I remember a radio station -- might even have been Live 105 -- running a promo contest around this song in which people submitted their favorite memories of being a college freshman. And I thought to myself, "People, did you even listen to the lyrics of this song?"
I did not know the story behind it until I googled just now -- Wow.
Brian Vander Ark on 'The Freshmen':
"warning!!! this explanation is what the song means to me, the song writer. i figure, the songs been out long enough, why perpetuate this mystery? if you don't want to read the real story, if your happy with your own interpretations, then i suggest you don't read this.
WHEN I WAS YOUNG I KNEW EVERYTHING. we all think we know everything at a young age. i thought i did. i realise i didn't know sh*t until i was 36. AND SHE, A PUNK, WHO RARELY TOOK ADVICE. how many people do we know like that? NOW I'M GUILT STRICKEN, SOBBING, WITH MY HEAD ON THE FLOOR. something happened, that caused this reaction, but i wouldn't want to give that away this early in the song, so let's throw in an some ambiguity: STOP A BABY'S BREATH, AND A SHOE FULL OF RICE, NO. first of all, forget the NO. stop a baby's breath is just that. abort the baby. a shoe full of rice is a result of a wedding. so--stop a baby's breath AND then you stop a wedding. she's pregnant, get her to abort, and then there's no wedding. and you know what? I CAN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, CAUSE SHE WAS TOUCHING HER FACE. when i wrote this song, the divinyls had a song out called i touch myself. the tv was on, she was touching her face in the video. very sexy. so, i can't be held responsible because she was trying to be sexy, trying to seduce me, etc. I WON'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, SHE FELL IN LOVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. i didn't tell her to fall in love. FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT MADE US THINK THAT WE WERE WISE, AND WE'D NEVER COMPROMISE. what was i thinking back then. who am i to put a girl though that? why was i unable to compromise? guilty feelings. FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I CANNOT BELIEVE WE'D EVER DIE FOR THESE SINS, WE WERE MERELY FRESHMEN. we were just kids. let it go. we all make mistakes, etc.
(no suicide, only an abortion & breakup)
