By AmyLee
We Can’t Always Get What We Want …
The Landlord did a fairly exhaustive introductory writeup to this topic, so I don’t have much to add, save for one thing. The other part of denials are the rationalisations that go hand in hand with them. That’s where creativity comes in. And sometimes a bag of popcorn is in order.
Avoiding the Truth A-List Playlist
John Cooper Clarke – Innocents
Alrighty then. Testify. And don’t hold back. (severin)
Little Ann - Who Are You Trying to Fool
You can’t fool her, she says. I’m actually inclined to believe her. The denial and an own goal is him thinking that he can. He’s only fooling himself. Belter. (attwilightlarks)
Barrington Levy - Under Mi Sensi
Only a cigarette, Officer. Really. And on the off chance that it’s not, well, it brings foreign currency to the island here and boosts the GDP. (Uncleben)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Apparently MJ wrote this about the vulture groupies that used to wait for the Jackson brothers around backstage doors. Who would then subsequently claim their kid was related to one of them.
It gets weirder though. MJ had his own fan who sent him letters and claimed he was the father of her twins. Ultimately, she sent him a package with a photograph of herself, a gun, and a letter instructing him to die at a particular time. She’d kill herself and the twins at the same time. MJ freaked his mom out by having the photo of the woman framed and hung it above the family dining room table. (Uncleben)
Todd Rundgren - Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel
“Today I saw a car crush my little dog under its wheel...” Right here beside you, brother. I saw my pair of black cats run over by a truck at the same time. You know, it took me 4 days to make this connection to the song? I don’t think we need any postcards from the peanut gallery. I don’t wanna talk about it, how it broke my heart. (ShivSidecar)
The Mamas and the Papas - I Saw Her Again
What a mess. About Michelle Phillips’ affair with bandmate Denny Doherty. So who’s the one in denial here? Michelle, who thinks he loves her? Denny, who thinks he doesn’t? Cass, in love with Denny, is she the one who’ll never leave him? John Phillips, the cuck who co-wrote the song? And they all sing it together in those otherworldly harmonies. Hippies, eh? Get off my lawn. (SweetHomeAlabama)
The Who - The Kids are Alright
He needs to get out and get some air every once in a while, so he’ll leave his girl with his mates, who will dance with her and look after her until he gets back. What could possibly go wrong. (ShivSidecar)
Rod Stewart - Reason to Believe
Apparently you don’t really need one, Rod. You’re in denial that you do. Oh, that fiddle. (severin)
John Waite - Missing You
My first thought too, SweetHomeAlabama. No law says the Marconium can’t accommodate a one-hit wonder MOR jewel. Still sounds great. (SweetHomeAlabama)
Pet Shop Boys / Kylie Minogue - In Denial
Just wonderful in every way. Gay dad and his daughter hash it out and find the love. (OliveButler)
I Break Horses - Denial
No idea what it’s about, except that it fits the rubric. Such swoony ear candy, don’t care. (vanwolf2)
The Go-Betweens - I’m All Right
You're obviously not. She’s just not that into you. Poor guy. Come give us a hug. Exquisite. (Nilpferd)
The Smiths - Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
God yes. Glorious. Smithsish, gorgeous and lethal. Who said i lied because i never...Liar. My very first RR nom about a decade ago for Deception. Delighted to finally put Mozza out of his misery here. Oh, wait... (TarquinSpodd)
Suede - The Living Dead
In love with an addict who has spent all the money up her arm, and the sex is gone as well. And so now he has to go. Odds? And what will she do alone? Does he really want to know? (ParaMhor)
The Bevis Frond - Stain on the Sun
A few songs this week about the talk with your mate about his girl. Originally had the Fannies’ “wall of guitars” Neil Jung here. She’s not right for you, it’s going nowhere. You couldn’t take the pain and left it there. So why does it sound so cheerful? In this beauty, the singer’s friend has had the scales fall from his eyes about his girl, he’s realizing that she’s not all that. This singer sounds just so sad about that. Obviously madly in love with her, he thinks she’s flawless. (psst - dude, do you not see an opportunity here?) Guys are weird. (nb - there are some guitars here too.) (ShivSidecar)
Mindy Smith - Train Song
Is my sweet man on that coming back on that train? Spoiler - Probably not, love. I'm just wondering, I need to ask exactly what is your definition of sweet? Possibly that might be where the real denial is. (treefrogdemon)
Buffalo Tom - Would Not Be Denied
No idea what it’s about, but it fits the rubric and it’s a great tune from this new to me Boston band. (swawilg)
Stereolab - Nothing to Do With Me
After tunes about suicide, addiction, pet dogs run over, broken hearts, mentally ill stalker fans, serial killers and the like, think we need a comfort food Ramones tune, Thee Oh Sees doing Le Freak, or a song about wee. Eeenie meenie miney wee, to a nicely chill groove. Apparently based on a UK television show that i don’t know, but i laughed anyway. (TarquinSpodd)
The Stranglers - Dagenham Dave
Boys. Don’t. Cry. Not when your mate and biggest fan jumps off of Tower Bridge. Because at least he was probably high. (Gurus don’t cry either.) (happyclapper)
The White Stripes - The Denial Twist
It’s over, she just wasn’t that into you. Maybe. Or so you tell yourself. Or not. Twisty. (magicman)
Dropkick Murphys - Denial
Says he’s “caught in denial” about wrecking his life as an alcoholic. Meta question for the topic - are you in denial when you know you’re in denial? (Carpgate)
Jane’s Addiction - Ted, Just Admit It…
Ted Bundy represented himself at trial and denied his crimes up until he was convicted. After all appeals for stay of execution were exhausted, he started to drop hints of his other crimes until then unknown to law enforcement. By leaving out details, he hoped to buy more time for another stay of execution - “Ted's bones-for-time scheme”. Hundreds of people sang, danced, and lit firecrackers across from the prison during his execution, and cheered as the corpse left in the hearse. What a shitshow. (Happyclapper)
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Wall of Denial
Righteous. The wall comes tumbling down. (Agreed - live or bust.) (PopOff!)
(Take your time, Marco …)
The Being Someone Else B-List Playlist:
Shaggy - It Wasn’t Me (philipphillip99)
Robert Pete Williams - Pardon Denied Again (Uncleben)
Ruby Turner - You Were Never Mine (Maki)
Sandy Denny - You Never Wanted Me (tubby Brewster)
The Smiths - Back to the Old House (Nilpferd)
Bob Dylan - Who Killed Davey Moore? (SkippyisaCult)
Paul Kelly - None of Your Business Now (Nicko)
Steve Forbert - It Isn’t Gonna Be That Way (Jamesowen475)
Jackie Leven - Fly (TotankaYotanka)
The Earlies - One of Us is Dead (Shoegazer)
Juice WRLD - Denial (magicman)
Split Enz - Charlie (ajostu)
Shoes - Not Me (ShivSidecar)
Beautiful South - Don’t Marry Her (ParaMhor)
Ballboy - Avant Garde Music (Shoegazer)
The Offspring - Spare Me the Details (IsabelleForshaw)
The Burning Hell - The River (Never Freezes Anymore) (megadom)
Teenage Fan Club - Neil Jung (happyclapper)
The Bevis Frond - He’d Be a Diamond (ShivSidecar)
Sugar - Believe What You’re Saying (happyclapper)
Monster Magnet - Negasonic Teenage Warhead (SweetHomeAlabama)
Guru’s WIldcard Picks:
My Bloody Valentine - I Don’t Need You
Bob Marley - Waiting in Vain
Jeff Beck Group - I Ain’t Superstitious
Divinyls - Pleasure and Pain
Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Ballad of Jim Jones
The Z-List
Sev put up a zed list of a few that would have had a shot on the A-list a few topics ago. Not a bad idea, the zeds made my life considerably easier. Two of the songs are originals with zedded covers that totally deserve their own spot on the Marconium - Delaney and Bonnie (Sonic Youth) and Murray Head (Roger Daltrey). I also tossed in Maki’s Spanish alternate version of Say It Ain’t So.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Who are you kidding? It's songs about denial. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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