The Bangles: How is the Air Up There (1982)

Until the Herbs EP Whats' Be Happen? in 1981, Aotearoa New Zealand had no great tradition of political songs.

There were the odd gestures (the Howard Morrison Quartet's humorous My Old Man's an All Black) but these were unusual.

 

There were however an increasing number of songs which were about teenage rebellion, dissent and anti-social comment.

Johnny Devlin's Get a Haircut was, like the Morrison song, more humorous than rebellious but in the Sixties, as a subculture of teenagers solidified, songs like the Blue Stars' Social End Product arrived.

Get A Haircut, 1959

 

These were songs more inspired by the Pretty Things and Rolling Stones that the fresh upbeat pop of the Beatles.

The songs for kids who smoked behind the bike sheds at lunchtime.

The La De Das' original Don't You Stand in My Way (“if you do you'll get hurt today”) and their cover of the obscure How is the Air Up There tapped into teenage rebellion, class and a measure of delinquency.

Don't You Stand in my Way

 

They were so anti-social they even dispensed with the question mark!

How is the Air Up There

 

Surprisingly How is the Air Up There traveled well and in 1982 the La De Das' version was picked up by the young Bangles, then just emerging under that name after being the Bangs.

Their cover appeared on their self-titled debut EP.

The Bangles were fans of Sixties music (they wanted to bring Sixties music in the Eighties, they said) and so were schooled in the Beatles and British pop.

That they should stumble on the La De Das is therefore no surprise.

Make what you will of their version.

Here are the lyrics . . .

How is the Air Up There

Father is a V.I.P
Thinks he's always right
Your mother watches her TV
Won't talk to you all night

Couldn't help sitting up so high
He's got a bloody nose
He's never seen a flower or tree
Or anything that's low

Everyday I'll pass and say
Hey!
How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?
Who are you, I just don't care
I'll hang here on the ground

The first time that I saw you
Said you hope I never change
Your folks took one look at me
And they sure acted strange

Haven't seen you in a month
And you wonder what it's all about
Next time I'm in prison ropes
Come and bring me out

Oh, everyday I'll pass and say
Hey!
How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?
Who are you, I just don't care
I'm happy with what I found

You tried to put the blame on me
You've got a lot of nerve
You say you feel so lonely
Well, it's just what you deserve

When you get tired of your lonely life
In high society
Then get some kicks and take a trip
And come on down with me

Oh, everyday I'll pass and say
Hey!
How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?
Who are you, I just don't care
I'm happy with what I found

How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?
How is the air up there?

.

For more oddities, one-offs or songs with an interesting backstory see From the Vaults.