Blog Soundtrack
I've just noticed that the very fine D.C. band Monopoli has a song called "Hit and Run" (MP3). While it's not actually about this blog (I hope), the lyrics (below the fold) as I initially heard them struck me as quasi-fitting. It's an anti-imperialist satire, but for the significant chunk of us living in the DC area, it can be read as applying more straightforwardly, since we are, after all "in the belly of the beast" hoping to "make the world a better place than home." Well, if you ignore the bit about dragging slaves through the street, at least.
Anyway, it's an infectious little tune, which I'm henceforth going to consider the unofficial blog theme song. I figure those of us in the anti-war camp can dig it as a satire, and those of us working out of DC can hear it as a tongue-in-cheek anthem. Two levels of irony for the price of one.
Hit & Run
Written by: Alfonso Velez
(C)2004
In the belly of the beast
In the last place to fall
Nothing went up in flames
No tearing down the walls
Say nothing to his face
Say nothing
he's a thief
But you don't make the calls
around here
Where we're up working all night
In the Rome of the Empire
Trying to make the world a better place than home.
That's right.
Do you Hit and Run?
Do you Hit and Run?
We're trying to free the slaves
And teach them to behave
Give them food for thought
But when they think too much
Cross them off the list
String them by the wrists
Drag them through their town
So they can hear the sounds of Freedom
Where we're all working all night
In the Rome of the Empire
Trying to make the world a better place than home.
That's right.
Do something smart. Say something dear,
In the Belly of the Beast. "You Holding up?"
Do something smart. Say something dear,
In the Belly of the Beast. "You Holding up?"
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
The most famous song I can think of with "hit and run" as lyrics is
"Johnny hit and run Pauline", by X.
Others?
Ok, since my guess is that this is a fluff thread anyway, does anyone know why H&R isn't housed in some kind of real web-based discussion board that would make it easier for people to keep track of what they have and haven't read? (vBulletin, or ezboard, or the likes)
The fact that I have to post this question in an arbitrary thread is indeed part of the very same problem...
Just curious.
Others?
"I'm not the only soul accused of hit and run" from "Crosstown Traffic."
Mr Confusion,
Because this isn't a thread, it's the comments section to a blog? It's a pretty standard set up in the blog world.
Fluff? Did someone say fluff?
My band has neither a hit nor a run.
In that regard we're like the Washington Nationals, except no taxpayer dollars were used in the recording of our songs.
But that's obvious.
Whiff. Yer out!
Because this isn't a thread, it's the comments section to a blog? It's a pretty standard set up in the blog world.
I do recognize that, but that doesn't make it the right choice. My impression is that this forum (H&R as a whole) has a large percentage of regular followers and contributors who would be better served by something with a bit more functionality. Except for the tools, this forum seems to me to have a lot more of the characteristics of a discussion base than of a blog.
Honestly, it's not a HUGE issue and I'm not trying to get on a high horse about it. I was just wondering whether the powers running the system had given it any serious consideration.
In general I find that blogs with restricted comment sections are ideal for rightwing cryptofascists, while poorly moderated forums tend to be full of communists.
As in all things, H&R has found a nice middleground.
From a Def Leppard song (High n' Dry album) I've admittedly never heard:
Verse:
I say you got no respect
Respect for authority
You're just playing your dirty tricks
And then come cryin' to me
Chorus:
Hit and run, hit and run
It's just a hit and run
Another hit and run
Sounds about as catchy as herpes on a toilet seat, though.
I failed to point out that the song has a name: "Another Hit and Run".
I submit that the slash engine would be most appropriate for this board. It's neither too loose nor too restrictive; each user simply sets his preferences as to how much or how little he wants to read. Randomly assigned "moderators" designate which comments are serious retorts, snide remarks, witticisms, or policy wonkfests. Personal insults, spam, etc. just settles to the bottom. Discussions can be viewed as "nested" so that you can keep track of the separate arguments for or against the article. Plus you can "click through" to see someone's comments on another issue (so that I know, for example, that joe is a planner).
I installed slash on some doorstop HP-UX server, it took nary a day. Click on my name to see my example site, or visit the best-known example at Slashdot.
"Hit And Run" by Jo Jo Zep way back in the late 70's...
Here's another for the Thirsty.
Come hear it Saturday at DC9.
http://www.monopoli.tv
THE LIPS THAT ALWAYS BLEED
Written by: Alfonso Velez
(c)2005
There are artists for a Quarter.
Writing tunes for blondes.
Doctorow's on NPR, while Sonia sings along.
Kids are in their uniforms,
While mothers mail a kiss.
Wives are picking up the phones,
Telling off the press.
Tell me something, do you really have to think?
To know the ground is shaking
and the sky is going to sink...
The winter month just cracked here
And its an open dawn.
The headline used a word we knew
when we were very young.
"A-Bomb Not An Issue,"
did They teach you how to read?
Buy the picture worth 1,000 words
that nobody believes.
Tell me something, do you really have to think?
To know the ground is shaking
and the sky is going to sink...
I called on my brother, but he was on a flight.
Putting on a mask, Taking off his face.
Follow him i told myself,
and down that Rabbit Hole,
Went I so far from Mexico, just to save his soul.
He's been stealing kisses,
From the "Lips that Always Bleed,"
For all the lies that make up
a Traditional Belief.
Tell me something, do you really have to think?
To know the ground is shaking
and the sky is going to sink...
Pavel - I believe you could have a forum that was as moderated/restricted as you wanted (as seems appropriate for a Libertarian web site - uh, I guess) but still make it a lot less painful for people to keep track of which stuff they have and haven't already read.
I'll try to desist from any further topic-spamming.
On the subject nominally at hand, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" is all I could think of, and it's hackneyed, and it doesn't contain the word "run" that I can recall. If nominated, it should not run. If elected, it should not serve.
It goes without saying that I think "Ball of Confusion" would be a better choice for official unofficial blog theme.
Can't think of any songs with "hit and run" in the lyrics, but a digression: Sometimes I fantasize that I'm the Libertarian candidate for president. (Of course, I'm wildly popular because of my Trumanesque frank and colorful speech.) My campaign theme song is "Closer to Free" by the BoDeans.
Good theme song, Stevo, `cause sometimes it seems like we LPers are a party of 5. 🙂
Kevin
(Who used to dance to the music of Kurt & Sammy at local dives like The Landing and The Murray Tap for a $2 cover charge, before Da Bodeans were even signed to a label.)
Update:
That lovely guitar goddess Lita Ford had a track called Hit 'n Run with this libertarian sentiment:
I don't care if the street light is red
I'll just drive on straight ahead
Ya gotta love it!
Kevin
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot"
b/w
"Hell is for Children"
We report, you decide.
"the very fine D.C. band"
Is that reallly still possible?
H&R is moderated? I thought anyone could post anything.
I could do without the intro but the song is pretty decent. That's coming from a first impression and from a guy who generally needs to hear a song a few times to sort of warm up to it.
Ball: When I get frustrated with trying to find something I have written on H&R I use google in some fashion to find out what. It would be nice if I could remember how but it's just one of those things that you do automatically without thinking about it. Sort of how you can drive to your sister's house but can't write down the directions for someone else.
Ball of Confusion is a great tune.....
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything...And the band played on.
TSOL had a "sell out" album called "Hit & Run"--the title track sucked as did much of the rest of it.