Words, Words, Words, Words
Published: Thu, 12/31/20
And while, ok, Rex Harrison is barely singing, and Audrey Hepburn isn't singing at all, there are some pretty satisfying songs in My Fair Lady. Though not satisfying enough for my daughter, who spent most of the movie waiting for the Professor's richly-deserved comeuppance, only to be bitterly disappointed by what is apparently one of the legendarily atrocious conclusions to a film of such magnitude. Not even Eliza's triumphant get-lost aria, "Without You," brought home the pancetta for Casa Fretboard's resident feminist, who raged at Henry Higgins' lack of contrition at song's end and even more sub-par lack of transformation by the end of the picture.
I've actually been amazed at my kids' patience for the songs in these films, because despite growing up to be a musician, I positively squirmed through every and any onscreen song and dance number when I was their age. As an adult, of course, the songs are kind of the point, and Eliza has all of the best moments, the gleefully pissed-off tunes you'd expect a kid to love, not just "Without You" but also "Just You Wait," and "Show Me," which includes the downright universal sentiment "Never do I want to hear another word/there isn't one I haven't heard."
The first videos I ever released into the wild were blog posts for Truefire, a series called "The Blues Genealogy Project." While received somewhat positively, they also got their fair share of trolling, usually variations on the theme of "Shut up and play the song!" So when it comes to the lessons on my channel, I've gradually learned to accommodate the Eliza Doolittles of the internet, making sure to always play first and talk afterwards, rather than vice versa. The newsletter, on the other hand, is pretty much of a verbal proposition, and a strictly voluntary one at that. So whether you've been reading it for a few years or just a few weeks, thank you for being here, and best wishes for a radically improved 2021.
More soon,
David