. We all hung out, I would occasionally drive them to the all-too-rare-in-those-days punk rock show, etc. etc. It was watching their reaction to and fondness for the early punk bands, while being in the unfortunate situation of not being able to gig yet, that I began to feel like a glorified chauffeur ... the three girls were Helen, Mary and Trudi.

Trudi was the "girl with the raven hair" – she became the only non-musician in the scene to have a fanzine devoted to her, and is currently married (with children) to K.K. - drummer for the late lamented Screamers.

Mary was the "girl with the soft blue eyes" – she is better known to those who remember the glory days as Mary Rat.

Helen is better remembered as Helen Killer – the girl who punched Sid Vicious in the mouth by accident in '78.

Musically the song is an obvious homage to the Castaways' "Liar Liar."

—Joe Nolte