Music Review: Buckner & Garcia "Pac-Man Fever"

Buckner & Garcia

Pac-Man Fever

Album: Pac-Man Fever

Year:  1981

         *all video game information courtesy of Wikipedia.

       Buckner and Garcia are addicted to Pac Man in the wacky “Pac-Man Fever.”

        The buzz of a cartoon character traveling through the board, followed by the twirling of the said pummeling to its animated death, setting an amusing tone. The quarters jingle in Buckner’s pocket as he rides his bike to the arcade. It’s all his allowance money but it’s going to have to last. He puts his finger on the quarter and flinches. The joystick left a red callous on his finger. He rubs shoulders. They are sore from standing the entire afternoon. His strategy is going to wait until he gets an Energerizer and get the ghosts. (“I have a pocketful of quarters/And I'm headed to the arcade/I don't have alot of money/But I'm bringing everything I made/I have a callous on my finger/And my shoulder's hurtin', too/I'm gonna eat 'em all up/Just as soon as they turn blue.”)

         In the chorus, he says he can’t stop playing Pac-Man. Every time he plays, he reaches another higher level. He almost has it beat. (“'Cause I got Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/It's drivin' me crazy (Drivin' me crazy)/I got Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/I'm goin' outta my mind (Goin' outta my mind)/I got Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/I'm goin' outta my mind (Goin' outta my mind.”)

              He’s learned the mazes and how to get through them quickly. Speedy, the pink ghosts, is chasing him down. He decides to take an alternate route to get the cherries. (“I've got all the patterns down/Up to the ninth key/I've got Speedy on my tail/And I know it's either him or me/So I'm heading out the back/Going in and out the side/Gonna eat all the cherries up/And take 'em all for a ride.”)

           The chorus is sung again.

              Uh-oh! Another life is lost.

              However, a triumphant guitar solo follows to save the day.

             Pokey , the orange ghost, isn’t going to be able to catch up to him even though he’s halfway up to the screen. Blinky, the red ghost, is on the bottom of the screen. So far, he’s got most of the blue dots cleared. If he gets the high score, he will be able to enter in his name. The game begins to blink “enter 2 quarters to continue play.” He checks his pocket and it’s empty. He decides he will try again tomorrow. (“I'm gonna faint to the left/Then move to the right/'Cause Pokey's too slow/And Blinky's outta sight/Now I've got them on the run/And I'm lookin' for the high score./So it's once around the block/Then I stop back out the side door./UHH!!/I'm really cookin' now/Eatin' everything in sight/All my money is gone/So I'll be back tomorrow night.”)

        The final chorus ends the single. (“'Cause I got Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/It's drivin' me crazy (Drivin' me crazy)/I got Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/I'm goin' outta my mind (Goin' outta my mind)/I got Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/Drivin' me/Drivin' me/Drivin' me crazy/Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/I'm goin' outta my mind (Goin' outta my mind)/Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/It's drivin' me crazy (Drivin' me crazy)/I got Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever)/I'm goin' outta my mind (Goin' outta my mind)/Pac Man Fever (Pac Man Fever.”)

           Buckner’s  firm vocals gets really into the game. His desire is said with such conviction  it’s easy to believe he goes home evalutes his progress. There are probably hand-drawn maps around his house. Then he plans how to get those younger kids (who are way past their bedtime) away from the game. He will prevail. He will see the kill screen.

         The bargain basement “Pac-Man Fever” will make people wonder what in the world they just heard, leaving jaws dropping with “Huh’s?” and “Really?”