Jonathan Richman

Jonathan Richman

By far the best thing in that really dreadful movie There's Something About Mary, Brett Favre's cameo notwithstanding. In the 1970's when every rock singer was trying so hard to be so cool, Jonathan went way, way, way out the other direction. Someone, and I forget who, said it best: Jonathan makes you nostalgic for a time that never was.

Comments

[firq krumpl]

i love jonathan and i don't know why. it runs contrary to my musical tastes.

someone coming across him amongst my cd's would suspect it to be my daughter's, displaced.

thinking about it just now
i think it's the rare combination of
weirdness and unaffected genuineness,
a kind of pathetic lameness and unselfconscious boldness,
and a sense that the guy is having a great time independent of what anyone thinks about it.

thinking about it just now, further...

i realize that all the above would work as descriptive of most of the delusional doofuses that audition for americal idol, which brings me back to square one; what is it about jonathan?

[Tom McMahon]

Jonathan is the only one who could weave the phrase "need not be asked" into a love song and make it work.

[firq krumpl]

how's this for a love song?

I'm Straight.

I called this number three times today
But then I, put the phone back in place.
I still don't know if I
should have called well.
tell me dear if I'm out of place.
yes here's your chance to make me awkward
And wish that I had
never called this place.
but you walked by your college dorm with hippie Ernie
I'm calling to say I could take his place.

This phone call today concerns hippie Ernie
his Woodstock brain, and his acid face.
yeah You walked by the computer centre with spineless Ernie
I telephoned to say, I could easily take his place.
he's a hippie
hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place.
hey where's his backbone?
hippie Ernie huh?
I'm tryin to make mine straight
I could really take his place.
cause I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm straight and I want to take his place

way down

well I've watched you walk around and meet.
boyfriends that you think are so deep
but I maintain if all your new boyfriends.
were really that great,
well couldn't they take this place
and take it straight?
I'm straight
I mean I'm straight
and it's a hard fight
but I'm straight and I want to take his place

way down

well I knew you for a while
and I thought that I could bring out
the nicer and the smarter things
that you have inside
but you walk by the computer centre
with this kid whose not up to your level at all
you should have me
walking by your side
now he's a hippie
old hippie Ernie
meanwhile, I'm straight
and I'd like to take his place
he's not so deep
hippie Ernie
I'm straight and I want to take his place
dear I'm straight
I'm straight
I'm
I'm straight and I could easily take his place

all right everybody

(I'm straight!)
(I'm straight!)
everbody say
(I'm straight!), that's right
I'm straight and I want to take his place

[Erik]

That movie was great! You didn't like it? Would you consider yourself a "curmudgeon" Tom? *;-)

[Sebastian]

Jonathan makes you nostalgic for a time that never was.
This is a very accurate description of what his music does to me. I never thought of it that way before. But now that I think of it this is actually what happens in my head and in my mind.
It's kind of frustrating when you are trying to filter your memories for that memorable event that never were.
;-)

[Tom McMahon]

My problem with the movie is that I heard the song first and thus expected more from the movie. This has happened once before in my life. So all you kids out there in Blog-O-Land, here's what I want you to do: Go get the soundtrack of the movie "South Pacific" and listen to it for a couple of weeks. It's a great soundtrack, as you will soon come to agree. Then, and only then, go rent and watch the movie itself. You'll see what I mean.

[NolaHenson33]

It's good that people are able to receive the loan and it opens completely new chances.