April 19, 2009

"Someone's knocking at the door. Somebody's ringing the bell. Do me a favor. Open the door. Let 'em in.

That's the entirety of the lyrics to the cute little Paul McCartney song "Let 'Em In," from the 1976 album "Wings at the Speed of Sound."

Please familiarize yourself with the original recording.

Now, you are prepared to view the song and dance interpretation from the 1976 Miss America contest — with Bert Parks and 3 male dancers:



***

What long and winding road led me to that door? Back in last night's "rare opportunity" thread, I wrote:
Being tried for murder is a rare opportunity, as is ending your life in the electric chair.
Meade said:
I once had the rare opportunity to become King of England but I turned it down.

I chose romantic love instead.

Then Hollywood called and I said "no." At the time, keeping my private life private seemed like a rare opportunity I didn't want to give up.

Oh, I almost forgot - then I was asked to run for Vice President but I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family.

In hindsight, I'm glad I turned down that king gig. The pay wasn't all THAT great.
Then Lem said:
Good call Meade.

Greetings from Julio "If love calls on your door"

If love calls your door
let it find it always open
never close it, let'm in ...

Open up, don't get distracted
don't let'm go, dont miss it
you don't know when it will call again ...

If love calls your door
let it find it always open
tomorrow is another day, it's God's will ...

Let love be welcome
Today I will stay with you
For a Gifted night without end ...

I want to be more than your friend
it is all I ask
and that you give me a chance.

(painstaking translation by Lem)
"Gifted" — like "God" — is capitalized in Lem's view, and I accept that.

The open door... someone's knocking at the door...

If you'd left that door open somebody wouldn't have had to ring the bell. Maybe you just leave that door wide open — and let love walk in — but at least answer it. Maybe check the peephole first.

27 comments:

Ron said...

And the Rolling Stones had
"Can't you hear me knocking?"

American Liberal Elite said...

Almost in the same league with Shatner's cover of Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds

Tom Spaulding said...

Well, that's the lyric of the Chorus, at least. Then he name checks friends and family, including the Everly Brothers ("Phil and Don").

Wince said...

Looks more like someone opened the door and let's him out... of the closet!

Excuse me, did I just witness Burt Parks invent "moon walking" on national television to applause @1:00, seven year's before Michael Jackson's Motown 25 Billy Jean appearance (first moonwalk @ 3:45) in 1983.

Well, kinda. Like Neil Armstrong said about his first moonwalk, "one small step for a middle aged white guy" or something like that.

So, why is everybody so bleak about returning to the Carter era!

Anonymous said...

Peephole?

People who need peephole are the luckiest people in the world.

kentuckyliz said...

After reading the post title (lyrics), I thought the subject under discussion was open borders immigration policy.

Which leads me to a video idea...the Wings song + footage of Mexicans streaming across the border.

There's also the old Negro spiritual:

Somebody's knocking at your door
Somebody's knocking at your door
Oh, sinner, why don't you answer?
Somebody's knocking at your door

Knocks like Jesus
Somebody's knocking at your door
Knocks like Jesus
Somebody's knocking at your door
Oh, sinner, why don't you answer?
Somebody's knocking at your door

Can't you hear him?
Somebody's knocking at your door
Can't you hear him?
Somebody's knocking at your door
Oh, sinner, why don't you answer?
Somebody's knocking at your door

Jesus call you
Somebody's knocking at your door
Jesus call you
Somebody's knocking at your door
Oh, sinner, why don't you answer?
Somebody's knocking at your door

Can't you trust him?
Somebody's knocking at your door
Can't you trust him?
Somebody's knocking at your door
Oh, sinner, why don't you answer?
Somebody's knocking at your door

OK this is begging for a knockers joke. Anyone?

kentuckyliz said...

OMG after watching the video, I realize that as a child I was oblivious to how much of a raging swish Bert Parks was. !!! LOL

Amexpat said...

Bert Parks also did one of the most unique Dylan covers that I've heard - "Maggie's Farm" for the Brando film, the Freshman.

It worked for that film and was enjoyable in the same way as Paul Anka's covering Nirvana or Monks singing "Losing my Religion"

rhhardin said...

The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.

-- Carpenters' saying.

TMink said...

Remind me again how Bert Parks made a living at that?

Trey

Peter Hoh said...

Next time someone wants to argue that the culture has gone to hell in the last 30 years, ask them to explain that video.

Fr Martin Fox said...

These videos are so important, for future generations who will simply not believe those of us who remember the '70s, and shudder.

rhhardin said...

A dog's storm door on the passing scene. (Thurs)

dick said...

EDH,

Carter was not in office yet in 1976. He was elected at the end of that year. This was Ford Country at the time. Maybe that is why Carter got elected?

David said...

Thank you Althouse for the video of the irreplacable Bert Parks. I laughed and laughed.

Here is Miss America, 1976, from Wikipedia: "Tawny Elaine Little (born 15 September 1956), aka Tawny Godin, was born in Portland, Maine. Ms. Little was Miss America for 1976 and later became a well-known anchorworman in Los Angeles, California. In the past, Little worked at KABC-TV, KCAL-TV and KCOP, and has also hosted shows such as Good Day LA and Eye on LA. She was formerly married to physician Miles Little,[1] Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider, and CBS executive Don Corsini. She has two sons, JJ and Chris with Mr. Corsini and is currently married to Los Angeles based lawyer Rick Welch, with whom she has one son, Cole."

Tanwy was Miss New York and a student at Skidmore. She has opened the door and let love in at least four timea.

blake said...

I hear you knockin'.

But you can't come in.That's something you don't want to hear when you're knockin' on heaven's door.

Oh, well. Its a hard knock life.

Methadras said...

I had completely expunged this from my mind when I watched it as a kid. Well, that over now.

cardeblu said...

Some tag needs to be closed from this post as everything below it on the front page is big and orange (even the side bar) -- unless our gracious hostess is a closet UT fan (or I'm the only one with the problem).

Ralph L said...

I hate that fucking song.
Almost as bad as McCartney's Christmas song.
I'm big and orange, too.

John Stodder said...

When I stopped worrying about whether McCartney's lyrics could be anything more than the random jottings of a love-smitten pothead, I learned to love his solo music.

"Let 'Em In" is one of my favorites. I also love "Silly Love Songs." Great bass line! If he'd changed the lyric to this, he'd have won a Nobel Prize:

"You'd think that people would have had enought of anti-war songs./
But I look around me and I see it isnt so./ Some people wanna fill the world with anti-war songs./And whats wrong with that?/I'd like to know, cause here I go again/I hate war, I hate war/I can't explain the feelings plain to me, say can't you see?/Ah, don't fight wars, don't fight wars you see..."

Another great pothead musician, Louis Armstrong, also sang a lot of nonsense -- "Sugar Foot Strut" for example -- and he's the fountain of American music.

former law student said...

I want to be more than your friend
it is all I ask
and that you give me a chance.

Yeah, well, but what happens then?

The love of my life and I were driving through a semi-rural area, looking for our destination. While I had forgotten exactly where it was, I knew it was between Point A and Point B, on the right side of the highway.

I think it's on the right side, I helpfully told my passenger. Her head turned immediately to the left. Since I know she knows the difference between her right and her left I questioned her:

Her answer basically was that I had expressed doubt, by using the phrase "I think." Therefore any reasonable person would check both sides.

So be careful what you ask for, that's all I'm saying.

jeff said...

Why couldn't McCartney get off his ass and open his own god damned door?

blake said...

Well, duh, he was playing the piano.

kentuckyliz said...

Why doesn't McCartney get off his ass and go answer the g-d door?

Yeah, Heather said, "You've got two legs, YOU answer it"

ba dum dum chhhh

chickelit said...

Vor dem Gesetz steht ein Türhüter. Zu diesem Türhüter kommt ein Mann vom Lande und bittet um Eintritt in das Gesetz. Aber der Türhüter sagt, daß er ihm jetzt den Eintritt nicht gewähren könne. Der Mann überlegt und fragt dann, ob er also später werde eintreten dürfen.

'Es ist möglich', sagt der Türhüter, 'jetzt aber nicht'.

Laura(southernxyl) said...

I find this video charming in a horrible sort of way. Especially the egregious lip-synch disaster at 1:26.

Henry said...

In Internet Explorer the initial quote mark in the title is triggering some crazy formatting in the rest of the cascade. Thanks.