Yuppie Music

a tongue-in-cheek dig, based on the fact that i do actually like a lot of those 80s tracks

Neil Strauss has written some end-of-the-year columns for the NYT on pop music for "adults." My definition might start there if you can find them. But I think that people here would use it to describe MOR sounds in general, e.g. Hootie, or maybe anything that gets attention on NPR.

The Beautiful South
Ani DiFranco
Shawn Colvin
Nick Drake
Suzanne Vega
The Tragically Hip
Leona Naess
Mark Knopfler
The Dixie Chicks
Paula Cole
James
Bruce Cockburn
Melissa Ferrick
The David Matthews Band

NORAH JONES

Duh.

S&D: Sophistipop

Sorta the same gang, right?

I'm still pissed about the Gucci/Yup fucks who now lovingly embrace Trip Hop as there SUV driving theme music

I would call it NPR music now, anything the local NPR station plays as a "natural alternative." Station here plays a lot of Springsteen, Norah Jones, Mr. Sting, Steve Earle, all that alt-country jive like Lucinder Williams, they do Nick Drake and Bruce Cockburn and those earnest folkie people...and lots of white-people blues covers too. Jackson Browne. The whole bluegrass/poor-white-trash ethos prized by people who thought the music in "O Brother, Where Art Thou" was a breath of fresh air. Alison Krause, Jerry Douglas, Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson gets played too. Anything that is supposedly "intelligent" as opposed to the big dumb pop machine, anything you can listen to in your SUV to feel like you're in touch with your inner boomer.

Are definitely not YUPPIE music

Nowadays the chilren of these yuppies, many of whom are now in their early 20's, (young, urban, professional still, however, and like their parents but without the slightly narcissistic stab at spiritualism) are into The Strokes, the White Stripes, Kaiser Chiefs or whatever is hot right now in the area of sratchy guitar rock with posh vocals. They are into the Ramones in the sense that they will wear a Ramones t-shirt, but questioning them while feeling drunk and obnoxious ('which albums do you have?') reveals that they usually won't own their records. Of course, this point has been made many times before, but there's nothing wrong with repetition. There's nothing wrong with repetition.

Also, early Spandau Ballet.

now, she feels safe
in this bar on fairfax
and from the stage I can tell that
she can't let go and she can't relax
and just before
she hangs her head to cry
I sing to her a lullaby, I sing

everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
rockabye

she still lives with her mom
outside the city
down that street about a half a mile
and all her friends tell her
she's so pretty
but she'd be a whole lot prettier
if she smiled once in a while
`cause even her smile
looks like a frown
she's seen her share of devils
in this angel town

But, everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
rockabye

I told her I ain't so sure
about this place
it's hard to play a gig in this town
and keep a straight face
seems like everyone here's got a plan
it's kind of like nashville with a tan, but,

everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye

everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye
everything's gonna be all right
rockabye, rockabye,rockabye, bye, bye
bye, bye

Then I'm walking in Memphis
Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

Saw the ghost of Elvis
On Union Avenue
Followed him up to the gates of Graceland
Then I watched him walk right through
Now security they did not see him
They just hovered 'round his tomb
But there's a pretty little thing
Waiting for the King
Down in the Jungle Room

(Chorus)

They've got catfish on the table
They've got gospel in the air
And Reverend Green be glad to see you
When you haven't got a prayer
But boy you've got a prayer in Memphis

Now Muriel plays piano
Every Friday at the Hollywood
And they brought me down to see her
And they asked me if I would --
Do a little number
And I sang with all my might
And she said --
"Tell me are you a Christian child?"
And I said "Ma'am I am tonight"

(Chorus)

Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain

So, she says it's time she goes
but wanted to be sure I know
she hopes we can be friends
I think, yeah, I guess we can say I
but didn't think to ask her why
she blocked her eyes and drew the curtains
with knots I've got yet to untie
what if I were Romeo in black jeans
what if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth
maybe she's just looking for
someone to dance with
See, it was just too soon to tell
and looking for some parallel
can be an endless game
We said goodbye before hello
my secrets she will never know
and if I dig a hole to China
I'll catch the first jump to Soho
what if I were Romeo in black jeans
what if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth
maybe she's just looking for
someone to dance with
Sometime from now you'll bow to pressure
some things in life you cannot measure by degrees
I'm between the poles and the equator
don't send no private investigator to find me please
'less he speaks Chinese
and can dance like Astaire overseas
what if I were Romeo in black jeans
what if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth
maybe she's just looking for
someone to dance with.

Foul, did you know that Killing Me Softly is about Don McLean? At least according to a DJ I heard a couple years ago.

I'm pretty sure I put the lyrics of a Jeffrey Gaines song somewhere back in this thread. Here's another, Headmasters of Mine.

I realize they meant no harm
And that they'd seen the truth
These men and women, young and old
Who tried to mold my youth

They were only teaching me how to get through life
How to punch the clock and get home and get a wife
They knew I was searching for things I'd never find
So they tried to break my mind by paddling my behind

All for the love of an innocent mind
They were the blind leading the blind
All for the love of molding young minds
They were too kind
Headmasters of mine

They themselves were products of a past society
They themselves were victims of the same atrocity

I realize I must forgive
But I will never forget
These men and women young and old
I'm forever in your debt

They were only teaching me how to run the race
Fill my position with a smile upon my face
Don't ask the question if it isn't from the text
Throw me out into the hall and ask who wants to be next

All for the love of an innocent mind
They were the blind leading the blind
All for the love of molding young minds
They were too kind
Headmasters of mine

I feel it's really sick
How so much is wasted
There's so much food for thought
That never is tasted
Just read the instructions
And fill out the form
And whatever you do my son
Don't stray from the norm

All for the love of an innocent mind
They were the blind leading the blind
All for the love of molding young minds
They were too kind
Headmasters of mine

(seems like a good time to, once again, tell everyone to read some Ayn Rand!!! Smile )
_________________
One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night

Mi alasharia la shantih, Darling Silezia.
Isaiah ShadowLurker, mi alasharia la shantih, shantih.

I think they lied.