The Tenth Day Of Mellowmas: Croach!
Hang on, folks, we’ve only got a couple more days of Mellowmas ahead, and these last few – ESPECIALLY DAY TWELVE – are going to rock. (By "rock," I mean…well, you know what I mean.) Today we’re listening to a song that was recommended by not one, but TWO readers, which means it must really be mellow. And away we go!
Jim Croce – It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way (download)
From Life and Times, but more easily purchased through The Definitive Collection
Jeff: So much separation!
Jason: Who names a Christmas song "It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way?" That’s an awful choice for a title.
Jeff: A musical genius.
Jason: I need to give props to two readers – woofpop and J.A. Bartlett of The Hits Just Keep On Comin’ – who both suggested this song. Separately. That’s both awesome and a little sad.
Jeff: The Christmas carols sound like blues, but the choir is not to blame.
Jason: You know who’s to blame? Fogelberg.
Jeff: He’ll be dropping by today, because they could get it together tonight. Croce was fucking smooth.
Jason: No, that’s an awkward lyric. I disagree with you.
Jeff: He’s telling her to get ready for some rough ridin’.
Jason: Ha! "It doesn’t have to be that way. I could give it to you all night."
Jeff: He’s the Smoove B of Mellow Gold.
Jason: Wow. I hope SOMEBODY else gets that reference.
Jason: Croce sounds wimpy…but not necessarily mellow. There aren’t any backing vocals, which is a shame. Still, this is vintage Croce.
Jeff: Who needs backing vocals when you’ve got Croce? Backing vocals would ruin the purity of the Croach.
Jason: The Croach?
Jeff: This should have been titled "I Will Slip You My Yuletide Sting."
Jason: Oh shit, the song is over! It’s over before it’s begun!
Jeff: He’s got more important things to do.
Jason: Like schtupping.
Jeff: He was unbuckling his pants during the solo.
Jason: I thought I heard that!
Jeff: Unrolling the bearskin rug.
Jason: Waxing his moustache. If you know what I mean.
Jeff: Warming up "Little Jim"
Jason: You don’t mess around with Little Jim.
Jeff: No, you sure don’t.
Jason: Turns out that "Leroy Brown" was just his codename for anal sex.
Jeff: She’s going to be walking funny the day after Christmas. But, of course, it didn’t have to be that way.
Jason: Ha!
December 20th, 2006 at 9:53 am
…And the funny keeps coming! This one had me rolling.
December 20th, 2006 at 10:55 am
[…] We’re in the home stretch, ladies and gents — those of you who have been reading along may already know we’re already at the Tenth Day of Mellowmas, meaning there’s some soft, golden winter magic going on over at Jason’s place. Join us, why don’t you? […]
December 20th, 2006 at 11:28 am
Of course someone will get the Smoove B reference! I am but the first. Jeff, you are absolutely right.
The Twelve Days of Mellowmas has been one of the highlights of my holiday season…which is also both awesome and a little sad. Anxiously awaiting days 11 and 12. Thanks!
December 20th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Baby, I will coat your ears with silky sounds of love. I will anoint your eardrums, caress your hammer and stirrup, and fill your eustachian tubes with sweet nectar, metaphorically. There will also be strings.
December 20th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
I give Croce a lot of slack for writing "Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)", which has a beautiful extended set of changes in the multi-part chorus (from "isn’t that the way they say it goes" to "that’s not the way it feels".
December 20th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
Jason edited a fair amount of my pro-Croce ranting out of our final post, but don’t let me be misunderstood: Jim Croce was one badass motherfucker. I had to be talked into keeping this one on the list.
December 20th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Great song. Croce was awesome.
December 20th, 2006 at 11:11 pm
As a former San Diego guy, I need to stick up for my man The Croach. He was smmmoooth.
Anyway, you two are absolutely hilarious. The second coming of Abbott and Costello.
Thanks for keeping a smile on my face all week!
December 21st, 2006 at 9:21 am
Thanks, Steve! Keep an eye out next year for our sitcom, Everybody Loves Jason, debuting fall ’07 on the Oxygen Network.
December 28th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
For the record, Jason, at least one person got the Smoove B reference. And he laughed his ass off. Now I need to go back and check out the ones I haven’t seen yet. God, can it get any better than Fogelfuck?