The second Friday Five I ever threw on this site was My Favourite Sloan Songs. At the top of that list was "Underwhelmed" from Smeared. When I composed Ten Canadian Tracks that I felt collectively epitomize the spirit of Canadian music, "Underwhelmed" was on that short list. Clearly, I dig the tune.
If you need a refresher, here's a line from the song that discusses the word "underwhelmed".
She was underwhelmed
If that's a word
I know it's not
'Cause I looked it up
That's one of those skills
That I learned in my school
I was overwhelmed
And I'm sure of that one
'Cause I learned it
Back in grade school
When I was young
He looked it up, learned it wasn't a word and that was that. I never questioned it for a second. Then, someone looked it up. It is a word! It means "To fail to excite, stimulate, or impress".
All these years and I thought "underwhelmed" was a made up word because Sloan told me so. Not once did I think to check it out. I was lied to through song. I hate it when that happens.
