Volvo Driving Soccer Mom

Album: Slow Motion Daydream (2003)
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Songfacts®:

  • This ia about a woman who goes from being a pot-smoking, sexually adventurous stripper to a conservative suburban housewife. "Soccer Mom" is an American term for a white, middle-class woman who is married and has children. Many of them drive Volvos, which are very safe family cars. "Soccer Mom" is a label (like "Baby Boomer" or "Generation X") used by the media to categorize this group of people.
  • Lead singer Art Alexakis: "This is a song about definitions, about being defined by people, allowing yourself to be defined by other people's standards. It's very junior-high to be able to say 'that person's this, that person's a slut, that person's that.' It's understandable in junior high school, it's just unacceptable in your 20s, 30s, and 40s. People doing it is not right, so it's kind of poking fun at them and people who allow it to happen to them. Who cares if you're a porn star? Who cares if you're a stripper. Who cares if you have a bunch of tattoos? What matters is, are you a good person? Do you pay your taxes? Are you good to your kids? Are you a good neighbor? Nothing else should matter to anybody else. What people do in their own life, if it doesn't hurt other people, should not matter."
  • Alexakis felt that conservative politics and values were making freedom of expression socially unacceptable in the United States. He says, "people are very judgmental as to how others live and act. I think it's ridiculous. We're grown-ups and we should be able to live the way we want to live as long as we adhere to certain values. The golden rule - treat other people as you want to be treated."
  • Alexakis has a daughter who plays soccer. He doesn't drive a Volvo, but does describe himself as a "Land Cruiser driving soccer dad with tattoos, bleach-blond hair and big earrings." He says, "I've got a past, but now I'm pretty much middle-class daddy. I take my home and family and I cherish them, but I don't look like your normal, middle-class dad."
  • The video cuts between scenes of a woman as both a porn star and a suburban housewife. The girl in the video is named Danielle, and she is a real stripper who was cast by the video's director. Alexakis was skeptical until he saw her act and realized she was really good. Art has directed many of Everclear's videos and is very particular about the casting. The video is included as a bonus feature on the CD. (Check out our interview with Art Alexakis.)

Comments: 2

  • Katie from Medford, Ori like how she has a pet rat in the video..
  • Joe from Gallipolis, Ohthis song was about mother teresa
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