We all remember the ‘90s: the jean jackets, the grunge, the adolescent heartthrobbing over John Stamos, and of course, the soundtrack to our lives: Lisa Loeb’s “Stay.”
Playing recently at our annual Garden Concerts for Kids, the singer and songwriter performed a culmination of “kids’” and “adult” songs that not only taught kids how to rhyme but also transported us back to the golden decade.
1. Who Runs the World? Girls
The Song: “The ‘90s”
The Mood: A coming-of-age story set in the ‘90s featuring a young country girl who finds herself in the city
The Art: Young, flirty, and single women who rule the world
We let our hair grow long
Got biker boots and wrote tough songs
So I’m the angel
She’s the demon
Breaking Out of Her Shell
Triumph of the Marine Venus (detail), about 1713, Sebastiano Ricci
Single Working Mom
Allegory of Magnanimity (detail), about 1670, Luca Giordano
Accepting Gifts from Her Suitors
Venus at the Forge of Vulcan (detail), 1704, Francesco Solimena
2. Breaking Up: The Story of High School Angst
The Song: “Stay”
The Mood: I hate you, but don’t ever leave me
The Art: Women pleading with their flighty lovers
You said that I was naïve,
And I thought that I was strong.
I thought, “hey, I can leave, I can leave.”
But now I know that I was wrong, ‘cause I missed you
But I Thought We Had Something Special
Venus and Adonis (detail), about 1555–60, Titian
Going Away for College
The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis (detail), 1818, Jacques-Louis David
When He Leaves in the Morning
The Angel Taking Leave of Tobit and His Family (detail), 1649, Jan Victors
3. Happily Never After
The Song: “No Fairy Tale”
The Mood: The rainy day when you sit in bed listening to Alanis Morissette
The Art: People going through the stages of grief after a break up
You tried, but you can’t bear the weight of the glitter and the glue.
So you lie down and ream of the kiss that would wake you.
And once upon a time can lead to a hapless ever after
And when the tears are real, so is the laughter.
Drinking Alone
The Alchemist (detail), 1663, Cornelis Bega
Seeing Her With Someone Else
Portrait of a Bearded Man (detail), about 1550, Jacopo Bassano
When the Bartender Cuts You Off
The Banquet of Ahasuerus (detail), 1680s, Aert de Gelder
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