What’s the Story?
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Artist:
When you think about it, song lyrics are pretty much extensions of the human drive to tell stories – an inclination that goes back millennia, all the way to prehistoric man spinning yarns for the rest of the clan around the fire. But narrative songs aren’t so prevalent these days, when proclamations of love, statements of purpose, surreal ruminations, and random gibberish are the usual fare.Sure, we’ve had “A Boy Named Sue,†“She’s Leaving Home,†“Hurricane,†“Cat’s in the Cradle,†and other anecdotal numbers that were written and recorded during the latter part of the 20th century. So where are today’s tale-spinners whose songs reflect upon or enhance the human condition or simply entertain or amuse? Too complex for modern audiences? Too much info for short-attention spans?I’ve attached a stream of a favorite story-song to this post. Although it may not be to everyone’s taste, “I Married a Martian†is a novel, funny, disco-flavored rock tune from Ron and Russell Mael - the Los Angeles-spawned, European-acclaimed brother act that has recorded under the name Sparks since their early 1970s glam-rock days. They made waves during the new-wave era with “Cool Places,†a bouncy, synth-pop duet with Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s. Ron and Russell also went through a pre-new-wave period that brought them an international hit, “The #1 Song in Heaven,†produced by Euro-disco maven Giorgio Moroder. Soon thereafter, they toughened up their sound again while retaining some of the electronic keyboards that marked their Moroder collaborations. The tongue-in-cheeky, sci-fi-themed “I Married a Martian†is from one of those later Sparks albums: 1981’s Whomp That Sucker. Check it out – and listen to the words. (The singer’s final assessment: “I married a Martian / They’re good in the movies / Dramatic potential / But they’re not so hot in real life.â€)Are there any narrative songs that strike your fancy? They’re out there, and I’m curious to know which ones, if any, you like.
Sparks' Russell and Ron: Interspecies wedlock?
Sparks' Russell and Ron: Interspecies wedlock?
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Comments (28)
Sparks are a hoot!
Here's a narrative song from Knights of Crisis. It's in keeping with the aliens theme: "Aliens Ate My Car"