Fountains of Wayne are known in a general sense for their 2003 hit “Stacy’s Mom”. Of course, longtime fans know them on a deeper level. But to the layman, this novelty song about a teenage boy lusting after his classmate’s single mother is the first thing that comes to mind.
This, however, is exactly the kind of association that founding guitarist Chris Collingwood wanted to avoid. When bassist Adam Schlesinger—who unfortunately passed away in 2020—initially brought him the lyrics to “Stacy’s Mom”, Collingwood tried to talk him out of recording it. Schlesinger wasn’t just the bassist for Fountains of Wayne, but a successful songwriter in his own right. He was often sought after for his work in film, television, and theater, and was close to achieving EGOT status before his death.
Collingwood saw “Stacy’s Mom” as a novelty, one-hit wonder song, and knew how these things stayed with a band. It’s an endlessly catchy song, as clever as it is raunchy. But it became Fountains of Wayne’s defining song.
“I tried to talk [Adam Schlesinger] out of ‘Stacy’s Mom’,” Collingwood told Rolling Stone in 2020. “I could see exactly what was going to happen, and when it started happening in slow motion, it just felt inevitable.”
Fountains of Wayne Became Known for “Stacy’s Mom” Despite Guitarist Chris Collingwood’s Reluctance to Record It
At the time that Collingwood was speaking with Rolling Stone, it was just days after Schlesinger passed. He brought up his reluctance to accept “Stacy’s Mom” and noted that, besides being against the novelty band label that would stick to them, he felt that Schlesinger was undermining his own talents.
“He was too good a writer to have that be his calling card,” said Collingwood. “And the success of a novelty song means that’s just what you are to the public, from that moment on forever.”
With Schlesinger’s death still so recent, Collingwood lamented the fact that many of his friend’s deeper songwriting works would probably go unnoticed by the general public. As far as his legacy was concerned, “Stacy’s Mom” was front and center.
“It’s sad to me that people reading his obituary will all know that song, and only a very tiny percentage of them will ever hear ‘I-95’ or ‘The Girl I Can’t Forget’,” said Collingwood.
There was no denying that “Stacy’s Mom” would be a hit, he continued. But Collingwood felt it didn’t fit with the album Welcome Interstate Managers. Despite the varied stylistic choices on the album, he said, “It sounded like a different band.”
Collingwood continued, “I knew it would be a single, and I knew it would be a hit, and everyone else knew it, too. But I was the only one who didn’t think a novelty hit was a good thing.”
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