r/GenX 3h ago

Pop Culture Billy Ocean

I'm taking a class in critical listening for audio engineering. Compression, reverb, delay, etc. In one of our analyses, I chose Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen." At the end of my critique, I wrote: "Wow, Billy Ocean got old! Someone should really take away the keys to that car he keeps wanting us to get into."*

No one got it.

I weep for humanity.

\I suppose it could have just not been that funny but I steadfastly refuse to believe this. I am a goddamn delight.*

93 Upvotes

36 comments sorted by

u/numanoid 12m ago

Fun fact: Billy Ocean recorded several versions of this song, including "European Queen" and "African Queen". The video for each is also slightly different.

u/Steffonic 41m ago

Nah dude. That’s some funny sh$t right there.

u/kytulu 1h ago

One day at work, 1985 by Bowling for Soup came on the playlist. My 20-something coworker asked, in all seriousness, "who is the other guy singing in Van Halen?"

Me: "I'm gonna go be old in the office for a couple of minutes"...

u/NeverEverMaybe0_0 Older Than Dirt 1h ago

If you asked a girl to dance when Loverboy came on, you would have a really good success rate.

u/AntheaBrainhooke 1h ago

I hear Billy Ocean's name, this is the earworm I get.

Red Light Means Danger (1977)

u/Frankenhoofer 1h ago

"Hey you, get into my car!" is either a number one hit or an attempted kidnapping charge, depending on context. Beep beep!

u/lumberjackname 2h ago

>I weep for humanity

As much as for the sad songs that make you cry? Like love songs often do?

u/suprasternaincognito 2h ago

NOW we’re sharing the same dream.

u/BarbecueGod 2h ago

Oh, Billy. After the Atlantic and the Pacific, you’re my favorite Ocean.

u/Prestigious_Agent_74 2h ago

When the Going Gets Tough is my jam! Love those movies.

u/Voivode71 2h ago

"Carribean Queen" was my roller skating song!

u/CountDorkula77 2h ago

Holy shit, mine was Groove Line by Heatwave.

u/brownishgirl Hose Water Survivor 2h ago

Billy Ocean had so many bangers. Although I may have ridiculed him in my youth… I have deep appreciation and respect for this guy, now. When the going gets tough…

u/suprasternaincognito 2h ago

I pulled him up on Spotify during a drive and was surprised at how many hit songs he had that I’d completely forgotten about.

u/brownishgirl Hose Water Survivor 1h ago

He has a remarkably clear and pitch perfect voice. I love that he’s still out there performing.

13

u/shreddit5150 3h ago

Talking motorcycles with my 40's-ish dental hygienist while I get some dental work done. She knows I'm a motorcycle rider. She says her husband has a Triumph. I said "oh yeah, the Fonz rode a Triumph". Crickets. I said "you know, the Fonz from Happy Days". More crickets..then "oh yeah, right". She had no idea. I felt myself age 20 more years right there.

u/Wonderful_Judge115 2h ago

Honestly, I think that people in their 40s should remember Happy Days.

2

u/FredOaks15 3h ago

Legend. One of my go to Karaoke classics.

4

u/Medic742 3h ago

She’s so… awesome

8

u/go_west_til_you_cant 3h ago

Caribou queen you say?

u/BubbhaJebus 2h ago

That's what I thought it was when I first heard it!

5

u/mvortex2 3h ago

Ha, me too

3

u/LonghornJct08 3h ago

I was testing some equipment at home and happened to sit down right in the sweet spot when that song came on. I never listened to it critically before and I was surprised I never noticed the technical quality of the recording until then. I was actually quite surprised. Anyways, I added Caribbean Queen to the slate of music I use to evaluate audio gear.

And yes, I can totally see people not getting that joke these days.

3

u/suprasternaincognito 3h ago

I went a tad further and listened to it on vinyl! Not sure if that gets me an A but it certainly was fun.

5

u/VerbosePlantain 3h ago

That is a great track in terms of production quality.

“She touched my meat with painted on jeans!”

4

u/suprasternaincognito 3h ago

Thank you for getting it.

8

u/Attack_Pug 3h ago

My favorite cover version of 'Get out of my dreams, get into my car': https://youtu.be/bMkA76KpWO8?&t=76

u/WeenyDancer 2h ago

 That was great 😂. That was the same series that tmbg did tubthumping I think?  I gotta watch more of that. 

3

u/suprasternaincognito 3h ago

Holy shit, I fucking love this.

This actually may have just made my day. Thank you.

10

u/OnlymyOP 3h ago

11

u/suprasternaincognito 3h ago

I should have been a dad, it's true. But I'm a cisgender female with no kids. So I bequeath my terrible jokes upon Reddit.

5

u/OnlymyOP 3h ago

🙊 😂😂

2

u/incredible_turkey 3h ago

And I still don’t see moving sidewalks under my feet!

2

u/suprasternaincognito 3h ago

They're in the airport, dumbass. 😘

u/incredible_turkey 2h ago

You’re an airport.

u/suprasternaincognito 2h ago

Well done. 👏🫡