Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...

March 13, 2017 4:22 PM

Stuck in the Middle with You: On Reservoir Dogs and the Soundtrack to Savagery (Electric Literature) | 6 Classic Songs That Were Supposed to Be Jokes (Cracked)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome (27 comments total)

Previously: 'Do you think you’re going to give this part to somebody else?'
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 4:23 PM on March 13, 2017

"Stuck in the Middle With You" was written as a parody of Dylan's more paranoid, drug-induced ramblings, which is another way of saying it's a parody of every single Bob Dylan song ever recorded.

Uhh, no.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:29 PM on March 13, 2017 [16 favorites]

"Where do we go now?"
If that story is true, it's immensely funny.
(But after the previous comment, I'm not sure it is)
posted by MtDewd at 4:50 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

The line "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right" always makes me think of this song rather than the one in question. It's a joke in its way too but good grief that is some technical playing for a joke.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:02 PM on March 13, 2017

At the end of a long day, watching Shannon Larkin hit things is pretty therapeutic.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:04 PM on March 13, 2017

I remember when Stuck in the Middle first hit the airwaves and, yeah, everyone thought it was Dylan. Never knew that was Rafferty, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:08 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

I was fully expecting to see "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" on the list of songs that were supposed to be jokes.
posted by SisterHavana at 5:08 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

I always thought "Mama told me not to come" was a little jokey. But no, it's in earnest. Proly worse.
posted by Smedleyman at 5:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

smedleyman, mama told me not to come was written by randy newman, and it's more than a little jokey - not that 3 dog night would get that
posted by pyramid termite at 5:32 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

It's Randy Newman. I don't think "in earnest" is the right way to put it. A lot of his songs are ironic, and even some of the tearjerkers have a certain detachment to them, as they're seen through the eyes of the main character (e.g. Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father, Marie).
posted by Grangousier at 5:34 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

When "Stuck in the Middle With You" came out, I knew it wasn't a Dylan song because the lead vocal was in tune.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:56 PM on March 13, 2017 [13 favorites]

I expected to see the Jethro Tull album-song "Thick as a Brick" on the supposed-to-be-a-joke list. It's a goof on both progressive rock and concept albums, but nonetheless regularly gets the #1 slot on "best of" lists of both -- deservedly.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:57 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

See, I love Thick as a Brick (Radio Edit). I think what's interesting is that even when these people are trying to goof on the music scene or whatever it is they think they're making fun of, their innate talent comes through anyway. Thick as a Brick is incredibly melodic. Loser gets into your brain and stays there. I guess it's part "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the public" and part "They're that good," so that even as they give themselves license to be totally silly, they're still writing good stuff.
posted by Miko at 7:01 PM on March 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

I guess it's part "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the public"

That, and "most people are simply unable to comprehend irony or sarcasm even when they're being slapped in the face with it".
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:05 PM on March 13, 2017

Or maybe people's sense of humor can become so in-jokey, elaborated, and personal that no one else could possibly be expected to recognize that they were joking instead of serious.

This Thick as a Brick stuff is pretty rich, though:

Before the band started a performance, men wearing capes would appear and begin sweeping the floor, counting the audience and studying the venue; after a few minutes, some of the men revealed themselves to be members of the band and began to play.[29] During some shows, the entire band stopped mid performance when a telephone rang on stage, which Anderson would answer, before carrying on performing. At some points, news and weather reports were read halfway through the show and even a man dressed head to toe in a scuba diver outfit would come onto stage and pass by as the band performed.

What's sorta funny is that it's the music that some of these bands meant as totally serious that seems sorta funny today.
posted by Miko at 7:09 PM on March 13, 2017 [6 favorites]

Yeah, see, if you want to goof on the music scene, you don't write, like, ironic chord progressions or some damn thing and expect Top 40 radio listeners to get that. You just flat out say "We are goofing on the music scene with this song. The very song you are listening to right now." Like this, for example.
posted by Naberius at 7:23 PM on March 13, 2017

I've always liked the song, and Reservoir Dogs is a favorite as well, so the Electric Literature article really resonated with me. On the other hand, the Cracked article wasn't one of their best efforts. Just because something is tossed off with little thought or effort doesn't mean it won't resonate with people. Sort of like when George Mallory got fed up with being asked constantly why he wanted to climb Mount Everest and snarkily tossed off the quote for which he is best remembered. Or in college where on more than one occasion a paper I threw together at the last minute got a better grade than one I meticulously worked on for weeks. Also, Gerry Rafferty strikes me as one of those tragic figures in rock and roll that never really got the recognition they deserved, albeit partly through their own behavior. Obit thread here.
posted by TedW at 7:25 PM on March 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

A relatively very young Jon Stewart discusses this scene with Tarantino after doing a little Mr. Blonde and how he'll never be able to listen to the song without thinking about it. Tarantino's response about the impact of this scene has always stayed with me: that's what effective music is supposed to do.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 7:45 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel I'll convey
Some inner truth or vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks

posted by jenkinsEar at 8:17 PM on March 13, 2017 [5 favorites]

Wait, people take "Fight for the Right (to Party)" seriously?

The main character in the song whines about his mother throwing away his titty magazines, then exhorts you to "fight."

On the other hand, there have now been two entire social movements that basically boiled down to that sentiment...
posted by Scattercat at 10:52 PM on March 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

To this day I cannot hear that song without seeing the warehouse, Blonde dancing, and helpless Marvin Nash taped to the chair.

Yep. It's an indelible association; the song totally the right choice, but also the song ruined.

Michael Madsen's performance is a huge part of it I think. The shuffling mongoose dance; the feeling of evil coiled up inside him like a spring with nothing to keep it in check. And watching the clip in the article, something about the direction that I never noticed before: Madsen's shirt remains brilliant unstained white throughout.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:59 PM on March 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

I never gave a shit about "Stuck In The Middle With You" until the first time I saw Reservoir Dogs but I've loved it ever since. It's completely insane yet absolutely formulaic movie making: a dance scene smack dab in the middle of the flick, danced to the perfect song, the perfect title. Tarantino was on fire with movie smarts, knew exactly what he was about.

Michael Madsen was great, totally believable as a completely sick, violent fuck. But earlier in the movie, in the scene where he gets out of prison and he's wrestling around on the floor with the Chris Penn character in his fathers office, it's like they're little puppies, happy and joyous, great friends. It's just that he's a guy that you'd not want to have be *not* your friend.

The unsung actor in that flick, for sure in that scene, is Kirk Baltz, played the cop. Watch his scenes throughout the movie, he plays it perfectly -- a young, decent, strong man in an impossible situation. His terror catches you by the throat, and in your guts, his eyes are liquid, and you're right in there with him. Fuck. He came up with the line "I've got a little kid at home." as it was being filmed, knowing that Madsen had a brand new baby at home. Talk about playing dirty pool. Whoa.

Somehow I didn't catch it the first time I saw the flick that the room is full of caskets. Duh. I mean, Mr. Blond was sitting on a flippin' hearse. Blind, I was blind. I was so caught in the characters that I didn't look around the room, or, more accurately maybe, just didn't see what I was looking at....

~~~~~

Music is so important in movies. Or can be. A favorite movie of mine is "I've Heard the Mermaids Singing" which stars Sheila McCarthy as Polly, a total dork, a complete artist, one of my all-time favorite movie heroines. In this movie there is music that I just couldn't get over, and I sought it out, and I suspect that it's absolutely comical to think of me driving around Austin in my pickup listening to "The Flower Duet" from Lakmé but that's damn sure what I've been doing this past month, what I pretty much have to do every now and again when I need that beauty.

Had I not loved Polly so that music maybe wouldn't have gotten in, or maybe not gotten in as deeply as it has. I love to go down this youtube listing of singers and get all of these amazing singers take on this song; I defy you to listen to Elīna Garanča & Olga Peretyatko sing it without tears on your cheeks. Or maybe that's just me...
posted by dancestoblue at 3:44 AM on March 14, 2017 [6 favorites]

Paul Williams is another songwriter who's too good for his own good, for lack of better wording. Even when he's writing songs that are supposed to be deliberate pisstakes, like "Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye" and "Upholstery" from Phantom of the Paradise, or Rogers & Clarke's songs from Ishtar (did you know he wrote the songs from Ishtar?), they come out catchy as hell.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:10 AM on March 14, 2017 [2 favorites]

I wonder what other songs would have worked well here....."Harper Valley PTA"? Maybe some Herb Alpert?
posted by thelonius at 7:16 AM on March 14, 2017

Yet again I'm glad I never traumatized myself by watching a violence-filled Tarantino movie, allowing me to groove to one of the best bass lines in rock without any disturbing mental images sullying the experience.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:02 AM on March 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

Other songs that could be on that Cracked.com list:

Blur - Song 2
Alt J - Left Hand Free
posted by subdee at 9:05 AM on March 14, 2017

From a far older period, "Little Darlin'" by the Diamonds began life as a goof on doo-wop songs, and became one of the ultimate doo-wop songs, and Elvis's speeded-up version of "Blue Moon of Kentucky" was the joke version of Bill Monroe's original that pretty much launched rockabilly in 1954 (or '56, I forget).
posted by Modest House at 3:48 PM on March 14, 2017 [1 favorite]