Songs of '78: "Copacabana"

Yes, there were the Cars, and the Rolling Stones, and Joe Walsh, and Van Halen, and Cheap Trick, and Eric Clapton, and more. But it was still, you know, the Seventies. And that means we had Barry Manilow on the radio; deal with it.

I have on very clear memory of this song, from the summer of 1978. We were building a new home on my grandfather's property; I would end up living there until I left home for college nine years later. My father was intensely involved in the construction (how much of it he did himself I'm not sure, but he brought all us young kids to the site at many points along the way, and were recruited to haul bricks and stones, help drywall and paint, and hunt down the many insects that kept infiltrating the construction project when no one was looking (I can remember the discovery of a huge wasps nest that had been built above one of the ceiling tiles). Anyway, at some point, I think fairly early in the process, we were there, doing I don't know what (helping sand window shelving, maybe?), and this song came on the old, paint-splattered transistor radio which Dad had set up. I'd heard it before that day; why did that listening stick in my mind? Because I became obsessed with wondering whether Rico "called her over" (why would that be a problem?, thought not-quite-10-year-old me) or "called her Rover" (that makes more sense; he insulted Lola, calling her a dog! He even whistled at her! No wonder Tony took such great offense). I suspect I must have bugged my Dad to get his opinion; I don't remember if he had an answer. Yes, kids, this is what listening to the radio was like before the internet.

Oh well. A goofy fun song, released in June of 1978. Enjoy, everyone.