Song #15: XTC - "Mayor of Simpleton"

Song #15: XTC - "Mayor of Simpleton" (1989)

Oranges & Lemons

"What you get is all real, I can't put on an act, it takes brains to do that anyway."

XTC's "Mayor of Simpleton" is one of the most romantic songs I've ever heard, and is a necessary listen for people still under the belief that looks or intelligence is the sole quality their future significant other need possess. The song is sung in the first person, concerning a man who is in love with a woman who is way out of his league in the intelligence department. She seems to be a university scholar, with a group of likeminded friends that value intelligence in the people they associate themselves with.

Our singer, however, isn't the brightest bulb in the closet, and he knows that. What's touching is his level of emotional intelligence, as he recognizes his middling amount of institutional intelligence, but boldly reminds the woman he's in love with what he could offer her in terms of true love and emotion. The character illustrates these feelings through a method of stating what he isn't good at, metaphorically referring to himself as "the Mayor of Simpleton," but reminding the woman that he's wise enough to know one thing and that thing is he loves her deeply.

I identify a lot with this song, not so much in the regard that I view myself as stupid, but someone who is academically average, at best, struggling with various mathematical and scientific concepts, otherwise known as the driving force of today's world. Even my favorite fields, English, sociology, film, media, and politics, confuse the hell out of me occasionally. What I can provide people, however, is a pleasant sense of humanity and acceptance if they are kind and open to me.

"Mayor of Simpleton" is one of the most moving, upbeat romance songs I've ever heard, reminding us of the power, capacity, and invaluable qualities of the human spirit, which should, but often do not, hold higher prominence in people's minds than intelligence. The qualities of love, hope, and emotions and our ability to communicate and express them are what makes us imperfectly human, which is what "Mayor of Simpleton" manages to remind us with a romantic ballad that is simply wonderful in every regard.

Give "Mayor of Simpleton" a listen (the UK version, which I find superior to the US version), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t2j8NcVpW4