For no particular reason, the song “Fame”, by Irene Cara, came into my mind today. Google tells me it was released in 1980: 42 years ago. I haven’t heard it in very nearly that long, but I recall it clearly, and I even recall the name of the singer.
That is just how hugely popular that song was… briefly. And then nothing. When’s the last time you thought of it? How strange that is. The fleeting popularity of fame, so to speak.
It’s not really my style of pop song, and I still haven’t seen the eponymous movie, but even I loved the song and sang along to it, at the time. Of course, I was in my early teens then, and a boy, so I could never actually tell anyone I loved that song. It would have been indistinguishable to wearing a “call me a ‘homo’ and push me down” sign. (I’m not gay, and was even less so then, thanks to adolescent hormones, but bullies don’t place a high value on accuracy. Hopefully, my own miserable teen years helped distract the bullies from actual gay kids.)
Anyway, that’s not what compelled me to write this post. I’m writing this post because I asked Google to “play ‘Fame’ by Irene Cara on YouTube, on ‘downstairs group'” (my downstairs speakers). And, obligingly, it did (Google can be… contrary, sometimes).
I asked Google to play “Hello, it’s me” by Todd Rundgren, on YouTube, on my downstairs speakers. It played some weird song I had never heard before, but I liked it. Then it played another song I had never heard before, and I liked that one, too. The third one, too! (I have linked to that one below. I have since learned that it was a huge hit everywhere other than the USA.)
That was the first song I looked up as it was playing. After that, I just let it play for a while. Then I noticed there was a theme. Five or six sings songs in a row (at least) seemed to be about robots in a children’s amusement park, and they all seemed kind of sinister…
We’re not so scary if you see us in the daylight You’ll be so happy just as long as you survive the night
“Survive The Night” — “Five Nights At Freddy’s”
I looked up a few of those songs, and they are all from a game called “Friday Night At Freddies”. I’ve heard of the game, but I’ve never played it or heard any of the songs from it. From what I have heard so far, it has a killer soundtrack.
It’s not uncommon for me to have a song in my head. I typically wake up with a song playing in my head. And it’s not terribly uncommon for me to walk around singing a song I haven’t consciously chosen to sing.
What was unusual today was that I was singing a David Bowie song (“Modern Love”, if you really want to know), and about halfway through, I realized that I was singing it in the style of Elton John.
So… huh. Interesting. After that realization, I started singing other David Bowie songs. And it’s funny, but most of the ones I tried worked just fine in the style of Elton John!
Naturally, I tried some other bands’ songs… Journey, Flock Of Seagulls, Queen… and it’s funny how easily that they lend themselves to an Elton John impression. “We Are The Champions” and “Separate Ways” sung by Elton John work particularly well, in my opinion.
So at this point I am almost done with my shower, and I think, I wonder if it works the other way around?
So I try , and you know what? It doesn’t work. I can’t do “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” in the style of Journey or Queen or David Bowie.
So is that a strength of Elton John (or Bernie Taupin), or is that a weakness of my non-Elton John impressions?
You’ll wake up tomorrow, you’ll be glad that I came Because you’ll be singing one of the songs that I sang So keep a happy outlook and be good to your friend And maybe I’ll pass this way agaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain Maybe!
Two days until Christmas! Here is a classic Christmas song written (as so many were) by Jewish composers, Joan Javits and Philip Springer: “Santa Baby” (1953). It was written specifically for Eartha Kitt, for whom it was an instant hit. Kitt, at 26, was a star on Broadway and considered (by Springer, at least) the “sexiest woman in the world”.
People act like copyright is this intrinsic moral law of the universe. It’s not. It’s new. And it very clearly has become a tool to allow huge corporations to annex our shared culture, depriving future generations of what is rightfully theirs. People who shill for copyright are not much different than the polluters who want to keep pumping carbon into the air regardless of the effects it has on future generations — effects which are already very much apparent. It is, at best, grievously short-sighted.
Wait, what are you talking about, WE decided!? MY best interest?! How can you know what’s MY best interest is? How can you say what MY best interest is? What are you trying to say, I’M crazy? When I went to YOUR schools, I went to YOUR churches, I went to YOUR institutional learning facilities?! So how can you say I’M crazy?
I’ve always loved this song. I always imagined that the protagonist of the song was the same age as, or at most a couple of years older than, the girl he’s singing to/about (because that’s how old I was when I first heard it). The lyrics perfectly encapsulate that feeling of being hopelessly in love with someone for the first time, when you are young and inexperienced, and everything seems like the Most Important Thing That Has Ever Happened In The History Of The World.
Of course, nowadays, everyone wants to imagine the worst, the most despicable thing they can. Oh, well. As for the video… as someone wiser than I am once said, “Why ruin a great song by having to look at the person who sings it?”
She’s just sixteen years old
Leave her alone, they say
Separated by fools
Who don’t know what love is yet
But I want you to know
If I could fly, I’d pick you up
I’d take you into the night
And show you a love
Like you’ve never seen, ever seen
It’s like having a dream
Where nobody has a heart
It’s like having it all
And watching it fall apart
And I would wait till the end of time for you
And do it again, it’s true
I can’t measure my love
There’s nothing to compare it to
But I want you to know
If I could fly, I’d pick you up
I’d take you into the night
And show you a love
Oh, if I could fly, I’d pick you up
I’d take you into the night
And show you a love
Like you’ve never seen, ever seen
Yeah, ooh
If I could fly, I’d pick you up
I’d take you into the night
And show you a love
Oh, if I could fly, I’d pick you up
And take you into the night
(Into the night, fly) if I could fly
I’d pick you up
Oh into the night
I’d pick you up
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Blackmoor Vituperative
