Aquarium Drunkard has an awesome, awesome discussion of Can’t Hardly Wait (and even a Part II). Read all the comments, and prepare to lose a chunk of your afternoon.
I love Can’t Hardly Wait (I have 26 versions of it in my iTunes, and that’s only because I am too lazy to go cherry pick the song out of the rest of the bootlegs laying around). It’s in the all-time top three Holy Triumvirate of iconic ‘Mats songs (along with Left of the Dial and a song that I usually slot in depending on my mood).
Go read the discussion, you’ll be happy you did.
I faked sick one day in May 1987 and my mom let me stay home from school. It was a Friday. I was in 10th grade and hated school. I slept and slept and did nothing all day and brought my cassette player radio down to the kitchen and put in “Pleased To Meet Me”. As “Can’t Hardly Wait” played, I looked out the kitchen window at the kids getting off the school bus and walking home. The sun was shining and there was this feeling I still can’t describe…but felt in the song….weird. Anyway, I still think of that day whenever I hear that song…it brings it all back.
That is what great songs do….God bless the mats