Things I Hate Thursday: People Who Don't Know What Meat Loaf Won't Do For Love

Not a joke, this irritates me like almost nothing else.

One of my favourite musicians of all time is Meat Loaf (also not a joke). He has stacks of excellent songs, including "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)", about a dude who is in love and claims he would do anything for love, but in the chorus he admits that actually, he wouldn't do "that". It's pretty well known and often referenced in popular culture, e.g. in Spice World The Movie where he plays the tour bus driver who, when asked to fix a clogged toilet on the bus, answers "I'd do anything for those girls, but I won't do that".

Anyway, the one thing about this song that I don't love is the fact that for some reason, 90% of people think that the thing Meat Loaf won't do is a big mysterious secret, and the remaining 10% think they have it figured out but actually don't.

I am here to let you in on the secret: the thing Meat Loaf won't do is EXACTLY WHAT HE SAYS IN THE SONG. Throughout the song, he lists a bunch of things he would do for love, juxtaposed against things that he definitely wouldn't do. In English, the word "that" is used to indicate a person, thing, idea etc as physically pointed out or, in Meat Loaf's case, verbally mentioned. So when he says he won't do "that", he means he won't do "the thing we were just talking about, like literally two seconds ago, honestly what is your problem".

For example:

And I would do anything for love, and I'll be there 'til the final act

And I would do anything for love, and I'll take a vow and seal a pact

But I'll never forgive myself if we don't go all the way tonight

And I would do anything for love, oh I would do anything for love

I would do anything for love, but I won't do that* 

(*I won't forgive myself if we don’t go all the way tonight)

Got it?

Toward the end a lady joins Meat Loaf and asks whether he'd do a few things, e.g.:

Will you raise me up? Will you help me down?

Will you get me right out of this godforsaken town?

Will you make it all a little less cold?

To which Meat Loaf replies:

I can do that.

Then she gets cynical and suggests that things will change one day:

I know the territory, I've been around

It'll all turn to dust and we'll all fall down

Sooner or later you'll be screwing around

And he protests:

I won't do that.

This is the one part of the song that some people are able to comprehend, so the few who don't think "that" is a big secret think that the thing he won't do is cheat on her. Which it is, in this particular verse. Just not for the entire song.

I really don't see why this is so hard to understand in the first place but if you're a person who just doesn't get demonstrative pronouns, here's a handy list that you can print out and keep in your wallet to avoid getting on my last nerve in the future:

I'm Wide Awake It's Morning

I loved Bright Eyes in high school - still do, really. My little sister used to always make fun of my 'terrible' taste in music (while listening to Groove Is In The Heart on repeat), until she got older and was always asking me did I know this great Bright Eyes song she'd just discovered. 

Since I can't sleep here is a list of Bright Eyes songs I like, accompanied by some unrelated snaps. 

The Calendar Hung Itself. This has been in my head for weeks. Thanks Liam for introducing me to Bright Eyes via this song. It's still my favourite. 

Lover I Don't Have To Love. 

Lua. 

Bowl of Oranges. I used that as a related text for Imaginative Journeys in year twelve English. I still think it was an awesome choice. 

First Day Of My Life. 

Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh. 

You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. 

Make War. 

At The Bottom Of Everything. The intro is the best. 

Music Monday: Relator

Mondays sort of suck, but not if you're listening to an awesome song!

 

This is one of my favourite songs ever.  It's super catchy and Scarlett Johansson has a really lovely voice.  I didn't expect her to but honestly, she does.  Give it a listen.

Musings on Music

I haven't been blogging much but I just discovered this fun (if somewhat predictable) list on NME of the 20 Best Tracks of NME's Lifetime.  They should have just called it Songs The Ship Loves, Plus Bob Dylan.  It makes for great reading, and at the bottom there's a Spotify playlist.  I didn't know what Spotify was until 2 days ago, but now I have it and I am listening to the songs for free and I'm pretty sure I won't even go to jail. 


20. Bittersweet Symphony, The Verve
This song is totally great, I love it so much.  I always think of Cruel Intentions when I hear it, which just adds to its appeal since that movie rocked.  (The sequels are no good though, don't watch them.)


19. Like A Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
This song is okay, but I wouldn't put it in my top 20.  Or even my top 200.  I don't really care for Bob Dylan. Sorry! 


18. Eleanor Rigby, The Beatles
I don't really care for the Beatles either.  I think I have this song on my iPod, but if it came on I'd definitely skip it, every time.  I did enjoy that Yellow Submarine movie a lot though.  But I wouldn't put any Beatles songs in my top 20.


17. Paint It Black, The Rolling Stones
I don't mind the Rolling Stones but this isn't my favourite of their songs.  I think my favourite is Ruby Tuesday, but honestly I don't think the Stones would make my list either.


16. Heroes, David Bowie
This isn't my fave Bowie song, but somehow it's the one I listen to the most because I just find it so emotive.  This is the lowest point of my blog, nerd-wise, but I read a Harry Potter Marauders-Era fanfiction involving this song over a year ago, and I just haven't been able to forget it.  I don't really know why.


15. Common People, Pulp
To me this is a real late night Rage song. It's awesome.  The singer is Jarvis Cocker, who I only just this minute found out is not Joe Cocker's kid/dad/brother/pseudonym.  Oops.


14. My Generation, The Who
SO GOOD.  SOOOOO GOOD.


13. Seven Nation Army, White Stripes
DOO-doo-doo-doo-doo-dooooo-doo.  This song is in my head nearly every day.  Can't say I really mind.


12. How Soon Is Now, The Smiths
I won't lie: the main reason I love this song is that it's the theme song from Charmed.  Incidentally, I watched one of the later season episodes today and it wasn't that good.  Still, The Smiths rule.


11. Wonderwall, Oasis
Oh, this song is the greatest.  I love it so much.  It reminds me of my high school friend Ryan (hello if you're reading!), who burned it for me.  We were talking about music on MSN Messenger (hello Nostalgia if you're reading! My Desperate Yearning For My Teen Years says hi!) and he told me it was one of his favourite songs and I said I didn't know it.  I had actually heard it, I just didn't know that it was Wonderwall.  Anyway, I guess Ryan said he would give me a copy, but I always say that and I never remember to do it, so I was pretty surprised the next day when he rocked up to the train station with a CD for me! I still have it.


10. You Really Got Me, The Kinks
I really love this song too.  The Kinks are one of my 4 favourite bands (along with Bright Eyes, Meat Loaf and The Cure), and this is one of their best songs.  They sliced up an amp to get that cool sound.  Also the members were aged 17-21 when they recorded this, and it was almost fifty years ago.  That's younger than I am, and I don't think I've achieved anything that could keep people talking for fifty minutes.  At least my name isn't Dave Davies though.


9. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, Arctic Monkeys
I really really like Arctic Monkeys, but this isn't my favourite of their songs, maybe because it was so overplayed.  Mardy Bum would be on my list instead.


8. London Calling, The Clash
Another song that I absolutely love. I have the London Calling album on a proper record ("vinyl", as they say) because my Mum used to be a punk. I have lots of others too. Probably that's what I would grab if there was a fire.


7. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, The Smiths
I don't know that The Smiths necessarily deserve two songs when everyone else just got one, but I do really love this song.  There are some amazing letters from Morrissey (the singer) to a penpal, which you can see here, here and here.  If I were in charge, I'd keep this but get rid of How Soon Is Now.


6. Boys Don't Cry, The Cure
I LOVE The Cure and this is one of my favourite songs of theirs, and one of my favourite songs period. The lyrics are depressing, but it still puts me in a good mood because it sounds so upbeat. I have seen The Cure live and they were really brilliant, even though Robert Smith is pretty old by now.


5. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana
I don't even know what to say about how good this song is but it's so good.


4. Last Nite, The Strokes
I have always liked this song but I don't think I knew it was by The Strokes.  I tend not to know songs that were released in this millennium, not because I'm pretentious about music but just because I'm a dweeb.


3. Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division
I don't mind this song, but when I hear it I'm reminded of that song Let's Dance To Joy Division by The Wombats and I wish I were listening to that instead.  I don't think this song would make my list.


2. Mr Brightside, The Killers
I really really really like this song.  I think the lyrics are pretty clever in a playground-rhyme sort of way (now they're going to bed/and my stomach is sick/and it's all in my head/but she's touching his - chest now...) and the film clip is pretty cool.  And it sounds like they've copied a little bit of Ode To Joy too, which is sort of nifty.


1. Rehab, Amy Winehouse
Instead of making a joke I will just say that I like this song a whole lot and I love Amy Winehouse.  I don't think this is her best song though; my list would have Valerie instead.


I don't know how I feel about the order of those songs, but I think most of them deserve to be in the list.  If I were in charge, it would be a top 25.  I'd make the aforementioned changes, which would bring me to 16, and add:

17. Rockaway Beach, Ramones

18. Paradise By The Dashboard Light, Meat Loaf

19. Killer Queen, Queen

20. Khe Sanh, Cold Chisel

21. You Can Call Me Al, Paul Simon (or maybe Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard?)

22. Banana Pancakes, Jack Johnson

23. Piano Man (full version), Billy Joel (or any of his other songs)

24. Bennie and the Jets/Goodby Yellow Brick Road/Tiny Dancer/I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John

25. anything/everything Tom Waits recorded back when his voice didn't sound like Cookie Monster. 


Oh, and Relator by Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn for a bonus round.  Sounds dweeby but I swear it's really good, please give it a listen.


What do you think of NME's list?  What would be on yours?


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Copper Pot Indian, Bargains and Ramones

A couple of weeks ago, James and I went to Copper Pot Indian Restaurant at Menai.  As usual, we had a voucher.  I think it cost $35. 

It was a small restaurant and looked a bit old; most of the Indian restaurants I've been to were quite nicely decorated and ambient, which you expect when you are paying more than you would at a local Thai or pizzeria, so I was a little disappointed.

The waitress told us we could each choose any entree from a list, but when we ordered two mixed entrees from the waiter he told us the mixed one was for sharing so we could only have one.  Even though it was the same size as the other entrees, not a double serving.

Anyway, it had a samosa (good, not great), a piece of tandoori chicken (nice but a pretty boring entree), a "kebab" which was really a sausage on a stick (not really my thing but if you like sausages you'll like it) and allegedly an onion bhaji, which seemed to involve many small pieces of fried onion (like the onion rings you get at takeaway shops). 

For the main course, we ordered a butter chicken and some kind of lamb with spinach.

The butter chicken sauce was much thinner than I'm used to, not the rich creamy consistency you get at Murraya.  It tasted nice enough but it didn't have really rich flavours either.  It was more like a good curry from one of those Indian takeaways like Mr India.

The lamb one was a bit hot.  The spinach sauce was really nice, but the meat was quite fatty.  Some people don't mind this but I am a fusspot.

We also had rice, which was fine, and naan breads, which were okay but again, not what I'm used to at Murraya.  They were a bit chewy, not light and fluffy.

Our voucher also included soft drinks, but we didn't want any and we couldn't swap for something else like sparkling water.  We did order tap water, but we had to ask a second time before they brought it.

It wasn't really a bad dining experience but it wasn't an especially good one either.  I suppose I am spoilt from going to Murraya so often, but I don't think I will go back to Copper Pot.  If you aren't accustomed to exceptionally delicious Indian, though, you might find Copper Pot quite satisfactory.

I bought some cool stuff at The Reject Shop.

I got this crazy letter-holding bird for my sister.  It was only $3 and they also had them in orange, yellow and pink.  I might have to go back and grab one for myself.  Don't you think it's so cute and funny?

I'm too cheap to buy body scrub so I normally use exfoliating gloves.  I can't believe supermarkets charge like $6 for them when they are only $2 at junk shops.

I also bought some VO5 hair stuff for $3 - did you know The Reject Shop sells heaps of good hair products and toiletries?  Some of it's "parallel imports" (some of which are good, others not so much) but some of it is just excess stock or discontinued packaging.  I also bought some $2.50 false eyelashes with diamantes because I'm classy like that.

At Priceline, I bought another tube of my favourite mascara, Max Factor False Lash Effect.  They've repackaged so the ones in the old packaging were on sale for $10.  They are normally $25 so quite a bargain.  And the tube is pink.  PINK.

As always they had a big bin of Australis products for $2.99.  I bought this black Mineral Eyeshadow, which was absolute rubbish (I have thrown it away already) and this foam latex Base Eyeshadow Applicator, which was spectacular.  I used it to apply a MAC eyeshadow and it made the colour look SO much more noticeable than when I use a brush.

Here's some Bay Vista desserts.

Sundae was less blurry in real life.

I had butterscotch sauce on my waffles this time but it was a bit too sweet.  I think I will go back to chocolate next time.

My parents gave me a record player a few years ago and I have a great assortment of records.  Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley courtesy of my friend Sarah E (hello if you're reading!).  Blondie and Siouxsie Sioux courtesy of my parents' collection that was still in the house, even when we didn't have anything to play it on.  Village People, Billy Joel, Meat Loaf and the Dirty Dancing soundtrack volumes 1 and 2 from various op shops.  And best of all, Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols and Dead Kennedys from when my Mum used to be a punk.

Isn't that so awesome that my Mum used to be a punk?

Anyway, this Ramones album, Rocket To Russia, is my favourite.  I listen to it a lot in Winter, because I spend so much time in my room with the heater on, avoiding the outdoors.

I tried on this Basque dress the other day.  I didn't buy it because I wasn't wild about the pattern or the cheap nasty fabric, but I thought it was a very Kate-esque style.

And last but not least, here is a photo of a dinner my Mum cooked.

I thought the green and orange veggies looked pretty attractive.  Does anyone else like Brussels Sprouts, or is it just me?

As you have probably noticed, I have been jazzing up my blog a bit.  There are some new handy features like links to the Facebook and Tumblr, a list of my most popular posts and a pageview counter.  Feel free to check them out if you're so inclined.

Is the layout working okay for everybody?  What broswers are you guys using?  Do you usually keep your Favourites tab open all the time?  I never knew there would be so many factors to consider.

So Many Snaps: Things I've Done Lately

I went back to Bay Vista a couple more times.

Here are some waffles with strawberries and white chocolate sauce:

This banana split looked nice but the banana was bruised :(

Here's a sign at the takeaway shop nearby:

Weird, huh?

I had a chicken, bacon, leek and potato pie for lunch at a cafe at uni.  It was pretty good and ony $7.50!

The other thing is James's smoked salmon wrap, sounds nice but actually disappointing.  I won this round.

I went out for dinner with my Dad and BetDawg to ShangriLa Chinese in Cazbah.  If you've been reading for a long time you'll remember that I love retro Chinese food.

San(g?) Choy Bow was amazing.

I had fried ice cream for the first time - pretty nice!

Mongolian lamb and lemon chicken with the sauce on the side <3

I got a new coat!  I looked for ages for a black one to wear with dresses and I finally found this one at SES for $30.  It's surprisingly warm but it doesn't have pockets which is kind of annoying.

I went to my cousin's birthday party.  It was a dress up theme, but we came in our regular clothes and he provided things for everyone to dress up.  I thought I was rather fetching in a plastic blonde wig and red sequinned cocktail dress.

Here is some yummy food I ate at book club.

Thanks Amy for hosting such a great night and helping me finish that champagne!

We read The Hunger Games, which as you may know I read a few weeks ago, but I will discuss that after exams.

I don't want to keep buying stuff so I made a DIY body lotion.  I had this Clinique perfumed one that smells nice but way too strong, so I mixed it with this pretty much fragrance free Garnier stuff (which is very moisturising, I recommend it) and put it in this empty Natio tub (which contained some lovely lotion, I recommend that too). 

Et voila, luxury body lotion without spending any extra money!

I read a gossip mag at work.  Here's Phil Collins's daughter Lily:

I think she's quite pretty.

And this one's for Gemma:

Every year James gets some prizes at the Law Faculty awards night and I always go with him.  I wore my red dress and he matched me!

It is usually a good night; last year's sucked so they made it extra good this year to compensate.  Waiters walked around with trays of champagne and cocktails and there was heaps of lovely food, including fresh prawns and cannoli.  And I finally got to meet our Dean of Law, of whom I am an enourmous fan.

I had this pizza from Big Al's at Miranda.  It was SO GOOD.  It's tandoori chicken.

I ordered a delivery from them a couple of days later and I picked the same pizza.  What I received looked like a BBQ chicken.  It had a slightly Indian taste though, so possibly it's the same pizza but they forgot the, garnishes i.e. tandoori sauce and nuts and corriander.  Which makes it not really the same pizza at all. 

And they said the wait would be 45 minutes to 1 hr and it took about 1 hr 25. 

Disappointing.

In the Summer I buy my dresses at op shops, but in the Winter I need Merino wool and I always get it from Glassons.  It's cheaper online, as their prices are the same in NZ and AUD and the site is NZ.  They had $10 off too!

I got this dark teal jumper, and the same one in black as my own black one is a bit tatty now.

But the best thing was this dress:

It has proper 3/4 (not elbow) sleeves, a not-too-low scoop neck and a short-but-not-tunic-like skirt.  There's enough dress to keep you warm and it's super comfy.  I've always dreamed of owning a Merino dress like this.  You can't really see but it has a funky zipper on the side of the skirt - kind of weird but whatever, I'm warm!

It cost about $80 for the three.  The jumpers are $40 each in the shop at Westfield so quite a good deal.  The website has some other similar sale on at the moment so hop to it!

I saw an ABBA tribute act with my Mum, Nana and Aunty.  I'm just cool like that.

It wasn't Bjorn Again.  They're called Abbasback.  They were a bit amateurish; in parts a little dull but in other parts really fun.  Overall it was a good time, especially in the second half when they changed into cooler outfits and did all the best songs.

James and I remain committed to matching, but he's not committed to keeping his mirror clean so you'll just have to take my word for it that his navy coat matched my navy Glassons knit and navy corduroy (the very fine kind, what is this called?) CKM blazer, purchased in Coffs Harbour circa 2006.

And apparently that's all the photos I had!

I'm a bit preoccupied at the mo but I'll be back in a bit with advice on workwear for weirdly shaped people, a story about my famous stalker and probably a lot more pictures of things I've eaten.  (Today's highlight: a Value Pack of Aldi brand M&Ms.)  In the meantime good luck everybody with your exams and assessments and such.

Frugal February Day 20

Jimmy came over today for a hair cut (top money-saving tip). He brought pies and milkshakes with him, and afterwards we finished watching Indiana Jones then went for a walk in the reserve.


By the way, did anyone realise Aqua's hit single Dr Jones was based on the Indiana Jones films? Or at least the film clip was. I guess it went over my head back in 1998.



For dinner I had my favourite chicken, pumpkin and pesto pasta. It doesn't look like much but my God it's tasty.

Now I'm at my next-door-neighbours' house minding their super cute kids. We played guns (I'm an irresponsible baby sitter, whatever) and read fairy tales and when they fell asleep I ate a piece of tiramisu cake. Now Miss Congeniality's on. This has to be the best possible way to make money.

Spent today: $0!
Spent this week: $101
Spent this month: $255.95