For those who are unfamiliar, some background: RJR was the title song on David Geddes' 1975 album. It was a big hit, peaking at #4 on Billboard. The song was typical of those on the album in that it ended with a melodramatic twist. Sung from the first-person perspective by the titular Joey, the song recounts the night that Joey's girlfriend, Julie, died. Julie called him to warn that her father is angry and wants to kill him "for what we've done." Concerned, Joey comes over. The melodramatic twist comes when Julie's father tries to shoot Joey, but Julie steps in the way, taking the bullet and dying. Here's the video:
Actually, as much as I want to make fun of the song, it's the best thing on the album.
But my point in mentioning this is that there's one thing that bugs me about it. In the first verse, we hear, "She called me up late that night / She said 'Joe, don't come over.'" She explains that she and her dad had a fight, that dad has sworn vengance, and that dad has a gun. Given all that, I think Joey would have been prudent to stay away. But instead (as we learn in the second verse), he reacted by getting in his car and driving to Julie's place.
Wouldn't the whole sad story have ended much better if he had just listened to her and followed her advice?
Just asking...
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