21 thoughts on “‘The Battle Of New Orleans.’”

  1. You haven’t heard of Johnny Horton?
    He pretty much set the template for “talented young artist dies in a tragic accident at the height of his fame”. Buddy Holly and James Dean tip their hat to the man.
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    He did a fair amount of pro-America mythologizing that would be frowned on today. Such as in Comanche the Brave Horse (about the only American survivor of Custer’s Last Stand) or Young Abe Lincoln (Make a Tall, Tall Man).
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    I’d highly recommend Sink the Bismark and The Battle of Bull Run as definitely worth your time.
    Whispering Pines has become largely forgotten, but you’ll hear echoes of it in nearly every song of loneliness and longing that’s been made since.
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    Oh, just go check him out. I just peeked at YouTube to remind me of other songs of his that I should name check, and there are just too danged many.

      1. No, although that’s a good one too… I posted “Sink The Bismarck” (with lyrics!). 🙂

  4. The only echo I recall is Billy Joel’s “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” .. but yeah, I can believe there’s more to it.
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    “Drop a dime in the box
    Play a song about New Orleans” ..
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    Mew
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    (p.s. you *do* know “Tie me kangaroo down, sport”, right?)

  5. You think you know somebody, have a handle on them, understand.

    Then they say “Who’s Johnny Horton?”

      1. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of Johnny Horton. Though it’s more that you hadn’t heard that song in its entirety before. Been a classic for many, many years. 🙂

        Today’s political correctness doesn’t allow for much of the fighting and shooting themes in entertainment, or, heaven forbid, the idea that America actually won a battle and could be proud.

      2. 😉 Just realize our reaction was closely akin to how you’d react to someone never having heard of Bruce Springsteen.

    1. It’s a good rule. Reminds me of a scene in John Myers Myers’ Silverlock when a guy finds out that the protagonist hasn’t heard a particular story yet. Said guy is pleased at his luck, because now he gets to tell the story to somebody new.

  7. Threadjack!
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    Everyone suggest some music that Moe might not have heard of. He has been confined to blue states on the Northern end of the Eastern Seaboard, after all.
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    Riders in the Sky
    Before there were Country radio stations, there were Country/Western radio stations. This group keeps the classics of Western music alive, along with a lot of original compositions– many of them quite tongue in cheek. (That’s How the Yodel Was Born being a great example.)
    My personal favorite is Lonely Yukon Stars, featuring yodelling in three-part harmony.
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    While on the topic of Western music, check out Wylie and the Wild West and their Ugly Girl Blues.

    5. Here’s another one that was big in California, for obvious reasons. It was written in response to someone’s “psychic prediction” that on a specific date in 1969, California was going to be hit by an enormous earthquake that would plunge the entire state into the Pacific Ocean. (Spoiler: Didn’t happen.)
       
      Day After Day (It’s Slippin’ Away)
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2ZXco32IRU

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