| "Greg! The Stop Sign!!" | ||||
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| Single by TISM | ||||
| from the album Machiavelli and the Four Seasons | ||||
| B-side | Strictly Loungeroom There's More Men In Children Than Wisdom Knows |
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| Released | July 31, 1995 | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Recorded | 1995? | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 11:10 | |||
| Label | genre b.goode | |||
| Writer(s) | TISM | |||
| Producer | Lawrence Maddy | |||
| TISM singles chronology | ||||
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"Greg! The Stop Sign!!" is a single by Australian alternative rock band TISM. It was the second single from the album Machiavelli and the Four Seasons (1995).
The song, along with its predecessor (He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River is one of TISM's most popular tracks, and reached #10 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1995. It became well known thanks to its "Beach Boys style harmony" in the chorus of the song, to the tune of "Let the Sunshine In" from Godspell.
The solo is a variation of the Shadows instrumental, FBI.
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The song is based on a series of speeding advertisements released by the TAC (road and safety authorities), who are even mentioned in the song, which featured warnings similar to which occur in the song.
One TAC advertisement in particular that was in heavy rotation on Australian television in the early 1990s featured young people driving in a car on a country road. The atmosphere in the car is jovial, the passengers are drinking beer and not wearing seatbelts. The young driver is momentarily distracted and the car travels into an intersection and is smashed by a truck. Moments before the accident, the front passenger yells out, "Greg! The stop sign!", but it is too late to avoid the accident.
As well as the obvious fatalistic meanings, the song is also a satire on the overbearing proselytism of the government-funded ads, which combined a moralistic message with shocking violence.
The song itself revolves around high school students in their last year of school, learning to drive, choosing a career, and fearing failing exams. Taking their juvenile concerns seriously is potentially pointless, as their promising lives could easily be cut short by an unexpected traffic accident.
The video for the song, directed by Mark Hartley, begins with TISM in the locker room of the St. Kilda Football Club, eventually having them perform the song in a football field. According to Tim Webster on the Gold! Gold!! Gold!!! (1998) video, this was an effort to "Save the St. Kilda club".
Eventually the song turns into a more regular style video clip, with a group of teenagers partying in a house. The camera moves into the house to see them all drinking and enjoying themselves, as a standard teenage party would expect to be seen. As the camera moves into the back room, a teenage girl is seen vomiting on the floor, overlooked by a member of TISM. The video then turns into a series of disappointing moments, all watched by a member of TISM, such as a woman finding her fresh bread has mould on it and the toilet roll is empty. Back in the house one of the most notorious and well known scenes of the video shows a dog eating the vomit from earlier. Meanwhile, outside a couple argue, once again as a member of TISM watches on.
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