This song has everything I like in a good pop song. Good melody, lyrics, and a voice that carries it perfectly. I also like the steel guitar in the background that sets the tone for the song.
When you can use “chartreuse green” in a lyric you are doing alright.
Clothes from a case you’d thrown at me
Orange, yellow, red and chartreuse green
Freedy Johnston was an artist that I found in the late 90s. I first heard him on an alternative radio station I would listen to. They would play cuts off of his Never Home album. When I heard this song I bought the album.
Johnston has never burned up the charts but he did have a minor his in 1994 with the song Bad Reputation which peaked at #54 in the Billboard 100.
Later on I would like his version of Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) off of his Right Between the Promises album.
Seventies Girl
Down from the attic in your old things
My new girlfriend has a curious streak
Half lit, in the hall
She’s like you
Twenty years ago
Clothes from a case you’d thrown at me
Orange, yellow, red and chartreuse green
Way back in the day
I lost you
Don’t tell me here we go again
Seventies girl
Don’t come any closer
There’s gonna be trouble tonight
You’re not staying over
Hey there seventies girl
Never should have showed her
You want to be older
Than you were
She was transcendental then
Her beautiful eyes through your rose specs
Way back, in the day
I loved you
Or something like it anyway
Seventies girl
You’ve been taken over
You never had a cradle to rock
Now you want to go there
Hey there seventies girl
Never should have told her
You want to be older
Than you were
We fell apart
Just like that dress
Then taught ourselves unhappiness
I don’t recall much, I confess
But wonder where she’s gone
Seventies girl
Don’t come any closer
There’s gonna be trouble tonight
You’re not staying over
Hey there, seventies girl
Never should’ve showed her
You want to be older
Than you were
…
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
I know him only from Bad Reputation – loved that song. Like the melody in this one. The chartreuse line reminds me of something Warren Zevon would write – he had a real knack for that kind of thing
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I did like Bad Reputation and the bubble-gum power pop person in me loved Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes.
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This is all new to me, the singer and song, it’s very pleasant to hear. The lyrics effectively set a scene, with the ‘chartreuse green’ very much helping.
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That fit so well into the song…it wasn’t forced whatsoever. I first noticed him doing a cover of Love Goes Where My Rosemary Goes…I’m a sucker for that song…there is some Bubble-Gum in me….and his hit Bad Reputation.
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This is a very pleasant song.
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Johnston is underrated – he had about four records in a row, from Can You Fly to Blue Days, Black Nights that have a bunch of great songs. One More Thing to Break is my favourite from this album.
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I like that one also…I just ran across my cd of it the other day.
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I have CDs of the first six albums – they were pretty easy to find cheap.
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I don’t know this one. I do remember his version of “Love Goes Where My Rosemary Goes” which I like–I like the original also. Good tune. I hear Elvis Costello in there and some Roger Mcguinn too.
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Yes I do hear those a lso… I also like Bad Reputation.
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Sounds good – never heard it before or of him though. Quite decent sound and lyrics though. I like that “Love grows” song by Edison Lighthouse, I believe, so his version might well be worth looking up.
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Leave to you to continually deliver stuff I’m not familiar with. That is why I enjoy this site.
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Thank you John I really appreciate that. I got burned out just talking about the Beatles, the Who and the Stones so I thought I would mix it up.
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Melodic Americana with a dose of pop – nice pick, Max. I had never heard of Freedy Johnston, not even what appears to be his biggest hit, “Bad Reputation”. Well, at least I’m familiar with the original of “Love Grows.” Johnston’s cover of the tune is pretty good!
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He did a great cover of Love Grows…he is a good singer songwriter… This was an album track I just feel for…the name of the song is probably what made me listen to it back then lol.
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Always meant to give him more time. Yeah the steel sounds good.
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Those guitars are really nice.
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One hella good song. I wonder if Freedy is on spotify. Need to go check…
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Nice sadly wistful feeling to the ‘way back in the day, I loved you, or something like it anyway.’ So simple but very effective.
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Thanks for giving it a try Obbverse.
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