Deja Voodoo “Can’t Do (What I Wanna Do)”

2004-deja-voodoo-cant-doThis song tackles the subject of what it’s like being a 30-year-old man in love with a 14-year-old girl. Because, yeah, 14-year-old girls are totally hot for gross, hairy, sweaty old guys.

The video avoids showing the subject of the song. Instead it’s Deja Voodoo rocking out among sand dunes and some classic-era Deja Voodoo explosions. Sometimes they’re shown walking in slow-motion and smoking cigarettes, which reminds me of Supergroove’s “You Freak Me” video with its self-conscious “Look!!! We are smoking!!!!” teenage posing (and curiously enough, both videos were directed by Joe Lonie).

Perhaps all the explosions and fireballs symbolise the sexual frustration of a man who has vowed to wait until his 14-year-old girlfriend is 18 – two years past the age of consent – before they do it.

This was the first single of Deja Voodoo’s second album, Back in Brown, and both the song and the video feels stuck between the jokey tone of their first album and a totally legit rock band. Look at it one way, and it’s funny, but the other way and it’s kind of creepy.

But then, maybe the line “You weren’t even born in the ’80s!” is really the cry of a man annoyed that his teen girlfriend doesn’t get his hilarious Thundercats references.

Best bit: the “cool dudes walking in slow motion ignore big explosion” scene.

Director: Joe Lonie
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… an old building.

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