Wednesday, January 13, 2010

And then one day we'll wonder why Jordan never invites his friends over

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I am someone who has said, "Who doesn't love Barry Manilow?" with a straight face.

Every once in a while, Nick will get a wild hair up his ass to listen to some particular song. And then he'll buy it and play it 54 times.

So last night he bought Come A Little Bit Closer - a song I recognize but had never actually listened to. We played it over and over at breakfast this morning. For those of you who have never heard of it, here you go:

And as I am a person who who loves songs like Copacabana and Hernando's Hideaway, I can certainly swoop around the house singing, "Come a little bit closer, you're my kind of man, so big and so strong. Come a little bit closer, I'm all alone, and the night is so long..."

It's fun. And plus, why didn't I know that line when I was single?

Anyway.

The issue at hand is that Nick contends that my songs are just not in the same category. Because mine are just, well, not as good.

And I am like, you are just wrong.


Seriously. Copacabana? It's got everything: romance, glamor, jealousy, murder, strength, tragedy, insanity! Who could ask for more?

Don't you think?

21 comments:

  1. And really, who doesn't sing Copacabana during karaoke?? I mean, I do!!

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  2. Oh, I love Come a Little Bit Closer! It reminds me of being a kid and listening to the oldies station in my mom's huge station wagon.

    I so desperately want to watch the Copacabana video, but I know that if I do, it will be stuck in my heard for the next three weeks. And I cannot handle that much Copa! Copacabana!

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  3. I remember flying down I-10 through a Texas night once cranking Copacabana on the stereo. Ahh, memories.

    That said, Barry is still a tool. A tool of the devil.

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  4. i dunno, i pretty much love anything from 1940-1977 so i enjoy both of these. for some reason i feel like most songs from the 50's & 60's should just be liked by everyone. they're just THAT good.
    ps. i own the Jay & the Americans song too so i might be biased

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  5. Hmm. I may have to agree with Nick on this one. I love that song "Come a Little Bit Closer." I have to admit Lisa, you may want to re-evaluate what you are bringing to the table with your song contributions.

    I would look into:

    "Sugar, Sugar" - The Archies
    "Shake, Shake, Shake Senora" Harry Belafonte
    "Mambo, Italiano" - Rosemary Clooney (George's mom)

    Seriously girl. Barry? And if you are gonna be bringing Barry - at least go with "Can't Smile Without You."

    Sheesh.
    Kiran

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  6. I don't know. I think Jordan might grow up with a greater appreciation of music. My dad played Willie Nelson tunes constantly when I was a kid and now I love the guy. Willie Nelson rocks. Tell me otherwise and I might cut you. So maybe *you* won't embarrass Jordan when he's older, his slightly inappropriately strong love for Barry Manilow will embarrass him.

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  7. Kristin - I don't do karaoke, but if I did...

    Wahkonamama - I understand. It is a very get-stucky song.

    FoggyDew - A tool of the devil. Excellent!

    notsojenny - I am definitely enjoying it. It's been stuck in my head all day though. ALL DAY.

    Kiran - Oh, Nick is going to LOVE your comment. I do have Rosemary Clooney (although I think she's his aunt), but I do have to admit that my taste in music is highly suspect.

    Hillary - Oh, I hope not. Because my dad played only opera and show tunes when we were growing up. And so I could sing every song from Evita and A Chorus Line, but had NO knowledge of popular music. I don't want Jordan to be that dorky.

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  8. I may have seen Barry Manilow at the Verizon Center last year. For $10. It's possible. Just sayin.

    When I found out how cheap the tickets were I called the husband and said "Where else can you get live entertainment for $10? And YOU'LL KNOW EVERY SONG!" And we did. The whole audience sang along.

    Say what you will, Barry writes the songs.

    (Although he didn't write that one. Ironic, no?)

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  9. Barry, definitely. Though Barry White over Barry Manilow, definitely.

    "My darlin' I... can't get enough of your love, BABE" It's just so fun to wiggle around to!

    Though I have to say, I have a techno remix of "Sugar Sugar" that is impressively, hilariously, fantastically awful. I'll burn you a CD...

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  10. I could sing "i can't smile without you" by Barry Manilow before i could recite my ABC's. Ask my mom, she loves to rat me out. 8)

    Though i do loves me some Barry White as well...

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  11. I'm with you - Copacabana is such a great song. Total guilty pleasure, because no one wants to admit to liking it, but everyone I know would sing along with it in the car, if they were driving alone. I downloaded the ringtone for my hubby on his last phone, so he would know it was me calling :-)
    He was quite happy to start a new contract and upgrade the phone a few months later.

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  12. Well, if Barry Manilow would right songs that didn't get stuck in my head for two weeks after I heard them (thanks for that, BTW), I might give him a second chance. I do like that video, though... Maybe I should reconsider.

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  13. Barry Manilow songs are fantastic. Willie Nelson songs, as Hillary mentioned above, are wonderful. For nearly every critical moment in life - there's a lyric from one of these 2 artists on the topic.

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  14. oh man. I try to throw pop culture tidbits in there and look at me. pie in my face. it is his aunt.

    sigh.

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  15. I love both those songs! Nick is officially wrong on this one!

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  16. anyone who can listen to copacabana and not dance around the room doesn't have a soul. or a heart. or nerve endings.

    "come a little bit closer" is on my ipod for sure. it reminds me of high school (of all things!). here's why: we had this giant-ass "spirit drum" that came up in the stands at football games - big giant band-type drum with a big padded drumstick thing - and of course every year there were certain seniors who got to kind of, you know, oversee the drum. (god, high school.) when i was a junior, two of the seniors who did the drum thing were my friends, and for some reason they decided that at each game "come a little bit closer" must be sung and pounded out on the drum. this was 1997 mind you - wtf, why a one-hit wonder from the 60s, i have no idea. but it was such a random song for such an odd occasion that i can't hear it without thinking of sitting on cold metal bleachers and wearing big bulky sweaters and being 16.

    the end of my slightly relevant story :)

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  17. i could get down with some Copacabana. Anything upbeat is good to go for me.

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  18. When I was five, my sister and I choreographed a full dance routine to Manilow's Copacabana. Brilliant song. Brilliant.

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  19. we used to roller skate in the basement when i was a kid and we made up dances.. Copacabna had some "intricate choreography" so we had to play it A LOT ...to you know.. "practice" and my mom would yell down the stairs...
    "TURN THE BARRY MANILOW DOOOOWN" which HAS to be one of the least uttered phrases in the english language...am i right?
    xoxo

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  20. OMG. Are you me? Seriously. Love Come a Little Bit Closer. Bought it a few years ago and listen to it almost daily. It makes me extremely happy.

    Also, I knew a chick once who didn't even know who Barry Manilow was until he was on American Idol. Um, what?

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  21. Um, Copa has MUSIC AND PASSION. This is all I need.

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