Mrs. Young
"Mrs. Young" | |||||
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Demo by Matt Sharp | |||||
Album | Excellent Stocking Stuffer | ||||
Released | 2001 | ||||
Format | digital | ||||
Recorded | 1993 | ||||
Writer(s) | Matt Sharp | ||||
Status | Officially released | ||||
Professional reviews | |||||
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Excellent Stocking Stuffer track listing | |||||
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This song is part of the "Please Let That Be You" lineage of songs
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"Mrs. Young" (originally "Jamie II") is a song written by Matt Sharp. It was later reworked as the Rentals song "Please Let That Be You".
Appearances
- Excellent Stocking Stuffer (2001)
Overview
According to the Weezer Recording History, "Mrs. Young" was written by Matt Sharp in May of 1993, with Rivers Cuomo assisting on "some parts and harmonies". Like the Cuomo song "Jamie", written two months prior, "Mrs. Young" is an ode to Weezer's lawyer at the time, Jamie Young. The two "Jamie" songs were considered, at one point, for an independent single release, but this never materialized. On February 14, 2003, Sharp wrote about recording the song on his personal website:[1]
honestly, i have a pretty good memory for most of the music i recorded a long time ago. although, i am pretty foggy on all the versions of "mrs. young" a.k.a. "jamie mach 2". the song was written for my old attorney and all the new found sense of confidence and security she instilled in me and the lads. the earliest version was recorded on mr. cuomo's tascam 8 track cassette machine and was intended as a b-side for a possible "jamie" 7" indie single (which was aborted) long before the release of the blue album. like i said, my memory on this one is awfully fuzzy, but as far as i remember rivers did most of the instrumentation except the bass and lead vox, i thought jason cropper played some acoustic guitar (i know he showed me how to play the chords for it on his acoustic), but then again i'm not so sure, it sounds like r.c. on drums, but it could be pat. the drums are so low in the bootleg mix you have, i can't tell and don't remember. later on the song morphed into "please, let that be you" and the lyrics changed, because i probably didn't want to sing about weezer related issues on "return of The Rentals" . at that point i took most of the images from this depressing building that felt like goverment housing in a russian ghetto, that's where i lived for a short while. that's where we shot the video for "friends of p." and that's all about "mrs. young" i can recall. hope that helps to clear the fog, but most likely, it just makes it all more confusing.
Another demo was recorded for the group that would eventually be called the Rentals at Poop Alley Studios in the Spring of 1995. The song would be reworked with all new lyrics and a new title, "Please Let That Be You", for the band's debut album Return of the Rentals. This demo, as well as the original 4-track demo, was released in 2001 for the Rentals fan club-exclusive compilation Excellent Stocking Stuffer.
During a Matt Sharp solo show in Fullerton, California in 2004, Sharp publicly reunited with Rivers Cuomo and the two performed four songs together, including the original "Mrs. Young".
Reception
Weezer Songblog Teenage Victory Songs marked this song with the distinction of "The Very Best."
Personnel
- Matt Sharp – bass guitar, lead vocals
- Rivers Cuomo – acoustic and electric guitars, drums, harmonica, backing vocals
Audio
Live
Lyrics
Jamie since, since you called yesterday
I have felt so swell
Come back, come back from Mexico
I need your strength, I need your help
Hey, Denine, won’t you put me through?
I miss you both, can’t you tell?
Please let that be you
Knockin’ on my door so loud, just like you do
Bringin’ a letter or two
Jamie, you are my fave, and I love you
Hey, Mitch, what you guys been up to?
How’s Prince? Is he okay?
Mrs. Young, I think you’re the best
That’s all I’m trying to say
Please let that be you
Ringin’ my phone right now, like I wish you would do
Callin’ with some good news
Jamie, you are my fave and I love you
You are my fave, and I love you
Stand by my side, always be true
You are my fave, and I love you
I raise my right hand, I swear it’s true
You are my fave, you are my fave
You are my fave, you are my fave
Please let that be you
Singin' my song so nice sounding like you do
Hummin' along to your tune
Jamie you are my fave and I love you
See also
References
- ↑ Mattsharp.net 14 February 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20031018015914/http://www.mattsharp.net/diary.html