Normal as Blueberry Pie

Today, as I was lamenting the end of my free Pandora hours (40 is not enough for one month...), I was scrambling around youtube, using my long facebook list of musical artists as a reference and finally ending up with Nellie McKay, a singer-songwriter-ukelele-piano aficionado.
I have been listening to her for the last two hours.

I disagree with almost all of her lyrics (from a political standpoint, at least...), but I must say that she is definitely my favorite musician (at the moment).

Her style is jazzy-ish, bluesy-ish, rock-ish, funk-ish, rap-ish, even country-ish.

Besides covering bunches of the normal jazz/blues standards (her version of P.S. I Love You was used in the movie), she writes the most original, sadistic, sarcasm-filled satirical songs I have ever heard. Mostly making fun of conservatives, anti-feminists, warmongers, marriage, Columbia University, meat-eaters, and city folks. She's a supporter of Ralph Nader and PETA. Her interviews are awkward, to say the least.
Every song makes me die a little inside...
But they're so damn clever!

This is a song called Won't U Please Be Nice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLDGaWqPlks
Listen to the melody first, don't listen to the words.
Sounds like a nice, Sinatra worthy song, right?
Then read the lyrics here:

If you would sit
Oh so close to me
That would be nice
Like it's supposed to be
If you don't I'll slit your throat
So won't you please be nice
If you would hug your arms right around me
That would be snug
Like it's supposed to be
If we part I'll eat your heart
So won't you please be nice

Oh don't you love this romancing
Know that it's your life you're chancing
Isn't it nice
Now you've married me
Sugar and spice
Like it's supposed to be
If you go I'll get your dough
So won't you please be nice

Stop with your jazz oratory
I only listen to top forty
N'Sync rules
Isn't it nice
Together we'll always live
No sacrifice
We'll vote conservative
If you run I'll pull a gun
Give me head or you'll be dead
Salute the flag or I'll call you a fag
Oh won't you please be nice

That's some old Hollywood ballad all right.

But it was her last album's name that completely won me over.
Normal as Blueberry Pie.
For those of you who are not familiar with South Pacific, the title hails from the song "Wonderful Guy", conveniently sung in the musical by a character named what else but Nellie...
I absolutely love that song for the one line which is now the name of Nellie McKay's CD.

Nellie channels Doris Day in everything she does, including her style. Compare this to the photo of Nellie above. Clonies for sure.


In case you are as interested in this wacko as I am, look her up. Just make sure no one below a certain age (or above a certain age if your grandma has sensitive ears...) is in the same room, or else you may be cringing as she, in a demure forties style dress, drops words that you may not want little Jimmy to learn for another decade or so...

One of these days, I may get around to writing a Nellie McKay-ish song. I will be sure to share :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM0fBP9_lkI&feature=related