'Daisy Jones and the Six' should regret this lyric
If you're caught up on Daisy Jones and the Six, you likely have Daisy's (Riley Keough) latest jam "Regret Me" stuck in your head. Perhaps, like me, you're also belting "You'll regret me and I'll regret you" in every spare moment. But if you stop and actually listen to the song, you'll hear this astonishingly awful lyric: "Off the PCH Highway with that typical, wonderful view." It's so bad that it jolts you out of the magical mess and drama of the fictional '70s rock 'n roll band and into an episode of Saturday Night Live's The Californians.
For those unacquainted with the scenic California highway, "PCH" stands for Pacific Coast Highway, which runs up the shoreline from Orange County to Mendocino County. So, Daisy is singing "Pacific Coast Highway Highway"! Even worse, this was avoidable: "Pacific Coast Highway" is the same number of syllables as "the PCH Highway."
It should be noted that the lyrics in the book contain no mention of PCH. It's an understandable addition, but it's simply wrong.
In episode 6, when Daisy writes the song, tension between Daisy and Billy (Sam Claflin) is at an all-time high. After telling a Rolling Stone reporter that his relationship with Daisy is all an act to make great music, Billy kisses Daisy to get her back on the mic to record "More Fun To Miss," one of many incriminating songs Billy writes about Daisy. Then he brings his wife, Camila (Camila Morrone), to the album shoot, putting Daisy in an incredibly awkward position. The dramatic shoot ends with a blazing fight between Daisy and Billy.
In a fit of inspiration, Daisy veers off PCH and hits the car parked in front of her, all so she can write, "You regret me and I'll regret you," the first lyrics to the ultimate retaliation song. A reference to the highway in "Regret Me" has the potential to add depth to how Daisy feels about Billy and act as a cheeky nod to an excellent scene, but alas, it was fumbled.
While this lyric may have been excusable had Billy written it as he hails from Pittsburgh, Daisy is a California native and the ultimate Los Angeles It girl. The line is inconsistent with Daisy's character. A cool girl like her would never make such a faux pas. The only possible explanation I can think of is that it was a drugged-up, heat-of-the-moment error, but that's selling Daisy short.
For fun, let's say Billy had written it — even then it wouldn't make sense, because Daisy isn't afraid of calling Billy out and making his lyrics better. In fact, that's the basis of their entire relationship! Well, that and off-the-charts sexual tension.
Not only is it a disservice to Daisy's character, but also to The Six as a whole. They are the most popular band in the world, and that's the lyrical brilliance of their hit song?
If we step outside of the Daisy Jones universe and into reality, the creators went to great lengths to bring the songs of the book to life. Musician, songwriter, and producer Blake Mills spearheaded the effort to create the soundtrack and The Six's body of work. He's collaborated with everyone from Randy Newman to Perfume Genius and Fiona Apple, and he has multiple Grammy nominations. Not only that, but Jackson Browne, Phoebe Bridgers, and Marcus Mumford were also brought in to contribute their songwriting skills to Aurora. Mills is also a California native, mind you. And yet this still slipped through the cracks!
Some fans don't seem to mind as "Regret Me" is the most popular song from the show on Spotify, but once you hear that PCH lyric, it's impossible to unhear.