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Brie Sharp
The first 100 days of a new presidential administration have the potential to be the most impactful. Campaign promises and concepts of plans begin to take shape and become reality. I'm Sarah. And I'm Beth. Together we host Pantsu Politics, a podcast where we take a different approach to the news. Join us for this different approach where we ask questions, resist hot takes, and have fun no matter what the world serves up. We'll get you through the first 100 days and beyond the new Trump administration. Stay informed without all the anxiety. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
Erykah Badu
Wherever you get your podcasts Hi, I'm Erykah badan. I'm the CEO of Food52. I used to be the CEO of Barstool Sports, and I am very excited that I'm launching a podcast. This is a new podcast that navigates the highs, lows and in betweens of that very thing that consumes all of our days. Work. Join me every week as I candidly share my thoughts on what's great about work, what's terrible about work, and what you need to know to make work work for you. Work is out now available wherever you get your podcasts.
Unknown
Lemonade.
David Duchovny
I'm David Duchovny and this is Fail Better, a show where failure, not success, shapes who we are. Today's guest is musician and actor Brie Sharp. Now, if you're listening to this podcast, there's a good chance you know Bree as the writer and performer of a very particular song, a song called I forget the exact no, David Duchovny is what it's called for those unfamiliar Bree's anthem, which rhymes my name with why won't you love me hovering above me and other phrases I had never thought of throughout the chorus. It's an ode to admiring fictional characters, more specifically my character on the X Files. It even had its own underground music video featuring dozens of celebrity cameos. And that was in 1999, so it was before the time of viral videos, but suffice it to say, it was viral in its own way. She's also in a band called Beautiful Small Machines with her longtime musical collaborator Don Delego, AKA Donnie, who was in the studio with her. He was playing guitar and cracking some jokes, so you'll hear from him as well. Bree's album A Cheap and Evil Girl will be released on an eco friendly vinyl for the first time, marking its 25th anniversary. I wanted to sit down with Bri to explore the song that's had a huge impact on both of our lives and of course Let her perform it for all of you eventually. So here it is, me and Bri Sharp and Donnie. Hello.
Brie Sharp
Hi.
David Duchovny
It's nice to see you.
Brie Sharp
So sweet.
David Duchovny
Put my glasses on.
Brie Sharp
Have me on. I know we need the glasses now.
David Duchovny
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll tell you, I don't know if I ever told you or if you ever heard, but the way that I got to know this song was a friend of mine named Joe Blake was doing a kind of mockumentary about country music called Dill Scallion. That was the name of the performer, the country music guy. His name was Dill Scallion. So Joe Blake comes back to me and he was a producer on it. You know, it's like a no budget film. I don't know that it was ever completed. I never saw it. But Joe says there's a song out there as a song about you out there. Cause I guess they were soliciting, and I'm not saying that you're country music, but they were soliciting country sounding music. They were soliciting new music. And so this came through to them somehow. And he sent it to me on a little cassette.
Brie Sharp
On a cassette. I knew it was a. I was trying to. I was doing a podcast week, actually, with Hank Green. I don't know if you know who he is. He does deep dives on a lot of science stuff. And he did it. He ended up doing a deep dive on the video, which was made, which we can talk about later. But I was trying to recall. I was like, I think David got it. He got it before the album was even out. And I think he got it on cassette. So thank you for verifying that. Which is.
David Duchovny
I got it on cassette and I. I put it in the car cassette, when that used to be a thing as well. And I. I started listening to it and I thought it was a really great song. I mean, it sounds silly, but like, you know, the lyrics were one thing, but I thought it was a really cool tune. I liked the tune and I liked your voice. And it was funny to me that my name could rhyme with so many things that I hadn't thought about. And so I listened to it a lot. I'm embarrassed to say I listened to it a lot. And always on the way to work, you know, with the windows.
Brie Sharp
I don't mean to interrupt, but I think you got written up in the trades for getting caught listening to me.
David Duchovny
No, I didn't actually get caught. I outed myself with that. Cause it was a joke. Nobody actually.
Brie Sharp
Well, that was the plan for you to like the tune, like my voice. And all along just wait 25 years. That was the. It's the long con. It's the long game.
David Duchovny
Yeah. And it worked. But. Yeah, there was one moment on PCH where I might have had the window down and I might have been singing along with it and I might have been seen, but I think I made that up because I thought it was funny, but. And then the video happened. I can't remember exactly whose idea was. I think it was this guy named Will Shivers.
Brie Sharp
That's right.
David Duchovny
And a guy named Chuck. Chuck Forsh. Who were working in some capacity on.
Brie Sharp
I think they were Chris Carter's assistants.
David Duchovny
I think they might have been. I know Chuck was. And. And Will's actually a talented writer. And they just took it. I guess what I had done was I had shared the song with Chris.
Brie Sharp
Okay.
David Duchovny
And. And so that's probably how Chuck heard it. And then Chuck and Will or Chris. I don't know whose idea it was to kind of give this to me as a Christmas gift. They were going to make this video as a Christmas gift for me or as. Yeah, I think it was a Christmas gift. And so that was all going on behind my back. And then they got me on camera. I forget what they told me that they. Because I'm in the video. So it seems weird that I would appear in my own video. Right.
Brie Sharp
This thing is a pop culture time capsule. It's pretty crazy. So go ahead.
David Duchovny
Yeah. So they. I forget what they told me to make me to make you sing. No, I didn't sing. I just. I just. It's like my dream. Right. That's the. That's the idea. The video is like.
Brie Sharp
It's the Michael Jackson moment.
David Duchovny
Yeah. Like I'm this egotistical person dreaming of a world where there's a song about me. And then they wake me. They wake me up.
Brie Sharp
And then they wake you up. But it's like the moment in Thriller when.
David Duchovny
Oh, right. Yeah. That was fun.
Brie Sharp
He looks at the camera.
David Duchovny
Yeah. Forget that guy's name. He was a set pa. Nice guy. But that's the last images of him. Right. So they did that and they presented it to me, I think, like at our Christmas party or something, you know. And I just remember being mortified that these people, some of whom I knew, you know, like Brad Pitt and Gary Shandling.
Brie Sharp
Gary Shandling popping out of the hot tub like a jack in the box.
David Duchovny
So I was mortified that my friends had been importuned to do this shit, you know, like, it was like I had asked them. I was like, I hope they know that it wasn't me asking. So in the end, though, it is something that I kind of treasure. I can't say that I watched it in the last 22 years, but I do treasure that it exists.
Brie Sharp
You should watch. First of all, the middle section. Well, can I share with you what it was like on my end as a 22 year old who had written this song for you in hopes of just simply getting your attention?
David Duchovny
Well, you got my attention. You and Donnie both got my attention.
Don Delego
I told him not to write it.
Brie Sharp
He told. Okay. Not only did he tell me not to write it.
David Duchovny
No, didn't tell you not to write it. Because you don't tell somebody not to write a song.
Brie Sharp
No.
David Duchovny
He probably just said, that's not a good song.
Brie Sharp
No, he told me. I said, donnie, have this idea. I want to write a song called David Duchovny why Won't yout Love Me? And he looked at me like fucking Nostradamus. And he goes, if you write that song, you're gonna be singing it for the rest of your life.
David Duchovny
Wow. Donnie knew that.
Brie Sharp
And he was like, that's what? And yes. And, you know, it was sort of a mixed blessing because it was seen a little bit as a novelty song, even though the rest of the album, you know, was a sole singer songwriter now. I didn't know. I don't even think I really knew. What a novelty song. Wrote that from the heart.
David Duchovny
I understand. It wasn't the Streak. You weren't writing the Streak or some.
Brie Sharp
Cb Disco Duck or whatever.
David Duchovny
Disco Duck. Yeah, you were. You're not. You're not. Weird Al Yankee reference.
Don Delego
It's David Duchov or the Streak.
David Duchovny
Donnie would have said, don't do the Streak. And Donnie would have been wrong about that, too.
Don Delego
The Streak, I would have got behind.
David Duchovny
Nah, you would have said no to Disco Duck. You would have said no to Yankovic.
Brie Sharp
But. Yeah, so. But, you know, the song wasn't even out yet. The word had been that you had received it, which was. I mean, the album wasn't out, which was crazy.
David Duchovny
Why didn't you try to get it to me?
Brie Sharp
I was a kid. I didn't know anything about the business. I didn't.
David Duchovny
It took dill scallion.
Brie Sharp
It took dill scallion.
David Duchovny
So you didn't know. It was a different world. It was harder to reach people. If it was today's world, it would be very easy for you to.
Brie Sharp
Yeah. And also, it was. I'm so glad that it got to you organically. I mean, what a cool thing. And anyway, the guys that made the video called my manager and said, we want to make a Christmas video for David of the cast and crew lip syncing the song for him. Can we use the song? And I'm like, I'm peeing my pants. I'm like, can you use it? Are you fucking kidding me? Of course you can use it. So time goes by, and then they're in LA and we're in New York, and they show up at our manager's loft with a VHS tape. And they say, we can't leave this with you. And they say, you will get a copy, but we can't leave it with you. And then they proceed to play it. And the beginning is quite dark and grainy. And I, at the time, was studying to be an actor, and that was really what I wanted to do. I fell assed backwards into a music career. It wasn't what I was trying to do. And I'm like, geez, if they were gonna get anybody, like, why didn't they get me? You know? It's like Friends of Will and Chuck. And I'm like, what is this? Like I said, it's dark and very low, low fi. And then the bridge comes along and suddenly it's, you know, Smoking man and the Lone Gunman and Scully shows up and I'm over the moon, and that would have been enough. Then it goes back to the random girls. And then all of a sudden the outro starts and there's Jeanine Garofalo. And I was a huge comedy fan. I spent all my nights instead of in college, instead of going out drinking. I was at the Comedy Cellar, which you probably know, on McDougal Street, Boston comedy Club. And so I'm like, oh, my God, Jenny Ravalo. And then it's Jerry O'Connell, and then it's Alex Trebek, and then it's Charles Nelson Riley. And then it's George Clooney and Pamela Anderson, and yes, Brad Pitt, who retrospectively, we know was in his Tyler Durden outfit. I mean, that's fucking cool. And then the one that really blew my mind was they managed somehow to get all four members of KISS in full face makeup. Like, what a strange smattering of celebrities. Garry Shandling, Kevin Nealon, David Spade. There were some porno stars in there. Yeah, and then you. And then Jerry Springer. It just kept coming. It just kept coming. Yeah, it was nuts. Yeah. And then they took the tape. I was like, no, One's gonna believe me. They took the tape. It was before the Internet.
David Duchovny
Yeah. Yeah. Before the Internet. Yeah. There's an argument to be made that that tape actually created the Internet. I'm gonna say not Al Gore, but actually that video created the Internet.
Brie Sharp
It's possible. It's possible, you know, the famous Bill Murray urban legend, that he'll walk into a bar and grab some fries off a plate of someone, like an unsuspecting person, stick them in his mouth and go, no one will ever believe you.
David Duchovny
Yeah.
Brie Sharp
And then leave. That's what I felt like. They brought this tape with, like, every celebrity in the world lip syncing my song and then left with it.
David Duchovny
Well, you know, I was. I was tickled. I was tickled by the existence of that tape, too, and I still am. But let me ask you just a serious question, because Donnie said, don't write that song. Do you write the lyrics first? Do you write. How did. How did you write that song? Did you have the melody and the. And the. And the chords, or did you have the lyrics?
Brie Sharp
I wrote it with another songwriting partner, Simon Austin, a great Australian musician from the band Frente. And he was. I told him, you know, I'd had this, obviously this big TV crush on you on Mulder. And I said, I have this idea. After Donnie shot me down, you know, mom said, no. I went to Dad, I said, I want to write the song David why Won't yout Love Me? But I'm not sure. And he goes, well, you know, you create your own reality. And no one had said that to me before. That was the first time I heard that concept of, like, kind of making your own. Making your own way, making your own life. So Simon says, you create your own reality. And I was like, okay, let's do it. And then I almost always write the melody first, so. But I had that couplet. So I think we probably started with that couplet melody and then went from there. And it was. So. It was really fun. You know, the reason I like to write the lyrics after is because it's like a puzzle. So you've got this framework of the melody, and then you have to figure out how you're gonna tell your story in a certain number, in a certain meter. So you only have a certain number of syllables to tell the story that you want to tell. And I really enjoy that.
David Duchovny
Yeah, there's certain freedom and limitation in all art forms, I think. But also, I think you would have run into the problem of the fact that Mulder doesn't rhyme with anything.
Brie Sharp
Give me a chance. Boulder Shoulder.
David Duchovny
Well, there was, you know, there was a.
Brie Sharp
Hold her. Hey, Mulder, why won't you hold her? I could do this all the time.
David Duchovny
There you go. The Sequel. The sequel. There was a. I'm gonna go right back now. Donnie, get on it. Don't.
Don Delego
I got my people working on this.
David Duchovny
Yeah, that's always interesting to me because, like, in my experience writing songs, it's kind of like back and forth. Like, I'll have a few lines or a few. Or an idea that I like, and then I'll just play around with chords and try to hear a melody. So it's always interesting to hear a songwriting process because it's always very organic and personal and no two songs are the same.
Brie Sharp
What do you do first?
David Duchovny
I don't know. I don't know. It's just always different. But I, like, have chord progressions that I. Kind of impartial to where I've got a melody that. A snatch of a melody, and then, you know, things come together or they don't. I find that things come together quickly or they don't. It's rare that, you know, a song takes a long, long time.
Brie Sharp
Donnie didn't. I think Sting said Every Breath youh Take took him, like, six years or something like that. Is it that one?
Don Delego
No, no, not Every Breath youh Take, but lots of songs. I mean, there's no. There's no.
Brie Sharp
No. Most of the songs on my album came out like a good poop. They just came right out. But then there are some that take a. Take a long time.
David Duchovny
Okay, we have our pull quote. That's perfect. That's. That's. That's what we will use to advertise this segment.
Brie Sharp
Fantastic. Just what I always wanted.
David Duchovny
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Brie Sharp
You looking for ways to make your everyday life happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative? I'm Gretchen Rubin, the number one bestselling author of the Happiness Project, bringing you fresh insights and practical solutions in the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. My co host and happiness guinea pig is my sister, Elizabeth Craft. That's me, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer. Producer in Hollywood. Join us as we explore ideas and hacks about cultivating happiness and good habits. Check out Happier with Gretchen Rubin from Lemonada Media.
David Duchovny
I think let's just go through the song. Why don't you start to play it?
Brie Sharp
All right. This is how this starts. This is how it started for me and Donnie. Donnie used to watch the show with me. We used to watch it together.
David Duchovny
Really?
Brie Sharp
Yeah, we used to watch it together Sunday nights, I guess after a writing session. We'd get together on Sunday to write music and then shut it down to watch the X Files.
Don Delego
That's true.
Unknown
It's Sunday night.
David Duchovny
Okay, I wanna stop you right there, because, you know, originally.
Brie Sharp
Get the fuck outta here.
David Duchovny
Originally, it started airing on Friday night, so.
Brie Sharp
In what country?
David Duchovny
In the United States of America.
Brie Sharp
In the Gulf of America.
David Duchovny
Yeah, we were originally airing on Friday night. You know, so it kind of bumped me when I first heard the song because I was like.
Brie Sharp
It bummed you?
David Duchovny
Yeah. No, no, it didn't bump me. It bumped me. It bumped me. Like they say. That's what executives like to say about, you know, when they watch something or read something. I got bumped. I got bumped out of the reality.
Unknown
Oh.
Brie Sharp
It took you out of the.
David Duchovny
It took me out of the space of like.
Brie Sharp
It took you out of the play.
David Duchovny
Does this singer songwriter really know what she's talking about? I don't know. I started to distrust it immediately. But I know where you're coming from. Cause it did go to Sunday night. But continue, please. Go ahead.
Brie Sharp
I wonder, you know, I don't think I was I caught to the X Files till probably season two.
David Duchovny
Well, that explains the thing. Donnie, can you sing? It's Friday night. Can you just try? It's Friday night and then Saturday. No, it's not Saturday. It's not Saturday.
Unknown
It's Friday. I'm in love.
David Duchovny
No, it's not that. Just. Just. Just replace Sunday.
Brie Sharp
Just for you. Just for you, David.
David Duchovny
And then continue on if you.
Unknown
If you.
Brie Sharp
He's going to rewrite my song. Son of a. It's Friday night.
David Duchovny
I gotta say, that's. That's. That's not bad.
Brie Sharp
No. One more time. It's Friday. Two, three, four.
Unknown
It's Friday night Oo I am curled up in my room the TV light.
Oo.
Fills my heart like a book.
David Duchovny
I like that rhyme of balloon and room. Were you happy when you come up with that one?
Brie Sharp
Oh, I'm getting points off for that now.
David Duchovny
No, no, I like it.
Brie Sharp
Oh, you like it?
David Duchovny
It's new to me. It rhymes enough. It rhymes enough. Okay, But I like it. I like the idea of filling a heart like a balloon. And I wonder if that's oxygen or helium when you're singing.
Brie Sharp
I think it was the buoyancy.
David Duchovny
The buoyancy?
Brie Sharp
Yeah, it was the buoyancy of utter lust and crushing and.
David Duchovny
Take it from there.
Brie Sharp
Yes, sir. Good God.
David Duchovny
One Two, three.
Brie Sharp
Where were we? Thank God Donnie's here.
Unknown
I hold it in as best I can. I know I'm just another fan, but I can't help feeling I could love this Secret Agent man.
David Duchovny
You know, I. You know, I'm not actually a. I'm sorry. You know, I wasn't actually a secret agent. That's more of a James Bond thing. But I dig. I dig the.
Brie Sharp
You were a secret agent. You were doing definitely doing covert. What do you think the X Files were?
David Duchovny
Special Agent. Can you maybe change it to Special Agent Man?
Brie Sharp
David, I'll do whatever you want.
David Duchovny
See if we can do that.
Brie Sharp
Donnie's tuning. Are you doing Pentatonix?
David Duchovny
Ooh, that's exciting.
Brie Sharp
Okay, we're gonna do Special Agent Man.
David Duchovny
Yeah. Friday Night.
Brie Sharp
Co written David Duchovny, why Won't youl Love Me? Co written by David Duchovny. You ready?
David Duchovny
Yeah.
Brie Sharp
Start with the E minor. I'll hold it in.
David Duchovny
Oh, and let me. Can I just tell you that my name is actually pronounced D'hovnia. Can you try that? Because I want to be literal to my Russian or actually Ukrainian forebears.
Brie Sharp
This is actually. This song actually was inspired by a Chekhov play called David.
David Duchovny
Yeah. But anyway, you can do the American pronunciation for us.
Brie Sharp
No, no, let's make this exactly how you want. This is your cake. Okay.
David Duchovny
And you can just.
Brie Sharp
There you go.
David Duchovny
Put my face.
Unknown
I hold it in as best I can. I know I'm just another fan, but I can't help feeling I could love this Special Agent man.
David Duchovny
And.
Unknown
And I can't wait anymore for him to discover me. I got it bad for David D.
David D. Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me?
Brie Sharp
Comrade, are you changing this because of the political climate? Whose side are you on, David?
David Duchovny
Not at all. Oh, I'm on the Ukrainian side there.
Brie Sharp
Thank you. All right, Continuing.
David Duchovny
Yeah, Please, please. No, no. No comments on that section.
Brie Sharp
Okay, Proceed, proceed. Okay. Three, four. The two, three, four always back me up.
David Duchovny
I like it when. I like when the 2, 3, 4 are in no way related to the beat that is actually coming.
Brie Sharp
That's my specialty. Are you ready? 2, 3, 4.
Unknown
My friends all tell me Girl, you know it's just a show Deep within his eyes See me wrapped up like.
David Duchovny
A ball that's pretty.
Unknown
Watching the sky for a sign the FBI is on my mind.
Brie Sharp
Sorry, that's one. I'm gonna interrupt myself because.
David Duchovny
Yeah, what's going on?
Brie Sharp
When I was practicing this song, I was singing and I thought it's so funny to think of like a 22 year old college student, like walking around thinking about the FB. Just spending my days just thinking about the FBI, which I know nothing about. Okay. 2, 3, 4.
Unknown
The FBI is on my mind. I'm waiting for the day when my.
Lucky stars align in the form of.
David Duchovny floating above me in the alien light of the spaceship of love I need. David Duchovny hovering above me. American Heathcliff, brooding and comely.
David Duchovny. Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me?
David Duchovny
Okay, that's really. That was. That's really nice because, you know, American Heathcliff, you're speaking. You were speaking to the. The lit major in me.
Brie Sharp
Are you kidding? That was the. I was like, this is the one that's gonna get him. This is how he's gonna know him.
David Duchovny
Going to Wuthering Heights on me. Yeah, that was. And comely. That's all working for me.
Brie Sharp
I think that's my. I'm gonna say that's my favorite section.
David Duchovny
Yeah.
Brie Sharp
American Heathcliff, brooding and comely. Yeah, yeah. I mean it's for. Yeah, it's for the.
David Duchovny
Brooding and comely.
Brie Sharp
This song was written for me and for you and also for all the nerds and other students.
David Duchovny
I'm fucking with you today. But I do think it's a beautiful song. And I do. Aside from what it's about, aside from the superficial meaning, I get the heart underneath it and I dig that. So let's continue on.
Brie Sharp
Okay. You know, it's funny, I do want to say over the years, having to sing this song and then retiring it for a little while just because I felt like, you know, I didn't wanna be known just as that. And then there was a generation of people who maybe didn't know the X Files and kind of wouldn't get it, but revisiting it and revisiting it, getting to talk to you about it and look at you is reminding me of just. It's taking me back to my dorm room and watching you on TV and just think thinking like, this guy's. This guy's adorable. Where were.
David Duchovny
We?
Brie Sharp
Brooding and comely.
David Duchovny
You know. You know what you should do? Do you ever watch the Smothers Brothers where they're playing a song and I, I think it was the. The fun. The straight guy, I think was Dick and the. The wild man was Tom. And they do this thing where I think one plays banjo, one plays guitar, and, And One of them go, and. And. And the straight man goes, take it. And Tommy goes, no, no, because why should I? Why you always tell me? I'm like, no, no, I'm not gonna take it.
Brie Sharp
American Heathcliff. Let's take it.
David Duchovny
You've never had a heckler like this.
Brie Sharp
I've had a lot of practice with Don. Didn't want me to write the song. Okay.
Don Delego
So smooth and so.
Brie Sharp
You want to start there?
David Duchovny
So smooth and so smart.
Brie Sharp
Let's go into it. Okay.
Unknown
American heat clip brooding and coming.
Brie Sharp
Where are we?
Unknown
American Heath Clam rooting and coming.
Brie Sharp
Oh, no, I'm.
Unknown
I'm gonna.
Brie Sharp
I'm gonna.
Unknown
Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me?
So smooth and so smart he's abducted my heart and I'm falling apart from the looks I receive from those eyes I can't leave well, you can say I'm naive But he told me to.
Believe Ooh.
Brie Sharp
No comment.
David Duchovny
No, I'm just.
Brie Sharp
Wait. I'm like, wait, I'm just grooving.
David Duchovny
I'm just grooving here.
Brie Sharp
But he told me to believe yeah, Want to take it from there?
Gretchen Rubin
2, 3.
Brie Sharp
But he.
David Duchovny
Take it. No.
Brie Sharp
But he told me to be.
Unknown
Oh, my bags are packed I am ready for my flight Wanna put an end to my daydream days and sleepless nights Sitting like a mindless clone Wishing he would tap my phone and just to hear the breath of the man.
The myth of monotone.
David Duchovny
I don't think I have a monotone, but go on, keep going.
Brie Sharp
Say that again.
David Duchovny
I don't think I have a monotone. So.
Brie Sharp
Do you know Jacob Silge? It's a character that Will Ferrell does on snl. And he talks like. He talks very loud. He's supposed to have voice modulation disorder.
David Duchovny
Oh, really? Do I have voice?
Brie Sharp
Yeah, he's like a loud version of you. And she says, jacob, you're screaming. Screaming. And he goes, how dare you, Tina?
David Duchovny
That's. That's not the way I sound, but go ahead, keep going.
Don Delego
Two, three, four.
Brie Sharp
Tani's cracking up. That's not the way I sound. It's the chorus, the man, the myth, the monotone.
Unknown
And I would say, David Duchovny, why won't you love me?
Why won't you love me?
Why won't you love me?
David D'Cavne why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? David Duchavne?
I want you to love Me kissing to hug me.
David Duchovny
What happened? What happens to that line that I remember? The jagged Jewish nose. Yeah. Where'd that go?
Brie Sharp
That was in the bridge. So it was basically cut because the bridge was about three times as long. Is that right, Donnie Used to be long. Yeah, I think it went around that meter. It ran around those bars three times. And the song was already pretty long. It was about. It's over four minutes.
David Duchovny
Why don't we do that? Why don't we do the original bridge there? Go ahead, give it to me.
Brie Sharp
I would love to. Do you have the words anywhere? I haven't heard it. I don't even know if I have a copy of it. You're gonna have to pull out your cassette. Donnie's looking up. Donnie's looking up something. Donnie, if you have this, I will be shocked while Donnie's looking this up, by the way.
David Duchovny
Yeah.
Brie Sharp
I was listening to your Peter. Just a side note, I was listening to your Peter singer interview because, you know, I'm vegan and a big animal advocate.
David Duchovny
Oh. Oh. You are re releasing the song on eco friendly vinyl, I should say, right?
Brie Sharp
I am, yes. Yeah, yeah. The whole album.
David Duchovny
The whole album.
Don Delego
I thought I had the demo somewhere. I got it somewhere.
Brie Sharp
He doesn't have it. You have it. Do you know what the lyrics are? I'm asking you, David.
David Duchovny
Oh, no. I think you rhymed toes with nose. Something from my toes to my jagged Jewish nose. So I was like, hey, okay, okay, I'm digging the song. But, like, she's going after a monotone and now she's going after my nose. Like, I'm getting a little uncomfortable here. 2, 3, 4.
Brie Sharp
Anyway, well, there was so much, you know, I mean, every good flirt has to.
David Duchovny
Oh, you gotta neg me a little bit.
Brie Sharp
Pull the pigtails a little.
David Duchovny
Okay. I think it's time for me to shut up and to let you and Donnie do your thing. And I want to hear Bringing it Home now.
Brie Sharp
Yeah, I'm gonna stand up for the end.
David Duchovny
Take it.
Don Delego
Okay.
Brie Sharp
Okay. No, you're good. Yep. Where are we? From the end.
Don Delego
Yep.
Brie Sharp
So. And I would say David Dickens.
Unknown
No, no, no.
David Duchovny
Not from the end. Not from the end, not from the end. I want, I want. This is like we're going for the. The full performance now.
Brie Sharp
Wait, what do you want?
David Duchovny
I want. I want you to perform the song the way you intended to perform it when you came on today.
Brie Sharp
The entire song?
David Duchovny
Yeah.
Unknown
Let's foreign.
Brie Sharp
Hi, I'm Emily Deschanel.
Unknown
And I'm Carla Gallo. And we're here to Bring you Boneheads.
The official Bones rewatch podcast.
That's right. We're watching all the episodes of Bones, starting with episode one, and we are the right people to do it.
I play Dr. Temperance Bredon, and I met Carla 16 years ago on set.
I played Daisy Wick.
Brie Sharp
Tune in every Wednesday to hear all.
Unknown
Our behind the scenes stories, conversations with.
Elizabeth Craft
Cast and crew, and our favorite moments.
Unknown
Boneheads from Lemonada Media is out wherever you get your podcasts.
Elizabeth Craft
Hey, I'm Reshma Sajani, founder of Girls who Code and Moms First. I consider myself a pretty successful adult woman. So why is it that in midlife, as I'm about to turn 50, I feel so stuck? Join me as I try to find the answer on my so called Midlife from Lemonada Media. I talk to experts and extraordinary guests about divorce, exercise, menopause, sex, drugs and more to understand what we're going through and how to make the most of it. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Brie Sharp
All right, from the top.
David Duchovny
No interruptions, please.
Brie Sharp
No interruptions. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I was going to.
David Duchovny
You see?
Don Delego
You see, it's a professional.
Brie Sharp
I'm going to.
David Duchovny
Oh, I wouldn't go that far. But before you. Before you go, I will say the last bit of about this that tickles me is when we actually met in person. I was walking down the street on Greenwich Avenue in New York City. I was shooting a movie called Trust the Man with my friend Bart Freundlich.
Brie Sharp
Oh, right. Julie Ann's husband.
David Duchovny
Julianne Moore's husband.
Brie Sharp
Yes, right.
David Duchovny
And out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure rushing at me. And I'm from New York. It's New York. So I immediately assume a defensive posture, a fighting posture, because it feels like some kind of random attack is going to happen. And when my eyes focus, this dark blur is coming at me saying, I'm Brie Sharp. I'm Brie Sharp.
Brie Sharp
That's not how it happened. I'm going to tell my side of the story.
Don Delego
Oh, no. The story.
David Duchovny
And I was like, oh, you're Bre Sharp. Oh, okay. That's it. That's my entire story. How did it happen for you? You came out of the bar, right? You came out of a bar. I was just walking by.
Brie Sharp
Well, here's a side note, and tell me if you knew this on your end or if it just went from my people to your people and it never got to you. But one of the things that I lament is, you know, the reason that my star was on the rise because of this song and the attention it was getting. And then my label went bankrupt in the middle of my album cycle. I don't know if you know that.
David Duchovny
No, I did not know that.
Brie Sharp
Yes. So the other thing that disappeared was that we never got to meet. And so the whole point was, like, I wrote this song so that I could meet you as a peer and not just another fan, as it says in the lyrics. And then the years were going by, and people would say, oh, you know, my cousin met him on the Fox lot. And I'd be like, that's great for your cousin. And then, oh, my friend ran into him here, and I'd be like, that's like, fuck your friend. Like, I just didn't want to hear it anymore. Because I was like, it's never gonna happen. We're never gonna meet. And that time, people. I was living in the West Village, and people were telling me I saw David working out at Equinox.
David Duchovny
Yeah, it was by Equinox. Yeah. Yeah.
Brie Sharp
Okay, so this is the side that you don't know. This is funny that I get to tell you this. So they tell me he's at Equinox. And I'm like, you know, Equinox is a shishi gym. I do not have a membership to Equinox. And I'm like, well, I don't have a membership to Equinox, so I'm never gonna meet him. And I was like, I don't care. I don't even care anymore. Had to, you know, compartmentalize. So Donnie and I are out to dinner.
David Duchovny
Oh, Donnie was there.
Brie Sharp
Donnie was there.
Don Delego
Oh, yeah. I could tell you this story, too, if you want.
David Duchovny
Yeah.
Brie Sharp
And there's another.
David Duchovny
I'm gonna be outnumbered 2 to 1 here on the story.
Brie Sharp
And. And all of a. And the window, the Italian restaurant.
David Duchovny
The restaurant, yeah, it was a restaurant.
Brie Sharp
And it had big windows, all that went all along the side of it on Greenwich Avenue. And all of a sudden, we're eating dinner, and all of a sudden, there goes David Duchovny walking by. And I was like, oh, my God. I said, that's David Duchovny. What do I do? What do I do? Do I go? And they're like, yeah, yeah, go. But by the time I had hemmed and hawed, I was halfway down the street. I go through the restaurant. I go through the double doors of the restaurant. I get out on the street, and you're a block and a half away. And I'm like, now you're like, what am I Gonna do Run after this man. So I start running. So I start running. I run down the street. I'm, like, getting within distance of you, and you bust into Equinox. Oh, I was going that way. You don't know this part of the story.
David Duchovny
Oh, okay. This is pre the meet. Because I know I was walking away from Equinox.
Brie Sharp
That's correct.
David Duchovny
Yes. Okay, I got that right. I got that right.
Brie Sharp
That's correct. Yes. So I bust past the registration desk. I don't have a membership. I am about to tap you on the shoulder, and you walk into the men's locker room. And I'm standing there with this look on my face of, like, just absolute horror. Like, I'm never gonna meet him. Like, how is it possible that he was within my grasp? And now there he goes. And all of a sudden, I hear a voice go, oh, Brie. And it was like, someone from college who had, like, saw the whole thing. And, like, I'm still chasing you seven years later. And I was like, can you talk to me for a minute? Like, what happens, like, once you go in the locker room? Are you in the gym? Or does he have to come back out to, like, go to the gym? Like, you know what happens? And we're talking for a minute, and a minute later, you come out wearing nothing but a towel.
David Duchovny
I was going down to the pool.
Brie Sharp
And it was not a big bath towel. It was a little gym towel. And I'm standing there going. And at this point in the story, people are like, well, oh. And so I just let you, like, walk into the gym. I didn't say it, and I didn't say a word.
David Duchovny
No, I didn't walk into the gym in my bath towel. I walked downstairs to the pool.
Brie Sharp
That's what. What I mean is, you went from the locker room to the next.
David Duchovny
I wasn't parading around the gym in my Speedo.
Brie Sharp
No, and I don't mean to. I did not mean to suggest that at all. You had a mission. You were not parading. Yeah, but the point is, is that. But I'm standing there, and I do say, at this point in the story, David, I will tell you that whatever crush had dwindled over those years. When you came out in your towel, I was like, okay, kid's taking care of himself. He's doing the yoga.
David Duchovny
He's in Equinox. He's going. Equinox.
Brie Sharp
Yeah. Okay, so you go into the gym or you go into the pool, and I leave, and people are like, why are you not. Why didn't you say anything? And I was like, I just was not gonna have this man be half naked while I walk up to him and say, I'm the girl who wrote the song about you. I just thought that would be terrible. So I go back to dinner, dejected, head down, shoulders stooped, and they're like, what happened? What happened? I'm like, he came out in a towel. I didn't say anything. And I'm like, what was he doing? Was he getting a massage? Was he going swimming? How long does it take? Like, is he gonna come back this way? 20 minutes? I don't know how long what you were doing, but 20 minutes later, dry hair and all, there comes David Duchovny walking back. And I said, okay, I'm going. I get up, I go through the restaurant, I go through the double doors. And just as I'm coming out, there you are. And my memory of it is that I said, stop.
David Duchovny
Oh, yeah, that's possible.
Brie Sharp
You have to stop walking by.
David Duchovny
That's possible. Yeah.
Brie Sharp
And you looked at me. Yes. Like, you know, hesitant. And I said, hi. And you said, hi, like, with a face, you know? I put out my hand and I said, bree. And you said, hi. And I said, sharp. And you said, we finally meet. And I said, we finally meet.
David Duchovny
Oh, Okay. I like your story better.
Brie Sharp
It's a good story.
David Duchovny
Okay.
Brie Sharp
All right. It's Sunday night.
Unknown
Ooh.
I am curled up in my room the TV light fills my heart like a balloon I hold it in as best I can I know I'm just another fan But I can't help feeling I could love this secret agent man and I can't wait anymore for him to discover me I got it bad for David Duchovne.
David Duchovne why won't you love me? Why won't you love me?
My friends all tell me girl, you know oh, it's just a show but deep within his eyes I see me wrapped up like a bow Watching the sky for a sign the FBI is on my mind I'm waiting for the.
Day when my lucky stars alive in.
The form of David Duchovny floating above me in the alien light of the spaceship of love Honey David Duchovny hovering above me American Heathcliff brooding and comely.
David Duchavni why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me?
So smooth and so smart he's abducted my heart and I'm falling apart from the looks I receive from those eyes I can't leave well, you can say I'm naive He told me to believe.
Ooh.
My bags are packed.
I am.
Ready for my flight Wanna put in to my daydream days and sleepless nights Sitting like a mindless clone Wishing he would tap my phone Just to hear the breath of the man the myth.
That monotone and I would say David.
Duchovny why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me me?
David D. Cavne why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? David Ducav I want you to love me to kiss and to hug me.
To breathe and debug me David Ducavne I know you can love me I'm.
Sweet and I'm kindly I'm gonna kill Scully and David Duchavne why won't you love me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you love me me? Yeah.
I'll be waiting.
Brie Sharp
In Nevada.
Unknown
Oh.
Brie Sharp
Oh, David.
David Duchovny
Thank you. That was beautiful.
Brie Sharp
This was lovely.
David Duchovny
Honestly, all bullshitting aside and jokes aside, the song, it's really cool to have a song about yourself and to. For it to be a great song at the same time. So, you know, aside from the nostalgia, aside from all that stuff, it's just, it's a real gift for me know that personally. Not that I listen to it all the time or anything like that, but it was something. And thank you.
Don Delego
Is he talking about the streak?
David Duchovny
Thanks so much for listening to Fail Better. If you haven't yet, now is a great time to subscribe to Lemonada Premium. You'll get bonus content like my thoughts on conversations with guests including Alec Baldwin and Rob Lowe. Just hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or for all other podcast apps, head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe. That's lemonadapremium.com Failbetter is production of Lemonada Media in coordination with King Baby. It is produced by Keegan Zema, Aria Bracci and Donny Matias. Our engineer is Brian Castillo. Our SVP of weekly is Steve Nelson. Our VP of new content is Rachel Neal. Special thanks to Carl Ackerman, Tom Kupinsky and Brad Davidson. The show is executive produced by Stephanie Whittles Wax, Jessica Cordova Kramer and me, David Duchovny. The music is also by me and my band, the lovely Colin Lee, Pat McCusker, Mitch Stewart, Davis Rowland and Sebastian Modak. You can find us online at Lemonada Media and you can Find me at David Duchovny. Follow Fail Better wherever you get your podcasts or listen Ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership.
Gretchen Rubin
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Unknown
Hi everyone, Gloria Rivera here and we are back for another season of no One Is Coming to Save Us, a podcast about America's childcare crisis. This season we're delving deep into five critical issues facing our country through the lens of child care, poverty, mental health, housing, climate change and the public school system. By exploring these connections, we aim to highlight that childcare is not an isolated issue, but one that influences all facets of American life. Season four of no One Is Coming to Save Us is out now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Fail Better with David Duchovny: Episode Summary - "25 Years Later and Bree Sharp Is Still Asking Why Won’t I Love Her"
Hosted by Lemonada Media
In this heartfelt and nostalgic episode of "Fail Better," David Duchovny delves deep into the intertwined lives of himself and musician Brie Sharp, celebrating the 25th anniversary of her iconic song, "Why Won’t You Love Me." This episode not only revisits the creation and impact of the song but also explores themes of failure, growth, and the unexpected connections that shape our journeys.
The episode begins with brief interludes from other podcasts and advertisements, quickly transitioning to David Duchovny introducing himself and the focus of the episode. He warmly welcomes Brie Sharp and her collaborator, Don Delego, setting the tone for an intimate and engaging conversation.
David Duchovny recounts how he first encountered Brie Sharp's song "Why Won’t You Love Me." A friend named Joe Blake, involved in a mockumentary about country music, shared the song with Duchovny on a cassette. Duchovny humorously admits to listening to it frequently while driving, despite feeling a tinge of embarrassment ([04:15]).
Notable Quote:
Brie Sharp shares her motivation behind the song:
"I have this idea after having this big TV crush on you on Mulder. I wanted to write a song called 'David Duchovny Why Won’t You Love Me?'" ([08:37])
The conversation shifts to the creation of the song's music video, a labor of love featuring an impressive array of celebrity cameos, including Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and all four members of KISS in full makeup. Duchovny expresses his initial mortification upon seeing the video, especially noting the involvement of close friends like Gary Shandling and Gary's playful appearance ([07:44]).
Notable Quote:
Duchovny reflects on his feelings:
"I was mortified that my friends had been importuned to do this shit, you know, like I had asked them. I hoped they knew it wasn't me asking." ([07:44])
Brie Sharp provides an in-depth look into her songwriting process, collaborating with Simon Austin of the band Frente. She emphasizes the importance of melody-first composition and how lyrical structure serves as a creative puzzle, dictating how her stories unfold within the constraints of the music ([15:25]).
Notable Quote:
Brie explains her approach:
"I really enjoy the limitation in all art forms. It's like a puzzle. You've got this framework of the melody, and then you have to figure out how you're gonna tell your story in a certain meter." ([15:25])
In a delightful segment, Brie and Don perform "Why Won’t You Love Me" live on the podcast. Duchovny joins in with playful banter and attempts at singing, creating a lighthearted and interactive atmosphere. This performance highlights the enduring connection between the song and Duchovny's legacy as Fox Mulder.
Notable Quote:
Duchovny humorously challenges the songwriting:
"Why didn’t you try to get it to me?" ([22:04])
One of the most engaging parts of the episode involves Brie Sharp recounting the story of how she finally met David Duchovny in person. She vividly describes chasing him down Greenwich Avenue in New York City, leading to a near-miss encounter where Duchovny walks into Equinox gym without realizing his admirer is right behind him. The narrative is rich with emotions, from hope to disappointment, and culminates in a brief, memorable meeting where they finally connect face-to-face ([38:03]).
Notable Quote:
Brie describes her intense emotions:
"I was standing there with this look on my face of, like, just absolute horror. Like, I'm never gonna meet him." ([40:53])
As the episode nears its conclusion, both Brie and David reflect on the enduring impact of "Why Won’t You Love Me." Duchovny expresses his appreciation for the song beyond its novelty value, acknowledging it as a meaningful gesture that has left a lasting impression on his personal and professional life. Brie discusses the challenges she faced when her label went bankrupt, which hindered her ability to further promote the song and connect with Duchovny ([49:32]).
Notable Quote:
Duchovny shares his sentiments:
"I do think it's a beautiful song. It's just, it's a real gift for me to know that personally." ([49:32])
The episode wraps up with acknowledgments and expressions of gratitude between the participants. David Duchovny emphasizes the importance of embracing failures and unexpected successes as part of personal growth. He thanks listeners and highlights the continued relevance of meaningful connections forged through art and shared experiences.
Notable Quote:
Brie wraps up with a heartfelt note:
"Oh, David." ([49:21])
Notable Quotes:
This episode of "Fail Better" masterfully blends humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt storytelling, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into the lives of David Duchovny and Brie Sharp. It serves as a celebration of creative perseverance and the unexpected ways in which art can influence and intertwine our lives.