80’s Sunday Rewind: John Hughes edition

As I drove home from Shreveport this afternoon, I put my 80's playlist on the iPod after the first hour on the road and something occurred to me: there are a great many songs I adore from John Hughes movies.  If you read my earlier post about the influence of Hughes' films, you know I love the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, but it's also worth mentioning that Hughes introduced many bands to America's youth in the 80's. 

What would the ending of Sixteen Candles be without Thompson Twins "If You Were Here"?

And my favorite scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off wouldn't be the same without the instrumental version of this Dream Academy cover of The Smith's "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want."  It's the museum scene — you know it as soon as you hear the melody.

I'll leave you with my all-time favorite.  I've written about this before, but it's The Rave-Ups (one of my fave bands) song "Positively Lost Me," which they play on stage at Cats, the club in Pretty in Pink.  It's the song playing over the scene where Andie brings Blane to the club.  This song is great for many reasons: 1. it was not included on the soundtrack 2. they were in the film because they were Molly Ringwald's favorite band 3. until very recently, the song wasn't available on iTunes and was considered rare 4. lastly, listen to the lyrics .  Jimmer lists things the girl has lost, it's brilliant.  The things are just things, but it also tells you quite a bit about their relationship, then he nails the last line with "you lost my face, you lost my laugh/and then you lost my confidence."   And also brilliantly, the song is playing while Duckie tells Andie off.  Great scene.  Here's the song.

"You lost a lot when you lost me
Six paperback books and a dying tree
A looking glass and a diamond ring
You lost me and you lost some dreams

Oh, you lost your cool, you lost your keys
And then you lost a sense of honesty

Two blankets and a bookshelf piece

Two blankets and a bookshelf piece
A picture frame and a couple keys

Two blankets and a bookshelf piece
A picture frame and a couple keys
Stole a couple of dollars that I won't see

Two blankets and a bookshelf piece
A picture frame and a couple keys
Stole a couple of dollars that I won't see
You lost a lot when you lost me

You lost my face, you lost my laugh
and then you lost my confidence"