Comments on: It Took Me Years to Like . . .

By: Mike O'Shea

Mike O'Shea — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 01:41:59 +0000

I took Vendler’s Core class on English poetry as an undergrad in the mist-shrouded early 90s. Good solid survey course. I remember she read poems well: clear and pleasant, not theatrical. That class introduced me to Keats and Stevens. What’s not to like?

On topic: Scritti Politti’s “Perfect Way.” Sounded like dorky fey nothing on the radio to my tween self in ‘85. Then in grad school circa ‘96, a classmate pointed out all his wordplay, influenced by French literary theory. I paid attention to the words, and liked them, and (perhaps as a gesture of theory-nerd solidarity?), I started to dig the song.

I’m empty by definition

I got a lack, girl, that you’d love to be …

You wanna do a damage that you can undo. …

Apart from everyone, away from your love, a part of me belongs, apart from all the hurt above.

I’ve got a perfect way to make a new proposition.

I’ve got a perfect way to make a justification.

I’ve got a perfect way to make a certain a maybe.

I’ve got a perfect way to make the girls go crazy.

Maybe in Paris you do.

Fun, clever fey (no)thing.

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:41:29 +0000

I can relate to the stinky cheeses, country music, and Springsteen. Though my father liked Lucinda Williams music a long time, I only started listening long after he did.

Reminds me of Mark Twain’s old line: “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

By: Nick G-B

Nick G-B — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:27:17 +0000

“The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Springsteen. I only knew BITUSA, Dancin’, and other pop hits, plus the Tunnel of Love tape I had in my car. I got “Ghost” as a Christmas music one year, had a dylan-went-electric? reaction to it, but years later grew to absolutely love it. The transition period also covered college and adulthood, so I’m sure maturity had more to do with the change than some fine wine effect on the music.

By: Patrick S. O'Donnell

Patrick S. O'Donnell — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:51:05 +0000

It took me some years to enjoy (some) Country music (Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette…), including Western Swing (e.g., Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys) and Bluegrass (e.g., Doc Watson). And when I was younger I did not listen to Gregorian Chants or the voice of Enrico Caruso, both of which I’m quite fond of today. (I’ve always liked Blues, Jazz, and Rock & Roll.)

By: dave

dave — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:33:43 +0000

How about foods – it took me many, many tries to like beets and stinky cheeses!