Bob Beland - Unhappy Girl (LA, 1982)

"Unhappy Girl" is the opening track on Bob Beland's self-titled 12" EP, released on the iconic Los Angeles label, "What? Records." Stephen Hague, Jules Shear, and a few Polar Bears are amongst the names assisting Beland. Hague also produced Beland's great 1980 45, "Stealing Cars."

As far as I can tell, the song is unrelated to the curious artwork on the sleeve, although violent decapitation is certainly cause enough to be unhappy. Instead, the song seems to be about the strain that work, depression, withdrawal, and communication breakdowns can play in friendships. Many of us have been there ...

[excerpt]

"She's chained to a job she hates
And it's bringing her down
Well I can understand
We all got problems
But we all got to find
A way to solve them
She's just living in her bad mood ..."