April 29, 2008

George Jones, Tom Waits, Dinah Washington, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, Louis Armstrong, Van Morrison...

Those are the artists Bob Dylan has played most often on "Theme Time Radio Hour" — from a nice, long set of lists of things from the brilliant radio show. Poets referenced, authors referenced, movies referenced, TV shows... Here are the TV shows:
The Beverly Hillbillies, Chico and the Man, The Ed Sullivan Show, Hee Haw, Josie and the Pussycats, The Honeymooners, Leave it to Beaver, Lil’ Abner, Welcome Back Kotter, Sanford and Son, Roots, 60 Minutes, The Simpsons, The Sopranos, The Tonight Show, The Wire
Li'l — put the apostrophe in the right place — Abner was a TV show? I don't think so. I remember the movie musical with Stubby Kaye, but that just-linked Wikipedia article notes an earlier movie version of the comic strip. And it had Buster Keaton in it. Do you think it's in YouTube? Yes! Scroll in to about 2:00 to get to the Buster Keaton part. (Warning: It's not politically correct.)



Back to the Bob Dylan stuff. (Sorry for the stream-of-consciousness. Not really.) History Lessons From Bob:
Famous Electric Chairs (e.g. Old Sparky and Gruesome Gerty) Famous People Who Were Cheerleaders (e.g. Ann Margaret, George W. Bush) Famous People Who Were Valedictorians (e.g. Cindy Crawford, William Rehnquist, Weird Al – “I wonder if William Rehnquist gave the same type of speech as Weird Al. Somehow I doubt it.”) Famous People Who Had Burials At Sea (e.g. Steve McQueen, Ingrid Bergman, Vincent Price, Jerry Garcia) History of the Wobblies, the U.S. labor organization People Who Died While Playing Cards (e.g. Wild Bill Hickok, Al Jolson, Buster Keaton, the gangster Arnold Rothstein) Famous People Who Drove Cadillacs (e.g. Pope Pius XII, Teddy Roosevelt, Bill Clinton) History of Constantinople
Speaking of people who died while playing cards, have you ever noticed how many poker blogs there are? I wonder if anybody ever died while blogging about poker? (Cf., death by blogging.)

Useful tips (How to Walk Like A Runway Model)... One-Liners (“I always liked songs with parentheses in the title.”)... Deep Thoughts (“I leave you with the words of Benjamin Franklin. ‘He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.’ Thank you, Ben. Peace out.”)... Bad Jokes (“I gave a bald-headed friend a comb. You know what he said? ‘I’ll never part with it.’”)... Recipes (Figgy Pudding)...

Read the whole thing. It's pretty cool. By the way, what's your favorite song with parentheses in the title? I can only think of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."

27 comments:

Ron said...

"You know my name (look up the number)"

TMink said...

(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love, and Understanding?

Trey

George M. Spencer said...

A tornado sucked Buster Keaton out of a window when he was three. The whirlwind carried him over houses and trees. It floated him to the ground four blocks away.

Insane stunt clip on YouTube.

Poor guy couldn't get work in the talkies, became a drunk, and wasn't rediscovered until the 1960s when he starred in a 'silent' Twilight Zone episode.

Meanwhile—

All I hear is the thunder of two hearts beat,
Going "90 miles an hour (down a dead end street.)"

County song Bob covered on 'Down in the Groove.'

Joe Veenstra said...

It's all right ma (I'm only bleeding)


Right?

Ann Althouse said...

Keaton plays silent in two of my favorite talkies: "Sunset Boulevard" and "Limelight."

Trooper York said...

Don't forget his Oscar worthy performance in Beach Blanket Bingo.

Drew Cloutier said...

"Stay (Wasting Time)" by Dave Matthews Band. Also, Otis Redding had some great ones: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"; "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)": and, "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)".

Crimso said...

"Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me"

Amexpat said...

By the way, what's your favorite song with parentheses in the title? I can only think of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.
Dylan has a whole bunch. (I'm only bleeding) has been mentioned, but I'll add,(Valley below), (The Mighty Quinn), (Tales of Yankee Power), and (She acts like we never have met).

Clever poster at the Vanity Fair link. Click on it for the details.

William said...

Some time back Charles Schultz told Art Spiegelman that cartoons were an art form that did not travel between generations. Li'l Abner was the hit cartoon of my childhood. His influence was as pervasive as that of the Simpsons. It is passing strange to note that such a huge phenomenon can disappear from public consciousness and leave not a trace, not even an emptiness. Where have all the Shmoos gone?

Tom Tucker said...

I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That). Now that's as trite a song title as you can get...

Bissage said...

By the way, what's your favorite song with parentheses in the title?

Boy, oh boy! I haven’t cheated this much since there was this birthday party “treasure hunt” and we went straight to this nice old lady’s house and got everything on the list all at once.

“Parentheses” by The Blow.

And no, I've never heard of it before.

Gotta love teh Googles!

TMink said...

Of course there is "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss.)"

Not one of my favorite, but a little controversial.

Trey

Matt said...

There are some with parens that are really clever: Super Furry Animals' "(A) Touch Sensitive", Belle & Sebastian "Cover (Version)"... But my favorite songs with parentheses are probably either The Beach Boys' "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder," or Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)." Or the EC one Trey said.

Bissage said...

Shazbot!

My 11:30 is bollixed up.

It's called a scavenger hunt not a treasure hunt.

It was a long time ago.

BTW, cool link, huh?

Your tax dollars at work!

vbspurs said...

Quoting Dylan:

"Re: Joni Mitchell—“Joni and I go back a long ways. Not all the way back, but pretty far. I’ve been in a car with Joni. Joni was driving a Lincoln. Excellent driver. I felt safe.”"

LOL! ...LOL?

Cheers,
Victoria

vbspurs said...

It's called a scavenger hunt not a treasure hunt. It was a long time ago.

Scavenger hunts made the 1920s so annoyingly amusing.

I can't picture Paris Hilton and her pals doing what Lady Diana Cooper and hers did, when a "ballerina slipper" was called for in the list; they stormed Covent Garden to rob Alicia Markova of hers, mid-pirouette. Can you?

BTW, cool link, huh? Your tax dollars at work!

Awesome link! Thanks, Bissage. As for the title, I will do the Google Dance too.

From this handy link :

Otis Redding's (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay.

Cheers,
Victoria

blake said...

The Li'l Abner I know is the one with Stella Stevens as Apasionata Von Climax.

George, I've always heard it as Keaton was seduced away from his own studio by a big mogul and then never got to pick his own projects again. He lamented this to Charlie Chaplin, if memory serves.

Randy Newman's "God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)"

Loudon Wainwright's "OGM (Out-Going Message)"

The Beatles "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"

...come to mind.

Bissage said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bissage said...

Victoria,

I’ve become apprised of a terrible rumor that another Althouse commenter (at 4:25) has proposed to you a lifetime of marriage, wolfish though he might be.

While he might bow to kiss your hand, you are a sensible and clear-minded woman who should see that I stand ready to tend to your heart’s deepest desire!

Afterwards, we shall live happily EVAR AFTAR!!1!11!!!

Do not forsake me, oh my darling!

Ha!

P.S. I love you!

Fireplug said...

I think it has a parenthetical portion (although I've never heard the song (but loved the title)): "New York's alright (if you like saxaphones)"

vbspurs said...

Bissage wrote:

Afterwards, we shall live happily EVAR AFTAR!!1!11!!!

MISCHA!

Cheers,
Victoria

Ron said...

Don't forget Keaton in "A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum!"

John Kindley said...

"Have you ever noticed how many poker blogs there are?"

And have you ever noticed how many hits there are for "John Kindley" (my favorite poker pro) and "poker"? Unfortunately, all the hits are from one WSOP Main Event, but I'm sure we'll be seeing much more from the poker prodigy in the coming years.

RWD said...

No contest: (I Feel Like Being A)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RhhLjQAAbJI

Charlie said...

"If I'd Shot Her When I Met Her (I'd Be Out Of Jail By Now)"

"I'd Like To Quit Drinking (But I Live Over A Bar)"

"What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out Of Me)"

"If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)"

Laika's Last Woof said...

Anagram (for Mongo)