Tuesday, August 25, 2009

"Bye Bye Birdie... guess I'll always caaaAAAaaAAare"

If you've been following my Twitter Feed you know that I've had "Bye Bye Birdie" stuck in my head. And you also know why. So, today on the subway I made this "shrill" little iPhone drawing of the one & only Ann-Margret. It doesn't look like her exactly but I was drawing from memory... and the train was moving.
Bye Bye Birdie,
It's awful hard to bear;
Bye Bye Birdie
Think I'll always care,
Guess I'll always care,
Guess I'll always care!
Can I just say that it's hard to draw with sweaty fingers on an iPhone on a subway car in August. I felt like a giant finger painting on a postage stamp sized canvas. It wasn't meant to be this way! My finger has never felt like such a lumpy graceless thing as when I've tried to learn"Brushes" for the iPhone (like presumably many other people I was roped in by that New Yorker cover made entirely on an iPhone... remember that?).

What song is stuck in your head lately?
And do you ever doodle on your electronic devices?
*

24 comments:

crossoverman said...

Various songs from the 9 to 5 musical have been stuck in my head - just to mock me that I'll never get to see the show on Broadway! Mostly "Get out and stay out" or "Shine Like the Sun"!

Wayne B said...

"Sandcastle Disco" - not a great song but the chorus has been replaying itself in my head all day!

Dominique said...

I've had the songs from Next to Normal on a pretty constant loop for the past month, though today I saw Julie & Julia and "A Bushel and A Peck" has taken over temporarily.

Andrew K. said...

All week long I've been singing Unworthy of Your Love and all the other tracks from Sondheim's ASSASSINS

Agustin said...

I didn't know you could draw like that on an iphone!! And then i went to the new yorker link, WOW!!!
Song stuck in my head.. Dog days are over by Florence and the machine

Jim T said...

Nathaniel, I hate you. You don't only write beautifuly, you also draw more than decently.

I didn't know the song, the movie and the actress. I just watched her singing it in youtube and it was really great. If I got it right, she starts thinking she will wait for him and before the song has ended she decided she wants to break up?

David Coley said...

I'm assuming this was thanks to this week's Mad Men?

Liv. said...

yeah, i definitely had a musical-geek-out moment last night when Mad Men came on. really glad everyone else was already asleep.

'Heads Will Roll' by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'Africa' by Toto, and the Andy Griffith theme song have been stuck in my head as of late. at least it's unique up in that brain of mine.

Jude said...

Hot Honey Rag from Chicago and Tonight from West Side Story are two that come to mind that have been playing in my head recently.

NATHANIEL R said...

Jude i'm jealous. if you have to have a song stuck in your head, make it a classic!

encore eek. assassins is so awesome. do you have the revival cast recording? NEIL PATRICK HARRIS!

david oui

jim i draw a lot better when I can use my own hand and not just a finger tip ;)

crossoverman not "backwoods barbie"? that's the best one.

crossoverman said...

Nathaniel, "Backwoods Barbie" is a great song for that character but I personally would rather "Shine Like the Sun" - and understand the emotion of "Get Out and Stay Out" more than BB.

Juno101 said...

I can't believe someone mentioned Florence & the machine. I really like them, "dog days are over" was stuck in my head but now its "Kiss with a Fist".

Ms.Berkowitz said...

I'm just jealous you have an Iphone.

Andrew K. said...

Yes...Nathaniel it's the New Broadway Cast. I don't understand why people don't like this one...oh well. One of Sondheim's underrated gems indeed...and how did NPH not get a Tony nod for this...?

PS. Have you heard yet another movie has been pushed back...Julie Taymor's The Tempest. I wasn't really looking forward to it...but it seems as if this economic crisis is causing the industry to take a hit.

[Sigh]

crossoverman said...

Encore, agreed - "Assassins" is definitely under-appreciated.

And is there anything Taymor is working on that isn't getting delayed? First Spider-Man the Musical, now The Tempest...

NATHANIEL R said...

Ms Berkowitz... you wouldn't be jealous if you got my phone bills. I'm not really sure it's worth it.

Henry said...

I've had that song stuck in my head some parts of today as well. I agree with Peggy in thinking that Ann-Margaret just sounds shrill.

That's pretty good for a subway drawing. You should give yourself more credit.

Anonymous said...

The song stuck in my head is "The bandstand" by a-ha ('coz it's from their new album I just bought).

Darren said...

thank God, that's not just me. I also like Jude Law and Tony Leung!
I can't wait to see HAMLET in Broadway, New York.

Anonymous said...

"Bad Things" the True Blood theme is stuck in my head... Not bad, and I woke several times last night thinking about Eric. There are worse shows to dream about.

EvanO said...

Another film I've never seen before. I had no idea what all of that was referencing in that "Mad Men" episode.

:(

NATHANIEL R said...

anon 2:45 i think it's probably a good thing that i have to wait for True Blood until it's on video because every time i watch it i am singing that song for ages and ages.

Alexa said...

Love the drawing! Even better than Sal's storyboards.

Vertigo's Psycho said...

Ann-Margret rocks the house in Birdie- she defintely had "it" in spades, whatever the "it" may be (sex appeal, star charisma, talent, beauty). She's no innocent Sweet Apple 16-year-old, but who cares? Ann-Margret is a vibrant, entertaining presence in this movie- her special brand of vivacity is unmatched, especially in Birdie's opening and closing numbers. Of course you can't get the song or her out of your head.