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David Gray of "Babylon" fame has an album I love called Life in Slow Motion, from 2005, with this song called "Hospital food." When I'm on the treadmill with earphones on and get to this eighth song on the album I start singing out loud with it - top of my voice loud. I just can't help myself. It's always the last song of my workout, so when it's done, I'm done (which makes me happy), but the song itself is wonderful and so the combination is thrilling. Then I bring my sweaty self out to the family room to find Don and Peter also looking happy. I do like to make them happy.
"‘Hospital Food’, says David, “is what we all eat every day. The nanny state, TV-gobbling idiocy that we call passing time is basically hospital food. You get a lot of shit thrown on your plate, and you eat it.” (This quote is at his bio site.)
Hospital Food
Just a little something for the pain
Hospital food getting you down?
Honey now I'm not one to complain
But this hangin' around
Is wearing me out
So patch me up boys take me home
Are you not hearing a word I say?
She sounds so different on the phone
I just sink like a stone
Back to the day
Tell me something
Tell me something
I don't already know
Tell me something
Tell me something I don't know
Don't seem to have that much to show
For all the hard work, the sweat and toil
You say 'well that's right,' and you should know
You've been there before
You've basked in the glow
You've stood in the roar
You've tasted the snow
Tell me something
Tell me something
I don't already know
Tell me something
Tell me something
I don't already
Seeing it all so beautiful
The way it oughta be
Seeing it all so beautiful
And turning away
Turning away
Turning away
Tell me something
Tell me something
I don't already know
Tell me something
Tell me something
I don't already know
42 comments:
NIce song! :)
But real hospital food is even worse.
As I've recently come to know.
great lyrics....still can't quite capture just how bad hospital food is tho lol!
aahhh....yes...have you seen the movie idiocracy??
Lol, well as long as you like to make them happy,lol.
I can see myself listening to this when I bike on my stationary bike set up, has a good beat and I could cycle to it.
A few years ago, I read "French Women Don't Get Fat" (I hope I have the title correct) and the author remarked that when the French eat, they take their time, they do not eat and watch tv or eat on the fly. They savor their food while engaged in conversation. She has lived in the US a long time and her observation is that we gulp our food, eat while we watch tv (guilty) and eat too much. She said one way to increase your pleasure and decrease calories is to buy high quality food and eat it in smaller amounts. Makes sense.
Oh, YOU'RE one of those people with headphones on the treadmill always singing to yourself? Groups of us stand behind you and laugh. Seriously, though, this is one of Gray's best songs. This post made me smile.
You are funny Ruth, this post made me happy also. Anna :)
Too, too funny Ruth. I vote no to hospital food too.
To make us also even more happy, could you not record your version of the song?
Wonderful clip going with the music!
What a great song! And I can just hear you belting it out while you're traveling on the treadmill! I would actually pay money to see and hear it! lol Got any good charities that would appreciate a donation, so we could all enjoy it? I'll have to talk to Don and see if he would secretly videotape it. hehe I can just imagine the grins that suggestion would get.
Great song! What a visual you paint, on the treadmill belting out like ... Judy Garland.
You go girl!
I gotto go hear that song! Cute post. Sing on!
OH I like it! I had to go to youtube because it didn't load here...great song. I may have to listen to more of him. Are you busy with wedding plans?
"Hospital Food is what we all eat every day. The nanny state, TV-gobbling idiocy that we call passing time is basically hospital food. You get a lot of shit thrown on your plate, and you eat it..."
But we don't have to. We can throw the plate on the floor. We can demand something else. We can let it grow cold under its plastic cover. We can find allies who will bring something good.
Yesterday, I read this for the first time, and then watched a 60Minutes piece on Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. I've been in the hopsital and I've been to Chez Panisse. I'll take arugula and blood oranges over cracker sandwiches any day.
And given a choice, I'd want to be the Alice Waters of blogging rather than be found dishing out hospital food. No hospital food here at synch-ro-ni-zing, that's for sure!
Reminds me of when I worked the psychiatric hospital,we could eat for free, yuck. I spent my lunches delving through the files of the patients to see what atrocities had happened to them in their lives.Quit sad actually,sort of end of the road and not a lot of hope.
On a brighter note, my mother-in-law is the queen of all food pushers. It is difficult to refuse her constant pushing.
Beautiful day today. Wasn't design post wonderful. Did you see the Forfornde Farger on my blog roll,very cool.
You might not have to eat it, but it would be hard not to.
; ) giggle, giggle. cool song!
...I can see why everyone is smiling!...OK I'm refusing any hospital food:)
Thanks, Mystic, hehe.
Dear Barry - it stinks.
Sally - you mean because I have a photo of a paczki?
Jean, no but I've heard about it. It sounds like an interesting way to show how dumb we've gotten!
Yes it is, L o L.
Bob - you must be getting pretty fired up for the wedding this weekend. The bike would be a great thing to do to work off some stress - especially if you sing LOUD!
CG - I first read about this "French anomaly" in FRN 101, in French text about 8 years ago. Since then I've read more about it, and I actually remind myself to think about it every time I sit at my desk and eat my lunch.
I think it's totally true that if you have a small amount of really good food you are satisfied. We don't need platters!
Loring - Most of the time I resist the temptation to sing out loud with headphones on (except when I'm home alone). But not with this song.
I love to make you happy, Anna.
Yay, Sue!
Hehe, Peter, will do - or will not do. I won't record myself.
The clip reminds of course of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Oh dear, Susie, I just promised Peter I wouldn't record it! Darn!
:D
CottageGirl - I can feel myself ready to get even louder next time, thanks for the encouragement.
:D
Glad you enjoyed it, Sandy.
Yes, we are very busy. Mostly it's just sprucing up the house, barns and yard, and it's mostly Don and Peter. But I do put in my time on weekends. It's fun!
Ah thank you, Linda.
I saw that Alice Waters 60 Minutes segment the first time they ran it. I had never seen her home, and it was so cool to see her tiny back yard with lettuces for landscaping. She is a very good example of slowing down and living the opposite of this metaphor, thank you. The quality of what we do, who we are, what we consume, how we think, how much attention we pay - it is way too easy to jump into the fast-running current and get sloppy. It really does take hard, concerted effort to pay attention and not believe everything we're told.
Oh wow, you worked in a psychiatric hospital, Cathy. That must have been quite something.
Yes, I saw Forfornde Farger - gorgeous.
What's design post? Design Sponge?
I agree about the paczki in this photo, Relyn - they taste sooo good. And I doubt they'd serve them at a hospital, but it's the best image I had for the post. :|
Hehe.
Hi, Christina! Hehehe.
Great, Oliag!
Sorry Ruth, Design sponge you are correct. I just love the great ideas and unusually youthful design.
Me too, Cathy - just so inspiring to me. So "my daughter."
Very fine.
One sentence from my first grandson when he was 6 years old when we drove him back to his parents'home in Chatillon near Paris after a week in the countryside.
"On peut dire que les gens ne viennent pas volontiers passer des vacances à Chatillon".
"We have to say that people don't come and spend holidays on purpose in Chatillon".
Ohwee, Daniel - your grandson is astute and observant for such a young age. So I think something in his heart sank to return home, poor thing. But at least he can look forward to Grandpa's in in the country again.
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