Pity Party

WEBVTT
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I'm Christine.
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And I'm Christina.
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In 2024, I moved to Texas from LA.
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And to keep in touch, Christine and I started a weekly game where we each pick a song that fits a chosen theme.
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This game deepened our understanding of each other and the songs that shape us, inspiring the podcast you're listening to now.
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Each week we share our pics, swap stories, and dig into tracks you might love.
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And a lot of the time have never heard of.
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Welcome to Stereothematica, your favorite atypical music podcast.
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Hey, hey, Christine.
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Wow.
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Nice background.
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Are you copying me?
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Well, something's going on with like it says I'm you on the Zoom.
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And like.
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What's that about though?
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Hold on.
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Do you mind if I just check something really quickly?
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Hold on.
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I mean, go ahead.
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Ladies and gentlemen.
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We're recording together in person.
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We are together.
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This is the last weekend.
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This oh my god.
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LA.
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Cheers to that.
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Cheers.
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We probably should be having Brandy Alexander's.
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That would be fun.
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Ooh, that would be a good one.
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We'll explain the reference later, probably.
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Hopefully, maybe.
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I hope so.
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But as I'm sure our listeners could guess, we are prepping for yet another Hollywood Bowl show, which I'm so excited about.
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I know.
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Who are we going to see this year, Christine?
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Art Garfunkel, maybe.
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Art wasn't touring this summer.
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He's taking a break, a hiatus.
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So the next best thing.
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Simon.
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Paul Simon, the legend.
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Yes.
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Do you think he's gonna play any of the Simon and G Funk?
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I think so because I did do my research.
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I have to know certain things, and I was very glad to see that there will be at least a couple of those Simon and G Funks.
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Listener, she cheated essentially.
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She did uh cliff notes, or what do you call it?
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A spoiler.
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A spoiler.
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A spoiler.
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But I don't think it's gonna be exactly the same.
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Yeah, it's not gonna be the same.
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I hope.
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I guess they have such a big like catalog that they could be utilizing that it's like, why not?
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I'm guessing both the encores will be classics.
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That would be great.
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And we did we did preview some of those classics last night.
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We did, because we we did karaoke, yeah, and it was a blast, even though our karaoke machine didn't have a lot of.
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I said 90s country, you said thank you.
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Rude.
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Yeah, it it didn't have psycho killer.
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I was not psyched.
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Yeah, I would have done psycho killer.
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There was Whippet, and I tried to put Whipit on.
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Yeah, it was too late.
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Yeah, but you know what?
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A bit of a milestone last night.
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Big time.
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Stereothematical milestone, that is.
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A fantasy karaoke came true.
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Wuthering heights, Christina delivered.
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It was hard.
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She did it.
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And how did I do?
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My I was like using my whole diaphragm to sing, and I got really tired.
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This is gonna sound bad.
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It didn't seem like you were trying too hard.
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Okay, no, that doesn't sound bad.
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No, it like it felt like it was just in you.
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Okay, good.
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Which I think it is.
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Maybe it isn't me.
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Yeah, but I was like when you did that, I was actually upset because I was like, I don't want to do this.
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Uh I felt yeah.
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You felt pressured, yeah.
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I felt nervous.
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I was just so amazed that they actually had it that I'm like, we gotta take advantage of it.
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Yeah, but it wasn't.
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Did you catch who it was?
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It was um it was not, it wasn't Kate.
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No, it wasn't Kate Bush, but it did sound appropriate.
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It was pretty good with the twinkly piano.
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No, I I mean it was a lot better than my Kiki D and and Elton Which is a really good song to do on karaoke.
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No, it's a great song, but I feel like the whole like the key was off, the instrumentation was off, it was like they were throwing in different lyrics.
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I was worried that that was gonna set the tone for the whole night because of the it was like the whole sound that they had was so odd.
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Yes, it was very much like, oh, I don't think you're supposed to make music like this.
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No, it was it was uncomfortable, but but yeah, after a few glasses of soju and just singing.
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I think the singing actually, the more you sing, the more you loosen up.
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It helps so much.
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And like I seriously, my face hurt from laughing just because it was so funny and silly, which is the opposite of what we're gonna be talking about on this week's theme.
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Oh, which can I should I just jump into it?
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One thing I thought was funny, which I wanted to get your perspective on this, was sometimes when I'm sad, I put on sad music just so I can amplify my sadness and like really wallow in it.
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I feel like we've talked about this before.
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Yeah, for sure.
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But like I am a Pisces, like I like sad stuff, I like you know, the sadness.
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Yeah, and I have a feeling, but like, are you a sad song lover?
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Okay, I do feel like we've touched on this a little bit.
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I enjoy crying to a song, and I will often put on a song because it'll get me to cry faster, for sure.
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But the types of songs that I'm actually listening to to do that aren't the typical sad songs.
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Say more.
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I don't like a maudlin song.
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You know me.
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I'm not excessively sentimental.
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Like what what kind of song?
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No Adele, for sure.
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Oh, well, no, that's not, we're not going down that.
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What is the song?
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The Eric Clapton song, Tears Tears from Heaven.
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Yeah, like okay, good.
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So you're not feeling these either.
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If oh, I'm trying to remember, it was literally earlier this weekend.
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I was like Googling Eric Clapton racist.
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Uh huh.
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Did you hear about this?
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I did hear something.
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That's why I don't feel bad calling out Tears and Heaven.
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And no, I would never listen to a Clapton song.
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Sorry.
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Yeah.
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But okay, but what are the sad songs that you put on?
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Well, a couple of them we've we've talked about.
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I think, I mean, obviously the big one, Black Star, but but that's even less about being sad and more about just that visceral reaction.
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Like, I don't know.
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And then obviously when Bowie died, it did become also a sad song for me.
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But not a typical sad song for sure.
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Opera does it often to me.
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La Taviada, we've talked about that.
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Yeah.
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I was wondering if that was gonna be, I was wondering if that was gonna be a good one.
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No, that's for sure.
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And that was not, I did check to see if that was a course since you had to get me.
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But yeah, no, not um, I don't know.
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What are what are some songs?
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Like well, let me tell you.
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I love having what I would call a musical pity party.
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And even like during COVID, things were so bad.
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Like I was I got laid off from my job.
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I was like just so afraid of death, like, you know, dying of COVID, I guess.
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I made a literal music to cry to playlist and I invited my friends to add their own pics to it as well.
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And it's got a lot of really amazing, sad songs on there.
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Like just the ones that like, and I don't mean because like I think we've talked a little bit about how, like, for example, Rosalia's Reliquia is one that makes me cry.
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It's not sad, it's just like an emotional response.
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But there are songs that I put on that I'm like, I'm gonna fucking cry to this, you know.
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Uh-huh.
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And I will share the link.
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But I had my friends, they contributed other songs too, and it was like, oh yeah, that's a good one.
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That's a good one.
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I wonder what I would think.
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I wonder what you would think.
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And why haven't you shared?
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I don't know.
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Is it because you think that I am too cool-hearted to cold hard list?
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Yeah, maybe.
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But Leah, well, I'll share it with you.
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You should add some songs to it.
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I will I'll make it a collaborative playlist so our our listeners can add to it.
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That'd be nice.
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Yeah.
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I mean, sometimes you just need to have a good cry, and I think music does help facilitate that.
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No, I think part of my problem is it was very hard for me to cry, I think, for a lot of my life.
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I think being hyper-vigilant, you don't want to cry because you don't want to like elicit a negative reaction from somebody.
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I don't want to get too much into this, this isn't therapy.
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For sure.
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But different podcast spinoff.
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Yeah, no, for sure.
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But I do think that, yeah, there's something about a song that I purposely won't listen to certain songs.
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And we've talked about this too, because I don't necessarily want to cry, because if you start to cry, you won't stop crying.
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Oh, yeah.
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And and when you're not used to crying, especially it's hard.
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And then it's like, it does feel good.
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So it's like, what are you gonna do?
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Just like, is it never gonna stop?
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And that that's like that's a good point.
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But and I will clarify.
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So, like the theme that I shared with you was not what I would like to call this episode, which is pity party, because I just think we're not calling it that.
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What?
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I like it.
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We have to call it, yeah, pity party.
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Okay, good, good, pity.
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Okay, good.
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But the original theme I said was self-pitying.
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Yes, I like pity party better.
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Okay, good.
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Because I think the the what the thing that I wanted to convey was you can tell when a song is sad, like if it's just like a sad song, but then also when the singer or songwriter is trying to elicit pity.
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Yes, and that's where I was going with this episode.
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Like, even like even if you're trying to get pity from yourself, like that whole thing of like, oh, I can't wait to talk about my song because it's so like it's so perfect.
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But let's talk about some self-pitying songs today.
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Yeah, this is also a first for our episode.
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Not only are we recording in person for the first time, but we've also both picked songs by the same artist for the first time.
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Woo! I mean, one could say I just copied you.
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Oh, okay.
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I mean, and it's a good It's not that random.
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Well, okay, you can copy and like I didn't, but I mean, it's it's not that crazy that we picked this person because I think pretty much every song he's ever written is self-pitying.
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Let's get into it.
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Okay, but like let's talk about our sad guy, self-pity guy.
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Okay, is Harry Nelson.
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Oh, yeah.
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He is the boss of the final self-pitying boss.
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And like, even the song that you pick, which I can't wait to talk about, was not the song I would have even thought you would pick.
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Oh, but it's you know, I love a contradiction.
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I do, and like I can't wait for you to talk about it a little bit because it took me listening to it again to even see it as a self-pitying song.
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So let me, I don't want to jump the shark.
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What I want to talk about a little bit is just who is Harry Nelson and what's his whole deal.
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Why is everybody talking about him?
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Oh, spoiler alert.
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Yeah, yeah.
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But like, what did you know about Nelson before he shared these songs?
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Are you ready?
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Yeah, I'm ready.
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Okay, so it all started with the monkeys.
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So I I think we've talked about this before, was obsessed with the monkeys.
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Monkeys was my gateway to music, to music, yeah.
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Not to music, to like 60s music.
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Okay.
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So I love the monkeys so much.
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It was pre-high school, it was junior high.
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I think Nickelodeon started doing the monkeys in syndication in like 86 or so.
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Oh, interesting.
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So I was just like loving every minute of every like just like hungry for the the TV shows, their music, their albums, and and I would like go to the library and get books about the monkeys.
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There's like those things out there.
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So funny.
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And so I think I learned that Harry Nielsen wrote a couple of their songs.
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Can you remember?
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Tuddly Toy.
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Okay, Tudley Toy and Daddy's song.
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Daddy's song, okay.
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Um, so I don't know.
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I think I was curious about him.
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He was already a part of my consciousness.
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And then I went to Goodwill one day that I was like shopping at Goodwill and in junior high, high school, and I think I saw Son of Schmielson.
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Yeah.
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The Dracula cover.
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Yeah.
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And I got that, and honestly, I wasn't feeling it.
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Like I think at that point, now I'm like, it's probably high school, like first year of high school.
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I'm like, why don't I just listen to the Beatles like or the monkeys?
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Like, that's what he sounds like.
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Yeah.
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So I wasn't that excited.
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Now, in doing research for this, I realized I knew about Harry Nielsen in 1980.
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I wasn't aware of it.
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Okay.
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Popeye, the movie.
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I had no idea until researching for this very podcast that Harry Nielsen is responsible for that soundtrack.
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And I had no idea either.
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And that was a movie I watched as a kid.
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Oh, really?
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But I also did not know that was filmed in 1980.
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Yeah.
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Like I thought it was a 1990s movie.
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No, 80.
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This is like pre-Gogo's.
00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:45.200
So this is actually my real first, like, wow, something special is going on here with music.
00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:48.240
And what okay, because uh because I don't know.
00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:50.399
What at that point had Robin?
00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:51.600
Oh my god.
00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:52.799
Mork and Mindy.
00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:54.000
Robin Williams, I think.
00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:55.120
Oh, okay.
00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:58.399
So did he go from like Mork and Mindy to this is his first movie.
00:12:58.879 --> 00:12:59.279
Really?
00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.559
I don't know if it was like Mork and Mindy to this, but that's what I think.
00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:03.919
That was his first movie.
00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:09.120
Is I I believe that Popeye is his first movie, and it was much anticipated.
00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:19.679
I remember getting excited about this movie as a kid, and I think part there was part of it because my aunt lived in Catalina and her boyfriend was a sailor.
00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:27.360
And so there was that you felt like you could relate, but I also loved the cartoon Popeye as a kid, and what a weird cartoon.
00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:32.480
It's a weird oil ones, especially are really weird, yeah.
00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:33.600
The really old ones.
00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:34.799
The spinach, though.
00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:38.480
I definitely was like still to this day, I'm like spinach is good for you.
00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:40.159
But no, the soundtrack, I loved it.
00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:40.879
I had the album.
00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:41.360
Okay.
00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:42.559
And oh, interesting.
00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:44.559
Because actually, I haven't listened to the album.
00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:47.039
Oh the all uh the Popeye album.
00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:50.480
Okay, uh we're gonna have a major digression here.
00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:50.960
Are you okay?
00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:52.080
Yeah, I'm fine.
00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:53.840
So he needs me.
00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:56.240
Yeah, he needs the all he needs me.
00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:56.960
Okay, you know it?
00:13:57.039 --> 00:14:00.320
Yeah, such a beautiful song, like that will make me cry.
00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:19.279
She's getting it's it's very and it is a self-pitying song, but I loved that song so much as a kid, and I in researching this episode and finding all this, I then see that there is a re-release of this album around 2017, second disc.
00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:23.360
Harry Nielsen is these are outtakes.
00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:25.200
Harry Nielsen singing the song.
00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:38.960
Cool, and there is one version he sings with olive oil, and together with they're doing they're doing he needs me, uh, and she's struggling with it because you know she's gotta hit a lot of high notes.
00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:46.720
And and part of the charm of that song, I think, is her struggle, like even within it, like like it's not perfect, it's on brand for her.
00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:51.360
Yeah, it's beautiful, but yeah, no, Shelly DeVall is amazing, but yes, agreed.
00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:56.799
Oh god, so he's like encouraging her and like, hey, let's do that again, all right.
00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.120
This is good, and she's like, Can I take a drink of water?
00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:00.399
You hear all of this.
00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:01.679
Wow, that's cool.
00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:03.279
Dude, I was bawling.
00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:04.960
Oh, it's so beautiful.
00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:05.840
I love that.
00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:06.799
That is beautiful.
00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:08.879
It's like the earnesty, yeah, right.
00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:12.480
Like the no, and you can see like how talented he is.
00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:24.080
And this is 1980 that he's doing this, and this is after like he's blown out his voice because of the Pussycat's album, which maybe we'll talk about that, maybe not.
00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:25.679
It's it's in the documentary, guys.
00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:30.720
Yeah, but oh man, that particular song is so perfect.
00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:32.000
Can you link?
00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:33.679
Do they have like oh well I'll link to it?
00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:34.559
Yes, okay, excellent.
00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:35.759
Just because I'd love to see that.
00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:37.279
Okay, punch sorry, one more thing.
00:15:37.360 --> 00:15:38.159
Punch drug love.
00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:38.879
Have you seen that?
00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:39.679
Yeah, okay.
00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:40.960
So there is a scene.
00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:50.159
Do you remember when Adam Sandler's character, he's like realizing he needs to go to Hawaii for the Emily Watson character and proclaim his love to her.
00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:55.039
That whole scene, a six minutes, is the whole He Needs Me song, especially.
00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:59.360
Although it's obviously a lot, it's a six minute scene, and the song's like two and a half minutes or so.
00:15:59.519 --> 00:15:59.600
Okay.
00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:04.080
So they're extending all breakdown or something.
00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:06.159
But it's a perfect six minutes of scene.
00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:07.120
Okay, that's so interesting.
00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:13.039
And that's like a deep cut because it's not like a like a Nelson one that you would have necessarily known about.
00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:14.480
No, it's so crazy.
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:18.080
The more I learn about this guy, the more fascinated I am.
00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:21.360
And like I feel like, again, a separate podcast.
00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:21.919
Totally.
00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:22.159
Yeah.
00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:28.080
I mean, I and like that's what's funny, is I listened to a podcast episode about Harry Nielsen, all linked to it.
00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:31.039
Because I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head.
00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:49.600
But like, they were basically just like talking about all of his lore because you know, he was like best friends with the Beatles, and like, you know, hanging out with John and Ringo, and like there was this funny story they told about how, and this is probably in the documentary, but I haven't watched it in like 15 years.
00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:58.799
So he basically was gonna get kicked off his label, and he literally brought John Lennon with him and was like, and maybe Paul.
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:09.359
I don't remember if it was Paul or Ringo, but he was like, Oh, like I was thinking, like they were thinking of leaving the record label too, but like we wouldn't we want to be on the same label as our buddy Harry.
00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:13.920
Yeah, because they were all like so tight, yeah, and like that's what people say about anyway.
00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:33.440
It worked, they kept him on the label, but like they call Nelson like a musician's musician, yes, and that like is so on brand, but I also like that he was kind of seen as like this bridge between like the 60s psychedelic era and the 70s singer-songwriter era.
00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:34.480
Oh, for sure.
00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:44.400
So, like Nelson is somebody who I've like known about my whole life just because like my parents are Nelson fans, and like have you seen the cartoon, The Point?
00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:50.640
You know, again, in preparing for this episode, I watched it because it's so adorable, but also so cool.
00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:53.920
But the music is so good, it is but it was familiar.
00:17:54.000 --> 00:18:01.200
Like, I don't have the memory from childhood, but I do like have that feeling of knowing that music just me and my arrow.
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:01.839
Yeah, me and my arrow.
00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.119
Oh my god, it's so good.
00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:05.440
It's like that was like me and Tully.
00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:07.759
I know yeah, my dog and Tilly.
00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:14.799
But okay, so I was kind of curious about Coconut Records, our friend Jason Schwartzman.
00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:20.160
I don't know if you remember, but I did mention how I felt the music sounded a little bit like Harry Nielsen.
00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:20.400
Yeah.
00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:40.400
Well, sure enough, one of his major influences, and he plays, he does a guest DJ set on KCRW, and he played Schwartzman does Schwartzman in 2008, like just when he started Coconut Records, and he plays Me and My Arrow, and he has a dog named Arrow.
00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:42.000
That's so cute.
00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:46.400
And you have to wonder, Coconut, yeah, of course.
00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:46.720
I know.
00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:53.519
I try to find that, but but that's what's so cool is he's had such a big influence, I think, on music.
00:18:53.680 --> 00:19:16.960
And like it's such an interesting thing, like for us to talk about him for our pity party episode, too, because like I do think Nielsen is like such a a force, and like people know him, and they might not even know him, but they will probably know like you know, like everybody's talking, which you mentioned in our last episode, which I was like, that was a fun Easter egg for us to segue into this one.
00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:23.759
But like, of course, that was in Midnight Cowboy, yeah, and got him so famous and so popular.
00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:30.799
And I I'm so from Houston, Texas, because I started like when I was writing my notes, I was like Urban Cowboy wrong, Midnight Cowboy.
00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:42.559
But that I think is really interesting that his song in that movie like launched him truly into like fame and even won him a Grammy, yeah, like for that song.
00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:52.319
Yeah, but I was curious, like, I know that you love cinema and songs utilized in cinema, so I was wondering, did you think of any other Nelson songs that were in movies?
00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.359
Jeez, I mean, aside from Popeye, of course.
00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:57.359
Yeah, okay, there's a good fella scene.
00:19:57.519 --> 00:19:57.920
Yeah, that's right.
00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:00.160
Jump into the fire, jump in the fire.
00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.440
That's that's classic.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.839
Did you see if I had legs I'd kick you?
00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:04.400
I did.
00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:04.720
Okay.
00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:05.759
It's a movie.
00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:07.920
I feel like that's a whole other conversation.
00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.000
Moms don't like it.
00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:16.960
Um, but they have a moment where the mom and daughter sing, Think About Your Troubles, which I think is so sweet.
00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:20.400
That's like one of my favorite songs, and that's also from The Point.
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:24.240
And then I haven't seen this, but I know you have the worst person in the world.
00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:24.880
Yes.
00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:30.079
And I saw that they used I Said Goodbye to me in the trailer.
00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:30.319
Yeah.
00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:31.440
Was it in the movie itself?
00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:32.160
I don't remember.
00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:33.279
Honestly, I don't remember it.
00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:33.920
Okay.
00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:39.519
It like part of the reason why I wanted to watch the movie is because I saw the trailer and they used that, and I'm like, Oh, I love that song.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:40.720
No, you should watch it.
00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:41.119
Okay.
00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:44.880
I don't remember a scene with it specifically, but it's possible.
00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:45.359
Okay.
00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:46.319
The Fisher King.
00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:47.039
Did you ever see that?
00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:47.279
No.
00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:52.000
That's one of like Thomas's, like, I don't know, favorite, but definitely like a top 10 movie.
00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:52.720
Who's in it?
00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:53.759
Robin Williams.
00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:54.160
Wow.
00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:54.559
Yeah.
00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.359
And the dude.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.319
Deep cuts.
00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:56.559
Yeah.
00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:57.680
Oh, and and you know what?
00:20:57.839 --> 00:20:59.119
Tom Waits is also in it.
00:20:59.200 --> 00:20:59.920
He's got a small part.
00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:00.480
Yeah, small part.
00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:01.119
Not watching.
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:04.640
But um, he's he does a How About You, a cover of How About You.
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:05.680
It's lovely.
00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:07.680
I'll have this in the show notes for sure.
00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:08.720
Francis Ha.
00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.240
Oh, yes.
00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.880
Now, I actually tried to find the scene.
00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:19.359
Supposedly, it's like playing while they're at a dinner party, a very iconic, hilarious dinner party scene.
00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:21.440
I've like rejected this movie from my brain.
00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:22.559
Weirdly, okay.
00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:30.960
Watch this scene, and I don't know if this is good or bad, but I feel like in this scene, Frances Ha is a combination of us.
00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:31.599
No.
00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:33.279
Oh my god.
00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:34.400
Say more.
00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:43.599
Just in the things she says about like the slightly offensive things, the slightly uncomfortable feeling.
00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:44.880
I've said offensive things.
00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.640
I mean listener, I have, of course, I have word.
00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:51.039
So watch the scene again.
00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:52.160
It's in the show notes.
00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:53.680
You can't hear the song though.
00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:56.799
And the song was actually Miss Butter's Lament.
00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:57.279
Okay.
00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:57.839
So anyway.
00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:58.559
Yeah.
00:21:58.720 --> 00:21:59.119
Lots of songs.
00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.839
Lots, lots of songs.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.319
Lots of Nelson songs and movies, which I think is really cool.
00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:05.680
But of course, the most iconic is from Midnight Cowboy.
00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:13.680
And I know that now we've established, of course, that we've both seen the 2006 documentary called Who is Harry Nelson and Why Is Everybody Talking About Him?
00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:18.799
But if you are a Nelson fan or Nelson curious, like you should absolutely go check it out.
00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:19.920
It's on YouTube for free.
00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:21.759
We'll link to it in the show notes.
00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:29.119
But one of the things that's so cool about it is just the star power that's in the YouTube and like everybody who is talking about him and who is friends with him.
00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:30.240
And like, I don't know.
00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:42.000
Like, I do love the thought of a musician's musician because you know it's fun to see musicians talk about each other and like who they admire and why they like them and how they influence them.
00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:42.319
Yeah.
00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:47.200
Like Ringo Starr was the best man at Harry Nielsen's third wedding.
00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:48.799
Damn, three marriages.
00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:49.519
Yes.
00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:52.480
That is three marriages, several kids.
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.480
That well, and this is interesting.
00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:55.200
We'll get into it.
00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:57.359
Hey, do you feel like we should talk about our song pictures?
00:22:57.599 --> 00:22:58.079
Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:00.720
Because we are, I mean, obviously, okay, we're Nielsen fans.
00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:01.359
This is amazing.
00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:05.039
I feel like everyone is, whether they know it or not, but now they know.
00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:11.359
My self-pitying aka pity party song is the one that I mentioned from Worst Person in the World.
00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:15.839
I said goodbye to me from the 1968 album Ariel Ballet.
00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:18.319
I said goodbye to me.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:22.880
I looked in the mirror, then I began to cry.
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:32.720
I leave my things behind for all to see and hope that she understands why.
00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:38.799
Right off the bat, it's one of my favorite self-pitying moves.
00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:45.279
But when in the opening line he says, I looked in the mirror and I began to cry.
00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.400
How fucking self-pitying is that?
00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:49.279
Have you done that?
00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:50.079
Of course.
00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:52.160
I think I might have done that too.
00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:52.960
Oh my God.
00:23:53.039 --> 00:24:00.079
It's like, it's, and sometimes you ever like you're crying and you catch yourself crying and you just kind of like, I'm sad.
00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:02.240
Like, God, it's so fucking funny.
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.839
But like quivering, you see that and you're like the tears streaking down.
00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:07.839
And sometimes it's like, man, I am pretty.
00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:12.000
I wish someone could see this right now.
00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:18.640
Most of the time I don't want people to see me crying, but it is like deliciously self-indulgent.
00:24:18.799 --> 00:24:21.920
And like I absolutely love that's how he opens this song.
00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:22.319
Yeah.
00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:26.400
But like the rest of the song doesn't really even have that much substance.
00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:28.160
Like, there's not a ton of lyrics.
00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:31.599
Like some of it just feels like it's just filling time.
00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:37.759
But one of my favorite Nelson moves that he does in the song is the wam-wam wands.
00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:56.160
Like like a child imitating like they're crying.
00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:02.319
Yeah, it's that, but it's also like filling space with just like remember our made up words.
00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:03.680
Like it's just noise.
00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:06.960
And it's, but it's like hearing yourself sing.
00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:17.599
And I don't know, like to me, it was it's a halfway between pantomiming crying and also just like doing some, I don't know, scatting.
00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:21.599
Yeah, no, I I and I think I don't know if it's conscious or not of him.
00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:24.880
I'm I would have to feel like I feel like it sounds like crying.
00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:25.200
Yeah.
00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:26.799
He does it in everybody's pocket.
00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:30.960
He also did it in Daddy's song, which is appropriate.
00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:32.000
Yes, very appropriate.
00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:33.200
I'd rather be dead.
00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:33.359
Oh.
00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:34.559
Which yeah.
00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:36.319
Great video, guys.
00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:38.480
But he's got the like boo-hoo.
00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:38.960
Yeah.
00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:40.720
An actual boo hoo in there.
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:41.599
I love that.
00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:46.720
So he's definitely like going deep on the pity party.
00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:50.799
The pity party is real, and the song is so good.
00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:53.119
And like that's where I'm coming from.
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:57.759
It's like we had so many pity party songs to choose from.
00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:02.240
And like this album, Ariel Ballet, like I said, from 68.
00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:10.960
It's his third studio album, and it has some other excellent pity party songs on it, which you could have easily picked one, but like I'm sure a lot of folks are familiar with one.
00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:13.599
I love this song.
00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:15.039
It is a good song.
00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:16.319
I don't like it.
00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:18.559
It's good because it's so pathetic.
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:19.839
It's so pathetic.
00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:22.559
I don't like the obviously pathetic songs.
00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:25.839
Oh my god, but I like to me, it's like it's so on the nose.
00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:33.599
And it's like one of those ones that you're like, if I have to think of sad song, like if somebody could just say, think of the sad song.
00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:34.400
One.
00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:39.119
No, and truly, when you proposed this, I that was the first song that came to my mind.
00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:44.400
Because I'm like, yours is really good, but one is the obvious choice.
00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:45.839
Oh, it's the total obvious choice.
00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:46.559
But I didn't go out.
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:47.440
I can't wait.
00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:48.880
I literally can't wait to talk about it.
00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:53.599
One is the loneliest number for any of our listeners who are curious, and then like we'll link to it.
00:26:53.839 --> 00:27:01.279
This album also features everybody's talking in '68, but then it became very popular in 70 when Midnight Cowboy came out.
00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:13.759
But the one that you've mentioned a couple times is Daddy's Song, which I guess, like, because the monkeys got the rights to that song, like he you're not gonna see Daddy's song as often out and about.
00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:33.119
And it sounds really twee and poppy, but in reality, it's talking about how his father left their family when Harry Nelson was pretty young, and how he said he wouldn't do the same if he had a son, which you know, this isn't a self-pitying song, but it's definitely a bummer, unless you think it is self-pitying.
00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:33.599
I don't know.
00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:40.880
It feels the energy is not self-pitying, but it's a sad song with a hopeful ending.
00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:49.759
I think there is some hope that I think it's also anger disguised with I don't know, it's like it's a secretly angry song, yeah, too.
00:27:50.319 --> 00:28:05.039
But I do love that because of his success or because of the interest in Everybody's Talking, he did win a Grammy for Best Male Contemporary Vocal Performance in 1970 for Everybody's Talking, and it was after it was featured in Midnight Cowboy.
00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:07.519
But surprisingly, he actually didn't write that song.
00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:11.920
So Fred Neil did, and I don't know who that is, but good for him.
00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:12.720
Cool song.
00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:23.599
It did surprise me because Nelson wrote or co-wrote so many songs for other artists, and he was like a very clever and creative musical talent, like spanning genres, I think, too.
00:28:23.920 --> 00:28:31.039
Truly, which is really genres and octaves, yes, like three and a half octaves is is what I heard his range was.
00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:32.720
Wow, yeah, and like amazing.
00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:37.119
You can hear it if you listen to his like I know it's so interesting.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:45.680
I mean, you really gotta just take a moment to like listen to his oeuvre, truly, like a day, which is kind of what I did.
00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:48.079
Yeah, I know, I know I did that on even when you picked me up.
00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:48.799
I heard the milk.
00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:50.799
I know, I know I haven't stopped.
00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:54.400
It's so good, but like let's not stop, let's keep this pity party going.
00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:59.440
Please tell me about yours because like I want, like, I want to be surprised.
00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:02.880
Okay, so I've already talked about this with you.
00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:07.119
The more I learn about the guy, the more I appreciate his self-pitying ways.
00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:11.599
And I do think like he knows he's being ridiculous, sure, right?
00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:21.759
But he like can't help but feel abandoned, like he's lonely, he's misunderstood, and he doesn't want to be late, clearly.
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:31.119
So obviously, we've talked many times about my love for for contrasts, contradictions, juxtapositions.
00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:40.880
So I went with one from his 1971 album, Nielsen Schmielsen, and the song is gotta get up.
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:47.039
Gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the morning comes.
00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:48.319
What if I'm late?
00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:52.000
Gotta be day, gotta get home before the sun comes.
00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:06.640
So there's nothing inherently self-pitying at this point.
00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:13.359
I think when I listened to it on first listen, it didn't strike me as self-pitying.
00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:13.920
Yeah.
00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:15.920
Because I probably wasn't listening to it closely.
00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:18.160
No, because it's like super upbeat.
00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:38.880
But if you even listen to those, that part of the song, I mean, there's anxiety to the anticipation and probably I just relate just the anxiety I have day to day about getting up in the morning and what's all what all the multitude of stuff that we have to do.
00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:46.400
But when you really listen to the lyrics, especially the ones coming after what we just heard, it's basically a funeral for youth.
00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:46.960
Ooh.
00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:47.279
Yeah.
00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:48.960
That's that's a oh yeah.
00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:50.400
This is a classic Harry.
00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:50.720
Yeah.
00:30:50.960 --> 00:31:02.880
So he's mourning the transition from like this freewheeling, like late nights into being bogged down with like the responsibility of having to wake up and get to this whatever.
00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:07.839
Uh but the music, it's just it's so bouncy and brassy.
00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:12.000
You got the horns, you got the accordions, maybe even harmonian.
00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:13.599
It's harmonium.
00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:15.839
It's very circus-like.
00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:16.640
Vaudeville.
00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:17.759
Yeah, very vaudeville.
00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:19.359
But I I think so.
00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:21.599
Do you remember his parents, his grandparents?
00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:24.640
His grandparents, that's what the aerial ballet was named after.
00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:29.599
I think he has this fixation for like the circus, which, like, rightfully so.
00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:30.880
This is a part of him.
00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:32.880
And it's a crazy subculture.
00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:33.519
No, it is.
00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:35.200
And so so much Can you imagine?
00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:40.160
But I think that's like people think, oh, circus fun, but circus is like lugubrious.
00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:41.920
That's where we get this.
00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:46.880
Like, you get like some of this what seems joyful, but it's also very heavy.
00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:47.680
Oh, for sure.
00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:49.680
And just like what we're hearing.
00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:56.880
So, like, even though we're getting like what might traditionally be fun sounds, it's kind of zany.
00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:57.359
Yeah.
00:31:57.440 --> 00:31:58.480
And like super zany.
00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:01.119
Like it fucks with your brain a little bit.
00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:18.480
It is funny because like there's those moments in the song where it's like the it's almost like you know, when they do the wah wah trambone, like and that that part, which does feel like there's the danciness and then the there's also the pitfalls where you're just like kind of going into the sad yeah elements.
00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:19.759
This is what I love.
00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:20.319
Yeah.
00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:22.480
And this is why I had to choose this.
00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:33.759
But I mean, what's kind of interesting is, and especially when I talk about where I re-heard this song for the first time after a while of not hearing it, it's kind of a loop.
00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:40.079
And and that's kind of I imagine how he sees life, like this like struggle with the clock, and that's like right.
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:40.640
Yeah.
00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:41.119
Yeah.
00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:43.119
And who can't relate with that?
00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:43.680
Mm-hmm.
00:32:44.799 --> 00:33:00.559
There was time when we could have windowed.
00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:10.799
So we love a pitchfork review.
00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:12.559
Pitchfork reach out.
00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:15.680
Nine point four for Nielsen Schmielson.
00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:19.279
That tracks, because this is like such a music bro artist.
00:33:19.599 --> 00:33:19.759
No.
00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:21.599
Nine point four, impressive.
00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:22.319
That is good.
00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:33.920
The review calls out that weary but rousing quality and says the song is a morning after stumble into adult routine and lost salad days.
00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:38.559
I love the use of that like Shakespeare quote.
00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:40.640
It's good, it's perfect.
00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:48.240
But okay, so this all brings me to Russian doll and its brilliant use in the show.
00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:50.000
Please tell me you have seen.
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:51.039
Oh, thank god.
00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:52.480
Yeah, for once I've seen season.
00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:54.079
I mean, did you like it?
00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:54.559
I did.
00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:55.200
I definitely did.
00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:56.640
Well, I I only saw season one.
00:33:56.799 --> 00:33:57.359
Okay, yeah.
00:33:57.519 --> 00:33:59.200
Season two is is interesting.
00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:06.400
Also great music, but and I think it uses it maybe a couple times, but not as much.
00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:07.440
Definitely not as much.
00:34:07.599 --> 00:34:08.880
I love Natasha Leone.
00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.400
Yeah, I love Greta Lee.
00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:13.039
She makes everything.
00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:16.079
She's she just makes like she's like one of my favorite actors.
00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:17.519
Did you see the morning show?
00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:17.920
No.
00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:18.800
Sorry, okay.
00:34:19.119 --> 00:34:22.320
Wait, that's another whole like side conversation.
00:34:22.960 --> 00:34:26.800
What's the one that she did with Seg about her like past lives?
00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:27.280
Past lives.
00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:28.159
So good.
00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:29.440
Talk about a crying movie.
00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:31.199
No, she's oh yeah, for sure.
00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:32.559
Yeah, she's so great.
00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:44.960
But for those who haven't seen Russian doll, it's kind of like Groundhog Day, but in the multiverse, and gotta get up is doing what I got you, babe, did to reset the loop.
00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:45.440
Nice.
00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:52.400
And for Natasha's character, Nadia, she dies again and again and in all sorts of crazy situations.
00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:59.440
And every time she wakes up, it's at her 36th birthday party with this song playing in the bathroom.
00:34:59.679 --> 00:35:01.280
Or maybe it's in her mind.
00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:04.320
I think it's more in her mind because it's not actually at the party.
00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:05.840
We're not hearing this at the party.
00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:09.920
36th is making me laugh because I was probably watching this when I was like 29.
00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:10.639
Oh, really?
00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:11.519
Oh my god.
00:35:11.760 --> 00:35:17.599
And now I'm 38, and I just feel like when I was 29 watching it, I'm like, they're so adult, they're so cool.
00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:17.920
Yeah.
00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:20.639
And now I'm like, I'm never gonna be that cool.
00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:23.679
God, now you know how I feel about everything.
00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:26.320
No, that's fine.
00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:38.960
So there's an Indie Wire article, and Leon talks about how like all the music choices were so important to her, but like more than anything, gotta get up was the linchpin that sets it all off.
00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:43.039
And she also talks about like generally being a massive Nielsen fan.
00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:46.400
Nice, which makes sense knowing how she is.
00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:50.960
And she said she likes artists who I wish I could do her accent.
00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:51.840
Could you do it?
00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:52.559
Try it, try it.
00:35:52.639 --> 00:35:54.320
Um, who knocked on death?
00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:55.760
I can't do it.
00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:56.320
No, I know.
00:35:56.400 --> 00:35:57.119
I've got a little bit of a side.
00:35:57.199 --> 00:35:58.000
I'm sorry, I don't do it.
00:35:58.400 --> 00:35:59.599
Let me try a New York accent.
00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:01.280
Who knocked on death's door?
00:36:01.519 --> 00:36:02.159
That's so bad.
00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:03.920
Yeah, you gotta it's it's hard to do her.
00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:05.199
She's Thomas Keep it in.
00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:06.400
She's such a character.
00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:09.599
She's such a character, but it's hard to do that.
00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:10.719
No, it's impossible.
00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:12.639
I love when you can't imitate someone.
00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:14.159
No, she's she's amazing.
00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:21.519
And then the showrunner Leslie Headland said they needed something viewers could tolerate hearing over and over again that wouldn't be annoying.
00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:26.239
Because you hear it like several times in one episode throughout the season.
00:36:26.639 --> 00:36:31.199
The opening notes and the opening like of that song is so good.
00:36:31.440 --> 00:36:34.159
Yeah, that that piano is just like every time.
00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:35.039
Oh, I love that.
00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:37.679
And it's like that's a good point because it isn't annoying.
00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:39.519
I got you, babe, is annoying.
00:36:40.559 --> 00:36:41.599
Hearing it over and over.
00:36:41.920 --> 00:36:43.280
You can hear it once and it's okay.
00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:44.880
No, over and over again, I'm sure.
00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:50.480
But so yeah, this this song be kind of becomes this cosmic anthem of I think self-pity.
00:36:50.639 --> 00:36:58.800
I mean, not even death gets you out of waking up in the morning, or in the case of Russian doll, attending your own birthday party.
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:04.960
Yeah, okay, that's funny because how many birthday parties of your own would you even want to go to?
00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:06.320
Yeah, yeah, like horrible.
00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:06.800
Horrible.
00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:10.559
But can we talk really quickly about like deepening into the self-pity?
00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:11.679
Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:37:11.920 --> 00:37:16.639
What the fuck is up with the cover art for Nelson Schmilsen?
00:37:16.960 --> 00:37:17.920
You mean the robe?
00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:18.800
Yeah, yeah.
00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:20.000
Bathrobe.
00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:21.360
He doesn't give a fuck.
00:37:21.760 --> 00:37:22.880
He looks fucked up.
00:37:23.599 --> 00:37:30.239
But okay, this also, I think this whole schmilson bit is very self-pitying.
00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:32.400
Like peak pity party in a way.
00:37:32.719 --> 00:37:35.440
So, do you know like the schmh when you schmo something?
00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:36.400
It's like a schmah.
00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:39.280
Yeah, it's a shhm reduplication.
00:37:39.599 --> 00:37:43.840
And he didn't just do this once, he did son of schmilsen.
00:37:44.079 --> 00:37:44.639
Oh, I know.
00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:47.760
So, and then he's got another schmilsen in there too.
00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:52.800
And it's kind of like you're just like, like when you say fancy schmancy or whatever, like Joe Schmo.
00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:54.880
Like you're you're downgrading it.
00:37:54.960 --> 00:37:57.920
You're it's totally so that's self-deprecating.
00:37:58.079 --> 00:37:58.639
Yeah, exactly.
00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:00.559
Not even just self-pitying, but self-deprecating.
00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:04.960
It's so I feel like his self-pitying, he's in on it.
00:38:05.280 --> 00:38:13.360
Like he knows he's being a joker, he knows he's like milking all his horrible life.
00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:15.599
I mean, he had he has a right to be self-pitting.
00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:17.280
He had a tough life growing up, yeah.
00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:20.079
His father abandoned him, I think, at four-ish.
00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:21.920
Yeah, they were pretty broke.
00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:24.960
Yeah, no, I feel like there's like a whole series of things you can say.
00:38:25.039 --> 00:38:30.719
Like, he was so poor that he robbed a liquor store when he was a kid and only got like$17.
00:38:31.840 --> 00:38:34.159
He was so poor that he had to eat dog food.
00:38:34.719 --> 00:38:41.519
He was so poor that he had to, I don't know, his family kicked him out at like he had a job as a caddy.
00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:49.039
He was living with aunts and uncles, and I think around 16 or so, they're like, sorry, we just can't like afford you anymore.
00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:50.639
Oh, it's heartbreaking.
00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:56.800
And then like to see his triumph as uh artist, but also, I mean, I don't want to get too interesting because people really should.
00:38:56.880 --> 00:39:06.639
If you are curious at all, like definitely watch the documentary, but like kind of being taken advantage, I mean, really being taken advantage of and being left broke.
00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:13.519
Like I don't want to say penniless, but like just that rise and fall, like big swing up and then back down.
00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:24.800
So anyway, yeah, but love this artist, love the self-pity, yeah, love the opportunity for more sad, like fucking songs.
00:39:24.960 --> 00:39:25.679
Like, I don't know.
00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:26.559
I know.
00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:33.679
And as we come to a close, I think we alluded to Pussycats earlier, the album that John Lennon produced.
00:39:33.840 --> 00:39:34.239
Yeah.
00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:39.519
That was the one where he like, like he was he had been partying a lot with John Lennon.
00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:39.679
Yeah.
00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:45.519
John Lennon was in his Lost Weekend, yeah, which was like almost two, three years, I think 18 months.
00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:47.519
18 months, yeah.
00:39:47.760 --> 00:39:53.039
And they were drinking Brandy Alexander and just living a hard life.
00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:56.559
I think this is the period that also John and Joker were separated.
00:39:56.719 --> 00:39:56.960
Yeah.
00:39:57.119 --> 00:40:02.800
So they they did this album, Pussycats, and they cover um many rivers to cross.
00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:03.360
Oh no.
00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:04.800
And that's worth a listen.
00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:06.719
He's okay just pushing it.
00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:17.440
And I think this the story is that they were like trying to outdo how like hard they can go with their voices, and he had blood on the mic.
00:40:17.519 --> 00:40:19.440
Oh, and he had to go to the hospital.
00:40:19.679 --> 00:40:21.599
Oh my god, and then he went to the hospital.
00:40:21.760 --> 00:40:26.480
My guy, Mickey Mickey Dolans from The Monkeys, gets a call from him to pick him up.
00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:31.039
He's like, Bring brandy and cigarettes, and he's like, I'll bring the brandy, but no cigarettes, dude.
00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:33.199
Holy crap! He had polyps.
00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:33.920
Oh my god.
00:40:34.239 --> 00:40:34.639
Poor guy.
00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:36.239
So he like really suffered.
00:40:36.639 --> 00:40:38.000
This is a hard life.
00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:42.719
Like, and it didn't get easier when he got famous because it's just like a different type of hard.
00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:44.320
Yeah, you know, the fame.
00:40:44.480 --> 00:40:44.800
Yeah.
00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:48.880
Wow, Nelson, thank you for giving us your art and your craft.
00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:51.840
Christine, thanks for joining me in this pity party.
00:40:52.239 --> 00:40:54.239
I don't want to say fun, but it kind of was.
00:40:54.400 --> 00:40:55.360
Yeah, it really was.
00:40:55.679 --> 00:40:57.519
It's always fun to like learn more about a person.
00:40:57.679 --> 00:40:58.239
Oh, 100%.
00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:02.559
Um, I was wondering if I could just give you some unsolicited advice.
00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:03.039
Uh-oh.
00:41:03.280 --> 00:41:04.239
Did I do something wrong?
00:41:04.480 --> 00:41:05.760
No, no, not at all.
00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:08.079
But you and others might benefit from this.
00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:11.199
Send a handwritten letter or postcard this summer.
00:41:11.679 --> 00:41:23.599
They might be trying to dismantle the US Postal Service to fund some billionaire shipping services, but for the low, low price of 78 cents, you can still make somebody's day with a piece of non-junk mail delivered right to their mailbox.
00:41:23.840 --> 00:41:34.719
In a time when folks are increasingly asking AI to do the thinking for them, take a moment out of your day to think of something sweet, strange, or completely made up to tell a friend, family member, or mortal enemy.
00:41:35.199 --> 00:41:36.800
It sounds threatening, but I'm in.
00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:40.800
Letter writing is one of the oldest forms of communication that we still maintain.
00:41:41.199 --> 00:41:50.000
And in a time when the demand for immediate responses are giving us anxiety, free yourself with a one-way communication that can't even be tracked or alerted upon its receipt.
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And who knows, you might even get a piece of handwritten correspondence in return.
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That reminds me, how did you even get my address?
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If you need a pen pal, my mailbox is open.
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We don't even have to talk about music.
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But wouldn't it be fun?
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Advice over.
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Oh no.
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Thanks for listening to Stereo Thematica.
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If you like what you're hearing, please consider a review, a rating, or share this podcast with a friend.
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And follow us on Instagram where you can share your favorite self-pitying songs.
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And we got our infinite Spotify playlist linked in our show notes.
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And visit stereothematica.com for more fun.
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Bye.
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Hi! We're off to Hollywood Bowl.
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Woo!