She Blinded Me with Science

"She Blinded Me With Science" is a song by the English musician Thomas Dolby, released in 1982. It was first released as a single in the UK in October 1982 and was subsequently included on the EP Blinded by Science and the second edition of Dolby's debut album The Golden Age of Wireless.

Although a success in the United States, peaking at No. 5 in the Billboard Hot 100 and 2 weeks at No. 1 in Canada's RPM Magazine, the song barely managed to score among the Top 50 in Dolby's native United Kingdom, peaking at No. 49 in the UK Singles Chart.

Dolby is often considered a one-hit wonder in the United States on the basis of the song's chart success there. In 2002, U.S. cable television network VH1 named "She Blinded Me with Science" No. 20 on its list of the "100 Greatest One-hit Wonders".^[1] While the song is Dolby's only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100, he has had other songs that scored on the music charts. In 2006, VH1 placed it at No. 76 on their list of "Greatest Songs of the '80s".^[2] Then, in 2009, it ranked No. 13 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.^[3]

Song structure

The song features interjections from the British scientist and TV presenter Magnus Pyke,^[1] who repeatedly shouts "Science!" and delivers other lines in a deliberately over-the-top mad scientist voice, such as: "Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto! You're beautiful!"

The song was showcased as part of Dolby's appearance at the South by Southwest 2007 music festival.^[4]

Music video

In the music video, Dolby commits himself to a Home for Deranged Scientists. Various mad scientist types operate fanciful inventions on the grounds of the Home and act insane with normal scientific items. Throughout the course of the video, Magnus Pyke (as the Home Doctor) tries to diagnose what he is suffering from, all the while being seduced by Miss Sakamoto, a secretary in the home.

Dolby directed the music video himself.

Chart performance

Country	Peak position
United Kingdom	49^[5]
United States	5^[5]
Canada	1^[6]

Preceded by "Mr. Roboto" by Styx	*Canadian RPM* Singles Chart number-one single** April 23, 1983 - April 30, 1983	Succeeded by "Let's Dance" by David Bowie

In popular culture

The song was used in the video game Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, as a collectible. The song was also sampled by Mobb Deep in their song "Got It Twisted". Thomas Dolby approved the sample to be used by The Alchemist, who produced the track.^[7] It was also extensively used in advertisements for the Discovery Channel series Mythbusters. The character Tai in the webcomic Questionable Content wears a T-shirt with the slogan "She Blinded Me With Library Science".

References

1 2 Greatest One Hit Wonders List (No. 20-1) from the VH1 web site
↑ VH1's "100 Greatest Songs Of The '80s" an October 2006 press release from the VH1 web site
↑ . VH1 http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-05-02/100-greatest-one-hit-wonders-of-the-80s/89/. Retrieved 30 April 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
↑ Kym Kilgore (2007). "Thomas Dolby plans spring tour, album". LiveDaily. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
1 2 "Songfacts". Retrieved 2008-03-09.
↑ "RPM Magazine". Retrieved 2010-09-26.
↑ http://www.complex.com/music/2012/09/the-alchemist-tells-all-the-stories-behind-his-classic-records-part-1/mobb-deep-got-it-twisted

External links

She Blinded Me with Science music video from YouTube (Private video)
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

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