Bob says;
But enough of this election crap. I heard this song on my way into work this morning (thank you, BobFM, for playing anything, even if it does blow goats), and felt that it's not fair for me to suffer alone. So now you can suffer too...
In particular, I call your attention to one minute and 29 seconds into the above -- which is, by my estimation, the exact moment that rock and roll expired.
I was hoping that Lincoln would have crushed them all, just like he crushed slavery. That would have made it worth it, almost.
jf
Posted by: Josh | November 07, 2006 at 10:52 AM
Great song! I haven't heard it in a while. Thanks for linking to the video. I'll probably play it a couple dozen times today.
Posted by: Rob | November 07, 2006 at 11:08 AM
Curse you, Bob. I had blocked this video out of my memory -- and you've brought it back.
I'm not actually sure I've ever watched the video the whole way through. Even when it was new and I was watching MTV 24/7, I could tell that this was crap. I sure don't remember the dancing Lincoln.
Laughing at Grace Slick's spaced-out eyes and ridiculous outfit almost makes it bearable. Note that the weird video style would have made it possible to film her separately from the rest of the band and paste her in. I'm pretty sure no one in the band was speaking to the others at this point. Which goes a long way toward explaining the incomprehensibility of the video and the song.
Posted by: Cindy | November 07, 2006 at 11:19 AM
Even better than ol' Honest Abe getting up and shaking his moneymaker are the reaction shots immediately following. Even though they're not likely even in the same studio as Abe, they still have the appropriate "what the fark am I looking at?" reaction.
I wonder if those kids even knew they were filming a Starship video...
Posted by: Bob | November 07, 2006 at 11:26 AM
Bob, I think you're right. I have loathed that song since the first time I heard it. It is in my top five list of worst songs ever, right behind "Mr. Roboto" and "Muskrat Love."
Posted by: Mountain Mama | November 07, 2006 at 12:31 PM
I sense that Abe Lincoln is turning over in his grave... he had no idea he "built this city on rock and roll"... and there he was thinking he built it on principles of humanity.
Posted by: Cathy | November 07, 2006 at 12:58 PM
If disco didn't kill rock, this song isn't a threat to it either.
Posted by: Funky Dung | November 07, 2006 at 02:25 PM
I sheepishly admit I like(d) this song. They always played it, as well as "After the Fire," when I was on my way to dance lessons. In third grade. I never saw the video, and always associate the song with tap shoes.
Posted by: Sarah | November 07, 2006 at 10:52 PM
Thanks for the "song-stuck-in-my-head" today. Wow, I even sang it Dan-Bob this morning, without realizing it. He just looked at me like I was nuts, so I just sang it in the shower. How about a little "toot, toot, chugga-chugga, big red car" for your morning song!?
Posted by: Ding | November 08, 2006 at 08:19 AM
I studied the classics as an English major in college. There,I explored literary and textual criticism. I've taken film studies, receiving an advanced degree in the subject. I have focused much attention in my life on film theory and criticism. I've taught the subject to college students. And yet when I look at this video from my younger days, and study it, and watch it repeatedly to try to analyze its content...
I don't know what the hell it could possibly mean!
Seriously...I can't make sense of any of it.
Posted by: Joe | November 08, 2006 at 08:56 AM
I wasn't going to mention it, since it's just a small piece of a much larger and more whacked-out puzzle -- but why, when Grace is singing about "corporation games," is she surrounded by images of Las Vegas casinos? Are they focusing on the word "games" instead of "corporation?"
Posted by: Bob | November 08, 2006 at 09:50 AM
this still sucks and should make everyone involved cringe. gives me the creeps.
Posted by: sherry | November 20, 2006 at 10:58 AM
New link to the above video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxGGckAc1rs&feature=fvst
Posted by: Woy | March 03, 2010 at 08:34 PM