1985 Songs: Waitress in the Sky

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Oh, so many of these college rock songs nearly made the top ten. Not that the top ten (which starts Saturday) is devoid of college rock tunes…but there are four certified hits (and maybe two more) in the top ten for 1985. Meanwhile, a band that’s actually been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame once. I love ‘em to death, but they didn’t deserve it. Here we go back 40 years! Waitress in the Sky - The Replacements Their first release was an EP called The Replacements Stink! You know, they sort of did back then. But they matured (as much as a bunch of drunk lunatics could) into a great band. I saw them twice on the Pleased to Meet Me tour, and they were great both times. This is a sarcastic little swipe at flight attendants; more, precisely, the nonstop strikes in the late 70s and early 80s (“always on the ball, she’s always on strike…a real union flight attendant, my oh my”). It’s not a song that I ever took seriously…but then, you never know. For those wondering (both of you ), NO, there was nobody named “Tim” in the band (not even the guy doing the Hannibal Lecter look upside down on the cover…that’s original guitarist Bob Stinson, who died at 35 of the aforementioned drinking issues). This is a fabulous album, and one that people point to when they talk about the legacy of The Replacements. Waitress in the Sky Written by Paul Westerberg Recorded by The Replacements From Tim, 1985 You’re catching me always out of champagne: