What Are You Listening To Right Now? #25

RIP to one of the most talented and mentally troubled artists of the last fifty years

 

Erection? That's pretty far fetched.

Well, I went ahead and googled it, and according to REM its about "unrequited love".

"Unrequited love means you love or desire someone but they don't love you back, so you can't act upon your feelings."

I said: ""wanting something, like a relationship, and not achieving it"

I think I was onto something there.

 

1) There is no need to you to explain "unrequited love." I am familiar with the word "requite."

2) LOL-- you expect that if the hidden meaning were "Losing My Erection," Michael Stipe is going to admit it? What then, would have been the point of concealing it, in the first place? IOW, why would they not just then have sung the word, "erection?"

3) "Unrequited love," though it may have a specific connotation to you (quite possibly based on personal experience), is actually a very non specific description. That is, think about the description I related to you: a guy who wants the girl to join him in some kinky, aberrant sexuality, but can't bring himself to do more than drop hints, which never leads to her understanding, and so acting the part of, for example, his dominant mistress. Well, in that scenario, his feelings would also be unrequited-- wouldn't they?

 

This is a laid back tune, but with an intentionally arcane vibe-- it was originally used in Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. The story of which it's part, is of a popular singer who goes into the back country, to find some old folk tune, he can remake. The song, and episode, are called "Come Wander With Me." It does have a bewitching quality.

The last entry of the post was recorded from the show, so has a little background noise, in the beginning, but is fine, once the singing starts. The recording links together different points in the program, in which it was used, so the transitions are not as smooth as they might be.

But I figured you all might prefer to start with a video performance, so this is an Irish group that calls itself "Ham Sandwich," and does a fairly faithful, though abbreviated, version of the song:




This cover is by "Hidden Highways," and they add some touches, to make it their own.




Azam Ali gets more creative, and wanders further from the original-- using an electronic orchestral sound. But I think it's pretty cool




Next, the tune is sung by someone playing a small wooden, boxlike instrument, with fingerlike metal tines, called a kalimba (a.k.a., a thumb piano). The tone works well for the song-- definitely worth the minute and a half, to listen (and to watch, if you're so inclined).





And lastly, the original, sung by Bonnie Beecher, written by Jeff Alexander, as heard on The Twilight Zone.

 

Of course, I have a few more entries, for "Come Wander with Me." This first one is a shortened version of the original recording, but with a video that I assume someone took from elsewhere, and edited it to fit, but it seems as if it were made especially for this song, it matches up, so well.





This is a video of Kendra Morris, covering the tune in a recording studio.

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Once more, this is a collection of pieces of the song, done during the Twilight Zone episode, but this recording is a little bit longer, and includes everything, including the two faster verses (which weren't in the one at the end of my last post).





This is an even more mellow cover, by "Ethereal Travel." Still nice.





Since there's one spot left, I'll include this cover by Jay Lamm, which some of you might dig. He plays electric bass, guitar, are keyboards, and does the song in a soft metal style. At first it wasn't one of my favs, but it's beginning to grow on me.

 

I'd never especially been a fan, but that song is very nice. To make a sharp turn-- wow, she died young.

 

While I was catching some old episodes of The Twilight Zone, I saw this actress, Shelly Fabares, who also had a popular song in 1961, that wasn't half bad, as long as we're posting softer tunes, at the moment.

This is from the Donna Reed Show (which I know nothing about). Get ready to feel like you're back in the '50s, even if, like me, you never actually saw them.






Since she was pretty cute, back then, I'll include a few pics:

 

I heard this song, by chance, the other night, when I flipped to a station, on which was ending a movie about Hank Williams. I never thought of that as my kind of music, but after rolling my eyes for 20 seconds as this was playing with the credits, the song's goofy vibe became hard not to get into-- it's just such an infectiously upbeat tune, about such an unhappy subject. I have the sense, that this may be one of Williams' best known songs, but as I implied, I really know almost nothing about him. Anyway, the tune is called,
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"





Elvis did a cover version, in which he sounds a bit more serious, but yet sings sweetly.




What makes this version, by B.J. Thomas-- performed in some religious program-- entertaining, is watching B.J.'s face, while he sings. Makes all the difference.





I suppose I should include a Hank Williams Jr., cover. This is more Bluesy, and a little slower than I'd prefer, but it's got some really worthwhile, passionate moments.





And I have to include the incredibly mellifluous cover, done by Randy Travis.





That will just leave Bernadette Peters, for an additional post.

 

Here are some odds and ends. First, a couple of more from that Irish group, who covered "Come Wander With Me"-- Ham Sandwich:

"Models"






"Running Up That Hill" (Kate Bush)






And here's that last cover the Hank Williams tune, by Bernadette Peters. You can skip the first 2 1/2 minutes, of inane conversation with Johnny Carson. She does the song a bit too slowly, for my taste, but there is still some nice singing.

 

It's not just me. Its how the message comes across, and it also just happens to be same as what the song writer says its about. Coincidence?

But if you find the 'hidden meaning' more entertaining, then so be it.

Losing My Erection. LOL

 

The way "the message comes across"-- LOL, More.
It is simply what comes across to you, because of your experience and expectations. It comes across, IMO, as more than just yearning, disappointment, and frustration, but as anger, desperation, and a bit of hopelessness. Would you like to go through the lines?

If it was merely unrequited love, explain the reason for the the repeated line, "Oh no I've said too much." Does this not indicate to you that he is wanting to conceal something? You are saying that his love is unrequited, because he is hiding it from her, for some reason; afraid to tell her? Why would that be?

In fact, the first time he uses that line, is after "The lengths that I will go to/ The distance in your eyes." What, about those words-- by your interpretation-- could possibly be thought of as saying too much?

That brings us to "That's me in the corner/ That's me in the Spot light,/ Losing My religion." Quick question-- so in your mind, what is he calling his "religion?"

The next line is written, "Trying to keep up with you," but he doesn't sing the "with," IIRC. Yet the line after that, is even more telling, "And I don't know if I can DO IT," which is also followed by "Oh no I've said too much." Why, in God's name, would it be saying too much, if the thing he's not sure he can do, is to merely "keep up with," this woman? Again, your way, doesn't make sense; however if the "do it" refers to having sex, then it would be far more understandable why he would think of disclosing his, in effect, erectile dysfunction, as saying more than he would want to divulge. Does that not make sense to you?

"Every whisper, every waking hour I'm/ choosing my confessions"-- again, if this person were not already intimate with him, he would not always be around her, as the line "every waking hour," indicates. Also, why would he think of admitting his love, as making a confession? That doesn't make too much sense.

Then the song gives another humiliating image of himself: "Like A hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool (or poor fool). And once more, this is called saying too much-- why? Compare this to the image of himself as a dog, from earlier-- did you miss that? In the corner, in the "Spot" light.

Lastly, the song makes it most clear, the thing he is hiding, while simultaneously wanting to share it with this other person, is deviance, in the last verse, which I'd already gone over with you. It talks about being brought to his knees, failed-- this is clearly Dominance and Submission, being alluded to, whether or not you recognize that. One last time, what words preface his thinking that he has said too much? "What if all these fantasies come flailing around." If the fantasy was merely to be with the other person, why would it be thought of as " flailing?" Answer: because he wants to be dominated, like a dog; like a hurt, lost, and blinded fool; like a failure, forced to his knees, in submission.

Oh, and I would guess the word "slip" is meant to suggest the female undergarment-- so that part of his being dominated & humiliated, might include feminization. Again, give me your translation of "the slip that brought me to my knees, failed," that makes as much sense as this being his feminine weakness, exposed to his lover. That is why "all these fantasies come flailing around." And why just using that word, he is afraid is saying "too much."


Oh life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spot-light
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up (with) you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper, of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this the hint of the century
Consider this the slip
That brought me to my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spot-light
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
Try, cry, fly, try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream

 

To me, and apparently it was also the message the writer wanted to convey

I don't know about anger, but desperation and hopelessness for sure, which goes hand in hand with loving someone who doesn't care for you

No, when you say or do too much you begin to sound desperate / obsessed and begging for attention/love.

See above. It would be meaningless in your context though.

In the South 'losing my religion' means losing hope or temper. REM is from Georgia.

Already explained, and it makes more and more sense the more I think about it. Don't know if I can do it = Don't know it I can keep going.

Yes, it can be humiliating to beg for someone to love you when then don't care. It would make you feel and look like a loser

 

Apparent, only to a blind person. I have already pointed out, that if you consider the possibility that he was singing about something that he did not wish to be explicit about, then he would not divulge that, in an interview about the song, in which he had disguised his meaning. Saying that it is about "unrequited love," is a general description, that could fit, even in the scenario which I'd outlined, for you. If you don't "get" his references, then his attitude would surely be that you are not supposed to get them; they are there for only those who can understand them.

Except that one of the lines, after saying, "Oh no I've said too much," is: "I haven't said enough."

Secondly, how would saying
1) "The lengths that I will go to,/ the distance in your eyes;"

2) "Trying to keep up you,/ And I don't know if I can Do it;"

3) "Like A hurt, lost, and blinded fool, fool (or poor fool);"

or merely using the words "flailing," and "fantasies," in the same sentence, of
4) "What of all these fantasies come flailing around?"

be "beginning to sound desperate/obsessed, and begging for attention/love?"

I'd asked this in my last reply and you don't seem to have answered that-- probably because that explanation of yours, just does not wash, with the lyrics of the song. Can you even explain the first two, of the instances above, of Stipe's using that line, about saying too much (though adding, the second time, that he hadn't said enough)?

You are reacting, just the way I had warned you about: refusing to consider the interpretation, which does not sit as well with you, and which would change the way you think about the song. You hadn't wanted to know this alternate interpretation.

The line would not be meaningless at all, in my context-- which is why I'd quoted it:

DEFinning said: ↑
In fact, the first time he uses that line, is after "The lengths that I will go to/ The distance in your eyes." What, about those words-- by your interpretation-- could possibly be thought of as saying too much?
<End Quote>

The lengths he will go to, is how erect he gets; the "distance," is another word for "length." Hence the distance in her eyes, is quite literally her looking at his lack of a full erection. Alternately, it could be seeing him get very erect, in a circumstance in which that reaction would not be "normal."

 

Or maybe you are not supposed to get it. No man on two legs would make song about losing his erection unless its meant as a joke, in which case he would just say it.

 

If someone needs to explain to you, that you cannot speak for all men, then I see little point in continuing along this track. People write songs about what things are important to them, at the time. Clearly, the scenario I'd outlined to you-- someone having deviant sexual desires, which he wished to share with his lover, but was afraid of how she might react-- would certainly make the cut, as being an important issue of his focus. You just can't relate, or even comprehend the idea. That's fine. We don't have to discuss it.

But it just so happens that, long ago, I had worked with another guy, who was much younger than me and who, though we were not particularly close friends, had told another of his friends, in a conversation in which I was part, that "vanilla" sex no longer turned him on. So you need to check your belief, that you understand how all men feel, and what all men would or wouldn't do. It is clear that your perspective is rather narrow, at least in regard to sexuality.



P.S.-- It was my hunch that Michael Stipe was actually gay...but wait-- no guy would ever do those things, with another guy, right?

 

Ah, the story evolves. Ok. He is openly gay, so he is not hiding anything.

 

I was being facetious, because you thought you could say what any guy would do, based on what you would do. I am presuming that you would not have sex with another guy.

The fact that a person is "open" about being gay, in case this isn't as obvious to you, as it should be, does mean that, therefore, he must be comfortable with being open about all the specifics of his sexual tastes. A person could be more comfortable, especially in the U.S., today, being known to be gay, than being known to be into humiliation, or submission, or anything that is still thought of as perversion, or deviance, moreso than simply being gay is.

 

You have to love this guy.

 

Poderos - nice Techno producer.
I can relax best with this kind of music ...

 

The visuals are certainly impressive.

 

I've seen similar pictures many times. Seems to be a well known artist they hired for the video.