Great write up! Joel did a great job at crafting a song that had both mainstream appeal and a half dozen innuendos to get past moral walls. Also, thanks for introducing Jim Carroll! His stuff is news to me, so thanks for the find.
Thanks for reading, Stanley. You're sure right about Joel. The man knew how to write a pop song with a bit of nerve to it! And happy to turn you on to Carroll!
Jim Carroll is one of my absolute favorites as a poet, musician, and memorist. I read The Basketball Diaries in high school and it has served as a holy book for me since—and is one of the primary influences for my YA novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which features a high school Native American basketball star.
I'm confused about your point that there's no live video of Carroll performing live. Here he is on the show Friday, that brief, weird cousin of Saturday Night Live:
A very nice, personal essay and, I have to admit, every time I see the title the song I hear in my head is Heaven 17 "(And That's No Lie)" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL8WdjkPhdM
"I feel like the judge / Who needs the proof? / (Who needs the proof?)"
Great write up! Joel did a great job at crafting a song that had both mainstream appeal and a half dozen innuendos to get past moral walls. Also, thanks for introducing Jim Carroll! His stuff is news to me, so thanks for the find.
Thanks for reading, Stanley. You're sure right about Joel. The man knew how to write a pop song with a bit of nerve to it! And happy to turn you on to Carroll!
Jim Carroll is one of my absolute favorites as a poet, musician, and memorist. I read The Basketball Diaries in high school and it has served as a holy book for me since—and is one of the primary influences for my YA novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which features a high school Native American basketball star.
I'm confused about your point that there's no live video of Carroll performing live. Here he is on the show Friday, that brief, weird cousin of Saturday Night Live:
https://youtu.be/Ly6j7bE6BOc?si=PmXFIOC3xtd6ZYfP
Thanks, Sherman. Yeah, a few people have commented on videos. I'm not sure where I was looking! Thanks for the link.
And Basketball Diaries had a similarly powerful effect on me. Still feels like yesterday when I first read it, clandestinely.
A very nice, personal essay and, I have to admit, every time I see the title the song I hear in my head is Heaven 17 "(And That's No Lie)" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL8WdjkPhdM
"I feel like the judge / Who needs the proof? / (Who needs the proof?)"
Thanks for reading, Nick! Hmmm and now I just might too!
:)
A non-annoying 80s earworm.
Hahaha