In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 May 06 - 08:11 PM

Yes, McArthur Park no doubt speaks to a lot of people. It never spoke to me, but I could immediately grasp why it might speak to someone else...if they go for that sort of dramatic overkill...and a whole lot of people do.

It's anything but a folksong. ;-)

Whether people will react positively or negatively to a song like that is decided in one instant, by the twitch of a neuron. Either the "cake" metaphor will seem silly to them or it won't. Either the dramatic emoting will seem silly to them or it won't. If they've already heard from someone else that it's "silly", though, then the odds are stacked in favor of them thinking it is.

That's why I regard some of these songs as simply victims of feeding frenzies by people who are jumping on the bandwagon that is popular among their friends.

"Muskrat Love" is detested because it's a love song about muskrats! So? What is the problem with someone writing a love song in which the characters are muskrats? It's a little fantasy, that's all. What's wrong with it? Is cuteness automatically bad? I thought so when I was 16. I hated anything and everything that was cute on principle. Does that say anything about the relative merits of cuteness or does it say more about my state of mind at age 16?

Muskrat Love has a neat tune. I like it. I don't find the words objectionable. I am not bothered by a cute tune about 2 muskrats who are in love.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: M.Ted
Date: 02 May 06 - 04:08 PM

Check out the Donna Summer version, John Hardly--pm me your e-mail address, and I will send you a copy--*for educational purpose only*--

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: John Hardly
Date: 02 May 06 - 03:27 PM

Witchita Lineman makes up for MacArthur Park.

Barely.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: M.Ted
Date: 02 May 06 - 03:23 PM

If Richard Harris thought it was a joke, and the radio only played his recording because of payola, how do you explain the huge crowd response on the famous Donna Summer live version? And the faact that there were fifty odd other versions? Face it, "MacArthur Park" speaks to people--Jimmy Webb, even in his more oblique moments, is a hellava songwriter--

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: clueless don
Date: 02 May 06 - 01:03 PM

I have to confess to a bias toward The Starland Vocal Band, since they were from the Washington DC area. Years earlier, I used to hear Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert singing together as "Fat City" in Washington venues.

"Afternoon Delight" is not my favorite Starland song by any means, but I think it is okay. But there is loads of wonderful music, IMO, on the three albums of theirs that I have ("Starland Vocal Band", Rear View Mirror", and "Late Nite Radio".)

But I will say this: Their (mercifully) short-lived TV series (featuring David Letterman!) might be a candidate for worst TV show.

Don

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: jaze
Date: 02 May 06 - 11:25 AM

Thanks, Peace. Yes, it was a song of it's time, and just brings back nostalgic memories of wanting to travel across the country like that. Never got to, but the song was fun anyway.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 May 06 - 10:11 AM

I'm not quite sure if Richard Harris took it seriously at the time or if he was doing a sendup...if not, he should have been.

I also insulate myself from pop music. I never listen to the radio at all...except unwillingly when I'm in restaurants, malls, etc. ;-) Like you, I listen to CDs.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: MAG
Date: 02 May 06 - 09:52 AM

The song takes itself way too seriously. (Mac Park)

I knew people who liked it. SOMEbody had to, to make it a hit. I guess it was a hit. or somebody took payola to play it. and it's LONG.

I insulate myself from pop radio by spending way too much on CDs.

Too much listening to too much crap when I was much younger.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 May 06 - 01:57 AM

Indeed. That is half the problem. Overexposure of a perfectly agreeable song can cause 20 million people to end up hating it after awhile.

And don't worry, Ron, we all seem to agree that "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" was a triumph.

As Stilly said, this is not a "worst song" list we're working on here...though a few come up now and then.

MAG - I get you. Yeah, McArthur Park is outrageous melodrama. It's so far over the top that I kind of like it...sort of like a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western...you KNOW it's just a bizarre fantasy. I'm not saying it's any favorite of mine, I'm just saying that people who hate that song generally hate it for rather superficial reasons and perhaps the wrong reasons.

It's not a song to hate. It's a song to make you chuckle when you hear it and say, "My, that IS dramatic, isn't it. Hmmm...nice high note there!"

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 May 06 - 12:59 AM

Ron, I didn't suggest it for the worst songs list, I used it as counterpoint to a trite song like "Mandy" (or you could use the equally trite "Brandy") to blow it out of the water. It's what you call passing one text over another in literary circles. It gives you a way to compare and contrast, and in this instance it is No Contest.

Some of the songs mentioned aren't bad, and they weren't all mentioned because they were bad. Some just simply suffered from extreme over exposure. Too much of anything isn't good for you, and that includes some songs. It's why my days of falling back on classical music were so refreshing. They can only play Beethoven's Ninth Symphony so many times in a month, let alone a week or a day. But "One Tin Soldier" and many others that got dissed much more than "Afternoon Delight" seemed to turn up all over the place all of the time for a while. Gag.

SRS

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Ron Davies
Date: 02 May 06 - 12:18 AM

I should have said the ball game broadcast is perfect--it's obviously more than an analogy.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Ron Davies
Date: 02 May 06 - 12:11 AM

To go back to Paradise by the Dashboard Light--hell that's a damn opera--it pulverizes the competition. And even has a moral--don't make rash promises. It's one of the best things ever put out in the 70's. The baseball metaphor is perfect--it's a true classic. Please don't say it's on a "worst song" list.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: MAG
Date: 01 May 06 - 10:40 PM

erggh, you know, Little Hawk, more often than not, I agree with you on stuff, but defending Macarthur Park??

Sure the cake is a metaphor, and the metaphor sucks. just sucks. calling it overblown melodrama does not do justice to how bad it is.


On the lother hand, I always kinda liked AD. The style reminded me of those big ol' choir-y choruses which would never, ever sing about afternoon sex. Something real that people actually do.

M.A.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 08:47 PM

Yeah, it did have a good tune for sure.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 06 - 08:28 PM

That it does. Great melody, though. It was really neato for the time. I recall listening to it in a country hotel and having fed about 5$ of quarters into the juke box. Every second song was that one. I got told never to do it again or I would be 86ed. The next day it was every THIRD one. Ya have to have a little fun in life, ya know?

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 08:21 PM

It sounds too much like one of those hippy fantasies to me. There were a lot of people caught up in that mystique, and I was one of them, to some extent. That song is so typical of the mindset that was in style then that I find it kind of embarrassing. It seems too contrived.

Subject: Lyr Add: ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAMED BOO (Lobo)
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 06 - 07:50 PM

Just fer Jaze:

LOBO » ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAMED BOO

I remember to this day, the bright red Georgia clay
And how it stuck to the tires after the summer rain
Will power made that old car go, a woman's mind told me that's so
Oh how I wish we were back on the road again

Me and you and a dog named Boo
Travelin' and livin' off the land
Me and you and a dog named Boo
How I love bein', a free man

I can still recall, the wheat fields of St Paul
And the mornin' we got caught robin' from an old hen
O MacDonald he made us work,
But then he paid us for what it was worth
Another tank of gas and back on the road again

Me and you and a dog named Boo
Travelin' and livin' off the land
Me and you and a dog named Boo
How I love bein', a free man

I'll never forget the day
We motored stately into big LA
The lights of the City put settlin' down into my brain
Though it's only been a month or so
That ol' cars buggin' us to go
We gotta get away and get back on the road again

Me and you and a dog named Boo
Travelin' and livin' off the land
Me and you and a dog named Boo
How I love bein', a free man

Me and you and a dog named Boo
Travelin' and livin' off the land
Me and you and a dog named Boo
How I love bein', a free man

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 07:36 PM

Well, it's a question of individual taste when it comes to that sort of thing.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: GUEST,Jaze
Date: 01 May 06 - 07:27 PM

All in all, I think I'd take "Boo" over Afternoon Delight.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 07:14 PM

Well said.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 06 - 06:22 PM

A basic truth (IMO) about music and songs: Ya like what ya like, and ya don't what ya don't. I could critique a given song from a number of perspectives, but despite that, I would still argue on behalf of certain songs, no matter how schmaltzy and no matter how many people with Music PhDs said it was poor. "Donna" comes to mind--the song by Richard Steven Valenzuela that was released as the B side to "La Bamba". I know the song's syrupy and sweet. It is also one of the best damned songs ever written, and I make no apologies to anyone for saying that. Can I prove it? Hell, no. Why is it one of the best songs ever written? Because I really like it. Do I expect anyone else to agree? Certainly not. It is, in the final analysis, about what we like.

And old music prof of mine was absolutely in love with Mahler's Ninth Symphony. In his educated opinion, it was the greatest piece of music EVER written. Me, I could take it or leave it. Did I recognize it as being great? YES!. I just didn't want to listen to it all that much. Donna, on the other hand . . . .

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 06:10 PM

Exactly. Those are lyrics with a bit of depth and passion in them, some nice images, some hinting at a story that remains a partial mystery, and the sheer overblown melodrama of it all is exactly why some singers must have loved to belt it out, as I said.

As for "Bird is the Word", yeah...that's even worse than "My Baby Does The Hanky Panky", and for much the same reason. It has zero content, zero imagination, it's just a relentless assault on the senses pasted onto a heavy rythm track. It doesn't even merit Shakespeare's devastating comment: "A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Subject: Lyr Add: MACARTHUR PARK (Richard Harris)
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 06 - 05:47 PM

The ultimate has to be Bird as in "bird, bird, bird is the word". However, here is MacArthur Park to speak for itself.


MacArthur Park - Richard Harris

Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

[break]

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why

[extended break]

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 05:41 PM

Heh! I always thought..."what a bizarre song" when I'd hear McArthur Park. I could see why a singer with a really powerful voice would just love to belt that one out. I found it kind of amusing, but the meaning was crystal clear. Other people seemed to just want to bitch about the "cake in the rain"...as though, hey, THEY were smart enough to figure out that that is a really dumb thing to get dramatic about in a song...a cake melting in the rain...like, duh! that's kinda silly, isn't it?

Well, GOSH, how smart must they be to figure that out!

Whoo-hoo. Impressive.

Musically speaking, the song works. It's superdramatic, so much so that one can't really take it seriously, but it works. It's enjoyable in that sense. It implies a degree of imagination on the part of whoever wrote it. "My Baby Does the Hanky Panky" implies nothing of the sort whatsoever. An idiot could have written that song, and quite possibly did.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 06 - 05:32 PM

"McArthur Park is not a song about a cake at all. It's a metaphor for a lost love."

I thought it was a poetically put song about never having an unbrella when ya need one.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 05:30 PM

The only reason people are down on that song (Afternoon Delight) is...it's VERY recognizable and it's a bit quirky and unusual at the same time, so you can spot it instantly if you have a dull mind that only responds to strong and really obvious stimuli. It's an easy target for abuse, in other words. The same thing is basically true of a number of other quirky and unusual songs, such as "Muskrat Love", "Midnight at the Oasis", "McArthur Park", "Brand New Key"...

People's criticism of these songs is not genuine musical criticism or genuine unbiased criticism of the lyrical content either. It's a kneejerk reaction of instantaneous prejudice to the "unusual" and a jumping on a popular bandwagon (Oh boy! Let's all get together and make fun of this unusual-sounding song and agree that it sucks). The whole thing becomes a sort of feeding frenzy, like picking on the unusual looking kid at school.

As some Guest pointed out awhile back, for instance, the fact that some people appear to believe that McArthur Park is a song about a cake melting in the rain speaks volumes about the dumbass state of mind those people are in. McArthur Park is not a song about a cake at all. It's a metaphor for a lost love. You don't have to get far beyond songwriting 101 to figure that out.

But it's a really quirky metaphor, and the song is superdramatic, so it makes a marvelous target for ridicule. Do you really think that Richard Harris thought he was singing about a cake?????????

If so, the joke is on you, and Richard Harris should be the one laughing at you.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: John Hardly
Date: 01 May 06 - 03:42 PM

"Afternoon Delight" was written and performed by Bill Danoff & Taffy Nivert, the main talent in Starland Vocal Band and good friends of John Denver. They wrote a lot of the better songs that JD recorded (sometimes co-wrote with John Denver), like "Country Roads", "Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado", "Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas", "Late Night Radio", "Readjustment Blues" and "She Won't Let Me Fly Away".... a lot of my favourites.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: BuckMulligan
Date: 01 May 06 - 01:57 PM

"Afternoon Delight" is neither here nor there, really, but it did serve to give the SVB an undeserved bad reputation. Anyone in doubt aobut their musical talents should listen to their a cappella rendition of Paul Simon's "American Tune" on their (only, I think) LP. Truly amazing. Bill & Taffy (Nivert) Danoff very talented folk indeed.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 May 06 - 12:50 PM

Yeah--I found a used CD last year and picked it up and let the kids listen to that one (they're a fan of Meatloaf on a limited basis--they know him from Rocky Horror Picture Show). They were intrigued. A friend of mine in New York knew I didn't know a lot about the current songs of the day, being mostly into classical and folk, so when that came out and he bought a copy he had me sit and listen and read the liner notes as it went, he was so impressed. I have to agree, that's a pretty dramatic and highly entertaining song. And like I say, pair it up with something wishy washy and it blows away the competition.

SRS

(Why would Google be advertising "cure laziness forever" on this thread?)

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 11:04 AM

"Love By The Dashboard Light" was quite a piece of dramatic theatre...cool to listen to...even better to see done live by Meat Loaf and his female vocalist (forgot her name)....WHOA! Now that one rocked, all right, and in a good way.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 May 06 - 11:00 AM

I'd rather chew on broken glass than hear "My Baby Does The Hanky Panky" one more time. Fuck that song! It sucks and sucks and sucks eternally and to the final outer limits of putrescent, vile, worthless crap.

And so does "Seasons in the Sun". Happy now?

"I Think We're Alone Now" was a rather good song, I'd say. I like the cover of it by Lene Lovich in the early 80's, and I like the original.

I don't particularly care if most songs "rock" or not, but I do care if they have reasonably good lyrics that say something, that indicate some original power of thought and grasp of poetry, and if they have a well-crafted tune, chord arrangement, performance, that sort of thing. "Hanky Panky" has none of those, unless you like the performance. I don't. It's relentless, dumb, and obnoxious.

Some songs are meant to rock. That's fine. Some aren't. That's also fine. That a song "rocks" is not necessarily a compliment, it's just a description of its rythmic nature. Big deal. Lots of godawful BAAAAAAD songs rock. Ask me if I care.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 May 06 - 10:14 AM

How about Barry Manilow? "Mandy." Ugg. Prototype non-feminist, a real throwback at the time. Put it opposite the beefy "Love By the Dashboard Light" (link) for an interesting contrast. :)

I think you have to give AR282 the point he was trying to make.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Peace
Date: 01 May 06 - 09:41 AM

I think Afternoon Delight ranks up there with Muskrat Love.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: JJ
Date: 01 May 06 - 08:38 AM

Cruiser, if you were at Ft. Ord, you weren't in boot camp. You were in basic training. That's what the Army calls it.

So says the former company clerk in a basic training unit, A-7-2, Ft. Jackson, SC.

AR282, you argue the case for Tommy James so vehemently you must be from Greensburg, PA, Tommy's home town!

PS. I like "Afternoon Delight."

Subject: Folklore: In Defense of 'My Baby Does the Hanky Pa
From: GUEST,AR282
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 10:38 AM

>>When there are so many abysmal, wretchedly badly written songs out there...stuff like "Billy, Don't Be A Hero", for god's sake, or "My Baby Does The Hanky-Panky", there is no reason on earth to go after a very well written and played song like this one just because you figure you heard it once too often.<<

Now Little Hawk is really starting to piss me off. Not a mention of Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun." I suppose he'll be defending that turd of turds in his next post. And FYI, Tommy James and Shondells are a thousand times more preferable than the Starlight Vocal Band or whatever their name was. Don't knock the rock, "Hanky Panky" beats the shit out of "Afternoon Delight" which is just a studio creation of producers looking to cash in on that craze of the 70s--I don't know what to call it--that craze of crappy commercial songs and artists who were basically one-hit wonders (although I wonder how they managed even one hit) such as Sammy Johns' "Chevy Van" and R. Dean Taylor's "Indiana Wants Me" or Lobo's "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" or Andrew Gold's "Lonely Boy" or Henry Gross's "Shannon" (although he actually kicked ass and was a real rocknroller--wasn't he from Sha-Na-Na?--but that's the only song of the poor guy that ever got any play--no justice--listen to his "Plug Me Into Something" or "Dixie Spiderman" those fuckin' rocked, baby!), or Looking Glass's "Brandy" or Abba's "Roxy Roller" (I think that was Abba)or Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" or England Dan & John Ford Colley "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" or Player's "Baby Come Back" or anything by Christopher Cross (whatever happened to him? On second thought I don't care), etc etc etc. With the exception of Mr. Gross none of these others held a candle to Tommy James and the Shondells.

In addition to that there was the immortal "Crimson & Clover" so butchered and hackneyed by Joan Jett. And of course, "I Think We're Alone Now" so degraded by Tiffany or somebody. Then there was "Mony Mony" so beloved of middleaged barhoppers who love to shriek, "Get Laid Get Fucked" cuz it remionds them of high school. Then there was "I Like the Waves." See, what did the Starlight Vocal Band ever do that could match that string of pearls, eh?

"My Baby Does the Hanky Panky" harks back to its rockabilly roots in the 50s when music was music and rocknroll was rocknroll because you could see TJ&tSh had a lot of knowledge and respect for those roots. Not exactly Gene Vincent, Johnny Burnette or Eddie Cochran calibre but then who is? The Starlight Vocal Band wouldn't know rocknroll if they were caught in a avalanche--which wouldn't have been a bad fate for them.

So DON'T KNOCK THE ROCK, MISTER!!!! Tommy James was the man. Does my baby do the hanky-panky? If she wants to be with me, you bet she does!

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 01:52 AM

Yeah, that's a cute song. Looks like you survived the tornados fine, eh, Stilly?

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Apr 06 - 01:05 AM

So you think the "squeeze box" is an accordian?

I think Freud would have enjoyed that song. :)

She goes in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out


There was typo in that earlier link. Try this. It has a oouple of typos itself once you get there.

SRS

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 10:10 PM

Excellent point!

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: bobad
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 10:07 PM

SRS

How could anyone sleep at night with a damn accordian playing?

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: John Hardly
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 08:20 PM

madness, madness I tell you.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 08:16 PM

Well, it's just a matter of individual taste about "Midnight", right, Cruiser? ;-P Anyway, I'm glad you remember my Dipwallow poem after all this time.

As for the other Billy Jack movies...I think they went in this order:

"Born Losers" - Billy Jack defends innocent hippies, women, children and other living things, takes on vicious local motorcycle gang and kicks ass! Movie gets little attention.

"Billy Jack" - Billy Jack defends innocent hippies, women, children and other living things, takes on vicious local rednecks and cops and other evil white men like that, kicks ass! Movie becomes gigantic box-office counterculture hit!!! (it was exactly the right moment in history...Kent State had happened...fear and loathing in Washington as Watergate approached...perfect timing)

"The Trial of Billy Jack" - Billy Jack defends innocent hippies, women, children and other living things, takes on vicious government, cop, and military evil white men, kicks ass! But mostly gets day in court. Looooooong day in court. Serious contender for worst movie in history. Did not do well at the box office. The moment had passed.

"Billy Jack Goes to Washington" - Billy Jack defends innocent hippies, women, children and other living things, takes on vicious governmental and societal organized evil of almost incomprehensible dimensions...all done by evil white men...kicks ass! I have it on good authority that this, yes this amazing cinematic abomination may be...and probably is...the WORST MOVIE EVER MADE!!!!!

Wow, eh?

"Go ahead and hate your neighbour..."

(Don't you wish you were good and noble like me and my young freaky idealistic friends, and not totally evil and disgusting like all you straights really are?)

"Go ahead and cheat your friend..."

(You know you establishment types can't resist being evil and sick, so go ahead. You'll be sorry in the end. It just proves how good I am, how cool the Grateful Dead are, and how awful people like you are.)

"Do it in the name of heaven..."

(Yeah, I know you're one of those crazy Christian Baptist Bible thumpers. Fah! You disgust me. I do ceremonies with rattlesnakes in the mountains and I communicate with the nature spirits daily. I talk to eagles and they tell me secrets you will never know. Death is my friend. He stands right by my shoulder, but you can't see him. Nyahh! Nyahh! Nyahh! You are soooo totally unhip that it just is pathetic, really.)

"You can justify it in the end..."

(But you'll be sooooorrrry.)

"There won't be any trumpets blowing, come the Judgement Day, on the bloody morning after....One Tin Soldier Rides Away..."

(Yeah. Boy are YOU establishment fuckers gonna be sorry when the shit hits the fan. Your whole awful antihuman power structure is going to be destroyed. The Great Purification will kill all of you and wipe out your disgusting civilization. The cool people, like me and my friends, will have gone back to the land and we will survive and prosper, but you straights will all die in your suburban hell like the miserable rats you are. We will have free love and grow flowers and live in freedom, love, and peace, and you will all rot. Ha! Ha! Ha! Like I said....you'll be sorry. Very sorry.)

It's official now. This thread has been totally hijacked. It just got ass-kicked by Billy Jack and his pals...people I was hanging out with in 1973-79. Boy, were we a righteous lot! ;-D


By the way, you can find out what Billy Jack is up to right now by going to his site: http://www.billyjack.com/

He's as radical as ever, and I have to say I still agree with a lot of what he stands for, but I do think those were pretty bad movies...although the man does have some very strong ideals and good intentions, no doubt.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Cruiser
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 07:02 PM

Yes sir, I actually enjoyed boot camp. I had just gotten out of 4 years of college and working hard to pay the bills. "Camp" gave me a chance to focus on getting in great physical shape at Ft. Ord.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Ron Davies
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 02:52 PM

Cruiser--Boot camp was a "good memory?". I'm afraid I would disagree.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 02:44 PM

If you want one that didn't escape the censors, look at "Squeezebox." link)

Mama's got a squeezebox
Daddy doesn't sleep at night

Well, duh! :)

SRS

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: The Shambles
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 01:07 PM

Songs that esacpe the censors

How did this one escape?

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: Cruiser
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 01:00 PM

Man, the vagaries of musical tastes! I like 'Afternoon Delight' and 'One Tin Soldier' Like most music, good or bad, it brings back good or bad memories depending somewhat on one's mood or position at the time.

Now 'Midnight At The Oasis' is a terrible song and on my worst list. This song reminds me of my military service (good memory; bad song) as 'Brand New Key' does when I was at boot camp (good memory; okay song)

All I can say to Mr. Little Hawk (and others) regarding opinions on 'One Tin Soldier' is "Dipwallow!, Dipwallow"!

Cruiser

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: John Hardly
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 12:02 PM

The other bizarre thing about "One Tin Soldier" is that anyone could stand to listen to it.

Go ahead. Hate your neighbor.

I don't. Just that song.

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: John O'L
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 08:38 AM

Now this is anoying me. What was that other movie that came out about the same time as Billy Jack, about two young guys in the desert, something about a silver bullet, although the Lone Ranger wasn't involved, Country Joe & The Fish were in it, I think the James Gang, Doug Kershaw...Zachariah. That's what it was. That was a good movie.

Although I've answered my own question I've invested too much in this message not to post it. Hope I don't get bailed up by the Bandwidth Police.
Sorry for the thread-drift Little Hawk

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: John O'L
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 08:24 AM

I guess I'll add my voice to the chorus of "sky - rockets in flight..." I thought it was OK. Certainly not offensive enough to be called worst ever. Not nearly as offensive as "Grease". Grease was not and is not the word, nor did it or does it have groove, or meaning, it is a crappy word from a crappy song from a crappy movie and has my vote for worst song ever.

Speaking of crappy movies, I guess none of you ever saw "Billy Jack Goes To Washington"?
Worst movie of all. Worse than "Grease".

Subject: RE: In Defence of 'Afternoon Delight'
From: GUEST,Cluin
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 04:11 AM

"Afternoon Delight" was written and performed by Bill Danoff & Taffy Nivert, the main talent in Starland Vocal Band and good friends of John Denver. They wrote a lot of the better songs that JD recorded (sometimes co-wrote with John Denver), like "Country Roads", "Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado", "Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas", "Late Night Radio", "Readjustment Blues" and "She Won't Let Me Fly Away".... a lot of my favourites.

And I've always liked "Afternoon Delight".





Oh, yeah, the song too.