For a time in college, we always knew what the final song on a party mix tape would be. In my circle, these were usually parties thrown by and for the staff of the student-run radio station, meaning that mixes were often assembled in the station’s production studio, with the entirety of an impressive music library to draw upon. Still the closing song of the anticipated last tape was always assured: “Celebrate” by An Emotional Fish.

An Emotional Fish was (and perhaps still is) a band from Dublin, Ireland, signed by U2’s Mother Records, which guaranteed a certain amount of excited attention from U.S. record labels hoping for a second lightning strike anything like the one that made Bono and the boys one of the biggest bands in the world. Atlantic Records snapped up An Emotional Fish and gave them a priority push with college stations with their self-titled debut album released in 1990. There were other modest college radio hits that sprung from it, but “Celebrate” was the one that locked in for us. Surely there could be nothing better for beautifully reckless college kids than a song that insisted, “That’s the trouble with reality/ It’s taken far too seriously.”

There’s a reason the song was always played last, though (or at least prospectively positioned to be played last; it rarely happened in practice). The chorus hook of “Celebrate/ This party’s over/ I’m going home,” set to a bounding beat, was perfect for closing out the night, given the way it combined revelry and exhaustion into a single, succinct sentiment. The song even winds down at the end, like a toy that’s been running at top speed finally reaching the end of its battery life. Even hearing the song now, it makes me feel certain that the end of the cassette has been reached.

Listen or download –> An Emotional Fish, “Celebrate”

(Disclaimer: I’m a little perplexed as to why its taken me so long to get around to this song, seeing as how its a fairly prominent part of my collegiate musical experience. It almost makes me think that I discovered long ago that it didn’t qualify for this feature’s “physically out of print” rule. But it sure looks to me like most of the An Emotional Fish catalog cannot be procured through a visit to your favorite local, independently-owned record store. Hell, I think a lot of it isn’t available digitally. So I place the song here, carefully and with great humility, with the understanding that I am impeding no commerce that rewards the artist and the proprietor of a brick-and-mortar store. Even so, I will gladly and promptly remove the song should I be asked to do so by any individual or entity with due authority to make such a request. Also, I think it’s possible that I was saving this song to be the last One for Friday I ever posted, in keeping with its commonplace use in my personal history. It won’t be the last, though. There will be another one next week. I promise.)