Halloween Song: “Hydrogenic”

Another rerun from the BHT haunted vault but with an added link. 

Back in the early 1980s, Bohemia’s high-energy approach, led by charismatic lead vocalist/keyboards player Carla Evonne, prompted a Chicago daily newspaper critic to proclaim the band was every bit as good as X from Los Angeles. Following the release of a self-titled, three-song 10 inch EP in 1980, Bohemia returned a year later with their impressive debut LP, Deviations. Among the energetic and offbeat highlights were “Plastic Doll,”  “Standard Deviations,” “Empty Room,” and “Dr. Werner.”

“Hydrogenic” was a punk rock masterpiece, offering a girl meets mutant love story with an underlying jab at the perils of nuclear energy. Bass player Zirbel’s revved-up playing leads an extended instrumental intro before Carla Evonne jumps in to set the romantic tale in motion. “Since I met you baby/I haven’t been the same/You hit me like an H-bomb and now I hardly know my name.”

Even though her boyfriend’s appearance has been drastically changed by massive doses of radiation, the woman’s devotion is unwavering. “Momma says you’re different/With your long green hair/You got webs between your fingers/But I don’t even care.” Additional lyrics such “I can see you glowing in the dark/In my life you really caused a spark” are punctuated by an overjoyed chorus of, “Ooh, our love is new/Our love is new . . . nuclear.”