Dear Swinger Guy in the No Doubt 'Sunday Morning' Music Video

So, it’s a Sunday morning in Anaheim. I know it’s Anaheim. No Doubt is from Anaheim, so I must be looking at Sunday morning in Anaheim, Calif. It’s 1997. Darin Erstad. Manager Terry Collins. Mickey Mouse. I get it.

I just want to know your deal. You don’t say anything. I just assume you tell people you barely know they are “so money” and are not aware of it, because Swingers came out the year before and you’re wearing a suit with no tie in California, and the sun is out, and Saturday night must have been a wild swing dancing night and you are hungover. That’s the vibe you are putting out there.

I assumed you’re Gwen’s ex trying to get back together with the young lady. The song is, according to a cursory read of the lyrics, about a man that took pre-fame Gwen Stefani for granted, and now wants her because he can’t have her, and Gwen is not having it. The first time I saw this video I assumed you would say something to Gwen, but you never do. You just seem like a hungover dude that walked into a ska band’s backyard and doesn’t leave or help around the house or anything. You just sit there and mope. You swing a little bit too. Hahaha.

“Sunday Morning” was the fifth single from Tragic Kingdom. I remember seeing this video, and you, a weirdo, a couple of times on MTV. ‘97 was probably the year I spent the most time watching that channel. Otherwise I never would have remembered the video for “Sunday Morning”. It’s no “Don’t Speak”.

Everyone knows “Don’t Speak.” It was the video that depicted the infamous magazine shoot where the rest of the band was told to buzz off so Gwen Stefani and only Gwen Stefani can be on the cover, and by depicting that moment it made America decide it was okay to only focus on Gwen, since it already happened and it has been turned into art.

I know this because MTV taught me every popular contemporary band/group/artist’s backstory. I can’t forget even if I wanted to that Adrian Young lied at his No Doubt audition. He said he had been drumming for years but really it was something like two months. I also know Gwen and Tony Kanal used to date. Most of the songs on Kingdom are about Tony. “Sunday Morning” is about Tony. It isn’t flattering to Tony. But hey, Tony co-wrote the song. He plays bass on the record (yes I said record). He’s in the video, bassing away.

“Sunday Morning” is a better song than “Don’t Speak”. It might be the best on Tragic Kingdom — “Spiderwebs” is one of the best opening tracks of all-time. (24th best, let’s just say. We can talk about it later.) “Just a Girl” is great too. Lot of good and great songs. A couple of fillers, but they’re interesting to 2020 ears.

My initial read on “Sunday Morning”, and therefore the mental picture I will always conjure up whenever I hear it, is Gwen is seeing someone she has only seen drunk or stoned at parties, and/or with friends who are very annoying in a much more relaxed, lowkey setting for the first time, and she’s impressed. The video is Gwen and the band making spaghetti and preparing a salad, eating a little bit of the spaghetti and salad before mostly throwing spaghetti and lettuce at one another. I can picture people in their early-to-mid 20s who are trying to act like they are sophisticated adults doing this for a Sunday Funday appetizer. The lines were too long for brunch, and they’ve been banned anyway for starting food fights. They make mimosas after they clean up the mess from their food fight. Gwen is totally saying-singing “I see the potential adult in you now. I am a future adult too. Let’s still have fun.”

I heard the “Now you’re a parasite” line. Of course I have. It just never penetrated my brain the way it was supposed to, I guess. It comes in at the bridge. I long before decided what the song is about.

I guess I was tricked by the “You came in with the breeze” part. Breezes are nice. Breezes on Sunday morning are goddamn heavenly. I’d worship anyone who came in with the breeze. Why are we hating on breeze’s buddy?

Who are you? You may or may not be looking like you used to. I don’t care about that. I just want to know who you are supposed to represent. You can’t be Gwen’s ex. That’s simultaneously too obvious and too much of a Big Pants Director choice. You ruin the song for me. All I know is you are indeed the parasite.

Love,

Roger