Yesterday I heard The Pursuit of Happiness' "Hard To Laugh" on CFNY Edge 102. It was the first time I've heard a song on the radio from TPOH that wasn't "I'm An Adult Now" in many years. Earlier in the week, I read this which discusses "When We Ruled: The Best Of The Pursuit Of Happiness", a newly released greatest hits package featuring a couple of new tracks. Are we on the cusp of a TPOH resurgence?
I certainly hope so. This is what I wrote about The Pursuit of Happiness' "I'm An Adult Now" in an earlier entry.
I don't think there's a more Toronto song than this one. This independent single was spun all the time on CFNY in the late 80s and I thought it was the coolest. Great lyrics, great raw sound and a great story. TPOH got a record deal and put out the awesome Love Junk, a cassette I played over and over again. In addition to a more polished version of "I'm An Adult Now", this album had stellar tracks like "She's So Young" and "Hard to Laugh". Why does this song more than any other remind me of my city? For a couple of years in my early 20s I worked at Dufferin and Dupont and lived near Yonge and Bloor. My route to work was a bike ride along Davenport to Dupont, and more often than not I'd see Moe Berg walking that street. There he was, taking a stroll in his city, and every time I saw him I heard "I'm An Adult Now" in my head.
"I'd sure look like a fool dead in a ditch somewhere with a mind full of chemicals like some cheese-eating high school boy." Like a fine wine, this stuff ages remarkably well.
