[J]  So I just now remembered that I had decided to blog some of my favorite moments in ‘Snowmen history.  Oh, how quickly I lose track of all my wheelings!  And dealings!

Last Tuesday night I went to The Red Raven in Fargo to participate in their open Comedy Night, which is something I only seem to be able to do when I have a show to promote (that would be Episode II of The Kamikaze Snowmen Explain the Universe and Other Stuff, Wednesday August 3rd at 9pm).  Regardless, I played Woman’s Theme which went over quite well with the audience (as it tends to do— it’s definitely one of our hits), and after making Paul listen to the recording on my information Phone, we reminisced a bit about writing the song and it seemed like this was a good venue to delve into it further. 

So, here we are.

It was the summer of 2000, and Paul and I were both back home from college.  I was still nursing the wounds from having been in, and subsequently evicted from, my first serious relationship which had lasted approximately from December to February.  I was a late bloomer to the dating game.

Actually, let’s go into that a bit— I lacked confidence for a large portion of my life.  Even now I struggle with it from time to time, but have matured into something resembling a human adult, with dignity and car keys and a shopping list and everything.  During those awkward teen years I acted very put-upon, like somehow it was the world’s responsibility to notice how kind and caring I was and come knocking at my door, but even then I knew it was my fault and my problem.  So, I didn’t ask girls out because I was shy and probably afraid of rejection, and I justified it by hiding behind various romanticized lies and ideals instead of just growing a pair and putting myself out there.

At any rate, Paul and I found ourselves back in Aberdeen having been through the emotional ringer (he with his own recent girl problems), and after a long walk/talk to the local Kessler’s for some Jones Soda we returned to my house where Paul said something to the effect of:

“We should write a song that makes fun of Lisa Loeb-type songs.  Like, ‘You don’t understand me and it’s all your fault’ sort of songs.”

(It should be noted here that Paul and I both like Lisa Loeb’s music.  Like, for reals.)

And Woman’s Theme— the first song that Paul and I actually sat down and wrote together— was born out of that simple statement and the lingering heartache of two failed relationships. A way to exercise our demons without specifically targeting a person or persons, or even a gender, as it was more poking fun at a style of songwriting, and perhaps even a way of thinking.

The song has been a hit ever since— the only people we’ve run across who don’t seem to like it are the small handful of women to whom the stereotypes within the song actually apply.  And most people can at least enjoy me talking like a female character in a Monty Python sketch.  It’s definitely one of our favorites to play, as it’s quite catchy and the harmonies come easily.

Also, I love that our “studio recorded” version (which is available on The Kamikaze Snowcast) features a woman (the lovely and talented Ansley Cameron) on vocals, whereas live we perform it with us non-women ‘Snowmen.  The two versions each have their own great textures and nuances, and are well-suited to their environments.