And now: we dance.
January 24, 2005So I more or less blew off the Internet for a few days; the Internet kept calling but I was checking my caller ID and letting the machine pick up, and then Husband says to me, “You have some comments you might want to read,” and I’m all, “What, did my mom write something?,” and he’s like, “Um, no, some other people,” and then I read the comments and I cry a little and I tell my husband how much you all rock and then the Internet calls and says “Come back to me, baby,” and so here I am!
We’re indoors almost all the time these days GOD HELP US WHEN WILL IT BE SPRING which means we’re listening to a lot of music ANYTHING TO BREAK THE AWFUL, AWFUL SILENCE and Henry is forming some strong opinions IF I DON’T PLAY THE ONES HE LIKES OH GOD THE SCREAMING. Here, in no particular order, are some of his favorites.
“First of the Gang to Die,” Morrissey
Henry: First to die! First to die!
Me: I'm enjoying Morrissey’s latest album, not least of which because it’s Swiffering my brain clean of my old Morrissey associations—the hours spent listening to The Queen is Dead in the Wendy’s parking lot, staring mournfully into the distance and pondering the bleakness of my future. That said, it’s a little unnerving to listen to your two-year-old shrieking “First to die!” while leaping about in glee.
“New Slang,” The Shins
Henry: It’s the ice cream song.
Me: I’m not sure why he calls this the ice cream song, as it sounds nothing like Turkey in the Straw, or as it’s better known, “Do Your Boobs Hang Low.” (Or balls! It works both ways! That’s why it’s a classic.) Or what's that other brain-searing plinkety-plink song? It’s difficult to recall anything about ice-cream trucks when you’re buried beneath a foot of snow. Did we enjoy this "ice cream"? Were we warm, back then? Did we not wear heavy boots?
“Chimbley Sweep,” The Decemberists
Henry: [standing, transfixed, in front of the stereo] That’s good. Again. Again. Again.
Me: Apparently Henry strongly identifies with the “poor and wretched boy” of this song. Or he dreams of being an orphan. While I like the album, this song isn’t my favorite. Especially when you have to play it over and over. And over. And what the hell’s a chimbley?
“The Art of Noise,” Cee-lo Green
Henry: [Is too busy frantically boogying about the room to issue a comment.]
Me: Damn. I didn’t know anything about this here Cee-lo until my very cool brother (who owns the very cool Sound Fix) gave me a mix that included this song. I could go on at great length about this song’s joyfulness and booty-shaking-osity, but really you just need to hear it and, you know, get your freak on and so forth.
“Oh What a World,” Rufus Wainwright
Henry: [looking highly suspicious] Opera. Nooo.
Me: Okay, so this isn’t exactly one of Henry’s favorites. And Rufus is getting all operatic on our asses, it’s true. You could kind of see it coming, if you paid even a little bit of attention to his previous albums. For the record, I paid a lot of attention to Mr. Wainwright’s previous albums, as I believe that he is not only a wondrous musician but also a dreamy dreamboat. And if he ever, say, needed to crash somewhere for a few days, he could totally stay here and I would make him cocoa and brush his hair and supply him with all the heroin he requested. Or if he’s not into that anymore, that would be totally okay! More cocoa, then!
Reader Comments (60)
Ok, this is getting creepy. I promise I'm not a stalker. Much.
Sad, isn't it, that the microbes can't eat off their fingers instead? They might think twice if they had to type their idiot comments with their NOSES.
I'm so glad you are back - really. You are one of the few things that help me start my day.
Yay!!!!!!!!!
Personally, I find you to be clever and amusing and I would think most parents could relate to you as I do.
I just wanted to relay to you how sorry am I that someone would write something as awful as harm coming to your child. (I can not even repeat the words as they are so sick.) I hope you keep up your website and don't let these psycho strangers get to you. Please remember that they're the ones with the problems. Think of yourself as a celebrity - I once saw an interview with Brad Pitt who said that Julia Roberts gave him the best advice ever when it came to the press "Look at the pictures, if you must, but don't read a single word."
Good luck to you and I look forward to becoming a regular reader! :)
I haven't had that song in my head for almost 15 years.CRAP
Glad you are back.
My kids listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Elvis Costello .
Welcome back- and thanks for the tunes.
p.s. I find that your fellow Brooklynites, Mssrs. Flansburgh and Linell, make for fine dancing-around-the-living-room music. Not just their kids' songs, either.
Now she is 3 and shakles her tiny booty to "Orange Crush" by R.E.M. No Barney in THIS house, by God.
Glad you're back.
And now to the "welcome back" and "phew!" chorus as well.
--FD
Opera. Nooooooo. :-)