February 12, 2013
I had a snowday on Friday due to the huge storm that hit the Northeastern US. Technically I was supposed to be working from home but you know what that really means: I was on the couch watching War of the Gargantuas.
This is a really good old Japanese monster movie in which a giant hairy brown monster fights a giant hairy green monster, with Russ Tamblyn thrown in for American audiences. Hmm, rereading that last sentence, I realize that I may have a different definition of “good” than you do.
Anyway, somewhere in the first third of the film, the scene shifts for no apparent reason to an outdoor nightclub (no apparent reason other than the reason apparent to all of the viewers that it is about to be attacked by the monster) where a lounge singer is about to take the stage. This is a highpoint of the film and the singer is given a really large spotlight and an inordinate amount of time onscreen. The thing is though, the song stinks and the singer is awful.
Wow, she can really belt out a tune. And I love the way she somehow manages to make the song fade out as if she was dubbed.
That song is stuck in my head. And I am not the only one. I mentioned this film to my brother and he said “the one with the lousy ‘words get stuck in my throat’ song?” and he hasn’t seen that film in years.
We are not the only ones to have that unforgettable tune caught in the steel traps of our minds. Check out this recent Scooby Doo cartoon:
Have to admit, that is totally cool. It is almost (but not quite) enough to get me to watch Scooby Doo.
But it gets worse. You never know what you are going to find on YouTube. This song was so influential that none other than Devo, not the most stable of folks themselves, covered it too. This is a short clip of them doing the song live in France, where presumably, like Jerry Lewis before them, they are revered as comedy gods.
And it gets still worse. (Or better, depending on how you like the film.) If you plug War of the Gargantuas into Amazon.con you will find this:
2013 split EP from Pantera/Down vocalist Phil Anselmo and Metal warriors Warbeast. War Of The Gargantuas includes two songs from each artist. This album serves as the first release of any solo work by Philip Anselmo during the span of his nearly 30-year legacy. Also, the two Warbeast tracks on the split feature former bassist Alan Bovee before his amicable departure from the band.
Not bad for a movie known for a lousy song and this guy:
Before I go, I’d like to leave you with these parting words of wisdom:
If my lips could only say the pretty words
That I feel in my heart.
If my voice could make the sound,
I would tell you how I love you
And we’d never be apart.
But with just one look into your face,
My mind starts to drift right into space,
And the words get stuck in my throat.
The words get stuck in my throat.
If I had a hidden microphone inside of my heart,
I would turn the power on.
It would amplify my love for you, and swear to always love you,
And you’d never be gone.
But with just one look into your eyes
I become excited and it’s no surprise
That the words get stuck in my throat.
The words get stuck in my throat.
And every time I try to call,
I can’t speak at all
Because the words get stuck in my throat
The words get stuck in my throat.
The words get stuck in my throat.
Doo Doooooo Doo Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo
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