Today’s classic mid-80s song of the day is “What I Am” by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. This was the first single from their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars; released in November of 1988, it peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #4 on the U.S. Alternative Airplay charts. It also hit #1 up north on RPM’s Canada Top Singles chart.
“What I Am” is notable for its circular lyrics in the chorus. To wit:
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or what?
What I am is what I am
Are you what you are or?
Oh, I’m not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean
Ms. Brickell, who wrote “What I Am” with bandmate Kenny Withrow, said the lyric came from her dissatisfaction with a course in college:
“The lyrics came from my one elective in my first year in college, world religions. From the time I could first think, I wondered, What does the rest of the world think? I know what these Texas folks think, but what’s going on in the rest of the world? So I took this world religions class, and I was immediately annoyed at the chatter going on in the classroom. To adopt behaviors, to adopt some sort of dogma, I felt defeated the purpose of evolution. That song just blossomed from irritation.”
New Bohemians started out as a trio in Dallas, Texas, during the early 1980s. Guitarist Kenny Winslow joined a bit later and the band coalesced when Edie Brickell joined as lead singer in 1985. Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars was the band’s high point; their next album, Ghost of a Dog, was significantly less successful, and the band broke up following that in 1990.
Edie Brickell went on to have an interesting solo career, releasing two albums on her own: Picture Perfect Morning in 1994 and Volcano in 2003. She was the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Gaddabouts, a band founded by drummer Steve Gadd, and performed often with Steve Martin and his bluegrass band, the Steep Canyon Rangers. Oh, and while the New Bohemians were performing “What I Am” on Saturday Night Live in 1988, she met and fell in love with a chap named Paul Simon, who she married in 1992 and had three children with. The couple are still together today.
