Ten Favorite Rock General Questions: Is She Really Going Out With Him? (#1)

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Here's the final question on the list of my favorite songs that ask a question in the title. I've saved the best question for last -- more precisely, my favorite song with a question for a title. Here is the top of the list. #1: Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson Pretty girls out walking with gorillas down my street How can you not love a song that starts with a line like that? Well, if you're one of the "gorillas" it might offend...and if that line's not offensive enough, how about the second verse: "They say that looks don't count for much, and so there goes your proof." Joe Jackson (not one to point fingers when it comes to looks) was one of the great power pop/post punk/new wave/whatever you want to call him acts of the late 70s/early 80s. Sadly, he didn't make that big a splash here in America. His best-known songs in the US are 1982's hit "Steppin' Out" and this one, from his debut album. And wowza, what an opening album. For that matter, what an opening single! (This was the first single from the album.) Yes, it's tongue in cheek, as were a number of Jackson's songs (check out "Cancer" from Night and Day, which proclaims, "Everything gives you cancer"...hey, we've all thought it after they have those medical reports that say "A new study says [insert whatever here] may cause cancer"). It's also terrific. The video linked below is Jackson doing an a cappella version of the song. That's the way he did it when I saw him in 1982. It quickly became a favorite rendition of a favorite song. Thanks for reading. Is She Really Going Out With Him? Written by Joe Jackson Recorded by Joe Jackson From Look Sharp!, 1978 Something's going on around here: