And now we close out our week of Popstrology with a St. Stupid's Day look at the Sign of Gaz:
12/15/72: Billy Paul, "Me & Mrs. Jones"
(Ed. note: This song did not actually rise #1 until Dec. 16. But I'll play by their rules.)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, unless you really, really love her.
Considering the number of somebody-done-somebody-wrong songs in the history of pop music, it's amazing how few of them have been told from the perspective of the wrongdoer. Songs about the innocent victims of sexual infidelity are a dime a dozen in the pop canon, but until Billy Paul did it in 1972, not one star in the popstrological firmament had ever been rewarded with a #1 hit for actually owning up to committing the mortal sin of adultery. But the popstrological significance of your Birthstar may not be exactly what you think, and it's certainly different from that of stars like the Manhattans and Mary McGregor, who followed Billy Paul's confessional example in the years to come. For while "Me and Mrs. Jones" does describe an extramarital affair, it seems to describe one that might just be more genuinely hopeful and fulfilling than either of the relationships it threatens to upset. And while it's very easy for all of us to click our tongues and agree that it's just plain bad to be sexually unfaithful, how many of us would have good reason to hesitate before casting the first stone at Billy Paul? Indeed, your Birthstar is regarded by the nonjudgemental science of Popstrology as the patron saint of *potentially great relationships that begin in inappropriate circumstances*. So does this give you some kind of free pass on philandering, child of Billy Paul? If you're true to your Birthstar, you already know the answer to that question, and you'll only go looking for *true* love in all the wrong places.
Star Traits: Forgotten; Minor; Mas Mucho Soul, Kinda Fresh, Sorta Sexy
Constellation: So-Soul
No celeb b-dates.
Mike & Geoff: Sorry the book doesn't cover you two. Ali: I can do this for you if I get your birth year. Anyone else: Stop lurking and say hi!
