5. Missing Persons – Words

For the longest time, I thought this song was by Til Tuesday. I don’t recall anymore why I associated this song with Aimee Mann’s former band whose song Voices Carry lingers in my head intermittently after a recent re-listen.

Words was included in a mixed tape I got from my House of Beth band mates in the 80s. This track came before our band’s home recording of “Assault and Battery,” a song that despite the title was as chong as chong could get (new wave, that is).  Needless to say, I played the tape to death until it was way beyond worn.

Since I didn’t know who performed it, I couldn’t search for the lyrics in Jingle Magazine. I didn’t even know the title and I thought the singer sang “When the world’s whore…”

There’s an acquired taste quality in the voice of singer, like Cyndi Lauper’s. Dale Bozio’s one of the more recognizable voices of that era together with Lauper, Mann, and Martha Davis of The Motels. Although I really hated the use of synthesizers, I really think it was well-employed here. It could also be because of the AI (artificial intelligent, ahem) timber of Dale’s singing and robotic swaying. A perfect complement to the pneumatic beat of the Dale’s then-husband Terry’s drum track.

It was only recently that I rediscovered Missing Persons when I searched for this song on YouTube. The first thing I noticed was the singer’s outfit – the above-average exposure of skin apart from, what the hell is she wearing for a skirt? Only then did it dawn on me that I must have seen Dale Bozio in one of those issues of Jingle Magazine and the accompanying article talking about her adult magazine moonlighting.

But more on that later. Don’t make the mistake of lumping the Missing Persons with other one-hit-wonders of the era. They were (still are) talented musicians with the legendary Frank Zappa employing some members as session players pre-Missing Persons. Terry Bozio even played drums for, tada – Korn.

Now that I know the real lyrics I was able to appreciate the song better. The refrain, alas, actually goes like this:  “What are words for when no one listens anymore?”

Before you go googling <Dale Bozio Images>, here’s the complete lyrics and video:

Do you hear me? Do you care?

My lips are moving and the sound’s coming out
The words are audible but I have my doubts
That you realise what has been said

You look at me as if you’re in a daze
It’s like the feeling at the end of the page when you realise
You don’t know what you just read.

What are words for
When no one listens anymore
What are words for
When no one listens
There’s no use talking at all.

I might as well go up and talk to a wall
Coz all the words are having no effect at all
It’s a funny thing.. am I all alone?

Something has to happen to change the direction
What little filters though is giving you the wrong impression
“it’s a sorry state” I say to myself

What are words for
When no one listens anymore
What are words for
When no one listens
There’s no use talking at all.

Do you hear me? Do you care?

Let me get by over your dead body
Hope to see you soon
When will I know?
Doors three feet wide with no locks open
Walking always backwards in faces of strangers
Time could be my friend
But it’s less then nowhere now….

Pursue it any further and another thing you’ll find
Not only are they deaf and dumb they could be going blind
noone notices
I think I’ll dye my hair blue.

Media overload bombarding you with action
It’s getting near impossible to cause distraction
someone answer me.. before I pull the plug.

What are words for
When no one listens anymore
What are words for
When no one listens
There’s no use talking at all.