It’s official.
I’m old.
I turned on the radio today and heard that Gwen Stefani song “Rich Girl”. Have you heard this song? It’s got a bunch of words and music, your typical song. But the chorus is, “If I was a rich girl, da da da da da da da da da.” As in Fiddler on the Roof, “If I was a rich man, da da da da da da da da da.” How wrong is that? Do these singers have no decency? Sampling from Fiddler and the friggin Roof? I just tried to come up with a Broadway show whose music would seem even more ridiculous in a hip hop song. I could think of no other show. Fiddler on the Roof?! It’s the whitest show ever.
A few years ago, when I was still young, I was watching Full Metal Jacket and a prostitute comes on screen and propositions one of the main characters by saying, “Me love you long time.” I said, and I’m not proud of this, “Oh, they stole that from that 2 Live Crew song.” Being young, and not old, I honestly thought that Stanley Kubrick had sampled from 2 Live Crew. Some of you reading this won’t even know who 2 Live Crew was. At least I’m not as old as you people.
But I think you are officially old when you hear a Gwen Stefani song and start doing that little jig that the Fiddler on the Roof guy did on stage when he sang his Rich Man song. I tried to explain to someone why this all so wrong. They didn’t know what I was talking about. “No, it’s not If I was a rich MAN, it’s If I was a rich GIRL. You got the song wrong.”
I just realized that maybe I’m not old. Maybe I’m just unhip.
That is probably worse.
I’m old.
I turned on the radio today and heard that Gwen Stefani song “Rich Girl”. Have you heard this song? It’s got a bunch of words and music, your typical song. But the chorus is, “If I was a rich girl, da da da da da da da da da.” As in Fiddler on the Roof, “If I was a rich man, da da da da da da da da da.” How wrong is that? Do these singers have no decency? Sampling from Fiddler and the friggin Roof? I just tried to come up with a Broadway show whose music would seem even more ridiculous in a hip hop song. I could think of no other show. Fiddler on the Roof?! It’s the whitest show ever.
A few years ago, when I was still young, I was watching Full Metal Jacket and a prostitute comes on screen and propositions one of the main characters by saying, “Me love you long time.” I said, and I’m not proud of this, “Oh, they stole that from that 2 Live Crew song.” Being young, and not old, I honestly thought that Stanley Kubrick had sampled from 2 Live Crew. Some of you reading this won’t even know who 2 Live Crew was. At least I’m not as old as you people.
But I think you are officially old when you hear a Gwen Stefani song and start doing that little jig that the Fiddler on the Roof guy did on stage when he sang his Rich Man song. I tried to explain to someone why this all so wrong. They didn’t know what I was talking about. “No, it’s not If I was a rich MAN, it’s If I was a rich GIRL. You got the song wrong.”
I just realized that maybe I’m not old. Maybe I’m just unhip.
That is probably worse.
1 comment:
First off, Dawn...yes you are old and going through a midlife crisis if you are listening to Gwen Stefani. (heehee)
I agree with you on this. There is not much original in the world these days. People trying to make money off of other peoples hard work.
Have you seen the cover for this album? Skank. Also, the rest of the songs really bother me, as she portrays herself as anything but a lady. No common decency or self-respect. This is what young girls are idolizing and that bothers me.
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