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Wow, my rating actually brought down the overall by 1/10.
So, what are the 9,999 Maniacs up to now?
Buzzardcheater wrote:
The Iris Dement original is WAY better than this. She has a swet touch to her voice that just gives the song a different spin. This seems phoned-in.
Yep. I am OK with Natalie here. David Byrne hurts my ears.
underarmor wrote:
I think an interesting aspect to this duet is that, for the most part, the male role sings the high part and the female sings the low part. She occassionally hits the high notes, but generally carries the low half of the song. You rarely hear that in duets.
I recall many years ago reading that Reba McIntyre turned down an offer to sing a duet with Vince Gill because "I can't sing with a man whose voice is higher than mine."
In this current example, I wish they'd both declined. Ho hum at best for this tripe.
birdland wrote:
Great sound. Reminds me of Dylan around the time of Oh Mercy.
Good call, I was about to say the same thing.
What a nice live moment, these two together (I like Hawaiian pizza) - wish I'd been there! I wondered what Natalie Merchant was doing, where she's been since Ophelia.
Great sound. Reminds me of Dylan around the time of Oh Mercy.
This song is like Hawaiian Pizza. Taking things that you really like seperately but together they really are awful.
By the way pineapples are for Pina Coladas not pizza!
Wow! David Byrne turns up in all sorts of places!!!!! What a great surprise!
I think an interesting aspect to this duet is that, for the most part, the male role sings the high part and the female sings the low part. She occassionally hits the high notes, but generally carries the low half of the song. You rarely hear that in duets.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew.
This song sucks. I honestly can't say I miss 10,000 Maniacs. Or Natalie Merchant's solo career.
anniebear wrote: what mystery? you die, you rot
(I hate xtian propaganda, and this song is periously close to that, especially when the crowd roars after Byrne sings the line about "....saviours arms")
Your body dies and rots. What happens to your essence, soul, spirit, consciousness, whatever you want to call it, is unproveable. A mystery. Or, at least it's been debated by people ever since there have been people. Oh, but wait. You've got it all figured out. Nevermind.
The Iris Dement original is WAY better than this. She has a swet touch to her voice that just gives the song a different spin. This seems phoned-in.
anniebear wrote: what mystery? you die, you rot
(I hate xtian propaganda, and this song is periously close to that, especially when the crowd roars after Byrne sings the line about "....saviours arms")
This line?
And, um, the "crowd roars" because he'd just taken the solo part, maybe. 
Some say once gone, you're gone forever
Some say you're gonna come back
Some say you rest in the arms of the savior
If in sinful ways you lack
Some say that they're comin' back in a garden
Bunch of carrots and little sweet peas
I think I'll just let the mystery be
Wow. Open your ears. If that's not an in-your-face rejection of religion and xtianity, I don't know what is.
Jacksonstat wrote:
I'm not a huge fan of the Maniacs, but I quite liked this one. Plus, I happen to love David Byrne :)
Mr. Byrne definately has the magic touch!
Veritas wrote:
Agreed! Great song, but would rather hear Iris' version.
Definitely. This is painful to listen to.
I'm not a huge fan of the Maniacs, but I quite liked this one. Plus, I happen to love David Byrne :)
anniebear wrote:
(I hate xtian propaganda, and this song is periously close to that, especially when the crowd roars after Byrne sings the line about "....saviours arms")
Huh....your interpretation is opposite of mine. I didn't hear propaganda at all. The lyrics simply state that she (Iris) does not buy into religion - "But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me" Then she goes on to address the manner in which she lives her life and why...it has zero to do with religious conviction - "Well, I believe in love and I live my life accordingly" I take that to mean she does the right thing in life not b/c of fear of consequence but b/c she has love in her heart and wants to do good.
So, the crowd reacted. What does that have to do with the song? 
I couldn't believe it when I heard the first strains. I have this and love it, but haven't ever heard it on here!!!
I'm trying to remember who all is on here, darn it. Yes David Byrne, but a few others, also, I think.
'I believe in love and I'm gonna live my life accordingly.
I choose to let the mystery be.'
mxdcec wrote:
That has to be David Byrn'e voice of Talking Heads I hear, no?
But of course
mxdcec wrote:
That has to be David Byrn'e voice of Talking Heads I hear, no?
Yes.
That has to be David Byrn'e voice of Talking Heads I hear, no?
As the Buddha pointed out, there was a time before you existed, which no one seems to be too scared of, so why be afraid of that time after your existance ends?
There was a mystery before you and a mystery after you, so why not just live?
Very folksy....I like it a lot.
lovebuzz wrote:
That is one of my favorite songs. I'm glad others like it too. It would be nice to hear it on RP.
Yes it would. I see it in the library, but it's never been played.
(click here)
KKeith wrote:
The name of the song is "In Spite of Ourselves". It is a lovely tune about two simple people deeply in love. The line is "caught him once and he was sniffen my undies, ain't too sharp, but he gets the job done, drinks his beer like it's oxygen, he's my baby, I'm his honey, never gonna let him go".
That is one of my favorite songs. I'm glad others like it too. It would be nice to hear it on RP.
djeneba wrote:
Iris has a duet that she does with John Prine that has a line about sniffing panties or something like that - it's about knowing about with those funny, endearing, vulgar things we do when we are in love and at ease - does anyone know what song i'm talking about?
The name of the song is "In Spite of Ourselves". It is a lovely tune about two simple people deeply in love. The line is "caught him once and he was sniffen my undies, ain't too sharp, but he gets the job done, drinks his beer like it's oxygen, he's my baby, I'm his honey, never gonna let him go".
Veritas wrote:
Agreed! Great song, but would rather hear Iris' version.
Iris has a duet that she does with John Prine that has a line about sniffing panties or something like that - it's about knowing about with those funny, endearing, vulgar things we do when we are in love and at ease - does anyone know what song i'm talking about?
Rather hear Iris !!!!
drH wrote:
We want Iris Dement!
She has a series of performances at the Birchmere in Arlington VA in February- should be great. https://www.birchmere.com/calendar/calendar_list.cfm
We want Iris gained fame for a lot of us for her closing track to the TV series Northern Exposure about a decade ago. This is my favorite song on her disc from that era (sadly not on NX soundtracks.) We need to hear the original!
Saw Iris open for John Prine. First time I'd ever heard of her. Although her voice is an acquired taste, her lyrics are wonderful. She was the perfect "opener" for Prine, then joined him for an encore or two. Sweet!
drH wrote: We want Iris Dement!
Agreed! Great song, but would rather hear Iris' version.
We want TheLib wrote:
excellent idea!
Me too. Natalie Merchant's voice is often as annoying as fingernails on a blackboard to me, but I think she sounded good in this duet. Can we limit her to only recording with David Byrne? :-)
excellent idea!
We want chinacat wrote:
Generally can't stand Natalie Merchant but I like most of what David Byrne does and this voice mix works very well for me. Go figure.... 
Me too. Natalie Merchant's voice is often as annoying as fingernails on a blackboard to me, but I think she sounded good in this duet. Can we limit her to only recording with David Byrne? :-)
Natalie Merchant and David Byrne should cut an album as a duo.
I've loved this song for years. Great to hear it again! :)
Leslie wrote:
Well I appear to be in the minority, but I really like this song.
me too
fullydude wrote:
Everybody's thinking about life
Everybody has a brain,
I think I'll just... be a vegetable.
I think I'll just... go through llife without thinking much
Evidently, ignorance is bliss.
Great song. But why no Iris Dement?
bdmorgan72 wrote:
I love 10,000 Maniacs and David Byrne, but this song just doesn't do it for me. I don't think the voices mix well.
Generally can't stand Natalie Merchant but I like most of what David Byrne does and this voice mix works very well for me. Go figure....
Leslie: That you are, my friend, that you are. Drowning cats would sound better than Natalie Merchant on any given day.
lindydallas wrote:
Alright... we need to hear the original Iris Dement song... as good as this is, Iris is much better; --d
Completely right. I love 10,000 maniacs, but this is Iris Dement's song.
Well I appear to be in the minority, but I really like this song.
i'm sure the lyrics are great. unfortunately, i cannot get past her voice. i hate. always have. :P
When we go to investigate it , we shouldn't pre-decide what it is we're trying to do, except to try to find out more about it. . . . Altogether, I can't believe these special stories that have been made up about our relationship to the universe at large because they seem to me too simple, too connected, too local, too provincial. . . . I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong.
--Richard P. Feynman, from The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman, J. Robbins, ed., Perseus Books, Cambridge, Mass. (1999).
I agree with the previous comment about getting Iris Dement on here. Such a sweet girl with a voice like heaven. I've been lucky enough to have followed her career from the start, at Norton Canfield's open mike nights in bars around Kansas City. This song was one of the first she wrote.
As far as the lyrics being offensive?? Wow, you're a touchy bunch. Far from being a call to complacency and ignorance, this song recognizes that the mystery of life and death is far from anything that can be explained. Anyone who's ever had a child can tell you that. Its overwhelming and its beautiful and any attempt to pin it down eludes the reality of the experience.
Shimmer wrote:
Ignorance isn't bliss, folks.
True... when you're dead, you're dead. Pretty much sums it up; --d
Shimmer wrote:
I'm sure it's meant to be inoffensive, but I find this song's lyrics reprehensible:
Ignorance isn't bliss, folks.
Some are searching, some aren't. I can appreciate opinions but not judgement.
Everybody's thinking about life
Everybody has a brain,
I think I'll just... be a vegetable.
I think I'll just... go through llife without thinking much
I'm sure it's meant to be inoffensive, but I find this song's lyrics reprehensible:
Everybody is wonderin' what and where they all came from
Everybody is worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go
When the whole thing's done
But no one knows for certain
And so it's all the same to me
I think I'll just let the mystery be
Ignorance isn't bliss, folks.
I love 10,000 Maniacs and David Byrne, but this song just doesn't do it for me. I don't think the voices mix well.
Alright... we need to hear the original Iris Dement song... as good as this is, Iris is much better; --d
This sounds like something that Nancy Griffith would do. (Maybe she did.) What a great surprise to hear David Byrne singing along with Natalie.
EDIT:Aug. 26, 2004
Man, I'm like a broken record or bad deja vu... I was just thinking the same thing AGAIN, over a year later!
Originally Posted by Phlegmaticman:
Hearing someone cover Iris Dement is kind of like hearing someone cover Neil Young or Bob Dylan. It just doesn't sound right. On the other hand, I missed part of the song, so I probably shouldn't rate it yet.
Well, except that, occasionally, it does. Bonnie Raitt doing It's All Over Now, Baby Blue ferinstance, or Hendrix' read of Watchtower.
Gotta say I think this one works (although I was all primed to hate it about two measures in).
Originally Posted by ScottFromWyoming:
I thought I heard David Byrne. That was cool.
Yeah! What he said! ;)
Why Iris Dement never made it huge makes no sense to me. Of course, I\'m sure we can say that about a ton of artists. Glad to see she\'s appreciated though.
I thought I heard David Byrne. That was cool.
Hearing someone cover Iris Dement is kind of like hearing someone cover Neil Young or Bob Dylan. It just doesn\'t sound right. On the other hand, I missed part of the song, so I probably shouldn\'t rate it yet.
still good though