— Shreek of the Week of the Day —

Poetry in Motion

“She Blinded Me with Science” by Thomas Dolby from the album The Golden Age of Wireless
First Week of November, 1982

“Mr. Dolby loses faith in Science and all things Scientific.”

Or so says the final written slide in the video for “She Blinded Me With Science.” If this were true, Thomas Dolby’s synth-pop hit would probably have significantly less synth in it. The song, despite receiving almost cult 1980s one-hit-wonder status, is virtually unlistenable. It’s got some bizarre synthesizer “chords” and a rather odd bridge (“I don’t believe it/There she goes again/She’s tidied up and I can’t find anything”). The most redeeming quality of the song is the music video, which was filmed in a British asylum with actual mental patients. Dolby himself stars in the video as a man in the facility for psychiatric evaluation. While he’s being worked over, the rest of the inmates wonder the grounds as though they were inflicted with St. Vitus’s Dance, arms flailing about. The old psychologist that evaluates him seems like a professional. He shouts “SCIENCE!” at the patient at varying intervals, while thrusting his pencil in the air as though he’s made a serious discovery. In the end, Dolby’s either judged sane or so insane that he needs to take up residence with people that don’t conduct experiments on the roof of the facility with World War I aviation hats and goggles. Thus, he has lost faith.

It’s sad really. Another curious mind snuffed out in its prime.

Best moment: the various exclamations of “SCIENCE!” throughout the choruses.

—G.W.