Request Line: Character Concerns

INT. RECORDING STUDIO – DAY

The regular one this time?

Yes, the regular one.

Not, like some new one down the hall that we’ve never heard of before.

No, would you please stop interrupting. Sometimes it feels like you’re just in love with the sound of your own voice.

Well, this is a radio show. A golden voice is pretty critical.

Yeah, but nobody reading this can hear…you know what? No. I’m not getting sucked into this. We’ve got a show to do.

INT. RECORDING STUDIO – DAY

The PRODUCER sits at his desk, sipping from a cup of coffee.  DJ 3000 is propped against the wall, in sleep mode.  The producer pulls out his cellphone and manipulates the touchscreen.

— [facetime flies open] —

DR. ZYMM: Ah, ze boys at DFO Radio.  To what do I owe ze pleasure?

PRODUCER: Hey, it’s just me.  DJ 3000 is in sleep mode at the moment.

DR. ZYMM: Sleep mode? At…vait, vhat time is it there?

PRODUCER: Eleven a.m. Why, what time it where you are?

DR. ZYMM: Vun in the morning.  I’m in Ziam.

PRODUCER: Siam…you mean Thailand?

DR. ZYMM: Ach, ja.

DR. ZYMM pans the camera so the PRODUCER can see her surroundings.

PRODUCER: What are you doing in Thailand?

DR. ZYMM: I am looking into zome…opportunities here.

PRODUCER: Ah, sorry about waking you up.

DR. ZYMM: It’s fine. As I vas saying, to what do I owe ze pleasure? Zomething to do with your sleeping companion?

PRODUCER: Let’s, uh, please not refer to him as my “sleeping companion” in the future, but yes, that’s right.  He’s in sleep mode at 11 a.m. because he was out late last night.  You know why he was out late last night? Because he went to a musical.

DR. ZYMM: As in…a Broadway show? Vit singing und danzing? How would one zuch as him attend zuch a thing?

PRODUCER: Some kind of telnet protocol, I don’t know the details. But it’s weird, right?

DR. ZYMM: Possibly. Vhich show did he zee?

PRODUCER: Funny Girl.

DR. ZYMM: Ja, zis is very strange. How long has he been been exhibiting zuch behavior?

PRODUCER: Ever since you helped him and the rest of the crew escape from the time loop bubble.  It’s baffling.  He claims to remember things that didn’t happen, and he doesn’t remember things that did.  Like that Jon Lovitz show The Critic. He says he’s never even heard of it!

DR. ZYMM: Most unsettling.  He has suffered from segmentation faults in the past, have you run diagnostics?

PRODUCER: Of course.

DR. ZYMM: And it’s not psychological?

PRODUCER: I don’t think so.  We had him do a session with Dr. Xavier during the week and it went smoothly enough.

DR. ZYMM: Vell vhat did the doctor say?

PRODUCER: Oh, you know Dr. Xavier.  He never betrays what he thinks.  Unless it’s about the Raiders’ draft prospects, or which trim shop owner is least likely to snitch on you.  But I was just thinking…if he’s not crazy, and if it’s not a hardware error…could it have something to do with the time bubble business?

DR. ZYMM: Zis is a gud question.  I vill give it zome thought.

PRODUCER: That’s all I ask.  Actually…I do have one more thing to ask – can you supply a topic for request line?

DR. ZYMM: Sure.  How about “zongs that are zung by characters”?

PRODUCER: I’m not sure I understand.

DR. ZYMM: I’ll give you an example. This song is performed by a man who sees the whole world as a board game…

PRODUCER: You mean Mark Davis?

DR. ZYMM: …ze board game is chess, so…yes, as it happens, very much like Mark Davis.  But play ze song, I vill explain, you vill see.

 

Today’s theme is “character concerns”.  We’re looking for songs that are sung by – or from the point of view of – a character.  Mostly this will mean songs from musical or rock operas, but don’t be shy about requesting something a bit different that you think still fits the theme.  Post links as “https://www.youtube.com/watch?dR.X4v!3r and they should embed in the comments after you refresh.  Last week’s puzzle answer of “Where Is My Mind” by The Pixes was ably detected by BeefReeferLives.  Punch your clocks and let’s get started!

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly
Law-abiding Raiders fan, pet owner, Los Angeles resident.
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scotchnaut

Here’s Byrne pretending he’s an underground fighter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8al5cSQNmME&ab_channel=forcedcoitus

scotchnaut

Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m scotchnaut and I just scored some serious late round value.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwtyn-L-2gQ&ab_channel=ABKCOVEVO

Last edited 6 months ago by scotchnaut
BeefReeferLives
scotchnaut

From the perspective of a sociopath: “I let them use you, for their own ends.” I’ve got a very raw, rough live version that I can’t find online, it’s a work of art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj8F69uyaGg&ab_channel=Shashwat

BeefReeferLives
WCS
DJ TAJ

The shaker has been activated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dftEL1PhFjE

BeefReeferLives
scotchnaut
BeefReeferLives

From the POV of Meursault, i suppose…

DJ TAJ

Brand New Vampire Weekend out today, get it, shake it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6lTQNW04I

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
scotchnaut

Songs from and for the mentally ill start here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxQS6lfn0yU&ab_channel=RafaelNunes

BeefReeferLives

Ever hear the original? Buck & Co. really didn’t change it up much, IMHO…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyfDH0HKLjs

DJ TAJ
WCS
BeefReeferLives
scotchnaut

Stupid Suzanne Vega gives it away in the very first line. smh…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZt7J0iaUD0&ab_channel=SuzanneVegaVEVO

WCS
DJ TAJ

Smoked some weed so my brain is working again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Jm5epJr10

WCS

comment image

scotchnaut

Here’s one from the perspective of a Soviet soldier walking back from the front lines, doomed to be sent to Siberia because he’d had contact with American troops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypPrKnUew44&ab_channel=Teddygoesfishing

BeefReeferLives
WCS
BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
DJ TAJ
scotchnaut

Not Remotely True Fact:The full title of this is “The Ballad of Billy Bob Powderfinger”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6xNft9MutQ&ab_channel=Ze18613

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives

Hoping this is sung from another’s POV, but with Neil ya never really know…

(’cause Neil’s as crazy as a shithouse rat)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KflCXmEX6BY

WCS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgOyXKanKHc

This is someone’s point of view. Kinda.

scotchnaut

Might be stuck in the 80’s. Also, what a great way to end a concert! I was speechless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxXVSBN2-Bw&ab_channel=LukeK79

BeefReeferLives
WCS
BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives

Might as well recycle this one from last week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwWVE84OEIA

BeefReeferLives

Sung from the POV of a junkie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f_Md22IIj0

BeefReeferLives
scotchnaut

It’s a song from the mind of some kind of killer, can’t remember.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qylhk6jsT0&ab_channel=TonyMendes

BeefReeferLives

Thematic DOUBLE SHOT

“I’m called the hit-and-run raper in anger
The knife-sharpened tippie-toe…
Or just the shoot ’em dead, brain bell jangler
You know, the one you never seen before

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsZAK-x_06Y

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives

It’s Friday, so let’s make it a TRIPLE SHOT!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHq87F2fS-s

2Pack
BeefReeferLives

I was born in Dallas in 1952,
Lee Harvey moved across the street on Bentley Avenue,
He used to throw the ball to me when I was just a kid,
They say he shot the president—I don’t think he did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rJjsiMrgIY

2Pack

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FuzTkGyxkYI

revisiting this one from previous posts…

2Pack

Poorly labled here, Its the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

2Pack
BeefReeferLives

“Gone are the days when the ox fall down,
Take up the yoke and plow the fields around.
Gone are the days when the ladies said’ “Please,
Gentle Jack Jones won’t you come to me.

Daddy made whiskey and he made it well.
Cost two dollars and it burned like hell.
I cut hickory just to fire the still,
Drink down a bottle and be ready to kill.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PekdeINQco

BeefReeferLives

“I been ballin’ a shiny black steel jack-hammer
Been chippin’ up rocks for the great highway
I live five years if I take my time
Ballin’ that jack and drinkin’ my wine”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-37CP0O25C0

2Pack
BeefReeferLives

“Virgil Kane is the name
And I served on the Danville train”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM

BeefReeferLives

“Now me and Jake, we work down on the river
On the ferry Baltimore”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJk2yCAjvW8

BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
BeefReeferLives
2Pack
2Pack

Pink Floyd One of my Turns… not sure what is age restricted about it… prudes…

BeefReeferLives

Yup.

2Pack
2Pack

https://youtube.com/watch?v=kq_GSIw0X0w

without “music” in the URL this time.

Lets see…

2Pack

This is great man. Lots of places to go with this one.