Posts Tagged ‘Bugsy Malone’
Paradise Lost
It all started when I realized that Paul Williams was on Daft Punk‘s latest album Random Access Memories.
Paul Williams is an amazing songwriter. I discovered him listening to the soundtrack of Phantom Of The Paradise.
It was an old cassette of my mother’s and I used to listen to it a lot, and I hadn’t even watched the film yet. It’s a cult classic by Brian De Palma, released in 1974 and could be compared to Rocky Horror Picture Show if you really need a reference…. even though it’s just a mix between Faust and Phantom Of The Opera with glam/retro feel. Actually you can’t really compare it to anything… sorry
The Daft Punk connection is obvious: The Mask/helmet.
But I was listening to a podcast on NPR and the duo talked a lot about the end credits: The Hell Of It
Roll on thunder, shine on lightning
The days are long and the nights are frightenin’
Nothing matters anyway,
And that’s the hell of it.
Winter comes and the winds blew colder
While some grew wiser, you just grew older
And you never listened anyway,
And that’s the hell of it.
Good for nothing, bad in bed
Nobody likes you and you’re better off dead
Goodbye, we’ve all come to say goodbye (goodbye)
Goodbye (goodbye)
Born defeated, died in vain
Super-destructive, you were hooked on pain
Though your music lingers on
All of us are glad you’re gone
If I could live my life half as worthlessly as you
I’m convinced that I’d wind up burning too.
Love yourself as you loved no other
Be no man’s fool and be no man’s brother
We’re all born to die alone, you know, that’s the hell of it.
Life’s a game where they’re bound to beat you
And time’s a trick it can turn to cheat you
And we only waste it anyway,
And that’s the hell of it.
Good for nothing, bad in bed
Nobody liked you and you’re better off dead
Goodbye, we’ve all come to say goodbye (goodbye)
Goodbye (goodbye)
Born defeated, died in vain
Super-destructive, you were hooked on pain
And though your music lingers on
All of us are glad you’re gone
Wow the lyrics… I hadn’t realised how dark they were. Even though I sang along to it mindlessly.
the obvious weird suicide one was the opening track on the Album which was so catchy and fun! But used to make me feel weird. Would I kill myself and become an overnight rock sensation for my sister’s operation?
We’ll remember you forever Eddie
Thru’ the sacrifice you made
We can’t believe the price you paid
For love
Little Eddie Mitty born in Jersey City
Started singin’ when he was five
Never knew his father mother didn’t bother
To catch his last name fast as he came
He was off and flying
Times were really trying
Eddie and his mother alone
Soon another mister soon a baby sister
Mama kept swingin’ and Eddie kept singin’
Ah ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya for love for love
And now the tragic story
Eddie’s sister, Mary Louise
Needed an operation
To get the money he would have to become
An overnight sensation
Eddie believed the American people
Had wonderful, love giving hearts
His well-publicized end
He considered would send
His memorial album to the top of the charts
…And it did
Ah ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya goodbye goodbye
When a young singer dies
To our shock and surprise
In a plane crash or flashy sports car
He becomes quite well known
And the kindness he’s shown
Has made more than one post mortem star
Well you did it Eddie
And though it’s hard to applaud suicide
You gave all you could give
So your sister could live
All America’s choked up inside
We’ll remember you forever Eddie
Thru’ the sacrifice you made
We can’t believe the price you paid
For love
Anyway, I could choose any song from this album. I really recommend you watch the movie and get your hands on the songs.
I can’t resist the urge… Here are another two
I was not myself last night
Couldn’t set things right
With apologies or flowers
Out of place as a cryin’ clown
Who could only frown
And the play went on for hours
And as I lived my role
I swore I’d sell my soul
For one love who would stand by me
And give me back the gift of laughter
One love who would stand by me
And after making love we’d…
Dream a bit of style
We’d dream a bunch of friends
Dream each others smile
And dream it never ends
Our love is an old love baby
It’s older than all our years
I have seen in strange young eyes
Familiar tears
We’re old souls in a new life baby
They gave us a new life to live and learn
Some time to touch old friends
And still return
Our paths have crossed and parted
This love affair was started long long ago
This love survives the ages
In its story lives are pages
Fill them up
May ours turn slow
And by the way, Paul Williams is the guy behind another soundtrack from my childhood: Bugsy Malone
We could’ve been anything
That we wanted to be
And it’s not too late to change
I’d be delighted to give it some thought
May-be you’ll agree that we really ought
Two, three, four
We could’ve been anything
That we wanted to be
Yes, that decision was ours
It’s been decided we’re weaker divided
Let friendship double up our powers
We could’ve been anything
That we wanted to be
And I’m not saying that we should
But if we try it, we’d learn to abide it
We could be the best at bein’ good guys
And yes, it’s with Jodie Foster just after Taxi Driver and Scott Baio before Charles in Charge
PS: since we’re talking about random memories, I’ll leave you with a stream of Random Access Memories Memories by Daftside (aka Darkside aka Nicolas Jaar & Dave Harrington)
Audiogrammes 