Freshman year, I lived down the hall from someone named Debbie who came from Long Guylind.
That's the way she said it. Honest. Here's what I remember: She had super long, always manicured nails, such that opening a can of soda was impossible. Not sure why anyone would incapacitate themselves like that but she did. I guess I value soda more than talons. More positively, she introduced me to Steve Winwood's Arc of a Diver. For that alone, I'm wishing her well, wherever she is.
This was before the Internet and before easy access to lyrics so when I sang along with Steve I got at least 50% of the words wrong but, hey, as I said, this was before easy access to lyrics so who could prove me wrong?
Imagine my delight when I came across TLC's Long Island Medium. Have you seen this show, my cheeky monkeys? Theresa Caputo is delightful! Truly so likable in a loud Long Island way. Big hair and bigger personality. And note the size of her nails!!!
And a medium on top of it? FABULOUS! This is my new guilty pleasure. What other show can make you both laugh and cry in the course of a half hour?
Or should I say "half owwah"?
Questions du jour:
Here is a sample of the supposedly accurate, Internet-provided Arc of a Diver lyrics:
Arc of a diver effortlessly, my mind in sky and when I wake up
Daytime and nighttime I feel you near
Warm water breathing she helps me here
This time to the sky I'll sing if clouds don't hear me
To the sun I'll cry and even if I'm blinded
I'll try moon gazer because with you I'm stronger
Question 1) Did Steve do a lot of drugs?
Question 2) LIM is the best show ever. Right? AmIright??*
* I'm totally right.
7 comments:
"...such that opening a can of soda was impossible"
I think you've just discovered the reason that 20 oz bottles of soda pop have been taking over from cans in convenience stores.
I try not to listen to the words of a song. If I find myself hearing the words, I've listened to the song one to many times.
Snerk! "Not sure why anyone would incapacitate themselves like that" -- this brought me back to a girl who sat in front of me in college that I silently dubbed "claw." I made a list one day while bored in class of all the things one could not do with talons (hers were at least the length of her fingers themselves). I still have that list. It included everything from brushing teeth to typing to various sexual acts. I don't know if she was from Long Guyland but now must check out that show!
The lyrics of the song "Arc of a Diver" were written by Viv Stanshall of the Bonzo Dog Band, a British version of a Frank Zappa-type absurdist group. Winwood and Stanshall also collaborated on "Vacant Chair," a beautiful song about mourning the death of a friend, from Winwood's self-titled first solo album
Perhaps Mr. Winwood was trying out that whole "my voice is just another instrument in the band and I chose the lyrics based on the sound of the words rather than their meaning" idea that was popularized by Jon Anderson of Yes. Take, for instance, the opening stanza of "Close To The Edge":
"A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace,
And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace,
And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar,
Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour.
And assessing points to nowhere, leading ev'ry single one.
A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun,
And take away the plain in which we move,
And choose the course you're running."
Ah, they don't write 'em like that any more.
AbbotofUnreason: That's a pretty reasoned argument from someone with your title.
Mike: You'll never make it on American Idol.
spleeness: And when they get that long, they curl. Ewww.
Les: I had no idea. But Wiki says you're right. Huh.
Gilahi: After reading that, I'd interpret 'Close To The Edge' completely differently.
Stevie didn't write those lyrics, his great mate the legendary Vivien Stanshall did. Formerly the frontman of the Bonzo Dog Band. Which is why it's full of oblique wordplay and surrealist imagery.
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