you and your band have to go away now or i'll call the police

It is one of the Miracles of Planet Earth that Jonathan Richman eventually no longer needed a Day Job, working in the Wal-Mart or at the Gas Station. With his annoying whiney-teen voice, and the really car-accident ideas of music and poetry in his very odd brain, he nevertheless managed to make something resembling a living from writing these verkakte songs and singing them with bands on the streets of Boston, and then on endless tours around the world.

He won my heart many years ago with the name of one of his bands:

Jonathan Richman
& The Burning Sensations

Dozens of high school and college Career Counselors and Music Teachers warned him not to try keep making music. He refused to listen.

But Boston listened. Secretaries coming back from lunch to their offices in Government Center listened -- before the building manager came outside and chased Jonathan and his band away. But they came back the next day

to make the secretaries feel better
when they put the stamps on the letter

And the World listened. Because he made the World laugh and smile. Jonathan Richman warms the Heart of the Whole World.

He's just the suburban college kid who's trying to date your daughter (and who you pray to God he'll go away). He's just the kid with a backpack who's travelling around the world to see Paris and Israel and everywhere he can get to on his Eurailpass. One of his albums has a photo of him in Paris standing next to the street sign: Rue du Maurice Chevalier. Big Ambitions. (The psychiatrist's evaluation probably called it "megalomania.")

He's just the 16-year-old home-schooler hanging around in the parking lot of the Cumberland Farm convenience store with his buds at 3 am on a summer night ~~ makin a little music with a kazoo and a ukelele.

Michael Jackson is The King of Pop. Eminim is HUGE! 50 Cent is HUGE! Paul McCartney has a knighthood and is HUGE! ABBA is HUGE!

Either there is something wrong with Jonathan Richman or there is something wrong with the Earth, I'm not sure which.

All I know is, Jonathan Richman & The Burning Sensations are appearing six nights a week at the Dirty Laundry Coffee House & laundromat in Ciudad Vleeptron (in Poortown, across from Drek-Mart).

from the vinyl geezer album (and certainly surely followed by the CD and certainly followed by mp3s and DVDs and iPods and Hi-Def and Direkt-2-Brane e-Musik)

"Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" (1976)

*************

New England

Spoken:
See, I come from Boston.
I'm gonna tell you about how I love New England.
It's my favorite place.

I've been all around the world,
but I love New England best.
I might be prejudiced.
But it's true, I love New England best.

Well, now...

the song begins ... the music resembles an old New England sea-shanty, what the sailors might sing on the Pequod:

You know, ladies and gentlemen,
I've already been to Paris,
I already been to Rome
And what did I do but miss my home?

I have been out west to Californ'
But I miss the land where I was born
I can't help it

Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England!
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England!

I have seen old Israel's arid plain
It's magnificent
But so's Maine

Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England!
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England!
Doddly-doodly-do-do-doo-do-do
Doddly-doodly-do-do-doo-do-do
Doddly-doodly-do-do-doo-do-do
Doddly-doodly-do-do-doo-do-do
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, I love New England!
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England!
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England
Dum-de-dum-de-dum-dum-da-dum-day
Oh, New England

=================

Here Come the Martian Martians

Here come the Martian Martians
And I wouldn't be surprised if they were riding on their Martian bike
And we have to find out right now
What kind of flavor do these Martians like

Here come the Martian Martians
And they're riding on their Martian bike
Well, we have to find out right now
What kind of ice cream do the Martians like?

Here come the Martian Martians
Why staying in such a cheap hotel?
Maybe we should help out the Martians
Looks like the Martians ain't doin' too well.

Martian time time time
Well, it's Martian rhyme time
We got a Martian rhyme
for Martian Martian time

And the Martians got notebooks
in their little hand
Well they're strangers in this land

Martian time
It's Martian Martian time

Well, here come the Martian Martains.
They're trying to fight with rocks and sticks
Don't the Martians know better?
Looks like they're up to their same old tricks.
Well, here come the Martian Martians
They got notebooks in their hand
What are they trying to write down?
I guess they must be strangers in this land

Martian rhyme rhyme
Well, Martian time time
Well, you got Martian rhymes for Martian Martian time

See, the Martians have notebooks in their little hand
See, they're still strangers in this land
Martian time, it's Martian Martian time

Well, here come the Martian Martians
Baking up a Martian cake
We better find out right now
What kind of flavor do these Martians make
Well, here come the Martian Martians
There are Martian schoolgirls too
Well, I like the Martian schoolgirls
And I hope they like me too

Martian rhyme rhyme rhyme
It's Martian time time time
You got the Martian rhymes for Martian Martian time

The Martians have notebooks in their little hand
Because they're strangers in this land
Martian rhyme, it's Martian Martian time

Well, here come the Martian Martians
Well, they're baking up a Martian pie
I hope the Martians like me
And give some to I

Well, here come the Martian Martians
Well, they're setting up a Kool-Aid stand
Where's their financial advisor?
Somebody should take him by the hand

Martian rhyme rhyme rhyme
Martian time time time
You got a Martian rhyme for Martian Martian time

And the Martians have notebooks in their little hand
They're still strangers in this land
Martian rhyme, it's Martian Martian time