Two Words: Time Warp

The American Film Institute's 100-best lists now appear as inevitably as May Day parades in the old USSR, and in the equally inevitable Goldstein-like gesture of dissent, my glaring-omission complaint about the list of Greatest Movie Songs is listed in the title to this post. But I'll throw in another one for good measure: Where's "One Tin Soldier" from Billy Jack? Have the hippies really sunk so low in our estimation that tuneless wonders like "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Streets of Philadelphia" rank higher than Coven's finest work?

Comments

[joe]

Yay! Rainbow Connection and Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head made it!

Why ARE there so many songs about rainbows?

Anyway, Time Warp was a big miss, as was the acoustic/lounge version of When the Shit Hits the Fan from Repo Man. Shooba dee doo wop say what yeah.

[fyodor]

Springtime for Hitler!!!

[Jon Bristow]

It's just a jump to the left...

Where's "Hooray for Captain Spaulding" or "Hail Fredonia"?

[Warren]

What a steaming pile of crap that is. More forgettable numbers than you can shake a stick at. And does the entire soundtrack to The Sound Of Music really need to be represented individually (I exaggerate of course, the goatherd song didn't make the cut, though surely it's better than Do Re Mi). Still, Rainbow Connection made the cut. Jim Henson RULES.

[thoreau]

Eminem made the list!

I think the Ghostbusters theme should have made the list. Hey, I always liked that song.

[Ken Shultz]

I see two glaring omissions right off the bat.

Tarantino's use of "Stuck in the Middle with You" in "Reservoir Dogs" was brilliant, and so was David Lynch's use of Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" in "Blue Velvet".

[notJoe]

Joe,

Good choice on Repo Man, but "Pablo Picasso" was cooler 😉

[Lisa Simpson]

I think it would be more meaningful for their criteria, if not ours, to limit selection to songs composed specifically for the films and not delve into rockin'-yet-cherry-picked soundtracks. That said, does "Soul Bossa Nova" count as a song? Du DU-DU du-du...

I suspect Rocky Horror counts too much as a British flick to be considered.

Moon River is way overexposed; however, Audrey's solo version in the film is very sweet (should be on the soundtrack), and the rest of the score is great -- very jazzy/lounge-y. Recommended for Mancini fans.

[Countertop]

Kermit: Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic...

... Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
... Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm s'posed to be...
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

Laa, da daa dee da daa daa,
La laa la la laa dee daa doo...

[Countertop]

Kermit: Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic...

... Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
... Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm s'posed to be...
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

Laa, da daa dee da daa daa,
La laa la la laa dee daa doo...

[countertop]

eeer, not sure why I double posted. Sorry

[Lisa Simpson]

Here's two more overlooked hippie nominations: "Up in smoke is where I wanna beeeee..." and anything from Harold and Maude.

Am also surprised 'Power of Love' or 'Back in Time' from Back to the Future didn't make it, not that I am nominating them myself. And Easy Rider reminds me much more of The Weight than it does of BtBW (trite, tired song by now). "Pulled into Nazareth..."

[Columbia]

Worse than being simply exlcuded, Time Warp was REJECTED by the selection committee. It was among the 400 nominated songs, but didn't make the Top-100 cut.

[Argyles]

I second Lisa's point about music *created* for a film as opposed to merely being *chosen* -- and perhaps that goes for movie versions of stage shows, too. The AFI list includes quite a few Broadway hits; do they really fill the bill as film music?

[Jim Walsh]

Where's "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes"?

[Douglas Fletcher]

What about the Wagner piece in Apocalypse Now?

"Audrey's solo version in the film is very sweet..."

Wasn't that actually sung by one of those behind the scene voices like Marnie Nixon?

[Countertop]

How can any list of movie music not include anything from Spinal Tap.

Hell Hole, Tonight Im Gonna Rock You, Sex Farm, Big Bottom, STONEHENGE!!!!, or my favorite - Listen To The Flower People

[Steve]

Songs from the South Park movie should fill spots 1-10.

[Lisa Simpson]

Naw, in this case it was definitely Audrey. Song's got a narrow range, easy to sing. And she strums the gee-tar too!

Oh my GOD, how could I have forgotten Tap, esp. when David, Nigel and Derek are staring out at me from a nearby shelf? Tap should be No. 1. My fave is "Gimme Some Money", tho. "You know what I need / Or maybe you don't." Fuckin' brill.

[s.m. koppelman]

The voting seems to be irony-averse in general. No "Time Warp", no Tarantino, no Lynch, no Scorsese(?!).

And though when he brings his A-game, Spike Lee makes great Scorsesean use of pop tunes, "Fight the Power"'s tacked-on placement in "Do the Right Thing" isn't one of them. Compare and contrast that with Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" in "Malcom X" and tell me if you don't scratch your head.

[Joanne McNeil]

No way is it irony-adverse; they gave Moroder a pretty high rank. Though too bad it isn't "Together in Electric Dreams."

As for omissions, Phantom of Paradise was totally overlooked

[Peter K.]

And of course since the list only includes songs in American films, all of the peices from "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" and other Beatle movies are excluded.

[s.m. koppelman]

I said irony-averse, not kitsch-averse.

[Mo]

What no Bat Dance?

[Kevin Carson]

Lisa Simpson,

Please DON'T nominate anything by Huey Lewis.

I would, though, like to see just about anything from *The Doll-Maker* or *Cool Hand Luke*.

[digamma]

What about T.U.R.T.L.E. Power by Partners in Kryme, from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soundtrack? Or Ninja Rap by Vanilla Ice, from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze soundtrack?

[Ken Shultz]

"What about the Wagner piece in Apocalypse Now?

I thought about that too, but I think they were looking for songs rather than compositions; otherwise, I would have included the theme from "2001" and the Empire's theme from "Star Wars" in my obviously overlooked list. Oh, and how 'bout the the theme from "A Fist Full of Dollars"?

Still, even if the list is limited to songs, why didn't the Doors "The End" make the list for "Apocalypse Now"? Maybe Tim is right about the hippies.

At any rate, Tarantino's use of "Stuck in the Middle with You" in "Reservoir Dogs" and David Lynch's use of Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" in "Blue Velvet" are two of the greatest uses of music in film ever. The funny, happy ironic vibe and lyric of "Stuck in the Middle with You" while that cop gets his ear sliced...it's the whole tone of the movie at the pivotal moment in the movie. In Lynch's film, the horror of watching that white slavery freak mouth the words while Orbison's beautiful voice comes out of his mouth; watching Hopper's charachter fawn over the horror of it all; it's one of the best uses of music in film ever. Neither film is as good without those songs, and both films are spectacular with them. It's a glaring oversight.

Glaring I say!

[Lisa Simpson]

But it's hip to be square! Just kidding, I would never.

"God Loves a Terrier"! 🙂

[thoreau]

How could we have forgotten Monty Python?!?!

"Always look on the bright side of life..."

"Every sperm is sacred, every sperm is great..."

[Phil]

And of course since the list only includes songs in American films, all of the peices from "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" and other Beatle movies are excluded.

Both movies were financed by American production company United Artists, and directed by an American (albeit an expat), Richard Lester. So was Let It Be, for that matter -- a UA production directed by American Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Which meets the criteria the AFI suggested: Significant American money or involvement. Methinks the AFI was splitting hairs, here.

Either that, or they couldn't afford the licensing rights for the TV special.

[thoreau]

Oh, they have to be AMERICAN movies. Got it.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

the Empire's theme from "Star Wars" in my obviously overlooked list.

Why not throw in the Ewok dance song while you're at it?

[Rick Barton]

Ok, let's all sing it and dance around our computers...

It's astounding;
Time is fleeting;
Madness takes its toll.
But listen closely...

Not for very much longer.

I've got to keep control.
I remember doing the time-warp
Drinking those moments when
The Blackness would hit me

And the void would be calling...

Let's do the time-warp again.
Let's do the time-warp again.

It's just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right.

With your hands on your hips.

You bring your knees in tight.
But it's the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane.
Let's do the time-warp again.
Let's do the time-warp again......

[Lisa Simpson]

Well, Python's 1/6th American (Terry G).

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Oh, they have to be AMERICAN movies. Got it.

"To teach American literature is like teaching American chemistry and neglecting any chemistry that comes from other countries," or words to that effect, said Ezra Pound.

[J]

That fucking foreign chemistry pisses me off.

[joe]

countertop, I could read that 50 times. Da da dee da da dee....

Oh and, "How could I leave/this behind?" He he he he he.

Mo, however, gets the snarky/ironic gold medal.

Kevin, get yourself a plastic Jesus...I must have watched that movie 30 times in high school, and turned one a half dozen people who also watched it 30 times. Poor old bosses...

Terry Gilliam's an American? The animation guy?

[Ken Shultz]

Imagining the first couple of films without the Empire's Theme, for me, is like imagining Darth Vader without the sound of his breathing. But don't get me wrong, listening to film scores isn't my thing, and you won't catch me watchin' for 'em to play Star Wars music at the Pops. Still, in the context of film scores, the Empire's theme, unlike the Dance of the Gerbils, added something important to an important film.

[mobile]

Crikey, Springtime For Hitler is in there, so they aren't completely humor impaired. But nothing from South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut broke the Top 100? I hereby nominate Uncle Fucka and La Resistance Medley.

[Jimmy Antley]

"It's just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right.

With your hands on your hips."

ASSHOLE!

HE'S GOT NO NECK!

ASSHOLE!

(.... gets out the squirt guns for the rain scene...)

[John Hensley]

The list looks more like "top 100 high school band concert pieces" or "top 100 uninspired movie songs that are so overplayed I want to burn every copy of them"

[joe]

Hey, do any of you guys know how to madison?

[kevrob]

Any list that doesn't contain Rock and Roll High School is a traveshamockery.

Gabba, Gabba, Hey!

Kevin

[Seamus]

I'm tempted to join Argyles and second Lisa's proposal to limit songs to those created for the film at issue. But do we really want to put "As Time Goes By" (written in 1931 for the Broadway musical "Everybody's Welcome") out of the running?

[James Anderson Merritt]

Ken S. says, "At any rate, Tarantino's use of 'Stuck in the Middle with You' in 'Reservoir Dogs' and David Lynch's use of Roy Orbison's 'In Dreams' in 'Blue Velvet' are two of the greatest uses of music in film ever. The funny, happy ironic vibe and lyric of 'Stuck in the Middle with You' while that cop gets his ear sliced...it's the whole tone of the movie at the pivotal moment in the movie."

We tuned in and out of the show several times during the evening. My son gagged when Gene Kelly's "Singing in the Rain" showed up in the countdown. I said, "wait until you are a little older and see 'A Clockwork Orange' -- you'll get a whole new appreciation of that song..."

Too bad they didn't use the Kubrick visuals in the AFI special. In fact, I think AFI missed the boat by not taking special note of songs that had been used by more than one major film in different ways. The juxtapositions and contrasts would have made for must-see-the-trainwreck TV.

[Brent Smith]

What, no "Pet Cemetary"?

[J]

I thought Blame Canada was the best part of the South Park movie, and I'd put it on a top 100 movie song list. That shit was hee-larious.

[s.m. koppelman]

Well I'll be Ayn Rand dipped in cornmeal batter and deep-fried on a stick, Joe. You're right. They left out "Hairspray" too.