September 2, 2012

"'I am,' I said/To no one there/And no one heard at all/Not even the chair."

A propos of the Clint Eastwood empty-chair performance, Palladian reminds us of that horrible Neil Diamond song.

Click for the full lyrics, studded with links to appropriately evocative photos, e.g.:
But I've got an emptiness deep inside
I've tried, but it won't let go
I'm not a man who likes to swear
But I never cared for the sound of being alone
And here's the tune to play in the background.

36 comments:

KCFleming said...

The GOP better start bringing an empty chair to every event, or they are fools.

The photos Palladian linked to beg to be Photoshopped by inserting a chair for Obama.

And the chair with the TelePrompTer is a must.

Phil 314 said...

Gosh Professor, you are feeding off your commenters lately!

Shouting Thomas said...

Neil Diamond is the empty suit of the musical universe.

Anonymous said...

This AM got up at the Hyatt in Tampa. The place for my "The Pizza Guy" shop (based on the delivery man in the Fast Times with Sean Penn, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ7kar7JYFA) has been identified.

One of my specials will be: The Eastwood. It will be the most delicious, healthy, vegan pizza.

Another will be: The Chair. It will be an expensive, unhealthy, pizza (in memory of the POTUS and my 4-years of waste in Chicago HQ).

If you come to Tampa, stop by for a slice.

Shouting Thomas said...

I'm a complete whore when it comes to music. I'll play just about anything the audience asks me to play.

But, we have to draw the line somewhere.

And the line is Neil Diamond.

Yes, Obama is the Neil Diamond of politics.

New York said...

What Eastwood did at the RNC is a lot like what the Eastwood character did at the end of Gran Torino.

Recognizing the imminent end of his career, he took care of the bad guys even though he knew they would kill him as retribution.

Bill said...

Great. Thanks a lot. Now I've got to deal with that particular earworm all day (we used to have that Neil Diamond 8-track playing quite a bit in our house).

My revenge is this: http://tinyurl.com/o36d5

lohwoman said...

I'm not a man who likes to swear -- but I was disappointed at not getting the Lenny Bruce role so I wrote this song.

MadisonMan said...

Gosh Professor, you are feeding off your commenters lately!

So is althouse Bacharach or David?

Jason (the commenter) said...

Althouse: ...that horrible Neil Diamond song...

Please! That's one of his good songs!

The only thing I have against Neil Diamond is his refusal to a release a "best of" album which actually includes all of his best songs. He expects you to purchase two albums with lots of filler.

Curious George said...

"Shouting Thomas said...
I'm a complete whore when it comes to music. I'll play just about anything the audience asks me to play.

But, we have to draw the line somewhere.

And the line is Neil Diamond."

I'm sure Neil is at home disregarding his 115 million records sold, eight #1 hits, and membership in both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is considering slitting his wrists.

edutcher said...

Oh, you're just mad because Diamond told Dylan he thought he was better.

Curious George said...

"Shouting Thomas said...
I'm a complete whore when it comes to music. I'll play just about anything the audience asks me to play.

But, we have to draw the line somewhere.

And the line is Neil Diamond."

I'm sure Neil is at home disregarding his 115 million records sold, eight #1 hits, and membership in both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is considering slitting his wrists.

wyo sis said...

I'm sure this will forever taint whatever respect I have in this community, but I like Neil Diamond.
There, I said it.

Anonymous said...

After Patti Smith resurfaced in 1996 with her album Gone Again, I got into a bulletin board thrash with some Smith fans when I voiced the opinion that her song, Dead to the World, was a memorial to Jerry Garcia who had died the previous year.

Boy, telling a buncha ex-punkers that the Godmother of Punk might have had anything but revulsion for the dreaded Grateful Dead is one good way to get into the wrong side of a flame war. The resident Deadheads weren't keen on my argument either.

People, at least young ones, take their band identifications so seriously.

I had the last laugh though. In later tours Patti Smith would place an empty chair on the stage for Garcia's spirit.

kentuckyliz said...

So do you think the lefties slamming Clint for treating an empty chair seriously are exhibiting their anti-Semitism?

Passover: empty chair for Elijah.

Next year in Jerusalem.

ricpic said...

A man don't like Neil Diamond is a man don't like schmaltz!

kentuckyliz said...

Perhaps it was a crafty signal by the RNC that they stand with the Jooooos.

kentuckyliz said...

Empty Chairs by DonMcLean

I feel the trembling tingle of a sleepless night
Creep through my fingers and the moon is bright
Beams of blue come flickering through my window pane
Like gypsy moths that dance around a candle flame

And I wonder if you know
That I never understood
That although you said you'd go
Until you did I never thought you would

Moonlight used to bathe the contours of your face
While chestnut hair fell all around the pillow case
And the fragrance of your flowers rest beneath my head
A sympathy bouquet left with the love that's dead

And I wonder if you know
That I never understood
That although you said you'd go
Until you did I never thought you would

Never thought the words you said were true
Never thought you said just what you meant
Never knew how much I needed you
Never thought you'd leave, until you went

Morning comes and morning goes with no regret
And evening brings the memories I can't forget
Empty rooms that echo as I climb the stairs
And empty clothes that drape and fall on empty chairs

And I wonder if you know
That I never understood
That although you said you'd go
Until you did I never thought you would

kentuckyliz said...

The Empty Chair by Resonantforce

One day true love will come around and fill this empty chair.

ricpic said...

Hey, wyo sis, don't hold back, tell us how you feel about Barry Manilow.

kentuckyliz said...

The Joyaires sing The Empty Chair

Thank our Savior for the grace to fill the empty chair.

kentuckyliz said...

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables from Les Mis

Here they talked of revolution
Here they lit the flame
Here they talked of tomorrow
Tomorrow never came

(Genius.)

KCFleming said...

I like a few Diamond songs.

The one I hate now is the audience participation one they play at baseball games:

Sweeeet Caroline

Bom bom bom...

Good times never seemed so good

So good! So good! So good!



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

kentuckyliz said...

OK I have to stop DJ'ing songs about empty chairs and go to church. I am seeing 2016 this afternoon in Inez, Martin County, KY...which I mentioned yesterday as the place where LBJ landed for the War on Poverty photo-op at Tom Fletcher's front porch. Those Martin County Republicans voted Democrat that year. Flip floppers.

kentuckyliz said...

Because of Sandusky, the U isn't using Sweet Caroline anymore, for this one lyric:

touching me, touching you

ricpic said...

Medic! Medic! Pogo in seizures from sugar overload!

ricpic said...

Has a county ever recovered from an LBJ "drop in?"

madAsHell said...

America's Politico only shows up in an election year.

AP always manages to place a lengthy post at the top of the thread.

English appears to be his/her second language.

Neil Diamond only appeals to women. Unfortunately, I've been to one of his concerts. Very large under-garments were thrown on the stage.

Yeah....It wasn't pretty.

Chip S. said...

The next canonical interview question:

"If you were a chair, what sort of chair would you be?"

Unknown said...

Is Palladian the dull sourpuss?

Chip S. said...

Are you an offended relative of Neil?

Roy Lofquist said...

Here's my favorite empty chair song. You might recognize some of the musicians. The empty chair is for Roy Orbison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqhdRs4jyA

rcocean said...

Neil is now writing Hallmark cards.

wyo sis said...

Will I get my reputation back if I say I'm not all that fond of Barry Manilow?

Anonymous said...

wyo sis: Liking Neil Diamond's no crime.

I don't know if it will cheer you up but Tony Robbins recounts that he made the first big decision that changed his life while listening to "I am, I said."

I'm a smart guy who knows lots of fancy stuff, but I say a pox on those who dump on direct emotional art that speaks to large numbers of people.