(no subject)

[abigailbrady]

You may have seen recent news coverage of allegations that an armed police officer inserted song titles into the evidence he gave to an inquest. Prompted by this revelation, I wondered if other people have been doing this. Possibly even public figures? So I analysed David Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party Conference last month. In the first half of the speech he drops in mentions of the following song titles:

*"I Want To Tell You" by the Beatles
*"Remember" by John Lennon
*"Stood Up" by Ricky Nelson
*"Good Times Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin
*"Tribute" - Tenacious D
*"Dividing Lines" - Citizen Fish
*"Give & Take" - Kina
*"Respect" - Aretha Franklin
*"Bloody Sunday" - Stiff Little Fingers
*"Stronger Together" - Rockmelons

I'm shocked to have discovered many song titles in it. Presumably there would be more in the second half. Further, I found, like the Law of Fives, that the harder I looked for song titles in the speech, the more I found. Next up, I suggest we try the same thing in Shakespeare, to see how many songs he was referencing. Also that Bible book I've heard about.

Comments

[nyecamden.livejournal.com]

Hah! I approve of this post.

[thatmakesmemad.livejournal.com]

Hmmm have you tried playing recordings of Camerons speeches backwards. There may be hidden satanic messages. Though admittedly that's what back benchers are for.

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

I think the diabolical nature of the speech was there for all to hear.

[thatmakesmemad.livejournal.com]

Only to the followers of Eris aware that this was in truth a gathering of the Illuminati.
Anyway you're slacking. There are at least 9 songs in the first sentence.
Honour - VNV Nation
Privilege - Incubus
Stand - REM
Party - Boston
Country - Paul Weller (I was never convinced of his left wing credentials especially after he left The Jam)
Prime - Rubicon
United - Judas Priest
United Kingdom - ABC
Kingdom - VNV Nation

In fact I'm dubious there is any real substance beyond music references. Hell the middle section when I saw it on TV sounded like he was corrupting Benjamin Zephaniahs style of rap poetry !!!

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

Too easy, I was mostly trying to avoid 1-word ones.... It's like shooting fish in a universe made entirely of fish.

[kuang.livejournal.com]

I was amazed he got away with the one about the yellow bikini.

[pfy.livejournal.com]

*like*

Nice to know I'm not the only one wondering whether this police marksman is a Texas sharpshooter.

[deborah_c]

I did wonder about that as well, until I read that the evidence had included "Fuck My Old Boots", which is maybe something less likely to turn up in normal conversation, and less still in formal evidence, I suspect. On the other hand, maybe it's an everyday expression that I've just failed to notice.

Mind you, the song has entirely escaped my notice, so had it not been pointed out I'd have had nothing to wonder about!

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd heard it before, but it's a genuine exclamation. Definition from "A dictionary of slang and unconventional English" by Partridge&Beale is as follows:

fuck my old boots! A c.p. connoting astonishment: Londoners' (C.20), hence RAF (1918 onwards), then gen. A humorously euph. var is seduce my ancient footwear!

WTF?

[pplfichi.livejournal.com]

*Like button*

Considering how hard it is to get something referred to the PCC, it seems amazing this has.

Re: WTF?

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

Either they've got unrevealed evidence that there was boasting going on or the like, or it seems entirely spurious.