September 1, 2012

"A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there...."



An old song, with new currency after the GOP convention. Here are the lyrics to "A House Is Not a Home," if you'd like to work on an election 2012 parody. And, by the way, Althouse is not a home.

IN THE COMMENTS: I was surprised to read Tyrone Slothrop's comment:
Tell me, Althouse, are you able to manipulate world events in order to provide fodder for your blog? Did Hal David pass away just to give you a segue to this post?
I didn't know Hal David had died the day this post went up. He was 91. I and maybe you thought: Burt Bachrach. But Bachrach wrote the music. "A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sitting there" and many other memorable lyrics were written by Hal David.

I intended a comical reference to the Clint Eastwood incident, not anything mournful about an empty chair symbolizing death.

Remember the "Field Of Empty Chairs"?

42 comments:

Known Unknown said...

Eastwood just chewed out his toaster for undercooking his bagel.

Then he plugged it in.

KCFleming said...

Whodathunk a doddering old man would still have such impact?

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

At first I thought you were refering to the Forever Changes song and was impressed by your awesome hipness. Then I realized I had the song title wrong.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

Tell me, Althouse, are you able to manipulate world events in order to provide fodder for your blog? Did Hal David pass away just to give you a segue to this post?

cold pizza said...

Oooh! A game (it helps if you follow along with Ms Warwick):

A chair is still a chair
Even when there's no one sitting there
But a chair in the White House
The White House no one at home
When there's no one there to set things right,
And no one there you can trust to fight.

A room is still a room
Even when there's nothing there but doom;
But a room in the White House,
The White House no one at home
When Oval Office are photo ops
The One is just used for background props.

Now and then I get e-mail
And suddenly your pleas appear
But it's just so crazy stale
When it ends I'll shed no tear.

Darling, have a plan,
Don't let your budget melt like sand.
I'm not meant to live a serf. The White House needs someone of worth.
When I go the vote and turn you out,
My feelings please shall leave you no doubt.

-CP

chickelit said...

Gwen McCrae recently suffered a stroke while touring in the UK. Here, her daughter Leah gives thanks to what must be NHS hospitality: link

You all remember Rockin' Chair by Gwen McCrea?

chickelit said...

Last link didn't work: Try this

gadfly said...

Althouse is not a home but with apologies to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young:

Althouse has a very, very fine house

With two dogs in the yard

Life used to be so hard

Now every thing is easy

Cause of you

Palladian said...
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Palladian said...

Ever since the Eastwood performance, I've been thinking of this song, which also happens to be on my personal list of the Worst Songs Ever.

"I am," I said
To no one there,
And no one heard at all,
Not even the chair.
"I am," I cried,
"I am," said I,
And I am lost, and I can't even say why...

Leavin' me lonely still...

Did you ever read about a frog who dreamed of bein' a king...
And then became one?
Well except for the names and a few other changes,
If you talk about me, the story's the same one.

But I've got an emptiness deep inside,
And I've tried, but it won't let me go.
And I'm not a man who likes to swear,
But I never cared for the sound of being alone.

"I am," I said
To no one there,
And no one heard at all,
Not even the chair…

Chip Ahoy said...

The most touching song of all is the guy who sings about sitting on his his chair and picking out a guitar from a catalog and jars for humming bird feeders with his fruity little boyfriend whose mother is a real pistol.

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou

Carnifex said...

And who can forget Billie Jean by The One Gloved Wonder wherein he sings to perfectly timed pelvic thrusts--

"She think's I am the one.
The chair is not my son"

and then there's Ray Stevens with the Ballad of the Blue Cyclone. A humorous look at professional wrestling where he sings--

"Someone threw a chair in the ring!"

Ahhh, memeories...wish I could forget somethings.

Or was it --"The Spiders' got a chair!"

Be careful what you wish for...what was I saying?

Ohh Ray Stevens NEW Obama song.

It's An Obamanation...here's the link http://youtu.be/AFaCytKXOSQ

Carnifex said...

On further investigating the Blue Cyclone it "Somebody yelled the Spiders' got a chain!", and "My buddy Bill threw a chair in the ring" More investigative reporting by your investigating reporter...

Ps.

We know how Dr. Who got his monicker!!! Now if the writers can only figure out how River and the Doctor can have children, all will be happy in the BBC Universe.

Carnifex said...

Ohmahgerd!!!

I never realized that Luke the drifter was a closet homo! All those fake tears in all those beers!

What? It's right there in chips post! He sings that he's gonna' be "gay-o" I gotta' go throw out all my Hank Williams Albums now.(Dman you Chip! I htought you wanted to be a nicer person, and you crush a young mans fantasy about country blues, and beer drinking, and being scorned by women)

Ohmahgerd!! the scorning by Miss Audrey!!That's why Hank went from Fire On The Mountain to Brokeback Mountain!!

Carnifex said...

I was wondering just now, how is it possible for Zero to be sitting in "the chair" when all the LSM has their lips on his ass, kissing it? Maybe, just maybe, he's sitting on all those lips...inquiring minds pay no attention to me.

And then it came to me like a fly to a hungry frog, or a penis to Andy as the case may be(buzzing and erratic)...Zero is not sitting. Not in the conventional sense. He is supported like a human Ouroboros. The LSM with it's head up Zeros' ass, Zero's head up Vlad the Impailers ass, Vlad's head up the Communist's parties ass, the Communist parties head up the Liberal professors asses, and the liberal professor's heads up the LSM's ass. They have achieved Liberal Nirvana!

Chip Ahoy said...

Stevie Wonder sang about a lot of chairs. It's a known fact he was hung up on chairs and thrones and such. Here, he's a knight singing about his armored chair this ain't like a mil keyway.

My Cherie Amour, lovely as a summer's day
My Cherie Amour, distant as the Milky Way
My Cherie Amour, pretty little one that I adore
You're the only girl my heart beats for
How I wish that you were mine

Anga2010 said...

Althouse is a blog.
I got that won wrighte perfesser.
YAY Me!

ricpic said...

Obama N'est Pas Une Chaise

A chair is still a chair when no ones sitting there,
Always ready to support the tush that needs it;
But a man is not a man whose every word is fair,
Promising everything to everyone -- delivering shit.

dreams said...

http://senatorjohnblutarsky.blogspot.com/2012/09/instapunditalthouse-2-msm-0.html

The new media continues to influence and provide perspective. "For the times they are a-changin'."

edutcher said...

always thought Hal David had the bulk of the talent in that partnership and Bacharach, complete with Angie Dickinson in tow, was the personable front man.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

Tell me, Althouse, are you able to manipulate world events in order to provide fodder for your blog? Did Hal David pass away just to give you a segue to this post?

Even if it isn't so, it still drives the Lefties crazy to entertain the possibility.

dreams said...
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ricpic said...

Wasn't Hal David words to Bacharach's music? Not sure if that was the division of labor but if it was they both brought much to the table, IMO.

dreams said...

A fact checker walks into a bar with a duck on his head.
The bartender asks, what can he do for him?
The duck replies, you can get this liar off my ass

dreams said...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-09-02/obama-clint-eastwood-skit/57520284/1

It turns out Obama is not offended by Clint's skit, he is a big Eastwood fan. Whodathunk?

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.
You'd think that all would
see an empty suit,
as time goes by.

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
The fundemental thought in our house is why'd he lie.

Hail to the victors valiant

ricpic said...

It turns out Obama is not offended by Clint's skit, he is a big Eastwood fan.

Misdirection!

Barry: Why that no good mofuckin' honkey, he's never gonna work in that town again!

Axelrod: Wait a minute, Mr. President, the better strategy would be to rise above it, show the peasants what a big man you are, heck, even claim you love the guy.

Barry: Well...yeah...I guess. *God damn Hebe thinks he's so damn clever* But I'm still going to mess up his picture in my Hollywood coloring book, Axelrod, and you can't stop me!

Axelrod: Of course, Mr. President.

dreams said...

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2012/08/best-reactions-to-presidents-this-seats.html

Mr President Obama, I suggest you not pull up a chair and stay awhile and I think I can speak for the American people given we share a love for our country, unlike you.

dreams said...
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dreams said...
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Farmer said...

The other thing that I found odd about Eastwood's act (aside from the awful delivery) was the notion that Obama is an angry man who tells people to go fuck themselves. The knock against him isn't that he's angry - is that he's arrogant and aloof. The guy in the chair would be ignoring Eastwood. The whole idea was wrong.

KCFleming said...

Obama cultivates a cool unflappable persona.
That worked in 2008. It looked like pragmatism.

He is aloof, to be sure, lacking interest in the mundane job of making important decisions, faced with facts and figgers he could not fathom.

He is also arrogant, but what President has not been, to some degree. He's logarithmically well ahead of the pack, though.

But angry? You bet. Seething and vengeful.
It's his entire campaign.
It's his northstar for making decisions.
It's his only reliable guide to the future.

Another angry leftist, made angrier by the repeated failure to make unicorn farts into money, jobs, and adoring crowds.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Leave some for Althouse!!

KCFleming said...
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Tom Spaulding said...

THE CHAIR

Well, excuse me, but I think you've got my chair.
No, that one's not taken, I don't mind
If you sit here, I'll be glad to share.

Yeah, it's usually packed here on Friday nights.
Oh, if you don't mind, could I talk you out of a light.

Well, thank you, could I drink you a buy?
Oh, listen to me, what I mean is can I buy you a drink?
Anything you please.

Oh, you're welcome, well, I don't think I caught your name.
Are you waiting for someone to meet you here?
Well, that makes two of us glad you came.

No, I don't know the name of the band, but they're good, aren't they...Would you like to dance?
Yeah, I like the song too, it reminds me of you and me, baby....Do you think there's a chance?
That later on I could drive you home
No, I don't mind at all.

Oh, I like you too, and to tell you the truth
That wasn't my chair after all.
Oh, I like you too, and to tell you the truth
That wasn't my chair after all.

MadisonMan said...

Wasn't Hal David words to Bacharach's music? Not sure if that was the division of labor but if it was they both brought much to the table, IMO.

Yes, totally.

The sum is so much greater than the parts.

KCFleming said...

@Palladian
I love your "Worst songs" list.

I take issue with a couple, but even those few are bad, just not cringemaking and horrible as per the remainder.

But I am I said had to have been penned by Satan himself.

KCFleming said...

May I nominate The Giving Tree for worst children's book?

MadisonMan said...

Palladian, re that great althouse thread you linked to, I'm still in awe that you found so many versions of Macarthur Park (dear God, did you have to listen to all of them, too?) and put them on a CD.

Any Emporium of Bad Taste would salivate to put that on its shelves, I would think. I can totally see it at Spencer's Gifts at any Mall, for example.

Anonymous said...

re: Mr. O doesn't use foul language, especially when talking down to his employer.

But he does, it's often remarked on by "the help." It's just not in the news. It was more visible back in his Chicago days.

ricpic said...

Beautiful job on THE CHAIR, Tom Spaulding