Trivial Pursuit - Behind the Music

The story behind the song

Trivial Pursuit is the first song I’ve recorded as part of a long-awaited album I am working on releasing in 2022. It’s a song about the Game of Love, in my signature Swing-Hip Hop style.

(If you think you heard it before, guess again because it’s now fully produced and totally swinging with Bourbon Street horns.)

The irony in the game of love is that we play it cause it’s fun, even when it hurts - can you relate?

This might sound trite, but I really did come upon this song in the shower. I was thinking of a friend who was pursuing someone else and I knew even if they got back together, they’d soon break up again. So it was a trivial pursuit.

Then it struck me. Trivial Pursuit? Wow! I’ve never used those two words together outside referencing the 80s board game we all know and love (well, some of us love it, others power through it, and others of us have learned that whoever challenges you to a game of Trivial Pursuit already memorized all the answers!). But I digress…

Then I started humming “Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da?” “Is this a trivial pursuit?”

The song started swinging right away.

“That’s got me hanging on to you?”

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da -

The rest of the lines I had to consciously write once I decided to make this a song.

And that’s often how my songs start. With one word or phrase. One concept that I perceived in a way I never had before. Something just clicks in and it follows me around until I decided to write it into a song.

And though I started writing the song about someone else’s story, it morphed into my own story from experiences I’ve had.

My past love life has been a series of pining after people that didn’t feel the same way back. “I saw you last night, my, you were looking fine. Boy, how I’d like to make you mine.”

There’s a certain game to love we play, well, some of us play. Others (like me!) wear our hearts on our sleeves and show our aces too soon. In this case, he was playing by the “rules” but my rules are undefined - I’m willing to step out of those boundaries but he wasn’t. So we just swung back and forth in this awkward dance until it finally fizzled out.

But, in the end, “love is just a sport, you lose some and some you win, but I’m a gambling girl, so let the games begin!” How easy it is to take that perspective when you’ve had time to step away!

The rap interlude came after the rest of the song was complete. I knew I had to write something to change up the predictability of the verse and chorus. As I was writing the rest of the song, I had thought of all these game references I could use, but couldn’t squeeze into the verse.

So I started writing some lyrics with the first few lines “Trivial Pursuit, yo, I’ll give you a Clue…” There were so many references I wanted to use that I knew a rap was the only way I was going to be able to do it. Rap is really fun when the lyrics need to be front and center. Of course, the 80s style hip hop beats were what naturally flowed, and that was perfect for the theme I was going for.

To write the rap, I looked up 80s board games, made a big list, reminisced, and then literally tried to squeeze every single one in. The original rap has two full stanzas we had to cut for time’s sake (you can get to read them below!) But I turned each game into a double entendre that I think is really fun. I remember writing it at my kitchen counter around 6 am - when I write most of my songs!

This song won #13 in the Top Indie Songs of 2020 by CFAB radio!

Production

I’ve had an amazing group of people come together to make this happen, including

• Joe Nicolo, who produced some of Philly’s finest including one of my favorite albums of all time, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. We recorded this in his home studio, “Joe’s Garage” right outside the city. It’s literally his garage with tons of memorabilia (and lots of Grammy’s) It had just been refurbished after a storm wiped it out, and I was the first to start a tradition of signing one of the beams.

• Mixing by Keegan Tawa, a talented electronic music producer and also our saxophonist!

• And New Orleans style trumpet from Matt Cappy, who toured for many years with Patti Labelle!

Lyrics

CHORUS
Is this a Trivial Pursuit, that's got me hangin' onto you? Oh...
Is this is a Trivial Endeavor? Just take my heart it's now or never...

VERSE 1
I saw you last night. My, you were lookin' fine...
Boy, how I'd like to make you mine...
But we’ve spun around this board one too many times...
You're playing by the rules but my rules are undefined...
Oh, they're undefined! (chorus)

VERSE 2
Am I just a game to you, a game that's only meant for two?
You're playing with my heart; I should've known it from the start.
I figured out your strategy; you're slaying me with flattery
But you're playing with fire and the stakes keep getting higher.

RAP INTERLUDE
Trivial Pursuit, yo, I'll give you a Clue
Do you see this Pictionary that I'm drawing you for you?
It's like scribble Scrabble...
You got my Words all Crossed and I'm startin' to Babel,
'Cause it Boggles my mind, it's got me full of strife
So many questions and no answers in this Game of Life.

On my heart, you've got a Monopoly
And you've got it plotted methodically...
So sink my Battleship and take my Queen
When you check, check, check me, mate, it's making me scream!

You play my Atari and you never say, "I'm Sorry!"
Oh, you like Nintendo? Didn't intend to offend you.
But this isn't Girl Talk, I don't want a Paper Boy...
I want a real Donkey Kong who plays with big boy toys.
(This part was cut!)

Do you Pac-it-in-Man, can you go all night?
Like a Hungry Hungry Hippo will you do me right?

Then climb up my Chute, I'll slide down your Ladder,
My Candyland's better than cookie dough batter
Like a Barrel of Monkeys, we'll be rolling around
I'll have you squirming like a Centipede on the playground...

But I want much more than just Connect Four
Make me your numero UNO as we roll around the board
The pink peg in your station wagon
Take me for Ransom and I'll show you where the key is to my Maniac Mansion!

🙁 (This part was also cut )

VERSE 3
Lovers may come and lovers they may go...
Some will break your heart and some will make it grow...
Love is just a sport. You lose some and some you win.
But I'm a gamblin' girl, so let the games begin. Let the games begin! (Chorus 2x)

COPYRIGHT JESSICA PAIGE MAGOCH, ASCAP

Grab your copy:

You’ll get Trivial Pursuit prior to the public release when you support the album here: