There are certain people I would cling to
People who are good with their decisions
There are certain people I would sing to
People with unpopular positions
People who have never been to Paris
People who don't ever look embarrassed
What would Katharine Hepburn say, were she in my play?
What would Katharine Hepburn do, were she in my shoes?
What would Katharine Hepburn feel, here behind the wheel
Of my shiny new car, would she feel,
That I'm going too far, would she feel?
Would she feel ?
The world is in a state of ongoing political turmoil, so what do we need? Words of wisdom from a beautiful, iconic figure associated with fierce intelligence, perhaps? Just a thought. In tandem with this week’s song theme of work referencing movie stars, for Friday fun, we turn to a song written by the prolific pen of Sparks’ brothers Ron and Russell Mael. This rather obscure 1994 song from Sparks’ enormous catalogue came about and was performed after the Maels spotted wannabe performer Christi Haydon in a cosmetics store, liked her film star looks, and so she got involved in the band, also playing percussion on tour, and appearing on the videos for "When Do I Get to Sing My Way" and "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing).
The gently paced number really grows on the listener. It humorously plays on the adoration of a star, and references Hepburn’s secret lover, the actor Spencer Tracy, but also can be a shining guideline for those feeling lost and confused. Sparks are fond of referencing film icons. In 2009 they also released The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, a pop opera musical and Swedish collaboration about the film director.
For comparison here's some shaky live footage of Sparks doing the song in 2008:
And another Hepburn homage version:
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