August 10, 2002
8:39 AM Subscribe
The threat of war with Iraq. The decline of the stock market and consumer confidence. Continued violence in the Middle East. Erosion of civil liberties. But with all the negativity afloat in the world, just remember one thing: There will always be the music video of Leonard Nimoy's "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins." (quicktime)
That's ok, PrinceValium. I've heard this... interesing... song before, but this is the first time I've ever seen the video for it. Pardon me while I go wash my eyes.
posted by webratta at 8:48 AM on August 10, 2002
posted by webratta at 8:48 AM on August 10, 2002
That... was pornography of the soul. I watched the whole thing in a sort of sick fascination, resisting the urge to claw my own eyes out.
Truly, there are horrors in this world.
posted by John Smallberries at 8:50 AM on August 10, 2002
Truly, there are horrors in this world.
posted by John Smallberries at 8:50 AM on August 10, 2002
Wait, wait, what does his badge say at the end? I have to know! :) And, what's with the ears that the... err... dancers are wearing at some point? Is Nimoy having fun with his Spock image or is that actually supposed to be a hobbit reference?
Sometimes I think I shouldn't check MetaFilter before I'm really awake.
posted by annekef at 9:29 AM on August 10, 2002
Sometimes I think I shouldn't check MetaFilter before I'm really awake.
posted by annekef at 9:29 AM on August 10, 2002
I fridged and poured my face off down the rabbit freeway with a jungle-gym dirigible salad.
(Ack! My ability to think coherently! ...Damn you, Leonard Nimoy!)
posted by dopamine at 9:31 AM on August 10, 2002
(Ack! My ability to think coherently! ...Damn you, Leonard Nimoy!)
posted by dopamine at 9:31 AM on August 10, 2002
Surpasses anything the deepest depths of Shatner's lack of musicality could've produced. Dug the frugging chyks, tho'...
posted by MrBaliHai at 9:31 AM on August 10, 2002
posted by MrBaliHai at 9:31 AM on August 10, 2002
Thanks for the link! IMO, this is one of Nimoy's better. His "If I Had A Hammer" (shudder) is far worse.
posted by herc at 10:09 AM on August 10, 2002
posted by herc at 10:09 AM on August 10, 2002
At the beginning of the video the I saw the sticker affixed to a dancer's chest saying "What is a Hobbit"
At the end his sticker reads "What is a Leonard Nimoy"
Sticks in your head and stays crunchy even in milk.
posted by tami at 10:21 AM on August 10, 2002
At the end his sticker reads "What is a Leonard Nimoy"
Sticks in your head and stays crunchy even in milk.
posted by tami at 10:21 AM on August 10, 2002
Okay, so the "What's a Hobbit" sticker wasn't at the beginning. But, Leonard's sticker does say "What's a Leonard Nimoy" at the end.
So, can anyone decipher the other stickers ?
posted by tami at 10:27 AM on August 10, 2002
So, can anyone decipher the other stickers ?
posted by tami at 10:27 AM on August 10, 2002
Yet another reason why original Star Trek represents the pinnacle of bad sci-fi television. Look at the creativity bursting out at the seams. You don't see Patrick Stewart writing and singing his own odes to fictional creatures, nor do you see Data covering any Beatles' tunes.
They touch the heavens only by standing on the shoulders of giants: Shatner and Nimoy.
posted by pejamo at 10:44 AM on August 10, 2002
They touch the heavens only by standing on the shoulders of giants: Shatner and Nimoy.
posted by pejamo at 10:44 AM on August 10, 2002
lokheed, I stand corrected. I'm sure that album is every bit as frightening as Shatner's "Lucy in Sky with Diamonds".
posted by pejamo at 11:26 AM on August 10, 2002
posted by pejamo at 11:26 AM on August 10, 2002
Not to mention Data playing John Adams in the Broadway revival of 1776. For god's sake, John, sit down.
(Brent Spiner was also in the original cast of Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, and is on the CD and DVD.)
posted by bjennings at 12:09 PM on August 10, 2002
(Brent Spiner was also in the original cast of Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, and is on the CD and DVD.)
posted by bjennings at 12:09 PM on August 10, 2002
Weirdest. Link. Ever.
posted by Keyser Soze at 12:12 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by Keyser Soze at 12:12 PM on August 10, 2002
Oh thank you for this! I discovered this song about a year ago and it's been stuck in my mind since then, forcing me to break out in merry song at odd times. I never knew there was a video ... other than a silly one I did with me singing it (and after seeing this one, mine wasn't so silly after all except that the singing was slightly worse).
It's been a crappy day all around, and at least now I have something to make me smile for no reason again. :D
posted by Orb at 12:21 PM on August 10, 2002
It's been a crappy day all around, and at least now I have something to make me smile for no reason again. :D
posted by Orb at 12:21 PM on August 10, 2002
I believe that I just became less intelligent after having clicked that link.
posted by StrangerInAStrainedLand at 1:16 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by StrangerInAStrainedLand at 1:16 PM on August 10, 2002
the song is rather wretched. the dancers are strangely out of sync. but the expression on nimoy's face at the end is priceless.
posted by grabbingsand at 1:29 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by grabbingsand at 1:29 PM on August 10, 2002
=71/4A`his prison scene in my head. Someday in the not so distant future I'll be sitting in prison. My cells mates will be listing their litany of crimes. "I killed an old woman for her SSI check," says one. "Really, I killed two old women for the same thing." says another. "Hey Elwood, what did you do?" I pause, trying to think of a good enough crime to lie about, but I blurt out the truth anyway. "I downloaded Leonard Nimoy's cover of the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins." Suddenly I've no friends in prison.....
posted by elwoodwiles at 2:08 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by elwoodwiles at 2:08 PM on August 10, 2002
should kottke be cited for picking this up first?
a certain rev. bill pointed out to me once that in nimoy's version of "proud mary" he says "big wheel keep on turnin'/proud mary keep on burnin'..." each time till the last time when he finally lets loose and pronounces it "boinin'."
posted by xian at 2:35 PM on August 10, 2002
a certain rev. bill pointed out to me once that in nimoy's version of "proud mary" he says "big wheel keep on turnin'/proud mary keep on burnin'..." each time till the last time when he finally lets loose and pronounces it "boinin'."
posted by xian at 2:35 PM on August 10, 2002
should kottke be cited for picking this up first?
er, it's been out there for awhile. for example, this page linked to it over two years ago, although it's making the rounds there (and elsewhere) again.
posted by gluechunk at 2:49 PM on August 10, 2002
er, it's been out there for awhile. for example, this page linked to it over two years ago, although it's making the rounds there (and elsewhere) again.
posted by gluechunk at 2:49 PM on August 10, 2002
Wow, and to think, someone probably PAID him to do that.. perhaps my grand vision of running around various cities dressed like a viking and screaming, while getting paid for it of course, isn't impossible..
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 3:46 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 3:46 PM on August 10, 2002
has he no shame?
You want no shame? I'll show you no shame.
posted by PrinceValium at 4:57 PM on August 10, 2002
You want no shame? I'll show you no shame.
posted by PrinceValium at 4:57 PM on August 10, 2002
Ho hum, a hasty folk.
posted by adampsyche at 5:02 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by adampsyche at 5:02 PM on August 10, 2002
mkultra, it originally appeared on this Nimoy album (and the Bilbo song was also available on a 7"!)
posted by gluechunk at 9:07 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by gluechunk at 9:07 PM on August 10, 2002
Does anyone know what this is originally from?
I think I remember reading that this video was made for the BBC when I came across a link to the shorter version of it (which has a "FRODO LIVES" button filling the screen just before the end, but otherwise is just the first 20 seconds of the video) a while ago.
Of course, maybe I've had too much of whatever Nimoy was on when he decided to make this.
posted by Nick Tamm at 9:36 PM on August 10, 2002
I think I remember reading that this video was made for the BBC when I came across a link to the shorter version of it (which has a "FRODO LIVES" button filling the screen just before the end, but otherwise is just the first 20 seconds of the video) a while ago.
Of course, maybe I've had too much of whatever Nimoy was on when he decided to make this.
posted by Nick Tamm at 9:36 PM on August 10, 2002
That is, without doubt, the strangest thing I have ever seen. Ever.
posted by teem at 10:08 PM on August 10, 2002
posted by teem at 10:08 PM on August 10, 2002
it originally appeared on this Nimoy album[Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy]
Spock side/Mission: Impossible side.
Discerning fans should check out Spaced Out: The Very Best of Nimoy and Shatner [review]. Shatner sings Sinatra. Nimoy sings Johnny Cash. It's got all the goodies.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:38 PM on August 10, 2002
So, can anyone decipher the other stickers ?
One of the others says "(Appoint?) Leonard Nemoy to the UN." :-)
posted by reverendX at 1:15 PM on August 12, 2002
One of the others says "(Appoint?) Leonard Nemoy to the UN." :-)
posted by reverendX at 1:15 PM on August 12, 2002
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posted by PrinceValium at 8:47 AM on August 10, 2002