Bubblegum Royale
January 8, 2008 10:19 PM
A song about television
There's this dumb, proto-Cannonball movie called The Gumball Rally. It's about an illegal, cross-country car race. The way it starts is, somebody gets woken up by a phone call, and the person on the other end says just one word: "Gumball" - signaling the start of the race. So my brother and I had this silly agreement: if one of us every, you know, won the lottery, or somehow lucked into being able to say f-you to work and necessity, we would call up the other, and say "Gumball!" And that would be our sign, you see, to drop everything - whatever stupid day job or whatever - because we would be working for ourselves from then on.
I've written a couple of songs inspired by that fantasy scenario, although this one doesn't seem to really have anything to do with any of that. It's about television. Note that, at the time I wrote the lyric "this century's best power tool," it was the 20th century. I think we all know what's winning the 21st century time-trap prize so far. This is the first of my currently-being-recorded album, Metronome, which is all acapella with only an electronic metronome for accompaniment. It's tough these days because the three-year-old keeps wearing out the battery on the metronome.
There's this dumb, proto-Cannonball movie called The Gumball Rally. It's about an illegal, cross-country car race. The way it starts is, somebody gets woken up by a phone call, and the person on the other end says just one word: "Gumball" - signaling the start of the race. So my brother and I had this silly agreement: if one of us every, you know, won the lottery, or somehow lucked into being able to say f-you to work and necessity, we would call up the other, and say "Gumball!" And that would be our sign, you see, to drop everything - whatever stupid day job or whatever - because we would be working for ourselves from then on.
I've written a couple of songs inspired by that fantasy scenario, although this one doesn't seem to really have anything to do with any of that. It's about television. Note that, at the time I wrote the lyric "this century's best power tool," it was the 20th century. I think we all know what's winning the 21st century time-trap prize so far. This is the first of my currently-being-recorded album, Metronome, which is all acapella with only an electronic metronome for accompaniment. It's tough these days because the three-year-old keeps wearing out the battery on the metronome.
posted by nanojath (3 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
What a cool thing. Fun story and interesting idea, the one behind 'Metronome'. If you make a complete booklet, you should include the explanation above in the liner notes.
posted by micayetoca at 7:03 AM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by micayetoca at 7:03 AM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
For some reason (Maybe the cadence?) I heard a celtic-folk arrangement playing in my mind's ear as I listened to this. Very cool song, love the lyrics.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 4:53 PM on January 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 4:53 PM on January 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
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Isn't it all bright and shining
Isn't it all sharp
Isn't it all precious with the
strumming of the harp
Look at all the fine deceptions
marvel at the sound
Build the better sucker trap
and watch the path they pound
Watch the way they track the next fix
watch them start to drool
Watch the slack-jawed yokels
watch this century's best power tool
All wrapped up in an acid treat
your Bubblegum Royale
this narcissistic, solipsistic
pablum puking pal
posted by nanojath at 10:24 PM on January 8, 2008