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10-21-2020, 01:37 PM
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Location: San Diego, CA, USA
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LOL, Max, I might be a teensy bit more pessimistic than most, but I think most songs about life (and love) address the finite nature of life (and love) in some way.
Yes, even the songs that flatly deny the finite nature of life (and love).
Maybe death isn't the only thing that the phrase "the end of the line" can mean, but the song does say "Well, it's alright, everyday is judgment day." So there is at least the shadow of death in there.
[Edited to say: I just ran across this in today's New York Times:
Quote:
Of course, life in a feedlot doesn’t have a happy ending. Just about every day at Wrangler, tractor-trailers arrive to take away those animals that have reached market weight. For about 2,000 animals every week, it’s the end of the line.
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Um...]
Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-21-2020 at 02:43 PM.
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10-21-2020, 04:36 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Connecticut, USA
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Last edited by Martin Elster; 10-21-2020 at 04:47 PM.
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10-21-2020, 10:11 PM
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I like that.
Songs celebrating a quiet, gentle sort of happiness can be nice, too:
Tuck and Patti's "Like a Lover," which is an English version (not really a translation) of Dori Caymmi & Nelson Motta's Portuguese "O Cantador."
Mmmmm...yummy.
Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-21-2020 at 10:43 PM.
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10-22-2020, 07:12 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York
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Julie, your mention of quiet, gentle happy songs brought this one immediately to mind. Moonlight In Vermont
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10-22-2020, 07:20 AM
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Ah, yes! Good one.
It took me decades to figure out that the verses are haiku.
Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-22-2020 at 07:22 AM.
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10-22-2020, 08:41 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Julie Steiner
LOL, Max, I might be a teensy bit more pessimistic than most, but I think most songs about life (and love) address the finite nature of life (and love) in some way.
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On the contrary, Julie, your confidence that those guys had an idea in mind when they wrote that mess of a lyric suggests great optimism.
Two more (probably nothing new to anyone):
" Can't Buy Me Love"
" Everything"
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10-22-2020, 09:09 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 6,238
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Yes, I'd forgotten Willie Nelson's "Stardust" album from the 70s. I remember listening to it over and over driving from NC to Boston. There are no doubt better versions of the songs--he isn't Sinatra--but the album is a great experience because so many of the great songs from the American songbook are in one place and his voice is so unobtrusive.
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10-22-2020, 09:58 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
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Martin and everyone, I hope I don’t bend anyone out of shape with this parody of Pharrell Williams —— however, it’s one of the funniest videos I’ve seen that’s not made by a stand-up comedian. (My customary disavowal of any subsequent videos on this feed.) Some words are obscure, thus the “resume” is printed in “color sans”, a typeface without serifs. So:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7Eki5EZ8o
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Elster
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10-22-2020, 10:06 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 16,475
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One of my favorite old cheerful songs recently got an "official video" -- it's cute, but I'm not sure it does justice to the song. Three Little Birds
And another great song that tells us not to worry, this one by Stevie.
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10-22-2020, 11:31 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
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¡Bien chévere, Rogelio! [Re: the Stevie Wonder. I concur with your opinion of the "Three Little Birds" video. Great song, though.]
Here's the Willie Nelson version of "Moonlight in Vermont", to which John Riley referred.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Allen Tice
one of the funniest videos I’ve seen that’s not made by a stand-up comedian.
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Well, technically, there are several stand-up comedians in it...
Max, here are two pieces of evidence that probably support your broader perspective on songs' literality:
Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole's infectiously cheerful version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which turns the original syntax into non sequiturs.
Sheena Melwani and The Real Indian Dad's versions of just about anything.
Compilation 1
Compilation 2
etc. These give me the giggles, big-time.
Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-22-2020 at 12:08 PM.
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