My favourite use of parentheses in rock – because it’s the sexiest ever ice-breaker at social gatherings to have a favourite use of parentheses in rock – is (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) by The Stranglers. I particularly like the way the parentheses get a grip on the word ‘Grip’. It takes my enjoyment of the song to a whole new metaphorical and intellectual level and instantly sets me apart from Donald Trump.
What’s the difference between Hepcats and Squares?
Only Squares use [].
You can have that [one].
I don’t want to overstate the importance of parentheses in rock but take it as read that you can flirt like mad with your wife’s/husband’s work colleagues without anyone thinking it untoward or too familiar if you squeeze a Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) or a Bang A Gong (Get It On) – the latter as part of a crowd-pleasing Leslie Phillips impersonation – into the more lascivious topics of your conversation such as the amount of money you’ve saved on your weekly shop by switching to Aldi or whether or not to buy holiday Euros now or at the last minute given the Greek situation.
It’s become rather upsetting for me to see the use of parentheses these days being reduced to an unwelcome distraction to original song titles that used to sit so prettily on sleeves and inlays and make you wonder what pearls of wisdom their use suggested in the song’s meaning or from the artist’s lyrical imaginings. There I am on Spotify searching for Pigs (Three Different Ones) and I have to contend with Pigs (Three Different Ones)[2011 – Remaster]. Ugh. Those [] just radiate cold shafts of broken glass. Ha ha charade you are.
Then there’s the extremely unwelcome trend for getting all your mates to perform on your song and making them part of the song title. So it’s not enough for David Guetta to have a track called Hey Mama. It has to be known to the world as Hey Mama (feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack) or (worse still) Hey Mama (feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack)[Boaz van de Beatz remix]. Reducing parentheses to being PR slag tags is demeaning to everyone. Even Donald Trump. We need to better parent these parentheses.
Did you know there is an artist called Bracket who keeps cropping up as a guest on songs.
To wit:Tantalizer (feat. Bracket).
Oh how I laugh with various eminent men of letters on that [one].
Ha ha ha ha ha ha (ha).
Then there are song titles that you imagine should have parentheses such as Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? by The Rolling Stones and those that you would assume would be quite capable of standing on their own (two) punctuating feet without their inclusion such as (A) Face In The Crowd by The Kinks.
Finally, here’s a parentheses joke for all you Boo Hewardine fans……….(Boo Hewardine)
Hinge and Bracket?
Paging @minibreakfast!
Happily, Hinge & Bracket have a song on youtube featuring double parentheses (how marvellous!) [in every way].
Digital remaster? Pah! Give me the warmth of the original vinyl.
I suspect that warmth might be because it was kept next to the radiator in the Scope shop.
Everything Must Go ( )
I win.
The second album from Sigur Rós was simply entitled ( ). Furthermore, none of the tracks were named at the time.
There’s probably some obscure band that released an album with no graphics or text at all.
We don’t have anywhere near enough punctuation related threads on here.
Sadly, I have little to add to Mr Bisto’s missive, except to add that I am in justly awe of a man who has a favourite use of parentheses in rock. No wonder he gets invited to so many parties.
What about someone who has a favourite use of a colon?
Me, I use them in sausages.
Mick n Joe knew the score
Best label/sleeve integration ever too..
http://youtu.be/IkM5lrrnq_Y
Hatfield and the North have form here. Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract) being one memorable example
Elsewhere in Canterbury, ‘Love to Love You (and tonight pigs will fly)’.
Last night as I cycled down Brook Street in Chester, I was delighted to see that there is a record shop there called The Land of Grey and Pink.
I meant to say ‘still’ a record shop. I used to go there when living in Chester 25 years ago.
I once had a job interview for a music equipment company which ended with an impromptu pop quiz. Grip was one acceptable answer, the other being (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!). I wonder if I got the job because of my job-related skills, or my knowledge of pop trivia.
Pedant time: it’s Boo Hewerdine, not Boo Hewardine. That’s his name (in the brackets).
Wasn’t there an 80s Radio 1 DJ who would award listeners points for correctly naming the records he played, always smugly insisting upon the parentheses?
Yes.
It was J*mmy S*ville on Radio1 Pick Of The Past Poptastic Countdowns (or whatever it was called).
Being a proper pedantic saddo with no friends, I believe he still owes me about 279 points from all the correctly placed brackets and punxctation that I shouted at the radio.
Love the post Mr Bisto.
My favourite (use of parentheses) is Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) by Haircut 100 (as if you needed telling).
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) packs a fair few punctuations.
I’d like to state (with regard to your excellent opening post) that I have always found (the use of) parentheses (in song titles) rather arch (not to say irritating).
Inconsistency in the use of pop punctuation was (not was) something that used to drive me mad not mad. That was then, but this is now.
Y’see (today I met) the boy I’m gonna marry 😉
You know how people do the “wiggly fingers” thing to show they are talking in quotes?
I think I may start doing body movements for all punctuation in speech.
Brackets should be the easy – stand sideways and curve yourself a bit.
The semicolon may prove awkward, but that is one to work on
I would pay to see you do a question mark!
I prefer quotation marks.
As in “Heroes” – David Bowie, not Heroes – David Bowie.
And Scritti Politti’s The “Sweetest Girl”, one of the very greatest records ever made.
!!!
Never heard any of their stuff mind.
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody). A handy little piece of descriptive information in case you are not partial to naive melodies and wish to skip the track. Parentheses used for part of he title where the enclosed words don’t feature in the song – there’s a thread I’ll not be starting.
Then there’s the useful additional text that references the chorus in case you are not sure what the song is based on the title alone as in Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) by the Mamas and Papas. So considerate.
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe).
I seem to remember a feature in Word (or was it a podcast?), where you had to put the comma, apostrophe, or diacritical mark in the right place(s) in the song or album title, band name, etc.
Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian) by XTC off Go 2*.
The subtitle “Andy Paints Brian” for the song “Battery Brides” is a reference to Brian Eno, the band’s original choice as producer for the album. Eno politely turned the band down, saying they didn’t need him, as they had enough good ideas of their own.
*See also Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!) off same album.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned Zappa’s “Apostrophe (‘)”.
They have now.
What about that band who recorded an album with Scott Walker.
Sunn o)):::. ?
Crikey
Why,(of course) it’s the Parenthetical Girls!
Not very good (is it?)
Genesis (part of Supper’s Ready):
As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Men’s Feet)
A marvellous bit of parenthesis action there, from the “I Know What I Like (in your Wardrobe)” hitmakers.
Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
looks like the thread is done, now there’s
(nothing but) Flowers.