Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Snow Day Frolics

Wish I could remember fast enough to fit into the quick and dirty time-frame of blogging, who it was who noted that if Homer nodded, Tennyson sometimes snored.  Often, actually, if you try reading more than the handful of often anthologized poems, his verse dramas, ugh!   Don't get me started on what Kipling does. 

I said Irving Berlin was a great songwriter, one who wrote both the words and music for all of the great songs of his I can think of.  His lyrics were some of the wittiest in the genre, competing with Cole Porter and a few of the great straight lyricists.  That doesn't mean that he didn't write songs that weren't so great.   I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas is junk.  

Remember, What'll I Do, Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun, Russian Lullaby (posted that one a couple of weeks back),  Let Yourself Go, . . . White Christmas can't hold a candle to them.   

He also had the good taste to like Fred Astaire's singing  of his music, based not on the beauty of his voice but on his timing.  Lets Face The Music And Dance, for example.  Great song, crappy show. 



I'd show the dance contest scene which proves Fred was the only man in history who really looked good in bell bottoms, but he doesn't sing in it. 

I was supposed to be stacking wood but it's snowing.  In case you're wondering what I'm doing. 

Update: 


Brilliant.  I doubt anyone else ever used the word "marimba" in a song as well. 

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