She's Got Electric Boots, a Mohair Suit?

So, this week I've been in New Orleans and Houston. When I told Jill that I was in the dirty South, she asked whether Houston counted. But after I told her I was in NOLA too, she agreed that New Orleans was both dirty and South enough.

In New Orleans I took out time for jazz, blues, po' boys (and several other shrimp dishes), gumbo, jumbalaya and lots of bread pudding. The chocolate bread pudding at Red Fish was almost too much to handle.

Now, in Houston, I've taken time for an Astros game, some good BBQ, pizza, a panini on Rice University's campus, the fine arts museum, the contemporary arts museum, another random art gallery, the hermann park, the theater district -- basically, I've seen a lot of downtown. And a lot of HBO, randomly. Yesterday, I watched What Happens in Vegas and then today I saw 27 Dresses, both of which I'm embarrassed to admit. Watching the second, I was reminded something that I learned last week: I'll explain. (It gets worses by the way, right now I'm watching some intolerable high school girl drama movie. Maybe I can watch the latest LOST instead.)

Last week, I was listening to the random 80s radio station that GF programmed into my car radio. Space Oddity came on. And, after listening to that song a thousand times -- knowing the tune for as long as I could remember -- I realized that I had never, ever listened to the lyrics. In fact, for that matter, I'd never even thought about the title.

Btw, the original video is really, really cool. Also, do compare DJ's teeth in that video to his present teeth:



Of course, the song on the radio was a later recording. But the lyrics remain the same:

Ground control to major tom
Ground control to major tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on

Ground control to major tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may gods love be with you

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,
Four, three, two, one, liftoff

This is ground control to major tom
Youve really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now its time to leave the capsule if you dare

This is major tom to ground control
Im stepping through the door
And Im floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet earth is blue
And theres nothing I can do

Though Im past one hundred thousand miles
Im feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell me wife I love her very much she knows

Ground control to major tom
Your circuits dead, theres something wrong
Can you hear me, major tom?
Can you hear me, major tom?
Can you hear me, major tom?
Can you....

Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the moon
Planet earth is blue
And theres nothing I can do.

In 27 Dresses, there is a scene involving Bennie and the Jets -- it's cheesy, but I realized this was another song that I really love yet hardly know the words to at all. Do I just not listen? Or I do I not have an ear for lyrics at all?



Bennie and the Jets lyrics:

Hey kids, shake it loose together
The spotlights hitting something
Thats been known to change the weather
Well kill the fatted calf tonight
So stick around
Youre gonna hear electric music
Solid walls of sound

Say, candy and ronnie, have you seen them yet
But theyre so spaced out, bennie and the jets
Oh but theyre weird and theyre wonderful
Oh bennie shes really keen
Shes got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
Bennie and the jets

Hey kids, plug into the faithless
Maybe theyre blinded
But bennie makes them ageless
We shall survive, let us take ourselves along
Where we fight our parents out in the streets
To find whos right and whos wrong

Lastly, was this song really written in German and I never realized it??? Seems like I must have known this before. It sounds so familiar -- but I was shocked to hear it in German again.

Hast du etwas Zeit für mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich
Von 99 Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Denkst du vielleicht g'rad an mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich
Von 99 Luftballons
Und dass so was von so was kommt

99 Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Hielt man für Ufos aus dem All
Darum schickte ein General
'ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher
Alarm zu geben, wenn es so wär
Dabei war'n da am Horizont
Nur 99 Luftballons

99 Düsenjäger
Jeder war ein großer Krieger
Hielten sich für Captain Kirk
Das gab ein großes Feuerwerk
Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft
Und fühlten sich gleich angemacht
Dabei schoss man am Horizont
Auf 99 Luftballons

99 Kriegsminister -
Streichholz und Benzinkanister -
Hielten sich für schlaue Leute
Witterten schon fette Beute
Riefen Krieg und wollten Macht
Mann, wer hätte das gedacht
Dass es einmal soweit kommt
Wegen 99 Luftballons

99 Jahre Krieg
Ließen keinen Platz für Sieger
Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr
Und auch keine Düsenflieger
Heute zieh' ich meine Runden
Seh' die Welt in Trümmern liegen
Hab' 'nen Luftballon gefunden
Denk' an dich und lass' ihn fliegen