Dustin set for Eurovision

[Hardy]

Did I not hear a Wolfe Tones cover of Puppet on a String? Warhol donned a mini-skirt and took off his shoes for it and all. But you couldn't see past the beard.

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

How short was his skirt, Hardy?

[Hardy]

You could see his banjo.

[his holiness nb]

Didn't Phil write "The Town I loved So Well?" One of the best Irish ballads of the past 50 years.  Always brings a tear to my eye, that one.

A member of this board believes that Mr. Coulter may have had a hidden agenda when penning this song.

Indulge me Hardstation.

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

You could see his banjo.

Was he playing Dixie on it, or just whistling?

[Hardy]

I know they're a bit of a freak show, but that's ridiculous.

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

Was that song not Scorn not his simplicity? or Shang-a-lang?

[his holiness nb]

Didn't Phil write "The Town I loved So Well?" One of the best Irish ballads of the past 50 years.  Always brings a tear to my eye, that one.

A member of this board believes that Mr. Coulter may have had a hidden agenda when penning this song.

Indulge me Hardstation.

Phil Coulter wrote a song so romantic he knows he can ride any woman in Derry if he plays it.

Wonderful theory!

[thejuice]

Maybe we should send Shane McGowen, he could fall around the stage, muttering incoherently and then urinate and vomit on himself. For sheer effect it would be brilliant, and another fantastic low for a redundant talent show, where the moniker "Song-contest" gets more ironic as the years pass.

Whats so funny is that for a contest thats meant to show-case songwriting talent, the lack of it is what marks the show. From the very begining to the most recent times there has been nothing but rubbish on the Eurovison, its relevence in musical terms is zero. Its in a world of its own, where genuine talents will not touch it for fear of it killing any credibility they have as artists. Sending a rubber turkey would be most fitting in the pantheon of Eurovision entrants.

[Evil Genius]

'There isn't one single reference to the gender of the singer i.e. it could just as easily be sung by a man. And either way, it's hardly extreme of someone to say that he/she is so in love with someone that they're powerless to resist them.'

Technically correct, EG.  But I spose the fact it was sung at Eurovision by Sandie Shaw (who has subsequently disowned it because of its blatant sexism), was written by a man who, as far as I'm aware, isn't a friend of Dorothy, and there are no cover versions of it performed by male singers (though I stand to be corrected on this), I think it's fair to surmise what gender the song is aimed at.

I await your clinical deconstruction of the absolute pile of embarrassing steaming shite that is Ireland's Call with bated breath

Actually, POAS was written jointly by Coulter and Bill Martin, so perhaps the latter was responsible (at least in part) for the lyrics?

Anyhow, remind me again, but where is the "blatant sexism" allegedly referred to again by Shaw? And how does this "blatant sexism" make it the "most misogynist song ever written" over e.g. the two examples I gave?

As for no male ever performing the song, I daresay you're right, but that's hardly surprising considering it was an enormous international hit, associated with one particular female star of the day. Anyhow, the 100-odd other artistes, presumably all women, who have covered the song must somehow have overlooked the "blatant sexism", too.

Very odd comment, I must say. 

P.S. No great fan of "Ireland's Call". It doesn't inspire me; then again, it doesn't offend me so much as it appears to do for you, either. Oh well. One man's bland musical effort is another's "absolute pile of embarrassing steaming shite", it seems...


Late Edit: Just found the following on Sandie Shaw's own website - "Puppets Got a Brand New String"
http://www.sandieshaw.com/shop/downloads/tracks/16/Puppets_Got_A_Brand_New_String
From the brief download (I prefer to save my £0.70), it seems she's done a new version to celebrate her 60th Birthday. It must have been her Svengali of a husband, fashion designer Jeff Banks, who made her do it...

[red hander]

EG, you must be a statistician (I know you're an anal retentive, probably the biggest anal retenetive on the board), so you won't mind me asking for you to list the '100-odd other artistes, presumably women, who have covered the song',

thanks

[Evil Genius]

EG, you must be a statistician (I know you're an anal retentive, probably the biggest anal retenetive on the board), so you won't mind me asking for you to list the '100-odd other artistes, presumably women, who have covered the song',

thanks

No, not a statistician, but I've got this amazing secret Computer Programme which gives me incredible knowledge and power. It's called "Google":
"In the late 1960s, he [Phil Coulter] formed a writing partnership with Bill Martin and from this union several memorable songs would emerge. They wrote Sandie Shaw's Eurovision Song Contest winning entry, "Puppet on a String" (1967), which went on to become an international hit with more than 100 cover versions."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Coulter

As for Shaw hating POAS for it's "misogyny", I daresay she became sick at the sound of it, but at least she was honest enough to admit:
"It is a song which has been the source of much grief, hilarity, circumspection and I have to admit, financial reward for many years."
(And if the "financial reward" was the reason for her re-recording it on her 60th Birthday, then so much for her solidarity with the Sisterhhod, eh?)

Anyhow, can you enlighten me further on the extent of blatant sexism and misogyny of the lyrics, and how these make it so much worse than the two alternative examples I provided for you, indeed, the most misogynist song ever written?

[red hander]

Well, do you want engage your googletron and give me the 100-odd artistes who have covered the song, or are you just talking shite as usual?

[ziggysego]

No, not a statistician, but I've got this amazing secret Computer Programme which gives me incredible knowledge and power. It's called "Google":

[Aristotle Flynn]

When will the winner be announced?  By the way Hard Station; the innuendo about Phill Coulter is uncalled for.