"Fly" by Sugar Ray

by Katie

History will be unkind to Sugar Ray. Their legacy will undoubtedly be of a SoCal punk band (if anyone even bothers to remember that they were once "punk" at all) that cashed in on their one radio-friendly song and continued a Phelps-like winning streak of mom-rock hits. Not to mention the fact that their adorrrrrable frontman parlayed his music career into the totally credible hard-hitting news program Extra and the gripping documentary, The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll.

You may not remember, but "Fly", before it became a cheesy adult contemporary hit, was played on the much cooler alternative stations. It was one of those songs that transitioned from the alternative-rock radio stations to the Top 40 once it began to gain steam. And as soon as that juggernaut started, WATCHOUTBABY, cuz this shitrollercoaster ain't got no brakes.

I don't remember much about my 10th grade chemistry class other than the time my teacher brought in his acoustic guitar and played a song he had penned himself about the mole (the scientific unit of measure, not the creature or skin condition, as noted in the lyrics). But I do have one very happy memory of being in an especially great mood because all morning I had "Fly" stuck in my head. It was one of those few stuck-in-the-head moments that's the opposite of annoying - it's a song you really truly like, and every time it plays in your head, your brain tingles. The best way I can describe this is that it feels exactly like a second glass of white wine.

Over the summer of 1997, "Fly" became a huge hit and eventually became pretty annoying. By the time school started again in the fall, the captain of my soccer team had added it to the "SIKE-UP" mixtape she made for practices, at which point I knew the song was truly dead to me. This may have been my first taste of having the feeling that I had liked a band FIRST but it was ruined because now these unhip jocks were into them.

I would also just like to mention that this mixtape also included "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba.

You know what, though? "Fly" is a fucking awesome song. Throw this on at a party, and people will go fucking nuts, I guarantee it. If you sing this at karaoke, you will have gained the admiration of men and women alike.

Addendum to this story: Sugar Ray put out a new album last week. Seriously. Epic wins bookended by epic Fails; hakuna matata, amigos.