The New York City-born band Blondie were a pioneer. The group worked in rock, new wave, disco and even rap music when the latter was just getting its feet under itself. Fronted by model and singer Debbie Harry, Blondie was also one of the most recognizable groups and the outfit often used its visibility for good, bringing lesser-known names to the fore, including lyricist Fab 5 Freddy.
At its height, Blondie was making waves for about eight years but in that time, the groundbreaking group released some of the most classic songs of its era. Here below, we wanted to dive into a trio of songs from the band that have since stood the test of time. Three songs that continue to grace the airwaves and find themselves on your favorite streamer. Indeed, these are three eternal Blondie songs.
[RELATED: Best Christmas Song Ever? Blondie Rediscovers Lost Gem with Fab 5 Freddy]
“Heart of Glass” from Parallel Lines (1978)
A disco song that brings life to listeners from head to toes, this dance song doubles as one of heartbreak and lost love. Here, lead singer Debbie Harry talks about a love she had but lost. It could have been something lasting, she sings, but instead it was fleeting. At least, however, she has the strength to sing about it openly and lively. On the track, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Harry sings in falsetto,
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
“Call Me” from American Gigolo (Soundtrack, 1980)
This song was written for the soundtrack of the 1980 film American Gigolo, which starred Richard Gere. The track, which was another from the group that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, was originally presented as an instrumental and meant for Stevie Nicks, but she was unable to perform it due to contractual reasons. Enter Debbie Harry, who wrote the lyric and knocked the opportunity out of the park. She wrote the song from the perspective of the film’s main character, a male prostitute. And on it, she sings,
Color me your color, baby
Color me your car
Color me your color, darling
I know who you are
Come up off your color chart
I know where you’re coming from
Call me (call me) on the line
Call me, call me any, anytime
Call me (call me) I’ll arrive
You can call me any day or night
Call me
“Rapture” from Autoamerican (1980)
This song is one of the first prominent mainstream tracks to feature rapping. Today hip-hop is the most dominant musical form, but back in the late 1970s and early1980s, the genre was still getting getting its footing. But Blondie and particularly Debbie Harry appreciated the art form early on and sought to bring it to their music with dignity. On the track, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Harry sings and raps, ending the tune with this verse,
Fab Five Freddy told me everybody’s fly
DJ spinnin’ I said, “My my”
Flash is fast, Flash is cool
François c’est pas, Flash ain’t no dude
And you don’t stop, sure shot
Go out to the parking lot
And you get in your car and drive real far
And you drive all night and then you see a light
And it comes right down and it lands on the ground
And out comes a man from Mars
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Local News
