meme – The Diary of The Deranged Writer

Song of the Moment CXVII: Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris”

Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” (the eleventh track from the studio album Dizzy Up the Girl, the definitive soundtrack of the 1998 romantic fantasy drama film City of Angels, and one of the biggest hit ballads of the 1990s) was revived twice in recent years. Firstly, it was featured in Deadpool & Wolverine (a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Five released in 2024), and then this year in a 90s viral meme (mainly on Instagram), where people who lived in that decade were asked what it was like, and then they responded with montages of photos and videos from that era.

XLIII: The Deranged Writer’s Struggle with Steinermania III

Unless you’re living under a rock, I’m sure you’re familiar with the device known as the microphone or mic. Singers use it to deliver their show-stopping performances, broadcasters use it to deliver information and opinions on their shows, and professional wrestlers use it to deliver promos.

Side note: In professional wrestling terms, a promo is a monologue from a wrestler/manager/personality or a dialogue between two or more individuals that hypes a match, advances a storyline, and develops wrestling personas. In pro wrestling, the act of delivering a promo is called “cutting a promo.”

So, where is this going? I just want to share that I have watched too many Scott Steiner videos so often that even the word “mic” triggers my Steinermania. Let me explain why.

Song of the Moment XCVII: Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”

Yes, you read the title right. And I promise you: there are no rickrolls here.

I definitely enjoyed listening to many Nine Inch Nails songs lately (notably “Every Day is Exactly the Same”, a previous Song of the Moment). But since last weekend, I needed to slowly step out of the darkness and enjoy more light. I enjoyed the light again by listening to upbeat songs ranging from “Walking on the Sun” by Smash Mouth to “Treasure” by Bruno Mars (my ultra-talented doppelgänger, according to many people).

But the most upbeat song that stood out for me is Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”, the most popular song not just in Mr. Astley’s catalog but also on the Internet. Many people have fallen into the rickroll trap, and I’m included on that list. But Internet history aside, I believe it’s one of the best pop songs ever, and I love the fact that the chorus is a written promise of total commitment. Who doesn’t want someone who will never give up on them? Those are the reasons it’s my Song of the Moment.

The music video of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

Oh, there’s another reason “Never Gonna Give You Up” is my Song of the Moment: Foo Fighters, my all-time favorite band, performed the song with Astley himself in 2017. Seriously, it happened! Please watch the video below. (And don’t worry, it’s a real live performance, not a rickroll. It’s more of a rickgrohl.)

Not a rickroll… Foo Fighters and Rick Astley really performed “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

See? As I promised, no rickrolls.

See you in the next post!