Music Video of the Day: A Girl Like You by The Smithereens (1989, directed by John Lloyd Miller)

This song was originally written to serve as the theme song for Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything… It was ultimately rejected because Cameron Crowe felt that the lyrics gave away the entire plot of the film. Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens, however, argued that the lyrics lend themselves to several different interpretations. Was he right? Judge for yourself:

I used to travel in the shadows
And I never found the nerve to try and walk up to you
But now I am a man and I know that there’s no time to waste
There’s too much to lose
Girl, you say anything at all, and you know that you can call
And I’ll be right there for you
First love, heartbreak, tough luck, big mistake
What else can you do

I’ll say anything you want to hear
I’ll see everything through
I’ll do anything I have to do
Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you

People talk and people stare, tell them I don’t really care
This is the place I should be
And if they think it’s really strange for a girl like you
To be in love with someone like me
I want to tell them all to go to hell
That we’re doing very well without them you see
That’s just the way it is and they will see
I am yours and you are mine, the way it should be

I’ll say anything you want to hear
I’ll see everything through
I’ll do anything I have to do
Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you
A girl like you, oh yeah

Now if I seem a little wild, there’s no holding back
I’m trying to get a message to you
I won’t take anything from anyone
I won’t walk and I won’t run, I believe in you
London, Washington, anywhere you are I’ll run
Together we’ll be
Inside, outside, got my pride
I won’t let ’em take you from me

I’ll say anything you want to hear
I’ll see everything through
I’ll do anything I have to do
Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you
A girl like you, a girl like you
A girl like you, a girl like you, oh yeah
I’ll say anything (I’ll say anything)
I’ll take anything (I’ll take anything)
I’ll say anything, almost anything
Except goodbye
I’ll say anything (I’ll say anything)
I’ll take anything (I’ll take anything)
I’ll say anything, almost anything
Except goodbye

I’m undecided on this one. The lyrics do mention running off to London and Washington, which seems to be a reference to the movie’s final scene. But they also don’t mention anything about the girl’s father getting sent to federal prison for swindling the elderly. I guess both Crowe and DiNizio had a point.

The video for this song is a simple performance clip. It was directed by John Lloyd Miller, who is credited with directing a handful of other videos. Most of them were for the Smithereens but he also directed videos for The Fat Boys, Kool & The Gang, and Melba Moore. He’s also credited as playing “Grumpy Old Man In Bed” in the 1990 horror anthology, Tales of the Unknown.

Enjoy!