Wonderful track, but why exactly did the people sing “La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la” on The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down? I can’t find a decent explanation for this anywhere. Help La.
La la la la
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An excuse to post this absolutely brilliant piece from Pitchfork.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-band-the-band/
I don’t have an answer Troutie, in fact I’d also like to know what Manfred Man found so attractive about a woman who walks down the street singing “Do-wa-diddy, Diddy-dum-diddy-doo”. I know it takes all sorts, but frankly I’d pass.
Or why Bananarama made such a meal of parting with all that “na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey” before “goodbye”.
Thanks Mooche, whilst Pitchfork can at times be annoyingly annoying that’s a pitch perfect review. And absolutely no idea why the people of Dixieland would sing la la la as Charleston burnt to the ground…
That makes a fish and a moose and several humans(?) who are equally unknowing.
And if she was snapping her fingers and shuffling her feet as well, I’d definitely cross the road.
Bloke: Brexit is going to be a complete fucking disaster, you know.
People: La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la…
Did they ever find out who put the bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp?
I suppose it might have been the same person who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong, but I very much doubt it was the same blighter who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop. Or who put the dip in the dip da dip da dip.
Similarly, did Travis bloke Fran Healy ever find out why it always rains on him
Apparently it really was because he lied when he was 17.
Received wisdom is that it’s because he lives/lived in Scotland. According to the same philosophers moving to Manchester would have been a remedy doomed to fail.
Mind you Des O’Connor’s Dick-a-dum-dum has definite sinister overtones.
Jim Dale had his Dick-a-Dum-Dum covered by Des O’Connor.
Dirty Des!
La La La means I Love You, surely?
They got it wrong. They were supposed to sing Moonlight.
Ha!
Can anyone help Karen Carpenter explain the mysterious appearance of birds whenever a particular person is nearby
Easy.
It’s the pigeon feeder in the park.
…who’s left a cake out in the rain, the great pillock.
It occurs to me that the 2nd narrator’s viewpoint which pops up in the chorus of Simon and Garfunkle’s “The Boxer” is really quite rude. Paul tells us a fairly wonderful evocative tale about the challenges and disappointments that life brings, and this second cynical naysaying git just chants Lie la Lie, lie la Lie”. You can almost seem him with his hands over his ears. I mean, on what basis does he believe Paul is lying?
Impolite.
Wonderful song, but I always though the “Lie la lie’s” went on a bit long
Beautifully sung, though.
Re: The Boxer
Yes – I’ve always liked that lyric where Paul gets “a come-on from the horse on 7th Avenue”
What on earth is a horse doing in the middle of New York City? And why is it giving Mr Simon the ‘come hither’ look? Bizarre.
Horses and carriages are a big part of the tourist scene around Central Park. They tend to park up on Central Park South, which hooks up with 7th Avenue.
I always assumed it was an off-duty police horse.
Hmmm … yes, well I suppose those are plausible explanations for a horse to be hanging around on the mean streets of New York City, but why oh why was it giving the Great Songwriter the glad eye? It seems most inappropriate to me…
I can’t get my head round this. To put it in context:
“I get no offers
Just a come-on from the horse
On Seventh Avenue.
I do declare
There were times when I was so lonesome
I took some comfort there,
le le le le le le le. Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie”
What comfort??? I suppose patting a horse is pleasantly soothing. But he wouldn’t have to be lonesome to do that, would he? And why is he lying?
Isn’t he just saying that the love of a horse is better than no love at all?
It’s just occurred to me that the title of the song may be a reference to the horse in Orwell’s Animal Farm. Now I am most confusing !
I hadn’t spotted that, Moosey. You could be on to something, there.
Anyway, although Paul Simon is clearly an outstanding songwriter, we have have him bang to rights on three serious charges.
1. Not crediting Martin Carthy with the arrangement of “Scarborough Fair”, thus depriving him of lots of cash.
2. Not giving Los Lobos a co-writing credit on “All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints”, thus depriving them of lots of cash.
3. Accepting the advances of a horse, which is basically a LOW BEAST OF THE FIELD.
I rest my case, m’lud.
The love of a horse is one of unconditional positive regard and really quite beautiful. Similar to the love of a dog. They are usually quite tall. I wouldn’t describe them as being a LOW BEAST OF THE FIELD.
You rang?
Paul Simon is not the only artiste to find solace and delight in a horse and put it down in song, Who could forget this from the guys on Craggy Island?!
It’s My Lovely Horse, of course.
No Hey Jude here, right. It would HURT MY EYES……
That’s the young Donald Trump.
Fake News! even way back then.
Exactly!
Thank you all for your responses. Now not only do I have The Band to worry about, I also have Simon and Garfunkel, Bananarama and Manfred Man on my list of artists with seemingly meaningless mantras in their songs.
I restrained my inner pedant at the first mention, but a second insists this. It’s by Steam!
This thread has made me listen to The Band again. Rather good it is too.
Which band is that, then, Tiggs?
(O my sides)
I meant the album, silly.
And why would anyone want to tell you about oop oop pah doo
For the full authentic wtf lyrical experience, you need Rubber Biscuit…
Cow cow hoo-oo
Cow cow wanna dib-a-doo
Chick’n hon-a-chick-a-chick hole-a-hubba
Hell fried chuck-a-lucka wanna jubba
Hi-low ‘n-ay wanna dubba hubba
Day down sum wanna jigga-wah
Dell rown ay wanna lubba hubba
Mull an a mound chicka lubba hubba
Fay down ah wanna dip-a-zip-a-dip-a
Mm-mh, do that again!
Doo doo doo boooh
Cow cow lubba ‘n a-blubba lubba
Ow rown hibb’n ‘n a-hibba-lu
How low lubbin ‘n a-blubba-lubba
Hell ride ricky ticky hubba lubba
Dull ow de moun’ chicky hubba lubba
Wen down trucka lucka wanna do-uh
How low a zippin ‘n a-hubba-lu
Hell ride ricky ticky blubba-lu
How low duh woody pecker pecker
Mm-mh, did you ever hear
Of a wish sandwich
Well that’s the kind of a sandwich
That is supposed to take
Two pieces of bread
And wish you had some meat
Doo doo boooh
Cow cow lubba ‘n a-blubba lubba
Hell ride hibbin’ and zippin ‘n
How luva mail take a-lubba hubba
Hey ride wanna tak’ a-recca recca
Ho’ low take a-lubba hubba
Hey ride wanna ‘n suppa suppa
Ho’ low a mail take a-lubba hubba
Hey ride a hippin’ and a-hubbin’ no
Hi-low ‘n sum a-chicka whaa
The other day
I ate a ricochet biscuit
Well that’s the kind of biscuit that’s supposed to
Bounce off the wall
Back in your mouth
If it don’t bounce back
– shh-mmhh-mmhh
You go hungry
Doo doo bouuh
Cow cow lubba ‘n a-blubba lubba
Hell low a sum did a-lubba goin’
Hey ride wan’ take a-lubba do
How long lon’ suppa dubba
How low a mail take a-lubba hubba
Hey ride wanna take a-lubba hubba
How low a mail take a-lubba hubba
Hey down nothin’ take a-luva do
Hey ride a sippin’ and a hubba dubba
Mmmmmh, the other day
I ate a cool water sandwich
And a sunday-go-to-meeting bun
Doo doo bouuh
Cow cow lubba ‘n a-blubba lubba
Hell ride ricky ticky hubba lubba
How low a wann’ suppa do
Hey ride sippin’ and hubba lubba
Hell ride a-hubbin’ and wan’ do
Hey ride a wanna an’ recca recca
Ho’ low a mail take lubba hubba
Hey down a wann’ suppa dubba
Please ride a hubbin’ gonn’ do
What you owe for nothin’
Rubber biscuit
Doo doo doo boooh
Cooow cooow oo-oooooouuuh
A cool water sandwich… it would just be soggy. That line is bloody nonsense.
I’m a little worried about papa oo mow mow to be honest. What is oo-ing and who is mow mow?
My mother once came into my bedroom when I was playing the Ramones version – specifically the breakdown* “Popopopopopopop….” and the look on her face is still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
(* breakdown is exactly the right word here)
Isn’t it the duty of teenage boys to alternately mystify and disgust their mothers?
It’s all good. I wonder if that was the point after which I could never possibly disappoint her?
Simultaneously in my case.