The lyrics of "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield:

Jessie is a friend
Yeah I know, he's been a good friend of mine
But lately somethin's changed, it ain't hard to define
Jessie's got himself a girl, and I wanna make her mine
And she's watchin' him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it
And he's holdin' her in his arms, late late at night
Y'know, I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?
I'll play along with the charade
There doesn't seem to be a reason to change
Y'know I feel so dirty when they start talkin' cute
I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is prob'ly moot
'Cause she's watchin' him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it
And he's holdin' her in his arms, late late at night
Y'know I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?
Like Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman
Where can I find a woman like that?
And I'm lookin' in the mirror all the time
Wond'rin' what she don't see in me
Yeah I've been funny I've been cool with the lines
Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?
Tell me, where can I find a woman like that?
Y'know I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?
Like Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl

        In 1981, Reagan received a hollowpoint handshake from Hinckley, Raiders of the Lost Ark was on the big screen, and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" was #4 on the Billboard charts, ranking #1 for the month of August. On the surface, you get another pop ditty that packed the floor at Skate Country, but a few depths below lies a dark, seedy subtext creepier than that guy who was caught beating off in the theater while watching Cocoon. If you listen closely to "Jessie's Girl," you realize that Rick's obsessive condition parallels the type commonly associated with a warped persona. Not only is Springfield obsessed with this woman, but she's a good friend's girl! If there was a sequel to this song, I guarantee it would deal with how Rick kidnaps and tortures the aforementioned woman. It's not difficult to imagine her picture plastered all over his bedroom walls, probably alongside photos of "The Facts of Life"'s Mindy Cohn. There's also that memorable stalker line in the song when Springfield intoned "she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it." You can't help but picture Rick peeking in through his friend's window, breathing heavily with his pants around his ankles, while fertilizing some flowers (which might end up in some old lady's vase).
        I realize using his video as evidence is a tough call, because most videos are conceived by people other than the song writers, but, if it is connected, there are some serious links to his mental instability. The fact that he smashes his own mirror, for example, is a little bit extreme for someone of his age. I remember pining away for girls who wouldn't go out with me, but I never resorted to self-inflicted theatrics. Sure, I mailed a dead hamster or two with forks jammed into their tiny hearts, but I'm not crazy enough to vandalize my own home! You must also keep in mind that Rick was a heartthrob back in the '80s, so he would have had no trouble getting any girl he wanted. Unless, of course, there was something creepy about him...the kind of creepy we associate with dildo-juggling clowns, mimes that cuss at handicapped women, and guys who romanticize about taking a dump in their younger siblings' Christmas stockings. I think you get the point.
        I know, I know, it's just a song, and I shouldn't be "reading too much into it." Unfortunately, I can't help but dwell on how Chuck Manson didn't take part in some of the killings he was incarcerated for, yet he's still credited for inspiring them. In the same regard, Rick glamorized his deranged obsessions, and America's youth embraced him like a cuddly guy in a Bullwinkle outfit, unaware of the concealed Uzi and his pocket full of shells.
        Next time, I want to discuss this so called "video" that killed the radio star. I have my theory...