1968 Union Gap Featuring Gary Pucket: Young Girl

There's no doubt about it, 'Young Girl' is a troubling song. Not because it's a well crafted piece of soulful power pop with a bear trap of a chorus, but because of the little tale that's wrapped up in that soulful power pop and bear trap chorus; Gary is shocked to discover that the girl he's been seeing wasn't quite as old as he first though and now he's trying to shoo away the jailbait temptation by appealing to her understanding and his own reason.

Ah, but the flesh is weak and the final verse has Gary warning her to "Get out of here, before I have the time to change my mind. 'Cause I'm afraid we'll go too far". Does he keep it in his pants? Who knows, the song fades to a silence that tells no tales (though the title of their 1969 single "This Girl Is A Woman Now" doesn't do them too many favours in the benefit of the doubt stakes......).

If played with a careful hand, there's a certain amount of humour to be drawn from Gary's predicament, but 'Young Girl' isn't played for laughs; the lyric relishes in its too much detail than strictly necessary-ness for that. Lines like "Beneath your perfume and make-up, you're just a baby in disguise" read like text from a sleazy paperback bought from a specialist shop, and when Gary tells us "And now it hurts to know the truth" you can almost see that bulge in his crotch. Oh yes, there's a definite 'Awwwww' of disappointment in his vocal and in his frustration Gary's quick to blame the girl for stoking up his libido; "And though you know that it is wrong to be, alone with me. That come on look is in your eyes" - but it's a defence all too common in Crown Court reporting and it always draws a frown. Shame on you man.

'Young Girl' is too thumpingly upbeat to truly offend, and the lack of leer coupled with its surprising honesty makes it more 'Twinky'* than 'Lolita' and as such far more likeable than it really has any right to be. But on the other hand, it's not the most credible or tasteful song to namecheck when you're asked what was at number one the week you were born. I guess like Gary, I have my own cross to bear too.


* A 1970 Richard Donner film in which Charles Bronson gets seduced by a 16 year old schoolgirl (Susan George) with typically seventies 'it's all just a bit of fun' results.