My Gen X Playlist: Heart of Glass – Blondie

The workaholic in me would say work. But I’ve been off for awhile so I’ll set that aside. Recently I’ve been a victim of Netflix binge watching. It’s easy to say, just one more episode.

Usually I’ll watch either espionage or murder mystery/crime shows. This past month I’ve been watching a slew of foreign crime series. I’m getting a little tired of reading subtitles, though. The challenge here is I can’t multitask or else I’ll be completely in the dark. There are also times I have to rewind because the subtitles flash before I had time to read and digest it. There are some great foreign series, they just take a little extra work.

Recently however, I’ve been watching something completely different. The reality show Blown Away has sucked me in. This is a glass blowing competition and totally a new world to me. I’m amazed at the creativity and skill that’s involved. The glass pieces are beautiful, truly works of art. Too bad they don’t have a glass blowing class at my local community center. I’d be there in a heartbeat.

Blondie released Heart of Glass in 1978. It was such an iconic song back then. This song transitioned them from the New York punk scene to mainstream music.

‘Heart of Glass’ was one of the first songs Blondie wrote, but it was years before we recorded it properly. We’d tried it as a ballad, as reggae, but it never quite worked. At that point, it had no title. We just called it ‘The Disco Song.’

“The lyrics weren’t about anyone,” she continued. “They were just a plaintive moan about lost love. At first, the song kept saying, ‘Once I had a love, it was a gas. Soon turned out, it was a pain in the ass.’ We couldn’t keep saying that, so we came up with, ‘Soon turned out, had a heart of glass.’”

– faroutmagazine

Debbie Harry explained in Q magazine: “I was tired of hearing girl singers write or sing about being beaten by love. So I said, Well listen, there are also a lot of girls who just walk away.”

John Lennon once wrote Ringo Starr a postcard advising him to write more songs like “Heart of Glass.” Debbie Harry told The Guardian: “It was totally wonderful knowing that.”

– Songfacts

You have to admit. If John Lennon is throwing out compliments like that, it definitely must be a work of art.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Once I had a love and it was a gas
Soon turned out had a heart of glass
Seemed like the real thing, only to find
Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

Once I had a love and it was divine
Soon found out I was losing my mind
It seemed like the real thing but I was so blind
Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

In between
What I find is pleasing and I'm feeling fine
Love is so confusing there's no peace of mind
If I fear I'm losing you it's just no good
You teasing like you do

Once I had a love and it was a gas
Soon turned out had a heart of glass
Seemed like the real thing, only to find
Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

Lost inside
Adorable illusion and I cannot hide
I'm the one you're using, please don't push me aside
We could've made it cruising, yeah

Yeah, riding high on love's true bluish light

Once I had a love and it was a gas
[album version:] Soon turned out to be a pain in the ass
[radio version:] Soon turned out I had a heart of glass 
Seemed like the real thing only to find
Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

[radio version additional verse:]
In between
What I find is pleasing and I'm feeling fine
Love is so confusing there's no peace of mind
If I fear I'm losing you it's just no good
You teasing like you do