Yin Pimp-Slaps Yang
By Mitch Berg
On my IPod just now:
- Bruce Springsteens’ “Backstreets”, perhaps the greatest
bittersweetangrysweet breakup song of all time (…”when the breakdown hit at midnight, there was nothing left to say/but I hated him, and I hated you when you went away…”), immediately followed by - Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe” (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever), perhaps the best song about faith in the idea of romance ever.
Fifteen rounds, come out at the bell.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
She mostly did covers, but Eva Cassidy had a wonderful voice – it’s not Black Sabbath, so it’s not for every day, but when you want to hear a sweet sound, the lady could really sing.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Oi gevalt!
Even on a topic involving Bruce’s song versus Stevie’s song… Peev STILL cannot resist changing the subject.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Pen,
I am not familiar with Eva Cassidy (but detest Black Sabbath at any rate), so I’ll check YouTube when I get home. Thanks for the pointer.
Badda,
Is “Oi Gevalt” what British Jewish skinheads used to say?
June 17th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
My pick for greatest breakup song is Lucinda William’s “I changed the locks”.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
It might have been, Mitch… but I think it’s more Jewish/Yiddish than skinheadish.
Actually… it would make a fun name for a band that makes angry break-up songs. The Oi Gevalts.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Badda,
A very inside linguistic joke: the Jewish version of “offda” is usually spelled “Oy Vey”.
Brit skinheads’ battle cry was “Oi”.
It was the kind of joke that language geeks find uproarious, and leaves everyone else wondering why I’m laughing…
June 17th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I should have figured you’d go that route. I typically like that kind of thing, but I didn’t know if I should out you as a language geek or simply move on.
I usually comment to people regarding how to pronounce “forte”… at least in conversations when neither a piano nor volume is the topic.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Christ… I chide Peev for getting off topic (which is like mocking a fish for swimming) and I vere off into French/Italian.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I didn’t know if I should out you as a language geek
Well, I’ve only copped to it a whole slew of times
June 17th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
British Jewish skinheads
That would be like antimatter, right?
June 17th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
D,
Or at least an ironic juxtaposition. Like a black klansman.
June 17th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Huh… what do you know. I’ve never actually noticed it before.
To cut myself some slack, it’s much easier to spot your Bruce-Springsteenery than your language-geekery.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
True, Mitch. And all the better English majors are language geeks, to one extent or another.
June 18th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Back on topic for a moment. Angryclown is second to none in his love of Stevie Wonder. But there’s no contest. From Wikipedia:
“Wonder has been married twice—to Motown singer Syreeta Wright from 1970 until their divorce in 1972; and since 2001, to fashion designer Kai Milla Morris.[44] He has seven children from his two marriages and several relationships.”
Bitterness, anger and cynicism by a knockout. Or in Mr. Wonder’s case, a series of knockouts who might as well have been ugly chicks, for all he could see of them.
June 18th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
*wipes his nose on his sleeve*
He is a musical genius.
June 18th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Mitch Berg wrote:
“(but detest Black Sabbath at any rate)”
Heathen.