LET’S HERE IT FOR DIGITAL SOUND - (BOO! HISS!)

Last night I was channel surfing among several of the music stations on my dish, trying to avoid all the election coverage, while waiting for the SNL Thursday spoof of the election coverage. Like many people at this late stage of the game (and I do mean game) I’d much rather watch a spoof than the real thing. I’m a real political junkie, but the US election crossed over into the rather-have-a-root-canal category for me some time ago. As someone who has lived and voted in both the US and Canada, I can tell you, Canada is waaaay easier. For example, how many of you even knew Canada just had an election – hands? I thought so. Once it was announced that an election was coming, the whole thing took a mere 37 days and cost just over 300 mil. I kid you not. Anyway, I’m digressing again. What I really want to tell you about is that, as I surfed, I happened to catch the old ABBA song, “Chiquitita.” Well, have to stop for that one. And wonder of wonders, as I listened to the old familiar lyrics…I suddenly heard…something different! Yes, it’s true. Thanks to the wonders of crisp new digital sound, I discovered another bit of misheard lyrics I’d been living with in my head since…hold on a sec, let me go look it up…1979!
There’s that one part where they sing:

“Chiquitita you and I know / How the heartaches come and they go /________________”

Okay, here’s where my revelation comes. The actual words that go in the space above are “and the scars they’re leaving.” Maybe you always knew that. Maybe you had the album with lyrics. Maybe you have a better ear. But to me, that missing phrase was always “on the Champs-Elysees.” I mean, why not? After all, ABBA was a European group, with all the continental stuff that implies. They could have been to the Champs-Elysees many times, for all we know. And, don’t forget, we’re talking Paris here. Not only that, we’re talking about of the most famous romantic spots in town. Trysting in the cafes, meeting clandestinely in the cinema. I’m sure people get their hearts broken there all the time. Plus, the instrumentation has a kind of a turn-of-the-century Folies Bergere feel to it, even if the title is Spanish. Hey, Spain is in Europe too! Come on, you know it makes a certain sense. No? Well, it doesn’t matter; it’s all behind me now.

And now that I know what the real lyrics are, I suppose I should be happy, but somehow I’m not. Sometimes what you incorrectly imagine can be preferable to what is actual. It’s always going to look like a Toulouse-Lautrec painting in my head. So, have a listen and see what you think of my musical misadventure, and try to be kind...






Video by YT member kamy876
Photo from answers.com/cancan

HOW CAN YOU RESIST?

Like you, I’ve been seeing the trailers for Mamma Mia all over TV, and I have to admit I quite eager to see it. While the very thought of it might make some people wince, I am a confirmed fan of Meryl Streep, ABBA, and movie musicals as a genre. So I’m expecting to like it. I’ll watch just about anything with Meryl Streep. She’s one the most acclaimed and versatile actors of the day. She’s played just about every kind of role there is, and is known for her meticulous dedication to her performances. I read somewhere that for Sophie’s Choice she not only learned German and Polish, but even her German has the hint of a Polish accent. Now that’s what I call getting into character!

One of my favorite performances of hers is the Carrie Fisher character in Postcards From the Edge. It wasn’t the first time Streep sang in a movie. She previously sang in Ironweed, 1987, but I didn’t see that one, so you can imagine how my jaw dropped when I heard how good she was. I’ll bet there are a lot of singers out there who are glad she didn’t go for a dual career! In Postcards she delivers a touching and irony-tinged version of “You Don’t Know Me” and then gets to belt out a rockin’ country number (backed by Canada’s Blue Rodeo, woo-hoo!) at the end. I’d say she’s more than prepared to take on Mamma Mia.

So here we are, the group that started it all, plus the teaser for Mamma Mia, the movie. Now come on, tell the truth, aren’t you just a little curious to see it? And don’t let me hear disparaging remarks from the guys about chick flicks and musicals – hey if hunky Pierce Brosnan can be in it, you certainly can go watch it!








Photo from Wikimedia Commons