October 20, 2014

"Two San Francisco radio stations have put the kibosh on Lorde's song 'Royals' until the World Series is over."

"Why send any positive vibes to Kansas City?... Why not give the song a rest? No one is going to get hurt over it."

The weirdest part is that the song, which doesn't seem to be about baseball, was, according to Lorde, speaking last year, inspired by a 1976 photo of George Brett:
"I'd been kind of thinking about writing that song for a while and been pulling together a couple little lines here and there, and I had this image from the National Geographic of this dude signing baseballs... He was a baseball player and his shirt said Royals. I was like, I really like that word, because I'm a big word fetishist. I'll pick a word and I'll pin an idea to that."
Can this lady, a citizen of New Zealand, sing "The Star-Spangled Banner"? She's pretty much going to have to now, right?

50 comments:

traditionalguy said...

Horrors! Anything but that war anthem American rubes chant at public events. It could upset the peace loving Jihadists in the crowd.

Unknown said...

Puddles Pity Party - the sad clown with the golden voice, has covered Royals - his youtube of that song has nearly 10 million views. AND he does sing the national anthem as the opener to his shows (best I've ever heard.)

If the clown costume is too much for the World Series - book him in street clothes - he's Big Mike Geier. And he's sung the anthem at major league baseball games before.

CWJ said...

As a KC resident, I say THANK YOU tone deaf SF radio stations. You're petty play has both fired up and gotten laughs out of the KC fan base. If they had any sense at all instead of "banning" the song, they'd turn it back on us by putting the lyric "And we'll never be Royal" on a three repeat loop. Then use it strategically during their broadcasting. But nooo, they had to give us free publicity and stoke already nationwide excitement for our little "flyover" team.

I laughed my butt off this morning watching Good Morning America give this wall to wall air time.

Bob R said...

We all know she's actually a 40-something male geologist from South Park, Colorado who just wanted to use a clean bathroom.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Ann Althouse said...Can this lady, a citizen of New Zealand, sing "The Star-Spangled Banner"? She's pretty much going to have to now, right?

I hope she does, and I hope the song speaks to her and instills in her a sense of the greatness and profound beauty of the ideals of our nation.

David53 said...

@unknown
"Puddles Pity Party - the sad clown with the golden voice..."

Yeah, I like his cover (backed by Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox) better than Lorde's original. PMJ have done a lot of great covers. "Thrift Shop" is a classic.

eddie willers said...

We all know she's actually a 40-something male geologist from South Park, Colorado who just wanted to use a clean bathroom.

Autotune is great...yah yah yah.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

I agree with CWJ, banning the song is just San Francisco stupid:

"And we'll never be royals (royals).
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz."

Lorde is from New Zealand, one of her majesty QEII's many realms, and the song Royals is decidedly republican, so maybe Lorde won't mind singing our national anthem.

The Crack Emcee said...

"Gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room,
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair."

Sure it's about the Royals ball team. They wear gold teeth all the time.

Come on, black people already nailed this tale, of white resentment at seeing blacks finally making money, a long time ago.

Rappers made Cristal and Maybachs (and other things on the list) popular. Flava Flav, for just one popular example, sports gold teeth. Outkast sang of their family and friends, one day, "slamming Cadillac doors" as they are today. And, of course, Jay-Z and Beyonce were being called our musical royalty and that old hag just couldn't take it so out it rolled to ahistorical white racist applause.

She's since changed her story,...in the colorblind manner.

Why do white people think blacks forget - as they get whites to swallow (and spread) the false narrative? Don't they "get" that makes us follow it closer?

You ought to check in on Macklamore and see how being "America's best Rapper" is going,...



,...

BarrySanders20 said...

What is San Fran going to do about that good luck charm Korean man?

Bash a few Koreans? Ban kim chi?

It's really a neat backstory to the whole unbelievable KC Royals season.

Anthony said...

I was hoping Lorde would sing the national anthem at one of the games. I like her.

jr565 said...

The song is not about The Royals baseball team, but royals, or rich people. And its not exactly complementary of them. So don't know why you'd not play the song.
Sometimes, people will highlight a song for odd reasons.
case in point, politicians using Springsteen's Born In the USA as their campaign song. Have they heard the lyrics?
Or, using springsteen's Born To Run as the anthem for Jersey. after hearing that song the last place I'd want to live would be Jersey, considering it's a suicide death trap. Sheesh.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Come on, black people already nailed this tale, of white resentment at seeing blacks finally making money, a long time ago.

Uh, she's a young New Zeland lady--so she's unlikely to be singing about U.S. whites' resentement towards blacks' achievements. It sounds more like she's celebrating her poor community's rejection of a culture that promotes attainment of stereotypical luxury goods as the goal of a worthy life.

But hey, I guess all whites are the same, right buddy? I mean, that sentiment, that a white Kiwi writing a song to be played in her country/for her situation is realy about American white & black relations since all white people (worldwide!) are the same---nothing racist about that I guess.

jr565 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jr565 said...

And by rich people I mean people flahing their bling. Certainly rappers do so,but Im' not sure Lorde meant it as an indictment of black people as Crack alleges.
Things like islands and tigers on a gold leash are the types of things that people who are extravagantly wealthy buy simply because they have the cash. Sure rappers do it, but The Colombian drug lords did it before the rappers. So maybe it's an indictment of drug lords, Crack.
Do you really want to have blacks take credit for being the ones who are known for buying things like tigers on gold leashes and other gauche and decadent items?
If you are going to damn Lorde for singling out blacks with the song you are at the same time acknowledging that blacks in fact ARE spending crazy money on decadent bling. (Lets make it rain in here!)

By the way Crack, if blacks are buying tigers on gold leashes, maybe instead of asking for reparations you should ask your brother man for some of his bling. I, as a white man, with all my white entitlement have never owned a tiger with a gold leash. Maybe I'd like some that cash myself. can I get some rap reparations?

Anonymous said...

I'd like it better if she would sing the whole thing, not just the first verse. The third verse is especially powerful.

CWJ said...

Crack out does himself.

From the website -

"THE TSAR’S WINE

Our House’s most famous wine was created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II"

Conversation overheard in 1876 in the house of Louis-Roederer -

"Don't worry. Now that the Americans have freed their slaves, even if the Tsars are overthrown, there will someday be black patter chanters (rappers; remember this is 1876) who will ensure the success of our champagne."

Also, yeah Maybach was sooo successful that MB lost their shirt. Not enough patter chanters I guess.

CWJ said...

jr565 wrote -

"The song is not about The Royals baseball team, but royals, or rich people."

Thanks. None of us knew that!

jr565 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jr565 said...

"The song is not about The Royals baseball team, but royals, or rich people."

Thanks. None of us knew that!

Clearly the people saying they should ban the song from being played don't know it.

Skeptical Voter said...

In the song "Kansas City" the male singer sings "they got some pretty little women there and I'm going to get me one."

That's not an aspirational target for much of San Francisco's male population. So they may as well ban that song from the San Francisco radio stations as well.

Anthony said...

Who is Lorde?

Seriously, I have no idea who she is except that she is some Kiwi singer

CWJ said...

Oh Lorde, jr565!

Are you really so obtuse that you thought people actually thought that, even with a lyric like "We'll never her royal"?

The SF objection is to the fact that Royals fans adopted the song, not the lyrics per se.

CWJ said...

"be" not "her".

Zach said...

The photograph can be seen at

http://nesn.com/2013/12/george-brett-autograph-photo-inspired-lordes-mega-hit-single-royals/

When you think about it, it is kind of a fun juxtaposition between Brett's goofy smile and 1970s haircut and the word "Royals" on his uniform. The 70s were not a particularly regal decade.

jr565 said...

Cwj wrote;
Oh Lorde, jr565!

Are you really so obtuse that you thought people actually thought that, even with a lyric like "We'll never her royal"?

The SF objection is to the fact that Royals fans adopted the song, not the lyrics per se

I don't think either side is listenibg to the lyrics since if they did Royals fans wouldnt choose a song that says "and we'll never be Royals" in fact opponents of Kansas city could use the song as their anti Royals song.
That was in fact my whole point. But thanks for srguing with me.

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chillblaine said...

'Royals' is the most annoying song ever. It's 'The Pina Colada Song,' for this generation.

CWJ said...

jr565,

I'll gladly argue with you.

Thanks for repeating the point I made in my original post back @11:33AM.

We agree. The SF radio stations missed an opportunity to use the lyrics to their advantage. Are you really so arrogant as to think they were unaware of the lyrics? They made a choice and I think chose poorly.

Kansas City as a whole chose to embrace a catchy fun to hear fun to loudly sing song that features the name of the team. Nothing more. Are you really so arrogant as to think that we are unaware of the actual lyrics?

Look. Put down the shovel and stop digging. You made a pedantic BGO blinding glimpse of the obvious comment @3:12. I mocked you for writing as if you had shared some insight not obvious to 90+% of humanity. Stop moving the goal posts and being such a pedant. Give people some credit for putting two brain cells together.



Saint Croix said...

Here's the photo of George Brett that inspired her.

Rush Limbaugh and George Brett are big buddies. Here is Rush on the pine tar incident.

Rush sang at George Brett's wedding. That would be Rush Limbaugh, not the rock band. Imagine having tickets to Rush and Limbaugh shows up.

jr565 said...

CWJ the quote you're attacking me over is actually a two parter the second part where I respond to cracks criticism of the song as anti black success. And as such Im saying what the song is about as a rebuttal to his statement. So I'm really making two points about two separate issues, the banning of the song being the less important aspect.
Why then are quoting me out of context.
Follow the conversation next time, you twat!

jr565 said...

And CWJ I wrote:
"The song is not about The Royals baseball team, but royals, or rich people. And its not exactly complementary of them. So don't know why you'd not play the song.
That is not saying I'm thinking they are bannin the song because they don't what te song is about. I'm saying BECAUSE it's not complementary it can be used to attack The Royals? Why ban the song when it can be used to mock the team?
Do you not get the difference cunt face?

jr565 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jr565 said...

I assume that you are not stupid enough that I have to explain basic lyrics t you it anyone on Althouse. CWJ. (Well, maybe ARM)
So you should assume that when I explain what the lyrics are about it's not because I don't think you know what they are about.

So I'm not making an obtuse point. In fact you are making an obtuse rebuttal based on a really stupid assertion as to what I in fact said because you decided to take it out of context While Completely ignoring the rest. If you do that you come across like a dishonest douchebag.
Yes CWJ, the song is OBVIOUSLY about rich people. You get it. I don't have to explain it to even moderately intelligent people. I never assumed otherwise.
Only, the point seems lost on you that it was suggesting that the lyrics are critical of exorbitantly rich people with their bling and not simply an attack on black people and their bling as crack alleged. You would know that if you read the very next post I made where I expand on the point and direct it to Crack. Did you not read that point or do you like to put words in people mouths.

I feel like Im explaining a joke to someone wih autism. Only at least people with autism don't deliberately misconstrue.

I don't mind arguing with you but at least lets argue about my point without you taking it out of context so I have to defend a statement that was not intended the way you suggested. M'kay? Thanks.

CWJ said...

jr565 wrote -

"Why ban the song when it can be used to mock the team?
Do you not get the difference cunt face?"

That was the point of my original comment at 11:33 yesterday morning. I pointed you toward that comment. Did you even read it? Don't accuse others of not getting your "two part" comment when you don't invest the effort to understand what they've been saying as well.

As I said, stop digging.

The Crack Emcee said...

HoodlumDoodlum,

"Uh, she's a young New Zeland lady--so she's unlikely to be singing about U.S. whites' resentement towards blacks' achievements."

Because there's no MTV in New Zealand? No racism?

How obtuse,...

jr565 said...

CWJ wrote:
jr565 wrote -

"Why ban the song when it can be used to mock the team?
Do you not get the difference cunt face?"

That was the point of my original comment at 11:33 yesterday morning. I pointed you toward that comment. Did you even read it? Don't accuse others of not getting your "two part" comment when you don't invest the effort to understand what they've been saying as well.

As I said, stop digging

I thought you were attacking me because of my pedantic comment where I assumed you dont understand basic lyrics. Now apparently you are arguing with me over a point I agree with you on. How dumb can you be?
Since when can I not make the same point you made? If we're in agreement then I'm hard pressed as to why you want to fight with me on the point. usually people have arguments over points they don't agree with.
Only you are the one moving the goal post since your diatribe was actually about a totally separate point. Project much, douche bag?

jr565 said...

CWJ I don't care what your point was since I wasn't attacking you on your point. I could care less if we are on agreement on the point. You're the one making an issue out of it as if somehow that was in contention on my part.
No, I had to explain to you the context of my words because you apparently like to take people out of context and then attack them on it. So after all that we aren't even in disagreement. Well thank you then for wasting my time with your stupid worthless argument over nothing.
At least with crack I can have a genuine disagreement about things we are in disagreement about as opposed to things we are in agreement about.

jr565 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Crack Emcee said...

SF bans Royals for a fucking baseball game, but not for slandering blacks.

That's how racism, white supremacy, colorblindness, and being ahistorical "works"....

jr565 said...

When I said "do you not get the difference cunt face" it was not because I disagreed with tou. It was me explaining to you the context of my words which you misconstrued and then attacked me on because you are a cunt face.
The "difference" is what I meant versus what you assumed I meant. Do you STILL not get the difference? Or are you going to move the goal posts again and argue with me about a totally different point.

jr565 said...

See CWJ, all you have to do to understand the context of
My words that you objected to is read crack's post above mine. There is a secondary conversation going on. "There's somethibg happening
But you don't know what it is.
Do you. Mr. Cunt face"

jr565 said...

CWJ wrote:
Crack out does himself.

From the website -

"THE TSAR’S WINE

Our House’s most famous wine was created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II

Even here you are making the same point as me. The song is not about black peoples bling as crack alleges but consumption of rich people. And even as far back as 1876 there was bling that rich people and/or royals bought and displayed. Got it. So then really you're Agreeing with me on my secondary point too. Do you think your point is all that profound? Do you think the rest of us don't know that rulers in the past had their own form of extravagant bling? Ate you trying to be pedantic? Unlike you I'm not attacking you over stating the obvious. Nor taking a sentence out of context to make a point you weren't making as if to suggest you are putting on airs.
Why then are you wasting my time picking a fight with me when fundamentally we aren't even in disagreement over anything?


jr565 said...

Please explain to me CWJ about how the Rulers of olld had a lot of money and spent it extravagantly. Because until you posted your link I HAD NO IDEA! you are so smart CWJ. If it weren't for you posting your unique link the rest of us would be totally lost. I thought that rappers were the first people to ever have bling.
Tell us about other rulers. Did they have live extravagantly too?
that observation is so unique and profound. I'm so glad you explained it for us.

jr565 said...

I have it on good authority that CWJ's feces smell like a bed of roses. The rest of us have turds that smell like feces and he'll gladly point it out to us. But man does his shit smell good. It's so good her you would almost not know that it was the same shit. Oh wait. I just smelled it and it smells like turd.

The Crack Emcee said...

Jesus, I didn't get this before:

Yes - let's have the woman who sang white's racial resentment anthem sing our national anthem! It's so fitting!

Go, white supremacy, go!

The Crack Emcee said...

HoodlumDoodlum,

"Hey, I guess all whites are the same, right buddy?"

Don't blame me - you're doing this to yourselves,...

CWJ said...

jr565,

I know it's hours later but against my better judgment I came back to check on this thread. Stop digging!!!!

There are some right of center Althouse commenters at whose comments I cringe from time to time. That's OK, I'm sure there are others who feel the same about me.

But 7 comments in a row without a reply? Complete with repeating truly vile personal insults to which I have not resorted (cuntface? really?).

I would not fear running into nearly any Althouse commenter. But you? I suspect I would cross the street not even knowing who you were. Your obsessions truly scare me. Sir or madam, get help.

jr565 said...

CWJ a I apologize for the use of cuntfsce. U seemed like u wanted to pick a fight.

Unknown said...

See CWJ, all you have to do to understand the context of
My words that you objected to is read crack's post above mine. There is a secondary conversation going on. "There's somethibg happening
But you don't know what it is.
Do you. Mr. Cunt face"

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