It Should Have Been Me

Song: It Should Have Been Me
Artist: Yvonne Fair
Album: The Bitch is Black



I think we need a little DRAMA for this Friday. And there is no better drama than that which can be found on the dancefloor. I’ve been feeling a bit random this week, which is probably obvious given my selections, and this is no different. Yvonne Fair’s “It Should Have Been Me” popped into my head this morning out of nowhere and I felt compelled to play it. It occurred to me that this is such an obscure little classic that I should give it some props on my little ol’ blog here.

A few years ago I met a woman in my then company’s Finance department whom was a former hairstylist and a native New Yorker. She told me crazy tales of all night dancing at some of New York’s best underground clubs in the 70’s and what the scene was like. As our conversations grew we began to share music back and forth and first and foremost she said I MUST get to know this song. Since then I have found many a fan of this song and for good reason… its HOT!

While not a huge hit in terms of radio, the song, which was recorded prior by Kim Weston and Gladys Knight, became a club classic here and managed to hit #5 in the UK where is stayed on the charts for eleven weeks. Now I don’t know much about Yvonne Fair… but there is so much passion in her voice, so much fire, that you BELIEVE this woman is standing up in the church and taking her former man to town. (If that wasn’t enough evidence, she named her album “The Bitch is Black.” I mean… girl don’t play.)

I always envisioned a large black drag queen doing this song in a torn up wedding dress, cigarette hanging out of the mouth, just a hot hot mess. But through the streaking mascara the hurt pours through… it’s songs like these, these broken heart anthems that can be so cathartic. Sometimes I think a night on the dancefloor can do as much for you as an hour on the doctors couch. But then again… I’m not Freud.

Enjoy!