Single Review: Guster - "One Man Wrecking Machine"

Have you ever wanted to go back in time? To relive a particularly enjoyable moment? Or maybe to "fix" something you screwed up?

I built a time machine Going to see the homecoming queen Take her to the Christmas dance Maybe now I'll get in her pants Whatever...

I'd have to say that the thought has definitely crossed my mind once or twice.

Back with my high school friends Meetin' where the train tracks end Passin' 'round a skinny joint Rollin up to look our point

I have wondered what happened to my high school friends. I mean, it's been a lot of years. I know what exactly one of them is up to.

I wanna pull it apart and put it back together I wanna relive all my adolescent dreams Inspired by true events on movie screens I am a one man wrecking machine

Adolescent dreams. I'm not really sure that I had any. Not much beyond struggling with the usual concerns: acne, girlfriend, dread of the next history exam. Damn, it all seemed so important back then, especially the girlfriend thing.

Now that I think of it, there is one little incident I'd like to revisit. I'd gone out with a girl throughout my entire junior year. She was truly my first love. Can't quite remember why I broke up with her. A little over a year later, feeling incredibly lonely at a big (for me) university, I started writing to her (this was back when people used to actually writer letters...on paper and everything). I asked her out on a date. She said yes. When I came back for that weekend I picked her up in my dad's car. We talked for a while and then she mentions, kind of in passing, that "we're going out 'just as friends', right?"

I was internally crushed.

The 'date' continued. When we stopped back at her house later, we again talked for a bit before she went in. I so wanted to tell her that I couldn't stand this 'just friends' stuff. I wanted to grab her and kiss her just like in the movies. Nope. My timid self ruled.

So, the thing is...would I want to change what happened that night? Would I want to go back and threaten to completely alter the course of the rest of my life? Would that make me disappear Back To The Future-style?

With One Man Wrecking Machine, Guster has put all of these thoughts into my head. It's a great song. By the time you get to the chorus you feel like you've known this song your entire life. I mean that in a good way.

Back in my parent's house Back to the shouting out loud One day you'll be a man One day you'll understand

I never went through that particular emotion, though I can understand it.

Here in the present tense Nothings making sense Waiting for my moment to come Everything's come undone

Now this I can identify with. Can't everybody from time to time? Later in my life I went through some things that had scary parallels to by first girlfriend incident. Maybe if I'd just gone back and...

Guster's new CD, Ganging Up On The Sun, will be released on June 20th. I'm really looking forward to it.