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Richard Gere on his Hasty Pudding award:
"I'm asking why I said yes to this. And I realize why. `Cause we're really all bozos on the bus. All of us, and especially in this world and in this country right now, when the biggest bozo on the bus is actually driving the bus."
He has the cajones to call Bush a bozo while prancing around in a blonde wig and support bra?
At GOP Vixen, we love lists! So here's a good one. In compiling this list of the best love songs, I've separated them into "uppers" -- generally positive love songs -- and "downers," which are more of the dump song variety but can also just be lamenting, and ranked them in descending order. I've also linked each song to its lyrics. Please bear in mind that I hate Celine Dion with a passion, so none of her music will ever make it on a GOP Vixen list.
"Uppers"
20. "Angel Eyes" -- The Jeff Healey Band. One-hit wonder with a lotta heart.
19. "Heaven" -- Bryan Adams. Just including him brings to mind the "South Park" movie: "Now, now, the Canadian government has apologized for Bryan Adams on several occasions!" But this is a good song.
18. "God Only Knows" -- Beach Boys. Rated the No. 1 love song by Entertainment Weekly. I wouldn't put it that high but definitely in the top 20. Deeply affecting, which is why so many movies have used it.
17. "Angel" -- Aerosmith. This song came out in the era of power ballads, and stood out. It's one of those wobblers that could either make the upper or downer list, depending on how you look at the lyrics. Yes, he's begging her to come save him, but it never felt like a dump song per se.
16. "Can't Fight this Feeling" -- REO Speedwagon. What kind of list would this be without bad '80s bands? And even though it stretches for rhymes -- "It's time to bring this ship into the shore/And throw away the oars/Forever" -- it's heartfelt and not soon forgotten.
15. "The Search Is Over" -- Survivor. Did you think we were done with the bad '80s bands?
14. "Crazy for You" -- Madonna. It screams high school prom, but wasn't that fun?
13. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" -- Mel Carter. Time for a little old school! This was my favorite love song as a teenager. Though it was recorded long before I was a teenager.
12. "In This Life" -- Collin Raye. Technically a country song but has more of a pop flavor. Has good perspective.
Let the world stop turnin'
Let the sun stop burnin'
Let them tell me love's not worth going through
If it all falls apart
I will know deep in my heart
The only dream that mattered had come true
In this life, I was loved by you
11. "A Whole New World" -- Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle. OK, OK, I know it's from a Disney movie, which ordinarily equals fluff, but I love this song. Love is an adventure, eh?
10. "Crash Into Me" -- Dave Matthews Band. This song is sensual without being overdone, even if at one point in the lyrics he sounds like a voyeur ("I watch you there through the window and I stare...").
9. "The One" -- Elton John. Some lists would pick "Your Song" for Elton John's top love song, but I always liked this one best. Has more oomph to it.
In the instant that you love someone
In the second that the hammer hits
Reality runs up your spine
And the pieces finally fit
8. "Fix You" -- Coldplay. If this song ever got wide stateside airplay, it would be a huge hit.
7. "I'll Stand By You" -- The Pretenders. This is what it's all about.
When the night falls on you
You don’t know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less
I’ll stand by you
I’ll stand by you
Won’t let nobody hurt you
I’ll stand by you
6. "I'll Make Love to You" -- Boyz II Men. The sweet, pleasing antidote to 50 Cent saying "I take you to the candy shop..."
5. "To Make You Feel My Love" -- Garth Brooks. Probably the country genre's best upper love song.
When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
4. "When You Say Nothing At All" -- Keith Whitley. This is one of those gentle, comforting love songs. It's not lyrically heavy, but says it all.
3. "Part of Me, Part of You" -- Glenn Frey. There's something about the Eagles' music -- together or solo -- that just screams an open road with the top down, exploring uncharted territory, feeling free as the wind whips your hair. It's pure and honest:
You`re a part of me, I`m a part of you
Wherever we may travel
Whatever we go through
Whatever time may take away
It cannot change the way we feel today
So hold me close and say you feel it too
You`re part of me, and I`m a part of you
2. "The Promise" -- When In Rome. Incredibly kind and big-hearted and humble. Who could ask for more?
1. "The Story of My Life" -- Neil Diamond. Yes, I own the Neil Diamond box set. And it's not uncool, because when I was working at Tower Records in college the box sets arrived and nearly every employee bought one. This is my favorite off the set -- and my top-ranked love song -- probably because I'm a writer.
You’re the story of my life, and every word is true
Each chapter sings your name
Each page begins with you...
"Downers"
20. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" -- Elton John. Actually, it's not, but it sure makes a great title for a downer love song!
19. "Could've Been" -- Tiffany. I believe this came out when I was in junior high, that era when school dances consisted of sending your friends over to cute guys to see if they wanted to dance. This song takes you back to that time when you thought you'd die because the guy whose locker was next to yours didn't like you back.
18. "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" -- Patty Smyth and Don Henley. It usually is, but that wouldn't make for a very good downer love song, would it? Smyth and Henley do well together, and depress every listener nicely.
17. "Nobody Knows" -- The Tony Rich Project. This. Song. Is. So. So. So. So. Sad.
16. "Push" -- Matchbox 20. I'm still not sure what all the lyrics mean, but I believe it has to do with him wishing he could push her around and take her for granted as she does to him, but he just can't. Rob Thomas has a great voice for downer love songs.
15. "A Bad Goodbye" -- Clint Black and Winona. Country music analyzes dumps like no other genre. Good goodbye? Bad goodbye? Dammit, it's goodbye!
14. "End of the Road" -- Boyz II Men. Was there any song these guys could not nail? They could do happy love songs, break-your-heart-in-two songs, and a little Motownphilly.
13. "It Must Have Been Love" -- Roxette. Also known as the song playing as Julia Roberts rides away from Richard Gere in "Pretty Woman." As '80s songs go, its had real legs. As Swede pop goes, the song's really had legs.
12. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" -- Poison. All hail the hair bands -- this song is such a cult classic.
11. "I Remember You" -- Skid Row. This power ballad is majorly depressing. One of the few deep power ballads.
Woke up to the sound of pouring rain
Washed away a dream of you
But nothing else could ever take you away
’cause you’ll always be my dream come true
Oh my darling, I love you
Imagine lead singer Sebastian Bach screaming the last line.
10. "I'll Get By" -- Eddie Money. This downer gem isn't mentioned on most other lists, but my oh my is it depressing! Plus it has a raw edge to it -- because of Money's voice, not the early '90s power track.
9. "What Might Have Been" -- Little Texas. This song is interesting not just because of how heartfelt it is, but it finds wide appeal with a topic everyone knows about: regret.
8. "Pictures of You" -- The Cure. You gotta love Robert Smith's stream of consciousness.
Remembering you standing quiet in the rain as
I ran to your heart to be near and we kissed as
the sky fell in holding you close how I always held close in your fear
7. "I Will Always Love You" -- Dolly Parton. A far superior version to Whitney Houston's "let's see how many high notes I can sustain" version. Understated and impassioned, it's a downer keeper.
6. "The Last Supper" -- Howard Jones. This is a "one last time for the memories" downer love song, made even more haunting by Jones' signature voice.
5. "Kiss and Say Goodbye" -- The Manhattans. Possibly the most depressing song ever. Ever.
4. "November Rain" -- Guns N Roses. I've heard rock purists complain about this song, about Axl Rose pulling in the symphony orchestra. But this song transcends the typical power ballad, from the plaintive opening to the dramatic finish. Axl actually comes off sounding sensitive. Great stuff.
So if you want to love me
then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin'
In the cold November rain
3. "Goodbye My Lover" -- James Blunt. This is another wobbler, because even though she's clearly walking out the door, most women would turn around at his words:
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.
I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.
See, it just turned into "Welcome Back My Lover."
2. "Anymore" -- Travis Tritt. Let's face it -- the country genre rules the roost when it comes to downer love songs. This gem, however, is neither hokey nor honky-tonk. And it's a wobbler, because he's longing for her but sounds like he's going to do something about it:
Let me make one last appeal to show you how I feel about you
'Cause there's no one else I swear holds a candle anywhere next to you...
1. "The Dance" -- Garth Brooks. Is there any way this song could not draw tears? "I could have missed the pain, but I'd have had to miss the dance." *Sniff*
Did we miss any?
A few updates on the Muhammad cartoon brouhaha from Reporters Without Borders:
INDIA -- "Police in New Delhi arrested Alok Tomar, editor of the Hindi-language magazine Shabdarth on 23 February for publishing one of the cartoons of the prophet that were first printed in Denmark. They also seized hundreds of copies of the magazine. The journalist’s colleagues said that the cartoon had been used to illustrate an article that called on the press not to publish articles and caricatures that were offensive to believers."
Did you read the last part? Are Muslims planning to stand up for this guy for trying to defend their position?
INDONESIA -- "David Da Silva, editor of the Christian magazine Gloria, in Surabaya (Java), has been dismissed for reprinting the controversial 12 cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. 'As soon as we learned they were in the magazine, we withdrew 8,000 copies from sale,' said a management spokesman. 'Unfortunately, some had already been bought and sparked strong reaction.' Several demonstrations have been staged in front of the magazine’s offices. Police have questioned Da Silva."
MALAYSIA -- "The government has suspended the evening edition of Chinese-language daily Guangming for two weeks after it published a photograph showing the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The newspaper is banned from appearing from 16 February to 1st March. According to the website Malaysiakini, the newspaper on 3 February published a photo from Agence France-Presse in its evening edition for the north of the country, showing someone reading a newspaper containing a reproduction of the cartoons. The daily’s management withdrew all copies from sale. The suspension order was made by the head of government who is also minister for internal security."
So remember, you can't re-publish the cartoons, nor can you publish a photo of someone reading a publication that reprinted the cartoons. Holy cow.
The highlights and lowlights of the headlines for February 27, 2006:
Arab News' cartoon of the day (not Muhammad on the dead horse)
It used to be when an actor's career tanked he could wait tables at Jerry's Deli. Now, one can lend his acting talents to anti-American propaganda -- sure, you might sell out your country and hurt the War on Terror in the process, but in this case gain a bunch of rabid Turkish fans. From the Daily Telegraph:
"A virulently anti-Semitic film about the Iraq war has provoked a storm of protest in Germany after it sold out to cheering audiences from the country's 2.5 million-strong Turkish community.
Valley of the Wolves, by the Turkish director Serdan Akar, shows crazed American GIs massacring innocent guests at a wedding party and scenes in which a Jewish surgeon removes organs from Iraqi prisoners in a style reminiscent of the Nazi death camp doctor Joseph Mengele.
... The £6 million film, the most expensive Turkish production ever made, had already proved a box office hit in Turkey, where it first opened last month at a gala attended by the wife of the country's prime minister.
The production went on general release in Germany a fortnight ago (scene still at left) and has had full houses ever since. More than 130,000 people, most of them young Muslims, saw the film in the first five days of its opening. At a packed cinema in a largely Turkish immigrant district of Berlin last week, Valley of the Wolves was being watched almost exclusively by young Turkish men. They clapped furiously when the Turkish hero of the film was shown blowing up a building occupied by the United States military commander in northern Iraq.
In the closing sequence, the hero is shown plunging a dagger into the heart of a US commander called Sam, played by Billy Zane. The audience responded by standing up and chanting 'Allah is great!'
Afterwards, an 18-year-old member of the audience said: 'The Americans always behave like this. They slaughtered the Red Indians and killed thousands in Vietnam...'"
In addition to Billy Zane, who played the dissed boyfriend in "Titanic," the film stars former star Gary Busey as that evil doctor, frequent TV and bit actor Spencer Garrett as the journalist, and Huntington Beach native and "ultimate fighter" Tito Ortiz as a lieutenant. Makeup and hair was done by Lynda Armstrong, who has worked on many films including "Troy" and "Die Another Day." Special effects coordinator was Mark Meddings, a Brit who also did "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Beyond Borders."
Says Variety of the Busey bit:
"...The basic format is peppered with some pure trash-exploitation elements, such as a strung-out U.S.-Jewish doctor (Busey) at Abu Ghraib who's trafficking inmates' organs to London, New York and Tel Aviv. Busey's few scenes -- and the whole tiny, undeveloped subplot -- are disposable."
Granted, actors in Hollywood are free to make crap -- it happens every day. But either these are supremely ignorant "thespians" who don't know how to read a script, or they don't care that their work will only serve to ignite radical Muslim tensions and harm Americans and Jews, or that may be their intention. Regardless, they need to be called out over it. Now.
(By the way, we're not supposed to get mad at the film. Only cartoons.)
A Tuesday night event at UC Irvine -- where members of the Muslim Student Union previously raised eyebrows (and Bill O'Reilly's ire) by wearing Hamas scarves to graduation -- intends to display the Danish cartoons of Muhammad. And despite how much the University of California system swears they tout diversity and free speech, you can expect the opposite. From the L.A. Times:
The caricatures will be part of a panel discussion sponsored by the campus College Republicans scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in UCI's Crystal Cove Auditorium.
'We are firm believers in the 1st Amendment,' said Kristin Lucero, a 21-year-old UCI senior and president of the campus College Republicans. 'The public has the right to discuss as well as view the cartoons.'
Lucero said the cartoons depicting Muhammad, first published by a Danish newspaper, would be displayed along with what she called anti-Semitic and anti-Western cartoons that have been published in Muslim nations. Depictions of Muhammad are prohibited under Islamic law."
Gotta love the Times: "what she called anti-Semitic."
"She said the event was originally designed as a discussion about terrorism threats, but that the controversy over the caricatures of Muhammad offered another issue for debate.
Muslim students at UCI see the event as a provocation, said Marya Bangee, 19, a sophomore and member of the Muslim Student Union.
'First of all, unless they are living in a bubble, they have to know what has happened around the world' because of the cartoons, she said. 'We don't want to limit anyone's freedom of speech, but with freedom comes responsibility.'"
I wonder if she realizes how much that sounds like a threat.
"... Bangee has asked the College Republicans to hold the event without showing the drawings. She said Muslim students fear the cartoons will incite violence locally."
Take a peek at the Muslim Student Union Web site. "DEFEND Prophet Muhammad" a banner screams announcing a counter-event to the "unveiling" of the cartoons. Also take a gander at some "educational" pamphlets detailing their "fight for Palestine," their response to the cartoons and -- yep -- Zionist oppressors!
(Original text -- boring as it may be -- found here)
"On the question of the cartoons and the reactions they are provoking in the Muslim world, I reiterate that while freedom of expression is one of the basic tenets underpinning the Republic (aren't the basic tenets underpinning the Republic truffles and remoulade?), these also include the values of tolerance and respect for all faiths. (is it hot in here, or is that a synagogue going up in flames?)
Anything liable to offend the beliefs of others, particularly religious beliefs, must be avoided. (Otherwise everyone's car will be burned again.) Freedom of expression must be exercised in a spirit of responsibility. (France advocating responsibility? Whaaa?) I condemn all obvious acts of provocation, liable dangerously to inflame passions. (Are we still talking about cartoons, or when he macked on Laura Bush?)
I also condemn all the acts of violence perpetrated against foreign nationals (except Americans) and representations anywhere in the world (like Danes -- French like their cheese) and reiterate that, in accordance with international law (which Chirac read some Cliff's Notes on 15 years ago), governments are responsible for the safety of foreigners and their property on their territory (watch those cars -- trust France on this!).
I am asking the government to be particularly vigilant with respect to the safety of our nationals abroad. (We shall continue to ignore our Muslim culture clash kerfuffles here, concluded Chirac.)"
(Jacques Chirac as a young man, from the French presidential Web site)
The highlights and lowlights of the headlines for February 24, 2006:
Too short for the catwalk
Hat tip to reader Reaps for this inflammatory (hee!) story from Down Under:
"A socialist youth organisation wants university students nationwide to buy their flag-burning kits next week to show their anger at the federal government.
The group, Resistance, said the kits, containing an Australian flag, a lighter, a fire-lighting cube and Resistance pamphlets, would be sold at university orientation week for $5 each.
'The flag-burning kit displays the sentiment that many young people feel, given the Australian government's racist refugee policy, its treatment of indigenous people, its use of violence against protesters, its support of US foreign policy and its oppressive military role in the Asia Pacific,' Resistance said in a statement.
The kit was inspired by the removal by police of a deliberately burned Australian flag from the Trocadero Art Space gallery in Footscray, Melbourne, on January 20.
Resistance coordinator for Melbourne, Brianna Pike, said hundreds of the kits will be distributed nationwide... "
Rumor has it the first 100 customers get a free Danish flag!!
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Change is good
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