STUDS #2 💪: Mr. Wrong
Same Title, Utterly Different Song - Which is your favorite? Cracker? Mary J. Blige? Sade? The Bellamy Brothers? Lloyd Cole? Shakespear's Sister? Tommy Stinson? The Finley's? that dog?
You can probably surmise by the subheading that a winner has been chosen for the “U” word in my new STUDS series. We had a lot of great entries in the contest, and I wish I could have chosen them all.
The other entries were: ultimately, uniquely, undeniably, and uniting. I love that we got a verb to go with the four adverbs. Congrats to Emm as in Music and Tamara Casey for the winning word. You both get to choose an earworm for me to write about, or submit an earworm post of your choice.
For the runners-up, expect to receive a video of me eating a plate of cookies baked especially for you!
If that makes you say to yourself, “That is so wrong!” Then you’re in perfect harmony with this week’s song! I didn’t mean for that to rhyme.
Before I reveal the contestants in this week’s “Mr. Wrong” competition, I want to share the results of the very first STUDS competition. In case you missed it, you can check it out below:
In a semi-landslide, our winner from STUDS #1 was Siouxsie and the Banshees, with nearly 50 percent of the vote. Devo made a last-minute attempt to close the gap, with 27% of the vote, but there was simply no denying an inspired Siouxsie and her Banshees.
Mr. Wrong Becomes Ms. Right
No, I did not come up with this week’s STUDS entry after watching Ellen DeGeneres’ acting debut alongside the great Bill Pullman, in 1996’s Mr. Wrong.
It’s pretty incredible to imagine DeGeneres starring as a bride-to-be who discovers her fiancé is a mentally disturbed criminal. It’s no wonder I never saw it, as it was a critical and commercial bomb. The film was made two years into her starring role in the sitcom Ellen. Less than a year after Mr. Wrong, she would come out as a lesbian on her show, in an episode that broke ratings records with 42 million viewers.
I’m not entirely sure how I discovered that there were several excellent songs titled Mr. Wrong. It might have been that Sade’s version of the song was playing in the background when I was shopping at Safeway. Like the glut of earworms that inhabit the vast archives of Earworms and Song Loops (which you can access for free here!), I often have no idea how they appear. I’m just glad they do!
I highly encourage you to give each of the nine “Mr. Wrong” songs below a good listen before voting for your favorite. I know the impulse is to vote for what you know, but you might be pleasantly surprised with a version you’d never heard before.
Since the poll only allows 5 entries, I’m going to include two polls to accommodate the 9 songs. Vote for just one entry in total. And if you prefer to share your choice in the comments, just let me know whether you voted in the poll. Or you can shoot me an email at earworm@substack.com.
A playlist featuring all of the entries is at the end of the post, for both Spotify and YouTube.
STUD #1 - Cracker
From Cracker’s self-titled debut, “Mr. Wrong” is a fun, countrified ditty, featuring David Lowery’s darkly clever lyrics. “I don’t wanna hear about your Mr. Right/ ‘Cause he’s out of town tonight/Baby come and spend some time with Mr. Wrong.”
STUD #2 - Lloyd Cole
From Lloyd Cole’s Bad Vibes album (1993). This stripped-down “Mr. Wrong” hits all the right notes. It’s about a Mr. Wrong trying to apologize, but are his words genuine or just empty, poetic platitudes?
STUD #3 - Sade
It’s gonna be hard to imagine anyone winning this contest besides Ms. Sade Adu. Especially with a song as sublime as “Mr. Wrong.” The interplay between the instruments, especially the percussion and the bass, is the definition of tasty. “He doesn’t care where he’s been playing/He doesn’t hear a word she’s saying/She’s a fancy girl, so why’s she staying?”
STUD #4 - Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in the Campfire
Originally called simply Cowboys in the Campfire, this ramshackle alt-country duo changed their name to capitalize on the name recognition of guitarist/vocalist Tommy Stinson, best known for his work with The Replacements and Guns N’ Roses.
As there are fewer than 300 monthly listeners on Spotify, I’m not sure the name change made a difference. Which is a shame, because the music is definitely worth a listen for folks who enjoy rollicking, spirited Americana. And “Mr. Wrong” is a perfect representation.
STUD #5 - that dog.
that dog. are quintessential mid-90s grunge-pop. A band that influenced far more bands than you can pick out in their sound. This rocker gets my blood jumping and my (imaginary) hair swinging to and fro.
“If I could draw a map/of a boy that I would like/your résumé would shine through/like a bright green light/If I didn't feel so wrong (You'd be my Mr. Right).”
STUD #6 - Mary J. Blige (ft. Drake)
From Mary J. Blige’s 2011 My Life II…The Journey Continues - Act I album. I’m not a fan of Drake, so I’m definitely biased, but once Mary takes the mike, I’m all in. “Bad boys ain’t no good/Good boys ain’t no fun/Lord knows that I should/Run off with the right one.”
STUD #7 - The Bellamy Brothers
Legendary country-poppeteers The Bellamy Brothers gained initial fame with their hit song “Let Your Love Flow” from their 1976 debut album of the same name. But they are no one-hit wonders or even two-hit wonders.
Their “Mr. Wrong” is a classic country ballad of the highest order. Listening to it feels like closing time at a honky tonk, after two too many Lone Star beers. That it’s from their 2019 Over the Moon album is a testament to their longevity.
“Darlin’ if there’s anything I can do for you/Except singin’ these sad sad songs/Just let me be Mr. Wrong/’Till Mr. Right comes along.”
STUD #8 - The Finley’s
The Finley’s (not sure why the apostrophe is there) are country music royalty in their native Australia, and barely known outside of down under. Col and Nellie Finley make up the core of the band. They’ve been making country music for more than 30 years, according to zdfcountry.com.au.
Not to tip my hand or hat, but I’m diggin’ this one quite mightily. The blend of guitar, harmonica, deep baritone vocals, and a swingin’ beat is sonic magic.
“I’ve got to kill Mr. Wrong, to get Mrs. Right/I hope the man I used to be is ready for a fight/I’ve been living in the darkness, and now I’ve seen the light/I’ve got to kill Mr. Wrong, to get Mrs. Right.”
STUD #9 - Shakespear’s Sister
1/3 of Bananarama, Siobhan Fahey left the group to form something more in line with her punk roots. What she formed was Shakespears Sister. Paired with the more soul-oriented Marcy Levy, the duo had some success in the late 80s and early 90s. Their 1992 song “Stay” was a big hit, especially in the UK.
Their “Mr. Wrong” doesn’t feel all that different from Fahey’s Bananarama roots to my ear, giving off a bit of Ronettes vibe, especially with the trilling bell percussion. The sax gives this throwback tune just the right 80s-by-way-of-60s energy.
I know, I should have kept it to 5 songs, but there were too many good ones here. I’ll try to contain myself for STUDS #3.
Is there anything I could do to make the listening experience easier for you? I’m working on trying to make these STUDS posts as effortless as possible.
Did you know any of these 9 songs already? Which ones?
Which of these songs surprised you?
And, have you seen the film Mr. Wrong? Is it as awful as it sounds?
As always, I am grateful to you for reading, subscribing, and offering your comments.
Gotta be That Dog for me. I think a lot of people would be surprised to learn that this is one of their favorite band's favorite bands.
I knew more than half and sampled the rest. It was close this time, but I went with Sade, who pipped Cracker, Shakespear's Sister, and That Dog. I have never seen Mr. Wrong and I suspect I will slip from existence without that changing.