elvis's lines that you like\dislike the most.

[Jack of All Parades]

I enjoyed these pieces immensely-like the use of iconograpy and mozaic in combination-you have quite an eye-you might enjoy an exhibition I saw recently at The Museum of the City of New York which involves young Dutch artists in NY- one artist in particular has an eye like yours and incorporates a montage effect with scraps of photos and pieces from religious sites for all religions to create one overriding image of a universal house of worship-quite an accomplishment. Correct me if I am wrong but is that not a doleful Camus perched above EC's shoulder?

[Ypsilanti]

Wow! Thanks everyone for your nice comments!!!!!!

That is Lorenz Hart behind Elvis, watching over him & inspiring him to write great songs.

Okay, I've spotted the trading stamps, the lipstick from Lipstick Vogue (or many others) the motel matches (and motel keys), the Empire State building illuminating the sky. The woman's taking her stockings off as in Poor Napoleon, there's the Hoover Factory and there's a man with two shadows (complicated shadows?)

Some other things are...the rose & thistle from "Beyond Belief (I made the rose out of melted guitar picks), the bus ticket from "Joe Porterhouse", the damp wallpaper from "Turning the Town Red", the poison ring from "Go Away", the tiny man from "Episode of Blond", a Mardi Gras doubloon for "River in Reverse", typewriter keys for "Green Shirt", the penny slot from "Poor Napoleon", the chalk outline from "Dust".
"The Man with 2 Shadows" made me think about how Elvis has had to live his life with 2 different names/identities. The motel key reminded me of "Stranger in the House". Those birds are Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, long thought to be extinct, but recently re-discovered in the swamps of the American south. I chose them because they are literally the rarest of birds and I feel like Elvis' is really a rare bird, too.

you might enjoy an exhibition I saw recently at The Museum of the City of New York which involves young Dutch artists in NY- one artist in particular has an eye like yours and incorporates a montage effect with scraps of photos and pieces from religious sites for all religions to create one overriding image of a universal house of worship-quite an accomplishment.

I would be very interested to see that! Is it still going on? Do you know the artist's name or what the exhibit was called?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Amazing works, and the level of detail for Elvis is incredible. I also loved Peter Lorre. Thanks for sharing.

[Ypsilanti]

Thank you very much, Otis! I like to choose subjects that seem to me to be "underdogs". Peter Lorre was easily the greatest actor of his time and yet now he's been reduced to just a cartoon voice. I felt he deserved some respect. Elvis is also an underdog, although maybe he prefers it that way.

I can't really explain why I enjoy working with gilded spaghetti so much--I'm sure it seems kind of nutty, but somehow it's the perfect medium for these things.

[Jack of All Parades]

Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the artist- but the name of the show is Dutch Seen-the show runs to 9/13/09-the particular pieces I mentioned are on the wall in the main lobby. Enjoy the show.

[Poor Deportee]

Lines I disliked about 4 years ago from a similar thread:

She imagines how she might have lived
back when legends and history collide

But he's part ugly beast and Hellenic deceased

But I know what I spake

Who do you see when you turn your eyes down?
Who do you see when I'm not seeing you?

The dark down road of his approach in constant rain was drenched

Been through their big deals and smalls

Oh mother, oh mother, sometimes you are so mortifying

"My Favourite Things" are playing

Darkness would become me underneath the table
As the fury raged around the house
Your despairing tread was angry and unstable
You never suspected
Just as that cartoon mouse
Went undetected

You like coffee and you like tea
Much more than you like me

Along the fine windows of shameless and plunder

Remember the glass we charged in celebration?

Since nights were long and days were olden
Woman to man has been beholden

Now the flagstone streets where the newspaper
shouts ring to the boots of roustabouts

A stripping puppet on a liquid stick gets into it
pretty thick
A butterfly drinks a turtle's tears, but how do
you know he really needs it?

The ceiling was festooned with phosphorous stars

Not quite aside, they snide "She's number four"

Don't agree with all of these - the 'festooned' line always struck me as a propos, while the surrealism of Deep Dark Truthful Mirror succeeds in my book - but you're spot on, most of these are pretty stink-o.

Apart from my sig about man destroying what he thinks he owns, I always dug:

Good manners and bad breath get you nowhere

And

You say the teacher never told you anything but white lies
But you never see the lies that you believe

Being an educator, I LOVE the resounding truth of that couplet

[Ypsilanti]

Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the artist- but the name of the show is Dutch Seen-the show runs to 9/13/09-the particular pieces I mentioned are on the wall in the main lobby. Enjoy the show.

Thank you very much. I will check it out.

[Jack of All Parades]

AlexV- I have been thinking about your post from 7/18 re: the Lennon quote from "The Other Side of Summer"-I knew I had an appropriate response to my feelings regarding hypocrisy imbeded in the line-it took me awhile to remember but here it is direct from EC's own liner notes to the MLAR Rhino re release-re: the song "The words are a catalogue of pop conceits, deceits, hypocrisies, and delusions. I include myself in this parade of liars and dupes." Hence why I like the winking.

[bambooneedle]

But then who needs such a qualification from EC...

Anyway is not the man's unique brew of talents intrinsically linked to how he is flawed and it's all over his songs.


"You walk into the room
with a pencil in your hand..."

[Riddler]

Listened to this again for the 1st time in a long time and winced/laughed at ...

"From your own back yard to the land of exotica
From the truth society to neurotic erotica"

... from Pidgin English.

Would have like to have seen that A's reaction to the 1st rendition of that ...

[alexv]

CSjoholm, been away on vacation (this side of summer is being spent on beautiful ana maria island, florida) so I've been EC Fan Forum-free for two weeks. That's clearly too long, so let's get back to the other side of summer. I think the issue here is that a number of posters, myself included, interpreted your initial post as meaning that you disliked the line (i think you termed it "pure hypocrisy"). So, folks argued that the hypocrisy was lenon's, not EC and that the hypocrisy charge against EC was misdirected. If you are saying you like the line because of EC's acknowledged self-winking, then the hypocrisy issue goes away. I can see why it's a cool line viewed in that context.

[Jack of All Parades]

Exactly, AlexV!!-trust your toes are not dipped into the "foaming breakers of the poisonous surf", that your libation of choice is flowing, that the kids are frolicing in the sand, that the lotion is liberally applied, that you are immersed in a scientific tome and that you have peeled a grape or two for the Mrs.-ah! Vacation time.

[bambooneedle]

I can see why it's a cool line viewed in that context.

No, it is not.

All this analysis is making me sick. "well myself and a number of posters blah blah... the hypocrisy charge against EC was misdirected but his self-winking blah blah.... that's why it's cool line in that context".

"the context" was never meant to be that serious. Get laid sometime. And it's Lennon, not Lenon.

[Jack of All Parades]

Ypsilanti-if you are still feeling better-there is a nice review of the show "Dutch Seen" in the Weekend Arts section of the 8/7/09 edition of the Times-when combined with the show across the hall on the Dutch in Manhattan it makes for a stimulating afternoon.

[Ypsilanti]

Thank you, Christopher! I'm doing pretty well, except I look like Leon Spinks after a bad round, but but it is my tentative plan to take the day off next Thursday to go see a show at the Japan Society (Buriki--Japanese Tin Toys from the Golden Age of the American Automobile!). Maybe I can see the Dutch show on the same day. I'm embarrassed to say I don't know where the Museum of the City of NY is located. Is it somewhere down by Wall Street?

[Jack of All Parades]

It is located at 103rd and Fifth- admission is suggested whatever you would like to give-a nice walk up along the park and not to far from the Japan House.

[The imposter]

I can see why it's a cool line viewed in that context.

No, it is not.

All this analysis is making me sick. "well myself and a number of posters blah blah... the hypocrisy charge against EC was misdirected but his self-winking blah blah.... that's why it's cool line in that context".

"the context" was never meant to be that serious. Get laid sometime. And it's Lennon, not Lenon.

So you're saying Elvis is a hypocrite because he suggested there might be a whiff of hypocrisy in Lennon's lyric? Because Elvis has money, too? He's precluded from commenting on issues related to the behavior of millionaires because he is one himself?
So whether or not Elvis was making a good point is based entirely on the contents of his stock portfolio? And I guess it follows that if Elvis were poor, it would have been alright to call Lennon a hypocrite.
I'm afraid I don't agree.

Right On!

Neither Lennon nor Costello can be described as a hypocrite.
Anyone who says otherwise is a winker!


In Lennon's case he's contemplating the absence of many concepts. Religion, Countries, Posessions etc. For him it wasn't "hard to do". Fair enough, considering his background. I never saw him as a particularly posessive person.

As for Costello, far from being a criticism of one of his major influences, the line points out the irony of Lennon's phrase in a song that's full of other contradictions, cardboard city, pop princess shooting up etc.

It just works, for the heavy irony.. and sometimes as someone once said, "lyrics is just lyrics".

Amazingly, during a clear out, I came across a/the poll where Imagine is rated no. 1, from a press cutting I kept. Not no. 1 song of the century but as no. 1 song of 100 greatest no. 1 singles. from The Observer Newspaper 7Jan 2001.

The top 5

Imagine 3,628 votes
Bohemian Rhapsody 3,626 votes
Hey Jude 2,643 votes
Dancing Queen 2,600 votes
Every Breath You Take 2,344 votes

[Neil.]

By the way, might I add, as a good 'un....

"If you need instruction in mindless destruction, I'll show you a thing or two
You used to adore me but now my life flashes before me for you to view."

[Ypsilanti]

"If you need instruction in mindless destruction, I'll show you a thing or two
You used to adore me but now my life flashes before me for you to view."

Hi Neil--
That is very good! I don't think I recognize it, though. I can't remember what song that line comes from--or maybe it's from a song I don't know. Can you help me out?

[sulky lad]

Must be Pony Street !

[Ypsilanti]

Must be Pony Street !

Ah! So it is. You are quite correct. Ever since I fell down and hit my head, my memory has been in the shitter (a condition I hope is just temporary).

[Otis Westinghouse]

In Lennon's case he's contemplating the absence of many concepts. Religion, Countries, Possessions etc. For him it wasn't "hard to do". Fair enough, considering his background. I never saw him as a particularly possessive person.

Didn't he keep an entire floor, or at least an entire room, of the Dakota building for storage of his furs, all temperature controlled for optimum longevity?

[Jeremy Dylan]

Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired

Women knock upon my door in odd and even numbers/But none of them as wild as I discovered in Columbus

Oh I just don't know where to begin

Come back looking for ride to glory / Go back home with a hard luck story

I give them a squeeze and they shoot me a wink / I buy their hard-headed husbands a long cool drink

She's filing her nails while he's dragging the lake

It's like the last days of Rome/with the despots and divine

My absolute favourite: There's no such thing as an original sin.