"Do You Wanna Hold Me?" Bow Wow Wow
May 2, 2012
Sardonically sung by Bow Wow Wow lead singer Annabella Lwin, "Do You Wanna Hold Me?" is a cynical commentary on California culture and the L.A. lifestyle.
In one of the most iconic lyrical lines of the 1980s, Annabella Lwin sings, "Children I wanna warn ya, 'cause I've been to California" while tossing about her famous mock Mohawk mane.
"Do You Wanna Hold Me?" was popular, but nowhere as much as in Los Angeles, where the song enjoyed heavy rotation on radio station KROQ-FM, "The ROQ of the 80s."
Maybe because L.A. loves to hear songs about itself, whether good or bad.
Especially bizarre is the video's depiction of a rather creepy "President Ronald Reagan" as the ultimate California icon, playing rock guitar and buried in recording tape.
While Bow Wow Wow had many cool hit songs, including the megahit, "I Want Candy," the innovative 1980s new wave band smartly appealed to the L.A music market.
One of the most tongue-in-cheek songs about California, "Do You Wanna Hold Me?" is a back-handed tribute to the land of cartoon characters, superheroes and sparkling illusions.
Bow Wow Wow | Do You Wanna Hold Me?
