Expert: Bong Santos - 6/23/2006

Question

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Hi again, I know its a tough one, We thought about some of the words to the song and we both remember near the end of the song she said " and if you look at the label it says 100% acrylic"
 The video only had the girl in it looking at the screen and talking about the sweater and I think it was a school sweater and a boy from school gave her the sweater and it smelt like the boy.
 I know it sounds tacky but it really is a good song. I hoe this could help. Thanks again, James
Followup To

Question -
 Hi there, My roommate and I both grew up in the 80s and we both remember a very rare song/video , but have no clue what the song is called or who sang it, but the video had a girl/woman kind of talking about a sweater and it came from a guy, She also mentioned in the song that the sweater smelt like the guy. She wasnt really singing it was more talking to the beat. Its been bothering us for years now and we are still hoping to find out who it was.  Any Ideas?  Thanks James

Answer -
Dear James,

That is a hard one, as you said. Man, sorry I have no idea what the video is. I don't remember seeing that video. Do you remember any lyrics of the song? It may help. Please mail me again.

Maraming salamat po!

BONG M. SANTOS
Manila, Philippines

Answer
Dear James,

I told you so, any lyrics could be of help. Man, now I remember. It's none other than THE SWEATER by MERYN CADELL, a Canadian singer, writer and performance artist. A graduate of the Ontario College of Arts and Design, she released an independent cassette titled MARE-IN KA-DELL in 1998. He soon signed to Intrepid Records and recorded with JIM CREGGAN of BARENAKED LADIES, BOB WISEMAN of BLUE RODEO and members of RHEOSTATICS. Those sessions released in 1991 became the album ANGEL FOOD FOR THOUGHT, whose first single THE SWEATER became a Top 40 hit in Canada in 1992. In the US, it just went as high as #24 in the Modern Rock Tracks (June 6, 1992)and did not hit the Hot 100. In 1993, she released BOMBAZINE and in 1997, her last album called 6 BLOCKS. Following that album, she retired from the music business and is now a professor in writing song lyrics and libretto at University of British Columbia. For more info on Meryn Cadell, go to http://www.meryncadell.com
Here's how it goes:

THE SWEATER / MERYN CADELL

Girls,
I know you will understand this
and feel the intrinsic incredible emotion
You have just pulled over your head the worn,
warm sweater belonging to a boy
Now, you haven't had a passionate kissing session or anything,
but you got to go on a camping trip with him
and eight other people from school
And you practically slept together,
your sleeping bag right next to his
And you woke in the night to watch him as he slept
but you couldn't see anything 'cause it was dark
so you just laid there and listened to his breathing
and wondered if your heart might burst
The sweater has that faintly goat-like smell
which all teenage boys possess,
and that smell will lovingly transfer
to all your other clothes
If you get to keep it for a few days you can sleep with it
but don't let your mom see, 'cause she'll say,
"what is that filthy thing, and who does it belong to
besides the trash man?"
So you have to keep it under the covers with you
You can kind of lie it beside you,
or wrap it around your waist,
or touch it on your legs, or whatever
But that's your business
Now if the sweater has, like, reindeer on it
or is a funny color like yellow... I'm sorry,
you can't get away with a sweater like that
Look for brown, or grey, or blue
Anything other than that, and you know you're dealing with
someone who's different
And different is NOT what you're looking for
You're looking for those teenage Alpine ski-chiseled features
and that sort of blank look which passes for deep thought
or at least the notion that someone's home
You're looking for the boy of your dreams
who is the same boy in the dreams of all your friends
Monday, wear the sweater
to school
Be calm, look cute
Don't tell him the dream you had
about the place the two of you would share
when you get older
Just be yourself
The best, cutest, quietest version of yourself
Definitely wear lip gloss
He looks at you, and he looks away
And then he walks away
and the smell of the sweater hits you again suddenly
like ape-scent gloriola
and you get a note passed to you
by a girl in History that says
"He needs his sweater back.
He forgot that you put it on in the tent on Saturday
and he's been looking for it."
And you don't have to die of humiliation, you know
You are a strong person
and this is a learning experience
You can still hold your head up high as you run from the classroom
tearing the stinking sweater from your body
You look at that sweater, carefully, and realize that love made you temporarily blind.
You've got a secret now, honey,
and though you would never sink as low as him,
you could blab it all over the school if you wanted
The label in that sweater
said "100% Acrylic"

Maraming salamat po!

BONG M. SANTOS
Manila, Philippines