Entertainment For Lively Minds
Why are American artists obsessed with wrecking balls?
Posted by robram on 8 July 2010 - 11:09am.
The phrase 'wrecking ball' has never really been part of my vocabulary and I think I understood why this morning.
I was listening to Joel Plaskett's new album on ye olde Spotify and the track Through & Through & Through kept mentioning the aforementioned ball in the lyrics.
The I look at the new Word CD to see a track by one Amelia Curran entitled Wrecking Ball.
This, of course, has no connection at all to the Emmylou Harris/Neil Young Wrecking Ball.
It seems to be a peculiarly American concept. Are there any UK tracks with this in or not?
And are there any other phrases that tend to be referenced in one culture, but not others?
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Re-invention, tearing down the old?
A bit obvious maybe, but that's all I can think. The old idea about Americans re-inventing themselves and or tearing down the old to make way for the new.
XTC's Ball and Chain
Was one that came to mind, I think 'wrecking ball' is an american term. I think in english english we would tend to use demolition ball or something, not as catchy and harder to work into a song.
Very true
Eurythimcs also had a track called Ball & Chain on the Be Yourself Tonight album.
Until you used the phrase 'demolition ball', I couldn't even remember what the 'English' for wrecking ball was.
Bruce Springsteen
Also has a Wrecking Ball song, first played at the soon to be demolished New York Giants stadium.
The 'golden rule'
American songs are always going on about this; British ones virtually never I'd say.
I'm still not entirely sure what it is.
That is so true
American songs are always going on about the Golden Rule. Here's what they're singing about:
http://www.bestpubs.co.uk/layout0.asp?pub=105945
Grace Slick
(Jefferson Airplane / Starship) released an album called Welcome to the Wrecking Ball that's a fairly clever pun.
Tom Waits has to be the funniest
at 2 mins 55...
Tom Waits has to be the funniest
at 2 mins 55...
Jefferson Starship
hsd someone ride a wrecking ball through their guitars on 'We built this city' If only...
One well-used cultural reference
on American tracks is the 'five and dime' store. (Nanci Griffiths' Love At The Five And Dime' and Prince's Raspberry Beret are two examples I can think of straightaway).
The British equivalent is less poetic. Nanci's chorus: "And love's on sale tonight at this Poundstretcher" just doesn't cut it, somehow.
Got my first real six-string...
...bought it at the Pound Shop on Hounslow High Street.
See also "the undertow"
The British are never lonesome
Unless you are Frankie Miller (?) :
"Darlin' - I'm feeling pretty lonesome
I'd call you on the phone some
but I don't have a dime"
A terrific rhyme, I think you'll agree