On That Note - Pomp and Circumstance

cyclones500

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I also remember a columnist writing a scathing review of a class that chose this "Wasted On he Way" as their graduation song.. In the classical case of not listening to the actual song - the idiot assumed the song was about actually getting wasted. Sigh...



Additional response, beyond my quippish-quip earlier ... Holy Misinterpretation, Batman! ... you hit the nail on the head, sounds like it was written based completely on the song title.

Reminds me of something years ago, heard that song on the radio. When it ended, DJ said something to the effect, "That was Crosby, Stills and Nash, a little "Wasted on the Weekend."

I thought -- Wuh?! Maybe he was joking, but I have my doubts. I think he didn't really know the song or the actual title.
 

MeanDean

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Additional response, beyond my quippish-quip earlier ... Holy Misinterpretation, Batman! ... you hit the nail on the head, sounds like it was written based completely on the song title.

Reminds me of something years ago, heard that song on the radio. When it ended, DJ said something to the effect, "That was Crosby, Stills and Nash, a little "Wasted on the Weekend."

I thought -- Wuh?! Maybe he was joking, but I have my doubts. I think he didn't really know the song or the actual title.

Yeah, I've been amazed at the lack of musical knowledge by some radio folks. It's not a mandatory requirement to know the music to play the music. Obviously.

I also remember an episode of American Idol where the contestant sang The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - which was originally by the Walker Brothers. Randy Jackson kept on praising the performance by saying, "Righteous, brother. Righteous." Granted the white soul acts sound quite similar but there is no way that should have made it on the air if anyone in the production crew knew they would have edited it or deleted it.
 
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ImJustKCClone

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We had 500+ in my graduating class. Three choirs - two were unlimited participation (girl's chorus, full chorus) and the third was "Modern Choir", the audition choir. The senior members of each choir selected the song they would perform. Girl's chorus performed at baccalaureate (yes, all high schools did that back then) and the other two performed during the graduation ceremony. I was in all three choirs; I don't remember what the other two performed, but MC did a piece called "Song of Moses". It was a pretty amazing arrangement but I couldn't find a version on youTube.

It was actually kind of cool the way the ceremony went. Our ceremony was in the Seattle Opera House. The combined band/orchestra played pomp & circumstance (probably about 40 times through!). The seniors marched in alphabetically, and went up on the stage to their seats on risers. As the seniors who were in band got to the front, they moved into their empty seats in the band. It was kind of like the reverse of what the ISU band does on senior night in football.

The sophomores and juniors in the full chorus were also on risers, ready to perform, and those of us who were senior members of the chorus filled out the ends of the rows on the risers. We sang our song after all of the seniors made it onto the stage and into their positions. After we sang, band & chorus seniors went & sat with the rest of the seniors.

TL; DR
Playing a recorded song was not an option for us.
 

cyclones500

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Yeah, I've been amazed at the lack of musical knowledge by some radio folks. It's not a mandatory requirement to know the music to play the music. Obviously.

I also remember an episode of American Idol where the contestant sang The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - which was originally by the Walker Brothers. Randy Jackson kept on praising the performance by saying, "Righteous, brother. Righteous." Granted the white soul acts sound quite similar but there is no way that should have made it on the air if anyone in the production crew knew they would have edited it or deleted it.

I wonder if the assumption was, target viewership might not split hairs about the mis-reference (even if they did notice it). On the other hand, you'd think Jackson would know the difference, considering he's been a session musician for four decades.
 

madguy30

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Yeah, I've been amazed at the lack of musical knowledge by some radio folks. It's not a mandatory requirement to know the music to play the music. Obviously.

I also remember an episode of American Idol where the contestant sang The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - which was originally by the Walker Brothers. Randy Jackson kept on praising the performance by saying, "Righteous, brother. Righteous." Granted the white soul acts sound quite similar but there is no way that should have made it on the air if anyone in the production crew knew they would have edited it or deleted it.

It's generally a pet peeve when a station prides themselves on playing new/undergroundish stuff but the first song they play from an artist is 4 or 5 albums in.

Best DJ I've ever listened to is Bob Door from KUNI...kept up to date on what's out there, had really great anecdotal stories behind bands and songs, and his segments like Backtracks were really fun.
 

CYdTracked

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Green Day - Good Riddance was our class song in 1998. One song I've always thought would make for a good graduation song is "Forever Young" There are several good versions out there of it but the Rod Stewart one is probably the most recognizable



This version was played during the final scenes of the hit TV show "Parenthood."



Eddie Vedder has a version of it too:



Johnny Cash apparently does too:



Not the same song I was thinking of but isn't this the version or something like it that they did some of the senior day videos to recently, maybe was the men's BB one I think?

 

3GenClone

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Green Day - Good Riddance was our class song in 1998. One song I've always thought would make for a good graduation song is "Forever Young" There are several good versions out there of it but the Rod Stewart one is probably the most recognizable

This is a Bob Dylan song from his album Planet Waves. He has two versions that are back to back on the album: The first one is really slow and the second one is the more recognizable - it was the theme song to Parenthood, and I think they used it in some Coke ads too. It's amazing how the same song in two different tempos can elicit different emotions. I listen to the first one I get teary eyed thinking of my kids being the cute little kids they are now. The second one makes me imagine what my kids will be like when they are grown up.



 
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Cdiedrick

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Possibly one of the few times I can mention The Macho Man in a music thread.

I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks like this. My buddies and I couldn’t keep a straight face during graduation when this was played. I was ready to give a flying elbow drop off the bleachers!
 

matclone

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I only ever knew the first, second, and third lines to this song, but it sure sounds like it could be about graduation.

 
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kentkel

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When my sister graduated from HS (I was a Freshman at the time) we played a Pomp & Circumstance / Star Wars Throne Room Medley that was AWESOME. I actually think the Throne Room theme song could become the new P&C. I have actually suggested this to our band director at the HS where I work. I haven't convinced him yet - but I'm trying.