I don’t care what people say–I like the song Friday by Rebecca Black.
If you haven’t heard of Friday, you’re missing a viral sensation celebrated for its poor production values, robotic vocals, and travelogue lyrics that could have been lifted from court transcripts recording a witness’ schedule on the day of a murder: ‘I ate cereal. Then I went to the bus stop. Then I had to think about what seat to take.’
I laughed the first time I saw the video, wondering how something so terrible could have gotten the green light at so many levels of production.
But if the song was so terrible, why couldn’t I get the melody out of my mind?
If it was so bad, why does it haunt my dreams and keep me up at night?
If the song wasn’t good, how come I’ve started mirroring Rebecca Black’s three syllable pronunciation: Fri-ee-day?
In time I found myself giving ground to the infectious joy of a teenager singing every cheerful thought that popped into her mind, including the word fun twenty times, and the sum result of all this happiness is a three minute and forty eight second musical equivalent of shouting ‘Woo-hoo!’
Don’t judge the video on one viewing. Wait a day and watch it again and see if you feel differently. Then watch it every day for a week. If this doesn’t work, try not listening to any other music for a year and then let the first song you hear be Friday.
Kudos to you Rebecca Black for resisting the urge to obfuscate your meaning behind metaphors or clever wording. I’m sick of complex lyrics dripping with artsy prose that leaves me cold and unsatisfied. Friday is a song that talks about issues I understand and can agree with. For example, when she sings–
‘Kickin’ in the front seat
Sittin’ in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?’
–she tackles an issue most of us can relate to. Which one of us hasn’t been faced with the decision of whether to sit in the front seat or back seat? You choose the front seat for the view, but the back seat is where they’re talking about which window treatments are in or out this season (I’ll give you a hint: cornice boards are out!). But if you choose the back seat, you have no control over the radio or air-conditioning. When I heard her sing, ‘Which seat can I take?’ I immediately thought, ‘She’s just like me.’ (She takes the back seat by the way.)
Another highlight is when she reminds us that Saturday comes after Friday and Sunday comes after…wards. Which one of us hasn’t been out on Friday night, having a good time, and excused ourselves at 9:00PM because we had work in the morning, completely forgetting that Saturday came after Friday? Now when I listen to Friday on the drive home, I’ll be reminded of the days of the week and remember Saturday comes after Friday and Saturday is the day I don’t have work. Now I can flip a U-turn and return to the annual Mensa Fondueathon. Thanks, Friday! Hey Jude gives me no practical advice about the calendar, and while it may be artistically superior to Friday, it is practically inferior.
And last of all, three cheers to Rebecca Black for mentioning cereal!
‘Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal’
Finally cereal gets some recognition! It doesn’t have a day, a personal fragrance, or a reality TV show, but we all love cereal and it deserves a tip of the hat. Anyone who hears this song and hasn’t heard of cereal is going to be curious and that curiosity will be rewarded with an efficiently delicious treat.
Three cheers for cereal!
The Good Greatsby 
Hippie Cahier
March 25, 2011
Note to self: cancel custom cornice board order.
The Good Greatsby
March 25, 2011
I’m sorry if I spoiled cornice boards for you, but you were one season too late.
carldagostino
March 25, 2011
Voice a little whinny. She looks and sounds like our girl Sara Palin(no offense to Ms Black intended) Are you aware that the original song was written and produced by Robinson Crusoe ?
ajg
March 25, 2011
Mary sent it to me a day after it came out two weeks ago and it had 25oo hits. Now it has 47 million. Isn’t that something like 40 views a second? To put things in perspective, a single is designated platinum if it ships a million copies. The highest selling is Candle in the Wind at 11 million. I know views isn’t remotely comparable to purchases, but at such a significant difference it means something.
And it’s WAY better than the other ARK videos! Whoa, doggy.
Harvey Millican
March 25, 2011
My sentiments exactly! You’re absolutely right when you ask why it’s stuck in everyone’s heads. Oh well, I’m off for a three hour car ride and, you guessed, it… I have to spend a few minutes making my mind up. Oh, wait, no I don’t. It’s me and the two little ones. Guess I have to drive. Damn kids.
the master
March 25, 2011
I like her dismissive approach to Sunday. Like, “Yeah, there’s another day, Sunday, but don’t worry to much about that. And certainly don’t listen to any songs about it. Especially not gloomy ones.” Kudos to Rebecca Black, she’s saving lives!
Renee Davies
March 25, 2011
I swear, this review needs to go front page somewhere. One of the best tongue-in-cheek piece I’ve read 🙂
I never heard this song till now, but I was impressed by her hefty deliberation between and front and back seat.
As an aside (to ajg), what would Elton John be without Bernie Taupin? Mindless lyrics with incredible music are easily forgotten – which, I guess, doesn’t explain what happened to their collaboration in the 80s and 90s.
lynnbiederstadt
March 26, 2011
I think I’ve just lost all respect for you…. 😉
She.Is.Just.A.Rat
March 26, 2011
This makes me kinda glad that my internet sucks so bad where I live that YouTube isn’t the best place to waste time…
The Good Greatsby
March 26, 2011
Waste time? Are you suggesting watching a terrible video until it stops being terrible is not a good use of time?
spilledinkguy
March 26, 2011
Okay… I will listen/watch this at some point.
Really.
Honest.
Maybe.
I just need to work up to it. 🙂
Amy
March 26, 2011
Because my gall bladder exploded, I almost missed out on the whole Rebecca Black phenomenon. Almost. Just a few more days in a drug enduced coma would have saved me, but thanks to my iron will and superior healing ablities, I regained consciousness just in time to experience this dead-eyed, robot-voiced sprite in all her glory.
Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun.
The Good Greatsby
March 26, 2011
Sorry to hear about your gall bladder, but if you’re taking painkillers this might be the perfect time to play this song again and again and again.
omawarisan
March 26, 2011
She forgot to put on her sea ee att belt, her sea ee att belt.
Gruff Guano
March 26, 2011
I don’t know. Still not completely convinced. “We we we so excited” may not be one of the best lyrics that I’ve heard. I won’t go as far as to assume that it’s a product DJ Scratch, mixing some “Yoda-Speak generator” samples. But it’s no melodious poetry either.
Jess Witkins
March 26, 2011
Ok, it’s kinda catchy. But in that really bad shot of driving to the club, are those girls old enough to go clubbing? One of them looked like she had braces! lol.
The Good Greatsby
March 26, 2011
True. The kid driving the car could not be older than thirteen.
Calhoun
March 26, 2011
I get that it’s catchy, because I’ve found myself humming it once or twice myself, but that’s not enough for me. I think she shoulda just taken the bus like she said she would, then she wouldn’t find herself struggling with whether to go with the front seat or back seat, although both looked kinda crowded if you ask me.
The Good Greatsby
March 27, 2011
It does bother me that she was going to take public transportation, but she decides to ride in a car with friends instead. We need more music videos teaching children public transportation can be cool.
elisajoy
March 27, 2011
best blog post ever!
abbycdiddy
March 28, 2011
have you heard the original?? It may change your opinion of The Bec’s musical genius.
I’m not sayin’…. I’m just sayin’…
I think she could pump up the originality on a lyrical level for her next hit.
abbycdiddy
March 28, 2011
gotta have my bowl.
Tilting Tiara
October 27, 2011
To listen to this and then watch her video made me laugh. Thank you. I bet he had a bowl, but it doesn’t sound like it was cereal.
nursemyra
March 28, 2011
How do I get an invitation to the annual Mensa Fondueathon?
The Good Greatsby
March 28, 2011
I should probably explain I was only catering the Mensa Fondueathon and not attending as a Mensa member, although not for lack of trying.
ssmurfette
March 28, 2011
How is it possible for that song to generate such a long discussion over it ? Seriously…
Ama Simone
March 29, 2011
I concur wholeheartedly with you! This is a wonderful song. How can one not love it. Down to earth and the girl keeps it REAL.
The Good Greatsby
March 29, 2011
No one will ever accuse her of not keeping it real. You can’t get any realer than naming the days of the week.
abbycdiddy
March 29, 2011
why will no one acknowledge that this was a bob dylan song before rebecca black’s producers jacked it and turned it into the youtube sensation it has now become?
i just think its odd.
de.construct.ion
March 30, 2011
My favorite part is fun, fun, fun, fun. Nothing else could be as descriptive and concise at the same time. It’s lyrical art and it blows my mind.
The Good Greatsby
March 30, 2011
Rebecca Black sings about issues that appeal to me. She likes having fun, fun, fun, fun and I like having fun, fun, fun, fun.
ryoko861
April 2, 2011
It just so poppy! Like maybe she should have had a different hair color. I could see Reese Witherspoon singing this in “Legally Blonde. You half expect to see her twirling her hair and chewing bubblegum.
“Gotta make up my mind?” If you ain’t drivin’, sit your ass in the back sweetie. It’s as easy as that. No one gets a choice. First come first serve. Believe me, no one is asking you if you want to ride shotgun. And if she’s only 13, she shouldn’t be driving around with kids that do drive anyway.
The lyrics are too simple. They’re not aimed at the older generation obviously which is probably why this makes my ears bleed. It’s poorly written, she can’t sing and the music is awful. Get some proper musicians, Rebecca some singing lessons, and I think it might be tolerable. I think this came out too soon. They probably should have waited at least 7 more years.
I will agree it’s at least not one of these deep, hidden message, talking in riddle songs that only emoes understand.
And kudos to her because she’s the one laughing all the way to the bank!
abby
April 3, 2011
OH EM GEE – it was written by BOB DYLAAAAAAAN!! poorly written?? also, are you bashing her or complimenting her because you seem a bit wishy washy here ryoko861.
goingroundandround
April 3, 2011
Thank you, I feel much better about the song now. You’re right, you don’t hear too many songs extolling cereal as a preferred breakfast food.
marryin'thelibrarian
April 8, 2011
I would love to be Rebecca’s librarian. I think I would steer her over to the biography section where I would recommend “Fearless: the Unauthorized Biography of Taylor Swift” and then “Fearful: the Unauthorized Biography of Taylor Swift’s Mother.”
stuffialmostbought
October 2, 2011
Little late in reading this post…but I had to share.
My niece (she’s 13 & apparently Friday is so bad it’s cool) introduced me to this little youtube gem – Harry Potter Friday Parody by The Hillywood Show®. Google it.
Angie Z.
October 27, 2011
Truly hilarious. I laughed out loud on this line (I don’t LOL typically when I read, therefore, I have no practical use for LOL): “If this doesn’t work, try not listening to any other music for a year and then let the first song you hear be Friday.”
Unfortunately, fyi, the embedded video is now defunct so, great, now I feel obsessively compelled to scour the internet for it. I better get busy.
Louise
October 27, 2011
I am now dying to see the video! They took it off! Now it’s definitely going to go viral!