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Comments:
Eric * - 2005-02-13 21:06:10 I respectfully beg to differ, Eric *. Return with me please to the scene. There I was in Jerusalem Gardens, senses sharpened to razor-like keenness by a kibbeh sandwich drenched in olive oil, washed down by ultra-caffeinated Turkish coffee. Music was booming from the kitchen. I was paying attention to the lyrics because I hadn't heard the song in so many years. And there it was: "All the boys! think! she's a spaz!" It was a revelatory moment. At the time I alertly noted that it was 'spaz' ("spaaaz") and not 'spy' ("spaeee"--because the word in question lacked the latter's telltale diphthong.). * * * * * * * * * * * * Eric * - 2005-02-13 22:11:47 Lyrics to "Bette Davis Eyes" Nothing comes between me and Kim Carnes.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-13 22:20:58 That much is clear, and rather charming here on Valentine's Day Eve. But I politely put forth two questions: 1. why ought we to take as authoritative a lyric-sheet written by someone with evidently a complete lack of 1a. punctuation skills and by extension 1b. any grasp of the English language and 2. why do I get five trillion Google hits for a search for "Kim Carnes" and "all the boys think she's a spaz"? I ask you.* * * * * * * * * * * * addiann - 2005-02-13 22:28:27 butting in where angels fear to tread, there are 951 Google hits for spy and 38 for spaz....* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-13 22:36:16 Addiann: You will please pardon me for making a personal comment in saying that I regard you as a wise person--your considered comments over time have made that clear. So surely as you, like me, have traveled along life's highway, along the cornfields of sagacity, you doubtless have had occasion to pluck up from the dust of ignorance this kernel of truth: might doth not make right. It's spaz.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-13 22:47:59 This cordial yet determined panel discussion reminds me of that guy on death row who was exonerated two microseconds before his execution by new DNA evidence that proved he was not the perp. I think his name is Bloodworth or Bloodsworth. He just published a book about the experience. Up till then, he had been convicted by "evidence" that turned out to be, to use a slang term from my salad days, "bogus." Just sayin'.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura again - 2005-02-13 22:59:03 (the only reason I'm so stubborn is, far from wanting to give Eric * or Addiann a hard time, it just seemed so unambiguous when I heard it, is all. I've been wrong before.)* * * * * * * * * * * * addiann - 2005-02-13 22:59:04 probably best to just go ahead and order your last meal.....* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-13 23:25:03 Hmm. What would my last meal be, I wonder? Probably lasagna. I always pick that for my birthday meal. But home-made, mind you. None of that lukewarm catered glop or, God forbid, microwaved dinners (Ypsidixit swore off using microwaves years ago). Made at home with fresh ricotta cheese, sauteed ground beef, bits o' spinach...mmm, I can taste it now. It's a tad laborious to make, but not difficult; just a bit time consuming--and well worth it. It's spaz. * * * * * * * * * * * * YD - 2005-02-14 08:24:06 So I'm throwing out some trash from my truck friday at Leforge Dam. And lo and behold in the big green trash can are about 200 New Courier/Heritage papers in bundles in the can. I picked one out and read it. Yea, not very good. But why pay 50 cents when they are free at the dam trash can?* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 09:11:36 Oh my gosh. That's distributor dumping. That means that lots of paid subscribers somewhere are not getting their Courier because the distributor didn't feel like going to the trouble of actually delivering them & so dumped them. Wow. The Courier must not have much control over/knowledge of its subcriptions if it doesn't even know that its distributor is dumping the paper. Wonder if there will be new dumped bundles next week. If so, it would be interesting to do a bit of investigation to find out why bundles are being dumped.* * * * * * * * * * * * YD - 2005-02-14 09:17:34 They can code the bundles somehow. They should have at least been recycled.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 09:19:30 Yes, I'm sure you're right--surely they can trace them in some way. And i had the same thought when I first read about it--the papers could have been recycled if nothing else. Wasteful to just dump 'em.* * * * * * * * * * * * Dan Arbor - 2005-02-14 09:22:24 It's spy. * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 09:25:53 Gosh dang it. May I pause here for a moment to just briefly make an observation? I used to teach English to non-native speakers. We're talking finely honed ears, here--if nothing else. Why would the boys think she's a spy, for God's sake? It doesn't make a bit of sense. But, yeah, OK, she's a bit crazy and all the boys think she's a spaz. That's perfectly sensible.* * * * * * * * * * * * Eric * - 2005-02-14 09:32:11 How could anyone who could tease you, please you, AND unease you possibly be a spaz? That practically describes James Bond to a T, and he was spy. Those are obviously key skills in being a spy.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 09:38:11 That's all well and good, Eric *, but, remember please that "she's precocious, and she knows just what it takes to make a problem." A spy would never blow her cover by making a problem, whereas a mischievous, out-of-control spaz would quite naturally do that. * * * * * * * * * * * * Eric * - 2005-02-14 09:46:40 She knows what it takes to make a PRO BLUSH -- not a problem. Pros like Pussy Galore or Fiona Volpe or Helga Brandt. Do you get a lot of angry letters from former ESL students?* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 09:52:37 Eric! I can barely keep my mailbox cleared of fan letters from adoring former students, thank you very much. I'm not even going to dignify this pro blush stuff with a response. Back to spaz please.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 09:59:33 (has a sinking feeling she's slowly losing ground)* * * * * * * * * * * * Eric * - 2005-02-14 10:01:28 When I was a sophomore in college in the last seventies, I had some survey of American history class in which there was this fabulous graduate TA. Like the heroine in "Bette Davis Eyes," she could roll me like I were dice until I was blue. Trust me. She was no spaz.* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 10:05:33 This thread seems to be stirring up a lot of Valentine-ish memories, I must say--perfectly appropriate given the holiday.* * * * * * * * * * * * Dan Arbor - 2005-02-14 10:14:28 Sorry, Laura. :( The song was written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon (yes, THE Jackie DeShannon), who are members of ASCAP. On every page that actually credits the ASCAP notation, it lists the lyric as "...spy." Bette herself was a fan of the song, and I really don't get the impression that Ms. Davis, by all accounts a very formidable person, would have endorsed a song with such a lyric. Also did a straw poll amongst friends who are at the savant level of musical obsession, and they were united on the side of "...spy." I'm musing that a conversation with one of your former ESL students might be kind of fun... :)* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 10:19:06No need to say you're sorry Dan--one doesn't have to apologize when defending Truth, as I...mistakenly...thought I was doing. OK. I have resigned myself to the state of things. I was wrong. And, OK, it's "pro blush," a lyric that's just a tad explicit for the modest, retiring Ypsidixit. My former students are in a witness protection program, so never you mind about talking to them.* * * * * * * * * * * * Vince Prygoski - 2005-02-14 12:17:54 I wonder if there is more than one recorded version of this song, one of which has the "spy" lyric and the other with "spaz?" Oftentimes lyrics will vary from the studio recording to live performance, or from one live performance to another. An example I have heard of is from Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. The studio recording has the line "scuse me while I kiss the sky" which some people heard as "...kiss this guy!" Which supposedly led Hendrix to sing it as "kiss this guy" a few times in concert just for the heck of it!* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 12:21:48 That's really funny. Life imitates...um, poor listening. There was a whole This American Life show recently about people who have incorrect/misheard song lyrics stuck in their heads.* * * * * * * * * * * * Dan Arbor - 2005-02-14 12:29:26 "The girl with colitis goes by..." -- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 12:43:11Cute. :)* * * * * * * * * * * * Eric * - 2005-02-14 12:43:34 The correct lyrics to Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" are "'scuse me while I puke and die." Sadly, he did. It's creepy when songs can tell the future.* * * * * * * * * * * * LF - 2005-02-14 13:06:21 "Hold me closer, Tony Danza" - Elton John* * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 13:09:35 Ha! funny. There's a part right after that I've never been able to make out..."get the lead out on the highway" or "shining lights out on the highway" or something about "headlights" or what have you--no idea.* * * * * * * * * * * * Eric * - 2005-02-14 13:12:20 Allow me to come to the rescue again: Hold me closer Tony Danza, can't the headlines run the highway, lay me down and she's so blinded, you've had a busy day today * * * * * * * * * * * * Laura - 2005-02-14 13:18:22 Ah. Thank you Eric *. Cryptic. Guess you'd need a semiotician to tease the meaning out of those images. * * * * * * * * * * * * Iss - 2005-02-14 14:47:48 I thought it was 'Tiny Dancer'! I know when I was muuuuch younger I thought that the Eagles' "warm smell of coletus rising up through the air" was some unspeakable, sexy thing that I dared not think about.......now I know it's a plant.* * * * * * * * * * * * laura - 2005-02-14 14:55:05 hi dear sis. That's funny, I always, till this moment, thought is was some sort of tropical drink--colitas. "Let's have a round of strawberry colitas--it's on me." * * * * * * * * * * * * Anna - 2005-02-14 15:36:15 My sister always thought the correct lyrics were, "I'll be working my way back to Cuba". Too many I Love Lucy re-runs?* * * * * * * * * * * * add your comment: |