I don’t know how common the expression”Great Scott” is. I just learned about it yesterday night while I was doing some research for this post. It does take time to pick up catch phrases in another language than yours. But this one? I’ve never heard!

So, Great Scott! is an exclamation of surprise or amazement. I could have said that the first time I heard a song by a UK band by the same name. I could have said it again when I googled them and I couldn’t find any information. And perhaps one more time after reading about the origin of this phrase according to Wikipedia?

The expression is of uncertain origin. It is believed to date back at least as far as the American Civil War, and may refer to the commander‑in‑chief of the U.S. Army, General Winfield Scott. The general, known to his troops as Old Fuss and Feathers, weighed 300 pounds (21 stone or 136 kg) in his later years and was too fat to ride a horse. A May 1861 edition of the New York Times carried the sentence:

These gathering hosts of loyal freemen, under the command of the great SCOTT.

In an 1871 issue of Galaxy magazine, there is:

“Great—Scott!” he gasped in his stupefaction, using the name of the then commander-in-chief for an oath, as officers sometimes did in those days.

The phrase also appears in the 3 May 1864 diary entry by Private Robert Knox Sneden (later published as Eye of the Storm: a Civil War Odyssey):

‘Great Scott,’ who would have thought that this would be the destiny of the Union Volunteer in 1861–2 while marching down Broadway to the tune of ‘John Brown’s Body’.

Another possible origin is people seeking to emulate the German Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha altered and anglicized “Grüß Gott!”, or “God bless!” into “Great Scott!”. The etymologist and author John Ciardi once believed this, but later recanted in a radio broadcast in 1985. Despite that recantation, the expression is likely to be a minced oath: a mild substitute for invoking the name of God; very possibly derived from the phrase “[by the] grace of God”.

Not very interesting right? Why would a fantastic guitar pop band choose this phrase as their name? Who knows. But then we’ve have heard and seen worst names in indiepop history. But what can be answered is that I know two songs by them, and they are among the most beautiful songs I know from that golden era of guitar pop. Both were released on tape compilations. One of these tapes was later re-released on vinyl, do you have a clue which tape is this? It was the brilliant Hoopla (which I also just learned that means: sensational publicity; ballyhoo; bustling excitement or activity; commotion; hullabaloo) compilation which was once released by La-Di-Da on tape and then later re-released by Accident Records (whatever happened to them?!). The song included here was “You’re Off Again”, a blissful and sweet song with perhaps the nicest trumpets in indiepop ever!

But the song that is on constant repeat today is “The Very Best Part”. You know when songs come to you when you need them? I randomly find songs, especially when moody, and they become like a best friend. They talk to me, they care for me, they even dare to advice me. That’s what has happened to me with this song. I better not talk to much about it, maybe the lyrics explain it better.

Anyways, as this is a serious blog, let’s continue dissecting Great Scott! This heartwarming song appeared on the Kite tape, released on 1989. If you are not familiar with it, I think you should definitely check it out, there are some other gems there, like The Jerks’ “Waterskin”, another favourite of mine. And that’s all I know about the jangle and trumpet masters that are Great Scott. I wonder if anyone out there can let me know anything else about Great Scott? Or get me in touch with them? I just want to thank them for writing these songs, for giving me such a cozy company.

Oh! It seems that Great Scott! was the name of a now-defunct supermarket chain in the Detroit, Michigan area, and is also the name of an indie club in Allston, Massachusetts.

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Listen
Great Scott – The Very Best Part