From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V2 #308 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Monday, October 30 2000 Volume 02 : Number 308 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] SOTW: Are You Happy Now? [Rongrittz@aol.com] Re: [RS] SOTW: Are You Happy Now? [SMOKEY596@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 21:26:01 EST From: Rongrittz@aol.com Subject: [RS] SOTW: Are You Happy Now? OK, things have been a little slow around here, so how about we trot out an old classic for our Song of the Week discussion? With this week being Halloween and all, it might be a good chance for some of our newer list members to jump in and introduce themselves as well. I don't know about the rest of y'all, but this is the song that first introduced me to Richard Shindell, when I heard it on Christine Lavin's "When October Goes" compilation. And I've gotta tell you, it certainly misled me. I figured this guy Shindell was a humorist in the Loudon Wainwright III mode, so you can imagine my surprise when I picked up "Sparrows Point" and heard other peppy tunes like "Castaway" and "The Courier" and "On a Sea of Fleur-de-Lis" and the knee-slapping "By Now." Heck, except for "Kenworth," I'd never heard a bigger batch of depressing tunes. And it wasn't until over a year later when I saw him open for Lucy Kaplansky at Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair, NJ, that he made much of an impression on me. I'll admit to having grown a little tired of "Are You Happy Now," and sometimes in concert, even Richard seems to go through the motions while playing it. But it's still a wildly interesting song. I often wonder if he truly hopes that she's happy now, or whether the song is really just dripping with sarcasm. And I've always wondered what the line "What turns out gray is really red" means. Anyway, it might be fun for everyone to jump in and talk about this song a bit -- what you thought when you first heard it, whether you like it, whether you don't, and what your favorite candy is. RG (mine's Whoppers) ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? You took the toaster when you went You never paid your half the rent You took the spices from the rack But you don't have to put 'em back 'Cause in your haste on Halloween You left your camera on the bed Where we played roles in black and white You left a roll of black and white I set the timer, thought of you Put the lens up to my head I took a photograph for you What comes out gray is really red So are you happy now? Are you happy now? Are you happy now? I smashed your pumpkin on the floor The candle flickered at my feet As goblins flew across the room The children peered into the room A cowboy shivered on the porch And Cinderella checked her watch A hobo waited in the street An angel whispered trick or treat What was I supposed to do But to sit there in the dark I was amazed to think that you Would take the candy with you too CHORUS I've sat all night, and now it's dawn And I cannot believe my eyes There's garbage strewn across the lawn Where we once stared up at the sky And streams of paper fill the tree That hovered over you and me And shaving cream covers the car That we picked up in Baltimore And though I know it's hard to tell I hope that what's-his-name treats you well I still maintain that he's a bum But it's your money, have some fun CHORUS You always asked why I had not Written you a verse or two Since that's the one thing I regret I dedicate this one to you So are you happy now? Are you happy now? Are you happy now? Are you . . . ? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 21:40:57 EST From: SMOKEY596@aol.com Subject: Re: [RS] SOTW: Are You Happy Now? << And I've always wondered what the line "What turns out gray is really red" means. >> I'm not sure how this would fit into the rest of the song, but the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of something red being gray on b&w film is blood. Go figure. SMOKEY (Butterfingers, man!) For my Best Buddy, Rex "The memory is a useful thing, store the good stuff in the easy to reach places, put the rest in the attic with the cobwebs where it belongs..." - -Ellis Paul ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V2 #308 ***********************************