If you sense a slight incongruity in the title of Blame Sally’s Speeding Ti… Read Full Bio ↴If you sense a slight incongruity in the title of Blame Sally’s Speeding Ticket and a Valentine, rest assured that it’s as purposeful as the life it describes is random. The album lifts its name from a line in the bridge of the hard-charging leadoff single, “Living Without You,” which describes a day—or maybe entire existence—that’s “sweet and sour at the same time/mink and a porcupine/ speeding ticket and a valentine.” Clearly, this is a band that knows its oxymorons.

The four women who make up the Bay area-based group have some experience with improbable complexities and contradictions. Almost everything about their history is contrary to conventional wisdom. For one thing, they put their individual careers aside to start Blame Sally when they were in their late 30s and 40s—the age at which bands are traditionally supposed to break up and begin solo careers. For another, this is obviously an all-female band—“girl groups” usually being the novel province of youthful upstarts, not mature singer/songwriters. Splitting the frontperson status among three of four members goes against the agreed-upon maxim (agreed upon by everyone but the Beatles, anyway) that every group needs a single strong focal point. And didn’t they get the memo that women in particular in show biz are supposed to be packing it in at this point, not making fresh introductions?

Actually, they did get that memo, and put it in the proverbial circular file.

HEAR THE BAND AT http://deliradio.com/s/55a886b
SEE THEIR VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBngdTUsJB4
MORE INFO AT: http://www.blamesally.com

Countdown
Blame Sally Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm sick of the news they're talking at me
Everybody's killing everybody,
everybody's killing everybody
Countdown every night

I'm sick of the pills they're pushing at me
Everybody get stoned, get happy, happy,
everybody get stoned, get happy, happy

Countdown every night

I just want to love ya baby, baby
Love, love, love, love ya baby, baby
I just want to love ya baby, baby
Love, love, love, love ya baby, baby
Countdown every night

I'm sick of the spin they're putting on me
Everybody get young, get skinny, skinny
Countdown every night

I'm sick of this dogma coming at me
Sex, terror and God and money, money
Countdown every night

I just want to love ya baby, baby
Love, love, love, love ya baby, baby
I just want to love ya baby, baby
Love, love, love, love ya baby, baby
Countdown every night

I'm sick of the lies they're throwing at me
Gotta spit in their eye before they get me
Countdown every night

I'm sick of this dogma coming at me

Sex, terror and God and money, money
Countdown every night

Overall Meaning

The song "Countdown" by Blame Sally is a commentary on the overwhelming amount of negative and divisive news that inundates people on a daily basis. The lyrics express frustration with the constant barrage of violence in the news, the pressure to conform to a certain physical standard, and the politicization of religion and money. The repetitive chorus, "I just want to love ya baby, baby, Love, love, love, love ya baby, baby, Countdown every night," is a plea for a return to more personal and positive connections in life, rather than the negativity and fear that dominates the larger societal narrative.

The first verse expresses frustration with the news media, who regularly report on violent crimes and political conflicts. The repeated line "everybody's killing everybody" emphasizes the sense of hopelessness and despair that such news can elicit. The second verse criticizes the pharmaceutical industry, which seems to push happiness through the use of drugs. The line "everybody get stoned, get happy, happy" implies that this is not a true solution to the problem of dissatisfaction and stress. The third and fourth verses examine the pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty and the politicization of religion and money, respectively.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm sick of the news they're talking at me
I'm tired of the constant stream of news which is focused on people killing each other, every night has a countdown.

I'm sick of the pills they're pushing at me
I'm tired of the pharmaceutical industry inundating me with messages that I should get high to feel happy, every night has a countdown.

I just want to love ya baby, baby
All of this noise and chaos is stressing me out, all I want is to love and be loved, every night has a countdown.

I'm sick of the spin they're putting on me
I'm tired of the media constantly pushing messages that I should be young and thin, every night has a countdown.

I'm sick of this dogma coming at me
I'm tired of the constant messages about sex, terrorism, God, and money, every night has a countdown.

I'm sick of the lies they're throwing at me
I'm fed up of the deceitful messages I'm being fed constantly--I'm ready to fight back, every night has a countdown.

I just want to love ya baby, baby
Despite getting tired of everything happening around me, I still just want to love and be loved, every night has a countdown.

I'm sick of this dogma coming at me
I'm overwhelmed with the messages I'm receiving about sex, terrorism, God, and money--every night has a countdown.

Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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