The Music Court

Today’s Word:

Garfield has drifted off into the land of Nod

Land of Nod (Noun): A mythical land of sleep

Musical Example:

A bit of an odd combined word for the SWOD today. This pun on a biblical place-name quite literally is a mythical land of sleep. So, next time you are drifting off to bed, you may be entering the land of Nod. I think I am going to start using this term frequently to annoy my roommate. Sleep is a popular topic among artists. Ben Folds has a song entitled “Narcolepsy” which appeared on his album, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. The lyrics that cue the sleep fairy are the first two lines:

“I should warn you
I go to sleep”

And, so do we all Ben Folds. I believe the song may be about a guy who is tired of life but the narcoleptic base works quite well for our purposes. I just exited the land of Nod just a little while ago, but, I’ll be back there soon. Enjoy the day folks and…LETS GO METS!

Today’s Word:

Popinjay

Popinjay (noun): A vain and talkative person.

Musical Example:

Okay, let me begin this SWOD with a disclaimer. Not all politicians are popinjays…just most of them :). Sorry to all the politicians (or aspiring politicians out there) but the stereotype is not always wrong. And, what is the best politician song out there. I think Roger McGuinn and his Byrds would probably say, “I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician” would take the prize. The 1971 song is a bit satiric and, in my opinion, catchy and funny. It may have been better if the song was “I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Popinjay.” Well, that does not flow very well. Let’s stick with politician.

Here is Roger McGuinn performing the song. Sorry for the minute-long exposition.

Today’s Word

Fatidic - Prophetic

Fatidic (adj) : Prophetic

Musical Example:

Okay, let’s get the first order of business handled. The word is pronounced fuh-TID-ik. So, yeah, it is not what you are all thinking. Yet, still, I believe it is now my favorite word. Next time you want to mention that your friend made a rather prophetic statement when he foretold that you were going to procrastinate, instead say that it was a fatidic statement. Then, watch them get reasonably confused. Well, they should have read the blog.

Anyway, on to a musical example of the word fatidic. Denny Zagar and Rick Evans may have only had one hit song; but man was it a fatidic song. “In the Year 2525” was one-hit-wonder that warned people of the dangers of technology, spent six weeks as the #1 song on the Pop Chart in 1969. Well, maybe Zagar and Evans were on to something.

“You’ll pick your son
pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube.
In the year seventyfiveten
If God’s a-coming he oughta make it by then”

We may not have to wait that long before selective breeding in humans is popular!?!

Fun Fact: The song was #1 when perhaps the greatest technological achievement of all time happened July 20, 1969. The Moon Landing.

In the year 1969 when people can fly.

Today’s Word:

Hirsute - Covered with hair; shaggy; hairy

Hirsute (adj): Covered with hair; shaggy; hairy

Musical Example:

If you can’t figure out what song I am going to do based on the picture, let me give you another hint. He looks exasperated because he is late for a pina colada date at Trader Vic’s. Yes, “Werewolves in London” performed by Warren Zevon on his 1978 album Excitable Boy features a hirstute gentlemen whose hair is always perfect. The song features Fleetwood Mac’s John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. While the lyrics are somewhat macabre they are hilarious and well-done.

Fun Fact (Thanks Wikipedia): “The Grateful Dead covered this song a number of times, often on Halloween, including a performance in London’s Wembley Stadium on Halloween 1990. The band also performed the song once as a rare encore on July 8, 1978 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.”

Today’s Word:

Pablum: Trite, soft, bland cereal for infants

Pablum (noun): Trite, insipid, or simplistic writing

Musical Example:

Mother’s and Father’s everywhere must be looking at this SWOD and thinking Pablum, that is the breakfast cereal for babies. Well, yes and no. Yes, it is bland cereal for infants, but it also has another meaning. Pablum is trite, simplistic writing and it fits perfectly into this week’s SWOD.

Occasionally I like to look at the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts to be utterly depressed. I know the song topping the charts will be poor but I always fall into the trap of this constantly self-fulfilled prophecy. Can you imagine that only 40 years ago the #1 song on the charts was “Bridge over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel. A song that prides itself on the hopeful lyric:

“I’m on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down”

This beautiful verse about friendship was once respected in the music community. Now, after the passing of 40 years and the mass deafness of the youth we have to deal with the pablum of current mainstream music. Can this be because popular pop music has never given the youth the opportunity to listen to a masterpiece. Possibly. But, whatever it may be, it is quite upsetting. What is #1 today. Well, a misspelt song title paired with a performer who does not even bother to spell her name with the letter s it so separately needs. “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha. Hey Kesha just because a dollar sign looks like an s doesn’t mean it is one. Do you want to see what 40 years has done to the Billboard charts. Well, it started rhyming swagger with jagger.

“Ain’t got a care in world, but got plenty of beer
Ain’t got no money in my pocket, but I’m already here
And now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger
But we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger

I’m talking about everybody getting crunk, crunk
Boys tryin’ to touch my junk, junk
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk” (“Tik Tok by Ke$ha)

Yeah, I would say this is simplistic writing.

Wendy=Ke$ha and every other artist poisoning our music supply. Stan=listeners who know what music used to sound like I feel you Stan.