Older
A tradition sprang up among our friends years ago. It was a combination of a Utah peculiarity and a song. Or two songs.
The peculiarity was the singing of Happy Birthday in restaurants, often, and loudly. Not by us. One Spaghetti Factory in particular was exceptionally egregious - where cheap food and large parties, often with multiple children, came together. It was close and cheap, and we often did in fact go with large groups, hungry single guys with no inclination to cook, and the occasional GF with same. The singing of the Birthday song, accompanied by flash photography, was an oft repeated irritation. D and I agreed that any singing to each other, of this song in public, with or without cake, candles, or flashbulbs, was grounds for instant divorce. Our bunch of friends agreed.
But then this other song came along. A dark and subversive song. For a long time not recorded, but only played at They Might Be Giants concerts. And Dave (his real name, but so what really?) and I would sing it when the other song at another table was over, and then on birthdays. D just grins at us.
I recommend you go to They's site and download it. Play it on your birthday. I'm singing it today. Makes me laugh.
Older
They Might Be Giants
John Flansburgh and John Linnell
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're older still.
TIME! Is marching on.
And time... is still marching on.
This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
And now it's sooner still.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're older still.
(I was going to write about my miserable 30th birthday spent alone midweek, the day after not getting into nursing school, when I walked to the grocery store, got Jiffy cake mix and frosting in a tub and icing and candles, and baked myself a small chocolate cake and ate it and felt better if a bit nauseated. But I couldn't remember many of the details accurately, and really it was a long time ago and I'm much better now.)
The peculiarity was the singing of Happy Birthday in restaurants, often, and loudly. Not by us. One Spaghetti Factory in particular was exceptionally egregious - where cheap food and large parties, often with multiple children, came together. It was close and cheap, and we often did in fact go with large groups, hungry single guys with no inclination to cook, and the occasional GF with same. The singing of the Birthday song, accompanied by flash photography, was an oft repeated irritation. D and I agreed that any singing to each other, of this song in public, with or without cake, candles, or flashbulbs, was grounds for instant divorce. Our bunch of friends agreed.
But then this other song came along. A dark and subversive song. For a long time not recorded, but only played at They Might Be Giants concerts. And Dave (his real name, but so what really?) and I would sing it when the other song at another table was over, and then on birthdays. D just grins at us.
I recommend you go to They's site and download it. Play it on your birthday. I'm singing it today. Makes me laugh.
Older
They Might Be Giants
John Flansburgh and John Linnell
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're older still.
TIME! Is marching on.
And time... is still marching on.
This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
And now it's sooner still.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're older still.
(I was going to write about my miserable 30th birthday spent alone midweek, the day after not getting into nursing school, when I walked to the grocery store, got Jiffy cake mix and frosting in a tub and icing and candles, and baked myself a small chocolate cake and ate it and felt better if a bit nauseated. But I couldn't remember many of the details accurately, and really it was a long time ago and I'm much better now.)
Posted by Zhoen on Monday, February 27, 2006
9 comments:
We have a particularly grim version we sing in our family sometimes -- for fun... It goes something like this:
Sorrow, sadness everywhere
People dying here and there,
Happy birthday, uhmm,
Happy birthday...
Well, you get the picture! :)
today is Monday
today is the day that zhoen
turns one year older
may this day begin
a new year of health and love
rich with new stories
and comfortable
and joyful new adventures
no purple scarves lost
happy birthday zhoen
happy birthday, happy zhoen
happy all year long
(What else would I give you?) You are most welcome.
May you have a Happy Birthday no matter what else is going on in your world; it's your day, and you only get so many of them in this world! I hope you have many more!
We celebrated my Mom's 76th yesterday (actual day) and my nephew's 16th with a family party at my sister's. Funny how it was music and movies for both; though different era's, lol!
alan
Happy birthday! may the coming year be healthy, happy and not too exciting. Perhaps you'll be a published novelist by this time next year?
What I did forget to say in my previous comment is Happy, Happy Birthday, and I hope you are celebrating!
Another alternative to the "happy birthday" song just occurred to me: Paul Simon's "Have a good time":
Yesterday it was my birthday
I hung one more year on the line
I should be depressed
My life's a mess
But I'm having a good time
Not that any of that applies to you, of course :-)
C and I, inspired by you, made much the same agreement.
Happy Zhoen day, dear friend, and many many more (I am greedy, you see).
Just catching up here--and having a great time doing it. Love your birthday song and your purple scarf and your spirit. Happy birthday once again, dear zhoen. (For now you're even older...as am I, of course.)
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