Tuesday 8 January 2013

Mixtapes and Yoshimi

Delving through my cupboards at the weekend, I discovered some of my old mix tapes. Unlike most of the population, I still have a tape player, and so refuse to throw these magical musical gems away.

I always loved 'mixing' (DJ Piggott in the house) my own tapes. You could give them to your bezzie mates (I think Laura still has a mix tape I made for her about 10 years ago.) You could give them to the new love in your life and put loads of soppy tracks on (I never did that, oh no.) If you were skint you could borrow and record your friend's Cd's onto tapes so you didn't have to buy the album, (I used to do this a LOT. Albums recorded ranged from the Dawsons Creek soundtrack to Nirvana, how diverse my taste was/is...?!)

And of course recording the chart show on a Sunday was the best time to get some ace tunes, but remembering what I had previously recorded was always an issue. Consequently, you had to listen to my favourite song at the time on repeat, on side A, AND side B. Which was often something mildly irritating like Scatman by Scatman John. (I wonder what happened to him? He had a great moustache.)

Anyway, after years of cutting off radio DJ's in their prime, and remembering to write down what I had already recorded, I eventually mastered the art of the mix tape. I moved onto the next level, which was to record selections according to what mood I might be in. So I would have chilling, party, rocking out...and erm...well, I think that was it actually, I obviously didn't experience any other moods as a teenager....

 So whilst I was listening to my classic chilling mix tape (I think it could of given the Ibiza chill out album a run for it money) at the weekend, I happened upon this delightful tune.

"Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1" by The Flaming Lips
Her name is Yoshimi - she's a black belt in karate
Working for the city - she has to discipline her body -
Cause she knows that it's demanding to defeat these
Evil machines - I know she can beat them -

Oh Yoshimi
They don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots defeat me
Oh Yoshimi
They don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots eat me

Those evil natured robots - they're programmed to
Destroy us - She's gotta be strong to fight them -
So she's taking lots of vitamins - cause she knows that
It'd be tragic if those evil robots win - I know
She can beat them -




How had I ever forgotten about The Flaming Lips? Yoshimi always felt like my pal. I always loved to defeat those evil machines with her.

Whether the robots are just robots, or whether they represent something else (like all the horrible smelly people in the world, or your mean boss, or your bad leg that hurts, or your depression that keeps biting your bum), its an encouraging ditty. And we like encouraging. Yes. Yes we do.#

xxx

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