Wednesday, April 15, 2009

So good, so good

Last week, I was in Whole Foods. It was after work, I was feeling really tired, and it was rainy as all snot outside. I think the only word that could really describe me that day was bedraggled. I was be-effin-draggled.

As I shopped, I immediately noticed that my spirits, they were brightening. The spring was coming back in my step. And then I realized what was causing this. It was the music. Whole Foods was blasting some DEBARGE, people! Debarge. Oh. Yes. There must be some kind of marketing study somewhere that shows that humming "Tothebeatoftherhythmofthenight, dance until the morning laht! Forgetabouttheworriesonyo'mind, you can leave them all behaaaaaand" makes you want to buy more tangelos. Because it did. And I was happy to do it. Oh, Janet, how could you have let James Debarge go? Did being around him make you want to buy tangelos all day long?

So then, last night, I went in there again. This time I wasn't bedraggled or anything. I walked through the produce section and starting squeezing the avocados (is there any other food that gets felt up at the rate of avocados?). This time, they had Neil Diamond blasting. And the produce guy, standing next to me, stacking up the tomatoes? Did this.

Piped in music: Sweeet Caroline!
Produce guy: Bah, bah baaaah!
Piped in music: Good times never seem so good!
Produce guy: SO GOOD! SO GOOD!

Just right out in the open. Didn't look at me, kept stacking those tomatoes, but singing back up for Neil. With HEART.

I moved on to the noodle aisle. The song kept playing. And in that aisle, there was another worker unloading some such. And it happened again!

Neil: Touching me, touching youuuuuu!....Sweet Caroline!
Noodle guy: Bah, bah baaah!
Neil: Good times never seemed so good!
Noodle guy: SO GOOD! SO GOOD!

I walked all around that store, and there were people singing back up to Neil everywhere! I mean, EVERYWHERE. Not to each other in a sing-along way. Just to themselves, as they were going about their business. Not a shred of irony in the whole thing.

This, my friends, is the world I want to live in. I think I am going to move in at Whole Foods.

BAH BAH BAAAAH.

I'm out,
Librarian Girl

15 comments:

teacherninja said...

I'm so glad I have my iPod playing or I'd have that stuff stuck in my head...

Kaijsa said...

Dang you and your Whole Foods and soulful grocery workers! Small town, rural life is missing this stuff.

Josh said...

Maybe you could just start playing Sweet Caroline around the house and see what Nordic Boy does.

If he absentmindedly does back up for Neil too it might save you some moving trouble.

Anonymous said...

This made me smile and think of friends. :)

katie lou said...

i think you are hysterical.

also - i was feeling a bit bedraggled myself. and then i read your post. and now i have debarge in my head.

much better.

glkjen said...

I laugh soooo hard when I read your stuff ... thanks for doing this, LG! You are good medicine, even if nothin' is ailin'!

srcsmgrl said...

I used to work in a grocery, although it was nowhere as cool at Whole Foods, we did tend to sing along with the music, because they would play the same song an average of 3 times in a shift. Imagine hearing the same 20-30 songs several times a day... I knew some of them really well, although I have managed to block the names out of my mind.

KatieC said...

Whole Foods is like another world. A better world. One where employees ask if you need help, and you feel like they truly care if you need help. Where everyone working there sure seems happier (and more free to break into song) than I probably seem at my job. Where they thank you (and I mean sincerely!) for bringing reusable bags. Whole Foods is a wonder.

Claire said...

And now I'm singing the song...

We had Whole Foods down t'road from us when we were in San Fran, was so exciting! We got yummy stuff to take to eat when we watched the Shakespeare in the Park at the Presidio...ah happy memories.

Karen said...

I always notice the music in the food store! I love it! Always makes me happy! :)

Unknown said...

This story just about made my lifetime.

aishoka said...

Maybe your Whole Foods is staffed by Red Sox fans? There's a whole wacky connection between that song and the Red Sox--they play it at every game...

Carrie Ann said...

That's hilarious

The Maiden Metallurgist said...

Josh and I were in a Whole Foods last weekend, and the music was so good we stayed about three songs longer just hanging out and listening.

The Chosen One said...

The music at the grocery makes me sing along too. I actually hope the cameras are not zoomed in on me as I mouth the words. When I have Computerboy with me, I actually do a little dance with the music. I figure that way I can embarrass both of us.

Keep up the funnies. I love your blog LG!!!!