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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 52 years. I subscribe to Dr. PM Forni's concept of Civility. I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, and San Diego. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy, and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader and photographer.

Translator!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Crying Bicyles

I've had another epiphany -- not unlike Lisa Kudrow's character, Phoebe Buffay on Friends when she sang Elton John's wondrous hit:  "Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza". 

Let me digress for a minute.  I began my education with thoughts of being a voice major; I have a trained voice, one that does not lend itself to pop music.  Picture/hear this:  it would be a lot like hearing Montovani playing something by Twisted Sister.  How does this relate to my epiphany?  It doesn't; I just thought I'd mention it.

Anyhoodle, as Every Day Jay says.  I recently heard Meat Loaf's song, "Two Out Of Three"-- a song I've always liked.  Thirty years later, after singing what I thought were the correct lyrics, I've finally learned the real words are, "...but you've been cold to me so long, I'm cryin' icicles instead of tears!!"  Who knew???  Well probably everyone but me.  The heck with the fact that my version didn't even make sense.

So I wonder now how many memories, how many conversations, how many facts in my own history, for that matter, are totally misconstrued; mis-remembered, skewed?  And if I misconstrue, wouldn't it stand to reason that the whole history of the world is as skewed as Emily Latella's take on things.  OY!  Could be that chrome really was built in a day.



16 comments:

Two Minute Takes said...

I get the lyrics to songs wrong all the time and when I realize what the correct ones are I usually laugh myself silly.

happyone said...

Meatloaf - one of my favorites. What did you think he sang instead of icicles? : )

Tracy said...

ahhh, love meatloaf and well, sing it however you want to sing it my dear! LOUD and PROUD!!!

George said...

My children always accused me of getting lyrics wrong when I tried to sing. I always told them I was improving the song.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Ha---you can cry bicycles all you want to, Kathy..... Sing it with 'passion'.....

It took me years to know that "Mares Eat Oats and Does Eat Oats and Little Lambs eat Ivy" were all real words and made a sentence... Who knew? All that time, I had been singing "Mareseedotes and Doesedotes".... Well--you get the idea... ha ha ha
Hugs,
Betsy

Kay said...

You are so right. Just listening to kids trying to sing Stars Bangled Manner is hilarious. I wish you'd put a video of yourself singing. I'd love to hear it.

Sally Wessely said...

What a difference a word makes. This is a great story.

Unknown said...

Nice blogging my friend!

Mage said...

Yes, skewed. Indeed. One of the reasons I keep a blog is to lessen the skew. :)

cri said...

I use to miscontrue every day!
Kisses, Cristina!

Forsythia said...

The other day I heard a piece played by the "Barbarian Orchestra." "Well," thought I, "that's not very PC." Went on line and looked at the program notes. It was "Bavarian."

Deblynne said...

Well, its not a song, but -- When I was a little kid I'd wake up each morning to my Dad saying: "Up and Adam" I tried and tried to understand what the 1st man had to do with waking up. I did know by the cheery, booming sound of my Dad's voice at my door that it was something good.

Many years late in college I heard it anew & realized what Dad was saying all of those mornings when I had slept through my buzzing alarm by incorporating it into my dream. He was saying: "Up and at 'em"

Lena said...

I love when that happens. Once I know the right word, it is hard to believe I thought it was anything but!

Seth M. Ward said...

Chrome? lol Here's a funny one for ya. The Bee Gee's song, More Than a Woman? I thought it was Paul is a woman for years! lmao

Barb said...

You sure left me smiling! I just finished reading "The Social Animal" by David Brooks - recent brain research would say there is no reality - just our individual interpretations of it.

michiganme said...

Funny. So I was wondering what you thought the words were?...