MacArthur Park ???
Jeremy Gilbert
mistake to parody such an obscure song as "MacArthur Park".
I've never heard of it. Most of my associates and friends have never heard
of it. WHAT IS MACARTHUR PARK??!!!
I even asked my parents. My mother seemed to remember a song by that name
and thought it might have something to do with drugs.
I found the copyright information using the Library of Congress telnet service,
but, so far, I haven't been able to locate the lyrics.
Anybody know?
E-Mail response would be appreciated --- thanks.
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Chris P. Mezzolesta
In a previous article, gil...@ma30.bull.com (Jeremy Gilbert) says:
>While Al is, of course, a major deity, nevertheless I believe it was a
>mistake to parody such an obscure song as "MacArthur Park".
>I've never heard of it. Most of my associates and friends have never heard
>of it. WHAT IS MACARTHUR PARK??!!!
This was gone thru in large detail a few months ago..."Macarthur Park" was
a HUGE hit in 1968 for actor Richard Harris, written by Jimmy Webb, on ABC Dunhill Records (LP: "A
Tramp Shining"). It was covered in the late 70's by Donna Summer, the tune
that turned me off to disco once & fer all! (it's horrendous IMO)
The original is kinda syrupy, but a well written tune, and the instrumental
break section is an orchestral rocker...it is significant in that it
preceded "Hey Jude" in the long-single dept...it runs 7:20 to Jude's 7:11
and was released a few months earlier. Probably the reason it isn't played
much on oldies radio these days is simply the length, but also the
excessive format compartmentalization of radio (adult soft contemporary of
the 80's 90's & last week! Not too hard not too soft not too anything! Less
music, more crap!)
It's a long tune so I can't really post lyrics here...go to the record
store (a hip one that still carries vinyl) and check the oldies reissue bin
for it...who knows, they may be on FTP somewhere. Good luck.
--
Chris P. Mezzolesta /// "Micky? Micky? I'm the dummy.
Mentor, Ohio /// It's alright. I'm the dummy.
ds...@cleveland.freenet.edu /// I'm always the dummy."-
Voice Artist/Musician/Eediot! /// Peter Tork, "Head" (1968)
Ha Li
>While Al is, of course, a major deity, nevertheless I believe it was a
>mistake to parody such an obscure song as "MacArthur Park".
>
>I've never heard of it. Most of my associates and friends have never heard
>of it. WHAT IS MACARTHUR PARK??!!!
Consider yourself lucky; you're just too young to remember it. As I recall,
it came out in 1968 and it sucks big time.
Here are some of the lyrics (sung to the tune of `Jurassic Park' :-) )
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.
[ad nauseam]
This is one of the worst songs in history, if not *the* worst.
-Dave
(*) I have no idea what the fuck that's supposed to mean
Chris P. Mezzolesta
In a previous article, dmu...@vcd.hp.com sez:
>This is one of the worst songs in history, if not *the* worst.
Well it can't be any worse than 95% of the popular "songs" of the last 5
years..."I Wanna Sex You Up", "Mama Said Knock You Out", "Funky Cold
Medina"...at least Jimmy Webb wrote stuff of quality; this is not to say
I'm defending the syrupy nature of the tune, but no, it's far from any kind
of "worst", the wordplay is no different than "Strawberry Fields Forever" or
"Lucy In The Sky...". Think of the time in which it came out, it's almost
old folks psychedelia...If you don't like it you don't like it, but don't
slam something that obviously has some thought behind it.
[yes I know, then why do I like "Paralyzed"?!?!?!?!?!?!?!]
C
The World Renown Jason Boskey
be about nuclear destruction. Macarthur Park being the world and such. I may
be wrong but this is how I understand it. Also, I think this is one of the
worst songs of all time. At least Funky cold Medina entertained. This song
only serves as a very powerful epicac(sp?) for me.
____________________________________________________________________________
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Michael Case
>Jeremy Gilbert <J.Gi...@ma30.bull.con> wrote:
>
>>of it. WHAT IS MACARTHUR PARK??!!!
>
[majority of music mercifully munched]
> and I'll never have that recipe again,
^^^^
Change this to 'see' (which I think it is in later refrains) and you also
have a line used both in a They Might Be Giants song ('Its Not My Birthday')
and in a Simpsons episode (the one where Lisa is in the Little Miss Springfield
contest; one of her competitors sings it for the talent competition).
__
\\\\ / /
______ Mike 'Jaco' Case \\\\/ /
/X/ / \ mc...@uvphys.phys.uvic.ca \X /
/X/_/ / \ /_/
_/XX| \_0 | // \\
/XXXX\ | \ / "Dim the Lights, Chill the Ham" // \\
XXXXXX\/___/ -Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet // \\
CHE STUD
> I personally don't like the song, but from what I understand, it's supposed to
> be about nuclear destruction. Macarthur Park being the world and such. I may
> be wrong but this is how I understand it. Also, I think this is one of the
> worst songs of all time. At least Funky cold Medina entertained. This song
> only serves as a very powerful epicac(sp?) for me.
>
Actually, songwriter Jim Webb said that the song was about a failed
relationship. _The Billboard Book of One Hit Wonders_ quotes Webb saying
"You associate a place with a person. You spend a lot of time there with
that person and when the relationship ends you do a lot of thinking about
the place. That's what 'MacArthur Park' is all about. I used to go there and
have lunch. THat's where the cake comes from...."
(Quoted with nobody's permission)
BTW, when humor columnist Dave Barry asked his readers to name the
worst song of all time, "MacArthur Park" topped the list. Obviously, there's
a lot of people who agree with your opinion of it.
*********************************
Chris Fishel * "In the winter, I'm a Buddhist*
University of Virginia * & in the summer I'm a nudist"*
ct...@virginia.edu * -Joe Gould (U. S. poet and *
* translator of the *
* language of the seagulls) *
*********************************
Scot Leibacher
I have to agree with Chris here. Sometimes a combination of the events
of the day, the political and social issues, and music all come together
to produce something (such as the song MacArthur Park) that doesn't make
a whole lot of sense when taken out of its original context almost 30
years later. Another example was Disco....although everyone lambasts it
now, it was "THE" music of that period and was immensly popular. Now, it
seems just silly. Try to explain in a few sentences the tremendous popularity
of Nirvana's SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT a few years back. You just have to
believe us "old fogies" that MaCARTHUR PARK was its equivalent for the day
and time. Do you think in 2022 people are gonna hear SMELLS LIKE.... and say,
"Man! That was a classic hit!" No freekin' way.
I would ask the young lads out there to please be patient with 'Al' when
he dips back into some oldies to help appease his older (meaning same age
as Al) audience. Don't feel personally offended if not every parody is of
a song title that was on the top-40 within the last 96 hours. Besides, what
other song would you have suggested he use instead?!?!?
- Just another old fogie signing off.
********************************Scot Leibacher*********************************
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--
********************************Scot Leibacher*********************************
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andrea mcmakin
matter of fact, a few months ago Dave Barry voted it the #1 worst recorded
song of all time (although I'm not sure if he included country in this
opinion). I guess the whole reason Weird Al chose this song to parody is...
well... what else would have fit for Jurassic Park?
Andrea McMakin (amcm...@bach.helios.nd.edu) University of Notre Dame
Chris P. Mezzolesta
In a previous article, amcm...@bach.helios.nd.edu (andrea mcmakin) says:
>Yes, "MacArthur Park" is certainly one of the worst songs around. As a
>matter of fact, a few months ago Dave Barry voted it the #1 worst recorded
>song of all time (although I'm not sure if he included country in this
>opinion). I guess the whole reason Weird Al chose this song to parody is...
>well... what else would have fit for Jurassic Park?
First of all, his readers voted it, second of all, what value does his
opinion have, or that of his readers? He's a columnist. Do they know songwriting? The fact
that it was a multi-million seller in 1968 says something that, as in
previous posts by myself & Mr. Leibacher, that it was of its time. It may
sound elevator-y today, but it was popular with a wide cross-section of
buyers & listeners in 1968. I doubt that many r.m.d readers were even
around in 1968 (I was only 4 but remember having the record since it came
out)
Again, if you (& Dave Barry's readers, if that really means anything) don't
like it, then that's a prerogative, but I'm saying that the assessment of
it as a "bad/worst" song is incorrect. If it was so bad, and so many people
hated the song, then Al wouldn't have chosen it to use as a parody.
You could say that "Macarthur Park" is one of your personal worst, but the
statement you make that it's the worst song of all time is incorrect.
Mark Loop
>You could say that "Macarthur Park" is one of your personal worst, but the
>statement you make that it's the worst song of all time is incorrect.
Yes, McArthur park at least made the charts. There are undoubedly countless
songs that never even made the chart that give new meaning to the word
"suck".
In fact, dare I even mention rap? In the very own words of Weird Al:
"Rap is the natural evolution of music. First we had Rock 'n Roll which
was conceived for people who couldn't sing well. Then we get Rap for kids
who can't sing at all."
I know I'll get some flames from saying this, but that's why I quoted
Al. You can't argue with a minor deity...
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* __/ ___/ __/__/__/ __/__/__/ __/ __/ Mark R. Loop *
* ____/ ____/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ PacTel Cellular *
* __/ __/ __/__/ __/__/__/ __/__/__/ __/__/ mrl...@la.pactel.com *
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David Dixon
Mark Loop <mrl...@nit.pactel.com> wrote:
>In fact, dare I even mention rap? In the very own words of Weird Al:
>
>"Rap is the natural evolution of music. First we had Rock 'n Roll which
>was conceived for people who couldn't sing well. Then we get Rap for kids
>who can't sing at all."
Not being able to sing never got in the way of Bob Dylan, and he wrote
some of the best songs of the modern era. Remember that "Subterranean
Homesick Blues" is one of the first rap songs.
Anyway, rap music is about rhythm, cadence and flow. Listen to some
of the better rap and you'll understand what I mean. I'd have to disagree
with Al on this point; it sounds like he's taken an easy target to make
a pithy statement on. Pleases crowds though, I bet.
OK, enough seriousness.
D^2
ObDementia:
I wear tight pants, I always stuff a sock in
It always makes the ladies start to talkin'
My shirt is open, I never use the buttons,
Though I look hip, I work for E. F. Hutton.
Ha Li
>You just have to believe us "old fogies" that MaCARTHUR PARK was its
>equivalent for the day and time.
Except that I was 16 when that song came out and I hated it immensely. Some
rock group came to our high school as a "special event" and played that song.
Quite a few students walked out. I walked out.
-Dave "I'd rather be listening to `My Ding-a-ling'"
Mark Joseph Delano
??? David Dixon@physics1 (1017)
> In article <CJsBL...@nit.pactel.com>,
> Mark Loop <mrl...@nit.pactel.com> wrote:
> >In fact, dare I even mention rap? In the very own words of Weird Al:
> >
> >"Rap is the natural evolution of music. First we had Rock 'n Roll which
> >was conceived for people who couldn't sing well. Then we get Rap for kids
> >who can't sing at all."
> Not being able to sing never got in the way of Bob Dylan, and he wrote
> some of the best songs of the modern era. Remember that "Subterranean
> Homesick Blues" is one of the first rap songs.
> Anyway, rap music is about rhythm, cadence and flow. Listen to some
> of the better rap and you'll understand what I mean. I'd have to disagree
> with Al on this point; it sounds like he's taken an easy target to make
> a pithy statement on. Pleases crowds though, I bet.
I don't see where your argument with Al is. He stated that rappers
couldn't sing, and you didn't disagree.
You even amplified it by saying rap is about rhythm, cadence, and flow,
not about actually being able to sing.
Al Date
>
>
>You could say that "Macarthur Park" is one of your personal worst, but the
>statement you make that it's the worst song of all time is incorrect.
>
Nah, the first guy was right, along with Dave Barry's readers, who are undoubtedly
in the top percentile of intelligence and good taste.
MacArthur Park's lyrics were highly pretentious, puffed up with metaphors and similes
in a pseudo-psychedelic flow of allegedly emotionally charged
verbiage. The music itself wasnt too bad, but when
combined with Richard Harris' half-talk, half-sing drippiness and the intent to make
the song into some kind of intense experience, combined with the big kettle drum ending
and the choir singing "OH NO! OH NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the result was, the worst recorded
song of all time.
Of course, to even be considered, it had to sell a few copies. I remember '68,
and me and my teenage friends were rather impressed by MacArthur Park at the time.
It was innovative. But some innovations stand the test of time, and others do not.
It could never have qualified for the dubious honor that we have bestowed upon it,
if it had not pretended to be
the greatest recorded song of all time, when it was made.
--Al Date
Mike Van Pelt
>In article <2heer2$q...@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> ds...@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Chris P. Mezzolesta) writes:
>MacArthur Park's lyrics were highly pretentious, puffed up with
>metaphors and similes in a pseudo-psychedelic flow of allegedly
>emotionally charged verbiage. The music itself wasnt too bad, but when
>combined with Richard Harris' half-talk, half-sing drippiness and the
>intent to make the song into some kind of intense experience, combined
>with the big kettle drum ending and the choir singing "OH NO! OH
>NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the result was, the worst recorded song of all time.
If you want to hear another example of this sort of thing, only worse,
check out William "James Tomcat Kirk" Shatner's "rend"itions of "Lucy
in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Mr. Tambourine Man".
Bad. Oh, bad. *Real* bad. Worse than you can possibly imagine...
--
Mike Van Pelt When the fog came in on little cat feet
m...@netcom.com last night, it left these little muddy
KE6BVH paw prints on the hood of my car.
Chris P. Mezzolesta
Hang on a sec...I didn't write the nastiness on "MP", keep an eye on your
quoting mate!
>If you want to hear another example of this sort of thing, only worse,
>check out William "James Tomcat Kirk" Shatner's "rend"itions of "Lucy
>in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Mr. Tambourine Man".
>
>Bad. Oh, bad. *Real* bad. Worse than you can possibly imagine...
Yes most definitely, but that makes it funny, that's why they're on "Golden
Throats", you wouldn't find Harris's recordings on there because they were
considered serious pop recordings, not a blatant attempt to cash in on
Dylanism or Beatlism (as is half of "GT")...the LP from whence "MP" comes
is a whole suite written by Jim Webb, with spoken interludes, "MP" is only
one of the tunes, and don't forget, Harris is a stage actor too, acting in
musicals etc etc, so his style may not be McCartney or whatever, but again,
the tune was written for that album, for Harris to record, it's not Eddie
Albert covering "Blowin' In The Wind" or Andy Griffith doing "House of the
Rising Sun".
And it doesn't make "Macarthur Park" a bad record or song. Those who
maintain this are wrong, you need to separate what you don't like from what
is good/bad...there are a lot of "good", well-written songs or
well-produced recordings that I don't like. (and a lot of *bad*
records which I love..."I'm Surfing", "Can I Pawn My Teeth To You", "Paralyzed",
etc)
Judging from the events of this week, it does seem that Macarthur Park was
in fact melting in the dark...good luck to those in CA.
TWINK!
>In article <mjoutj...@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> a...@mises.Eng.Sun.COM (Al Date) writes:
>>In article <2heer2$q...@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> ds...@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Chris P. Mezzolesta) writes:
>>MacArthur Park's lyrics were highly pretentious, puffed up with
>>metaphors and similes in a pseudo-psychedelic flow of allegedly
>>emotionally charged verbiage. The music itself wasnt too bad, but when
>>combined with Richard Harris' half-talk, half-sing drippiness and the
>>intent to make the song into some kind of intense experience, combined
>>with the big kettle drum ending and the choir singing "OH NO! OH
>>NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the result was, the worst recorded song of all time.
>
>If you want to hear another example of this sort of thing, only worse,
>check out William "James Tomcat Kirk" Shatner's "rend"itions of "Lucy
>in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Mr. Tambourine Man".
>
>Bad. Oh, bad. *Real* bad. Worse than you can possibly imagine...
>
I just heard a new song by Shatner a couple days ago. He did his own
version of "I want to sex you up". Way bad, horrid, worse than the others!
TWINK!