Monday, November 15, 2004
The PM stage band will always play Birdland
Do you ever listen to a really cool song over and over?
I do, I love it. But it seems to drive most people crazy.
There was a tradition at my school. The first chart played every semester PM stage band was (and is) Birdland. Before any introductions, before any "how was your summer", you pulled the Birdland chart and went to it. Across the top of all the trumpet parts were written the words, "THE PM STAGE BAND WILL ALWAYS PLAY BIRDLAND." Now, there are two ways to look at this statement. On one hand, you have the affirmation, said with great pride, "(This is my identity,) the PM stage band will always play Birdland." On the other, you have a complaint, spoken with remorse, "(Oh, woe is me, for,) the PM stage band will always play Birdland."
I always looked at it the first way, but I had some friends who saw it the other way. Not sure why, I always liked Birdland - it's a great chart - and playing it never got old for me because it sure is a lot of fun. So, I wonder, why did the others tire of the song so? If you asked, you'd find out that they liked playing the song (everyone wanted to be Maynard), they just didn't like playing the song a lot. I'm not sure, but I think that it was a fear of tradition, a fear of the status quo. These fears never made sense to me... I mean, isn't the unknown supposed to be scarier that the known? If we didn't play Birdland we might have to play On Green Dolphin Street, right?
I do, I love it. But it seems to drive most people crazy.
There was a tradition at my school. The first chart played every semester PM stage band was (and is) Birdland. Before any introductions, before any "how was your summer", you pulled the Birdland chart and went to it. Across the top of all the trumpet parts were written the words, "THE PM STAGE BAND WILL ALWAYS PLAY BIRDLAND." Now, there are two ways to look at this statement. On one hand, you have the affirmation, said with great pride, "(This is my identity,) the PM stage band will always play Birdland." On the other, you have a complaint, spoken with remorse, "(Oh, woe is me, for,) the PM stage band will always play Birdland."
I always looked at it the first way, but I had some friends who saw it the other way. Not sure why, I always liked Birdland - it's a great chart - and playing it never got old for me because it sure is a lot of fun. So, I wonder, why did the others tire of the song so? If you asked, you'd find out that they liked playing the song (everyone wanted to be Maynard), they just didn't like playing the song a lot. I'm not sure, but I think that it was a fear of tradition, a fear of the status quo. These fears never made sense to me... I mean, isn't the unknown supposed to be scarier that the known? If we didn't play Birdland we might have to play On Green Dolphin Street, right?
R.T. Lemur 7:15 PM
5 Comments:
Dear Lemur,
You are always delightfully funny.
I've never heard "On Green Dolphin Street.' What is it like?
You are always delightfully funny.
I've never heard "On Green Dolphin Street.' What is it like?
Yeck! Don't make me remember! Nooooooo!
That's funny. "Green Dolphin Street" was the only thing I understood in the whole post.
Y, it's a standard that was immortalized by Ella Fitzgerald and others. You've heard it a million times on cartoons and commercials.
Y, it's a standard that was immortalized by Ella Fitzgerald and others. You've heard it a million times on cartoons and commercials.
I'll have to look it up. One quick question, why are the dolphins green? Perhaps some sort of space dolphin?
The dolphins are green because they're about to puke.
Yes... just hearing the song made them that ill...
Yes... just hearing the song made them that ill...