Friday, April 18, 2014

The Weather calls for scattered innuendo



Robin Aigner provides the Weather on the 2013 April Fool's edition ("Poetry Week") of Welcome to Night Vale.  I'm not sure who is singing the male vocal part in "Get Me Home."  My guess is Larry Cook, the bassist in Parlour Game, her backing band.  This cute duet is reminiscent of "Baby It's Cold Outside", though without the counterpoint of that classic. 



The harmonies are basic 12-bar form: I - IV - I - V - I.  But the rhythms are rather interesting, sliding the lyrics at unpredictable points into the previous or next musical grouping.  And each subsequent verse adds lines to the V chord, as the woman talks herself into staying out later. That is, until the last verse as a repetition of the first verse.  The woman reverts back to a 1:00 am deadline, whereas the man stays with the 4:00 am deadline.  The length of the last verse suggests a slight compromise.  1:00 is twelve bars long, 2:00 is sixteen bars, 3:00 is eighteen bars, 4:00 is twenty bars.  The last verse is fourteen bars, so maybe 1:30? 

There is plenty of sexual imagery, from organs/sax and keyhole/key to driving a car and a charging bull trying to penetrate the bull fighter.  But like "Baby It's Cold Outside," there is still a chastity projected on the part of the woman, that she knows what he wants but also knows exactly what she will allow.  She emphasizes "get" as her highest note, to demand that he respect her wishes.  But then again, she does slide into "home"...

The following lyrics have the male part in normal font, the female part in italics, and group singing in bold.
I'm told that you're pretty, you're told that I'm cute,
Let's go for a ride, I'll show you a thing or two
Let's paint the town and have some fun
We'd be a pair, just get me home by one.

I know a place where we can relax
You'll wear a skirt, I'll wear some slacks
There'll be some organs, there might even be sax
We'll say goodnight, I will be blue
I'll stew for a while into Saturday too 
to fall asleep happy, just get me home by two.

Well I got a car I drive like a pro,
You should see me in action, check out my mojo
I'm/He's romantic, a dance king Romeo
I'm fond of you, you seem to like me
I got a keyhole, you got a key
Let's take it on slow 'til we are a we
I'm fond of you, just get me home by three.

I swing you around on a Saturday night
You're the belle of the ball, I'm a bull at a bull fight
Why say "Adios" when we can be dos?
I might want less, you might want more
You say "Let's a-nuzzle," I say "What for?"
You show me a backseat, I show you the door
I like the sofa, you like the floor
I'll stay for a cuddle, just get me home by four.

I'm/You're told that you're/I'm pretty, you're/I'm told that I'm/you're cute
Let's go for a ride, I'll show you a thing or two
Let's paint the town and have some fun
We'd be a pair, Oh we'd be a pair
Just get me home, I'll get you/me home by four/one.

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