Shatner: Rocket Man or Taxi?

[Teasing the Korean]

Which to you like better?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvQwXOCKNLY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBWOmHUvKBw

Edited April 23, 2011 by Teasing the Korean

[Dan Gould]

First off (I know this puts me in a decided minority round here) I have always thought "Taxi" was a great song - I always suspected Dan Fogelberg tried to duplicate it in his own way with "Old Lang Syne" and fell short - and definitely think Shatner is better with this than with "Rocket Man".

And the reasons are obvious: Being a "story song" Chapin's lyrics are essentially an actor's monologue. "Rocket Man" "works" with the Shatner treatment because the lyrics are so ludicrous on their face that combined with Shatner's mannerisms it reaches a perfect state of lunacy.

So if you want lunacy, Rocket Man is the winner. But Taxi is more real, and still has those ludicrous Shatner-moments.

Now I wonder if there's video of Billy doing "30,000 Pounds of Bananas".

[Dan Gould]

Or the Chapin song I just recently became acquainted with: "I Want To Learn a Love Song". Try reading this with your best Shatner delivery. I couldn't finish without cracking myself up:

I come fresh from the street,

fast on my feet, kind a lean and lazy;

not much meat on my bones, and a whole lot alone,

and more than a little bit crazy.

The old six string was all I had

to keep my belly still,

and for each full hour lesson I gave

I got a crisp ten dollar bill.

She was married for seven years

to a concrete castle king.

She said she wanted to learn to play the guitar

and to hear her children sing.

So I'd show up about once a week

in my faded tight-legged jeans

with a backlog full of hobo stories

and dilapidated dreams.

She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."

She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"

She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."

She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."

So I tried to teach her a couple of chords

and an easy melody;

but it always turned out she'd rather listen

to my guitar and me.

I could hear her old man laughing in the den,

playing stud poker with the boys

while I sang so soft in the living room,

to scared to make much noise.

I came one week and the den was dark

and she met me at the door.

And we sat on the couch and we sang and talked

till I could not sing no more.

The silence kept on building,

her eyes grew much too wide;

and I could hear both of our heartbeats,

but there was no place to hide.

She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."

She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"

She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."

She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."

Well, I guess you know what happened,

God, I never been so clean.

Yes, I feel like I'm working in a Hollywood movie

or living out a good bad dream.

And all them pinup girls in that tinsel world

never touched me like she can;

it took another man's wife in the real world life

to make this boy a man.

She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."

She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"

She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."

She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."

I guess you know I stayed.

[Free For All]

Rocket Man, although I'm also a fan of his versions of Tambourine Man and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

[Guy Berger]

Has anyone else seen his duo of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with the Taiwanese Susan Boyle? Also - I like his Sarah Palin covers.

Guy

[GA Russell]

This has been up since 9:30 this morning, and I'm wondering why Larry hasn't moved it to the Misc. Non-Political forum yet!!!!!

[Bright Moments]

[Jim R]

I'd rather watch Kevin Pollak doing Shatner doing either one of these.