|
SONGSPEAKdomo arigato, mr. roboto |
| { | } | { | } |
Archives!
TAG: wpi
-
songspeak
The Wrong Way
Ah, the summer of 1997. I had just graduated from WPI, and was enjoying my first academic free summer.I don’t recall exactly how it happened, but somehow, an impromptu road trip to Cleveland to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was planned. The participants in this trip were myself, Matt, our friend Heather, and Adam D. (now of Killswitch Engage fame).
It's just another brick in the wall, dude
There are many memories of this trip, including Matt getting a flat tire in the leftmost lane of a busy, traffic-laden 4 lane highway just before getting into Cleveland, requiring him to make his way through three lanes of traffic to put the spare on. And then having to bring his car in to get a new tire. Also, much to Heather’s chagrin, Matt, Adam, and I sang along with the entirety of Pink Floyd’s The Wall double album. We also swung through Canada and visited Niagara Falls on the way home.
Being the summer of ‘97, Sublime was just getting popular, and their song, Wrong Way, was being featured heavily on the radio and music video channels (when they still showed videos). So the first time I saw one of those highway signs that said “Wrong Way”, I sang, “Annie’s 12 years old, in two more she’ll be a whore…” I didn’t sing the lyrics with the song title, because it was implied. Adam laughed, and so I started doing it whenever we saw one of those signs, and Adam laughed every time, again, much to Heather’s chagrin. I did it throughout the trip, and although even I was getting annoyed, I had started something that was no longer under my control.That trip to Cleveland was awesome. As Ian Hunter once claimed, Cleveland does indeed rock.
R.I.P. Bradley Nowell. Your band was nothing special, but any song that contains the lyrics, “a cigarette pressed between her lips while I’m staring at her tits” will always hold a special place in my heart.
Tags: 90s music, adam d., adam dutkiewicz, bradley nowell, canada, cleveland, cleveland rocks, ian hunter, killswitch engage, niagara falls, pink floyd, road trip, rock and roll hall of fame, sublime, the wall, wpi, wrong way
1 comment
-
songspeak
You know your man is workin’ hard, he’s worth a deuce
There’s nothing I hate more than tennis. More specifically, watching tennis on TV. So imagine my dismay my sophomore year of college at WPI when my roommates were obsessed with watching Wimbledon. Or the U.S. Open. Or one of those queer tournaments where the guys in little white shorts slap a ball back and forth over a net.
The KISS Army (feat. the ex-Mr. Lisa Bonet) says, "We want YOU...to abolish tennis!"
They would take over the TV and watch it all day long. Rather than stab my eyes out with a fork, I decided to try to make the most of it. Lenny Kravitz had just released his cover of KISS‘ song Deuce, so it had been getting a lot of airplay back then. I know nothing of the rules of tennis, but I know every now and then something would happen with the score and the commentators would announce a deuce. So whenever that happened, I belted out my Lenny Kravitz impression, singing, “You know your man is workin’ hard…he’s worth a deuce!” I did this to be funny the first couple times, but then I did it mainly to annoy them into never wanting to watch tennis on TV with me in the room ever again. It didn’t work, as they would still watch it whenever there was a big event.
Tennis fuckin’ blows goats.
Tags: 70s music, 90s music, deuce, kiss, lenny kravitz, queer guys in shorts, tennis, u.s. open, wimbledon, wpi
comment?
-
songspeak
After 15 years, ER finally flatlines
Last night, NBC aired the series finale of ER. The past few years, ER has slipped a few slots in my list of favorite shows, but it has always remained in the top 5.I was a sophomore at WPI when the show first premiered, 10pm on Thursday nights (where it remained for its entire run). It truly was a great show in the beginning, and we would religiously watch every episode. In fact, I think I’ve seen every episode since it premiered. My friends and I at WPI never missed it. And then after I graduated in 1997, it was usually viewed with the other Must See TV Thursday night shows in Matt’s parents’ house basement in his room in a large group. When I got my own place, I still watched it, and then when Jo and I got married in 2000, it was one of our “never miss” shows during the week. When I couldn’t watch it, I’d always tape it on my VCR (remember those?). I was 18 when ER premiered, and I’m 33 now. It honestly blows my mind that I’ve been watching it every Thursday night for almost half my life.
It went through many changes over the years, as did its viewers (I graduated college, moved out of my dad’s place, got a job, got married, and had a kid during its run). Cast members came and went. And while the quality did suffer a few years ago, it was still one of the better dramas on television, and actually bounced back the past couple seasons. It was weird watching it last night. It didn’t feel like the end. I don’t think it will sink in until next season, when there’s just no new ER.So many memorable moments in the series. Here are a few that come to mind for me:
- Doug Ross saves a drowning child
- Mark Greene gets brutally beaten in the men’s room (we never did find out who did it)
- They shoot an episode LIVE. Twice! (Once for east coast, once for west)
- Romano gets his arm chopped off by a helicopter tailblade
- Mark Greene gets a brain tumor and dies
- Luka beats a mugger to death
- Carter gives Benton and appendectomy
- Sam shoots and kills her ex while her son is asleep in the car
- Romano is killed when a helicopter crashes. On top of him.
- Carter develops a drug addition, is confronted by everyone, and is dragged off to rehab
- Dr. Dave storms out of the ER and calls Kerry Weaver a “nazi dyke”
- Pratt is in an ambulance that explodes, and dies from complications when the other docs try to save him
- Ray is hit by a truck while drunk, listening to a voicemail from Neela, and loses his legs
- Mark Greene runs into complications trying to deliver a baby, and loses the mother(Feel free to comment with your own memories of the show, on the off chance you’ve made it this far)
The most memorable moment for me, by far, is the stabbing of Carter by a psychotic patient (played by David Krumholtz). The scene still gives me chills, even after 9 years:
The song playing is Battleflag by Lo-Fidelity All Stars, and will forever be known to us as the “Carter getting stabbed song”. I’ll never hear this song again without thinking of Carter falling to the floor and seeing Lucy Knight’s bloody body lying there.
In addition to Battleflag, ER has had its fair share of songspeak moments. Lest we forget singing “Carol Hathaway” to the tune of Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones? And a favorite line that Matt and I still break out to this very day occurred when Carol Hathaway gave Doug Ross a very special present. She finally gave him another chance, and they were becoming serious. She thought it was time he had his own drawer to put his stuff in at her place. He opened it and said, “It’s a drawer” in a way only George Clooney could. Something about the delivery made us snicker, and we still bring it up.
The final episode was good. It featured the return of John Carter, Susan Lewis, Kerry Weaver, Peter Benton, and Elizabeth Corday. We got to see Benton’s deaf son Reese all grown up, and Rachel Greene (Mark Greene’s daughter) returned for an internship at County General. It was weird seeing them all, but it felt right for the show to end that way.
Anyway, I think that’s probably enough of me babbling. Congratulations, ER…it was a good run. I really am going to miss you.
Tags: 00s tv, 10pm, 90s tv, Abby Lockhart, Alex Kingston, Angela Bassett, Anthony Edwards, Archie Morris, Battleflag, Carol Hathaway, carter gets stabbed, Catherine Banfield, county general, Dave Malucci, David Krumholz, Doug Ross, Elizabeth Corday, ER, Erik Palladino, Eriq La Salle, George Clooney, gimme shelter, Goran Visnjic, Greg Pratt, Hallee Hirsh, it's a drawer, John Carter, John Stamos, julianna margulies, Kellie Martin, Kerry Weaver, Laura Innes, Linda Cardellini, Lo-Fidelity All Stars, Lucy Knight, Luka Kovac, Mark Greene, Matt's basement, Maura Tierney, Mekhi Phifer, must see TV, nazi dyke, nbc, Neela Rasgotra, Noah Wyle, Parminder Nagra, Paul McCrane, Paul Sobricki, Peter Benton, Rachel Greene, Ray Barnett, Reese, rolling stones, Romano, Samatha Taggart, Scott Grimes, series finale, Shane West, Sherry Stringfield, Susan Lewis, Thursday, Tony Gates, VCR, wpi
3 comments
-
misheard lyrics
Glorified version of a pelican
Remember about 15 years ago or so when Pearl Jam was mega-popular? Flannel and grunge were in, and Kurt Cobain was still alive. As a matter of fact, Matt’s and my friendship blossomed in high school while riding the bus home together, talking about music. Mainly Queen, and this cool new band Pearl Jam.
That's right, bitches. I can hold 25 pounds of fish in my beak. Jealous?
Their debut album, Ten, was huge, and we would dissect every song. I remember being in college at WPI and how anticipated their sophomore release was. Both Matt and I purchased Vs. on CD (remember those?) when it was released, and though the general opinion seemed to be lukewarm, I thought it was a great album. I still hear many songs from it on the radio to this very day.
One of my favorite tracks from that album is Glorified G, where Eddie Vedder incessantly repeats, “Glorified version of a pellet gun”, except it really sounds like he’s singing “Glorified version of a pelican”. The song would be infinitely better if those were the actual lyrics, though, because the song itself is kind of a downer, being that it’s all about the testosterone-driven, paranoid, gun nut culture that we live in.
Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is: Pelicans are the shit.
Tags: 90s music, eddie vedder, flannel, glorified g, glorified version of a pellet gun, grunge, guns, kurt cobain, lazer 99.3, pearl jam, pelican, queen, ten, vs., wpi
comment?
-
misheard lyrics
I don’t trust that Buddy Holly
It’s a rare occasion that I listen to the radio on the way to work, but this morning I had Pure Rock Lazer 99.3 on. I heard a song I haven’t heard in a long time: Buddy Holly by Weezer. I’ve always liked this song, and it reminded me of my sophomore year at WPI when the song was first released. We used to see it on MTV all the time (you know, back when they actually used to show videos sometimes), and for the longest time, I thought the chorus was, “Ooo eee ooo, I don’t trust that Buddy Holly”. I was like, “What the hell did Buddy Holly ever to do Weezer?” But after repeated listenings, I realized the actual lyrics were, “Ooo eee ooo, I look just like Buddy Holly”, and it made so much more sense when he then mentions Mary Tyler Moore.It’s such a great video. I love the whole Happy Days theme, and the appearances of Potsie, Ralph Malph, Al, Richie Cunningham, Mr. & Mrs. Cunningham, Joanie, and, of course, The Fonz.
Spike Jonze makes the best videos.
Tags: 70s tv, 80s tv, 90s music, al, Al Delvecchio, al molinaro, anson williams, arthur fonzarelli, buddy holly, don most, erin moran, fonzie, happy days, henry winkler, joanie cunningham, lazer 99.3, marion ross, mary tyler moore, mr. & mrs. cunningham, mtv, potsie, pure rock, ralph malph, richie cunningham, ron howard, spike jonze, the fonz, tom bosley, weezer, wpi
1 comment
-
songspeak
That is true, women DO shop
Bill’s comment in my Ghostbusters post reminded me of a moviespeak that’s been a favorite for some time now. It originates from the Nutty Professor remake starring Eddie Murphy. In the scene, Professor Klump is out on a date at a comedy club. The comedian (played by Dave Chapelle in an early role) comes out and just starts telling generic stand-up-comedian type jokes about women shopping and such. During the act, the soft-spoken Klump leans over to his date (a pre-married Jada Pinkett-Smith) and says, “That is true, women do shop” (because most stand-up comedians are funny due to the “it’s funny because it’s true” law of comedy). When I first saw this movie when I was going to WPI, this line just struck us as funny. So we would always say it in every situation. And if anyone EVER said “that’s true”, we’d finish with “women DO shop”. I’ve been doing it for years now, and it’s caught on with most everyone I know.
Unfortunately, the scene takes a decidedly nasty turn for the worse when the comedian starts making fun of people in the crowd, and spies the rather large Professor Klump.
Below is said scene. It goes on for awhile, but I’ll be damned if Eddie Murphy wasn’t robbed by not receiving an Oscar for his performance here.
Tags: 90s movies, academy award, comedy club, dave chapelle, eddie murphy, ghostbusters, it's funny because it's true, jada pinkett-smith, nutty professor, oscar, professor klump, that is true, women be shoppin', women do shop, wpi
1 comment
Recent Comments