Song of the Week - Mar. 19, 2007 - Martyr's Lounge

[KarenZ]

Folks,

Martyr's Lounge

Leo's is the bar up in heaven
Where all the martyrs hang out
Gandhi staggers in with John Lennon
They'll start a bar fight, no doubt

[chorus]
When you lead, we follow
When you bleed, oh the masses feel your pain
Plant your seed, setting sunflowers
Growing inside our brains...

Now Jesus don't need no introduction
He's got a famous old man
And a party for twelve, I see Cobain, He's well
He's in the Angels that Fell,
A local touring bar band.

[repeat chorus]

JFK, Joan of Arc
Sit in the corner, kissing in the dark
Marilyn Monroe, Jacques Cousteau
Talk about the sharks they used to know...

[repeat chorus]

Copyright Ellis Paul Publishing SESAC

I heard "Martyr's Lounge" for the first time at Fitzgerald's in Chicago on Oct. 9, 1998 when it was a brand-new song. I immediately fell in love with the concept of the song, the brilliant lines of lyric, the fun of hearing the Woodstock story that usually preceded it and, when I'm alone, singing loud harmony. I remember telling Ellis one time that the only negative comment I could make about the song was that it was too darn short. I still feel that way.

KarenZ

[paddyinthepub]

This song is another fine example of Ellis' gift for painting a scene. You could almost see a retro poster being made with all the characters hanging out at Leo's, the bar up in heaven.

How many folks do you know that need no introduction? Of course celebrities don't. But of those celebs, how many have famous old mans and therefore need no introduction. Well, off the top......JFK/JFKjr. That's all I can come up with. Ellis nails it here with Jesus, and how because of his famous old man, GOD.....needs no introduction. Course Jesus is in there with a party of 12.....his apostles one would guess........Brilliant.

Then the folks who saunter into this bar and all the images that brings. WOW..... I mean Gandhi and Lennon stagger in.....and Ellis imagines the two biggest pacifists of our time starting a barfight. That's funny.

Ellis resurrects Kurt Cobain, of Nirvana fame, and has him not only WELL, but performing as frontman with another band with a coool name, "The Angels that Fell." Then Ellis has Marilyn Monroe and Jacques Cousteau chatting about the sharks they used to know, while across the room JFK sits in a corner kissing Joan of Arc. Does it get any better than this folks?

Lastly, it's always a hoot the way Ellis s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s the word "brains," normally a one syllable lyric, out to at least seven or eight by my count. And of course, what's most fun about this Ellis Paul Essential, is that it's another one that is just fun to crank up loud and sing along to.

[wendy]

Yet another great song...
I love the juxtaposition of the famous names, most of whom didn't exist at quite the same time on this earth. I almost feel like I'm walking through a bar scene in one of the George Lucas flicks!

One other tantalizing tidbit for me was figuring out the "Sunflowers in our brains" line. You've got to go to another Ellis song for reference: Lawrence Ferlengetti (sp!) wrote a poem about it!

[JennyLevE]

I have always wondered about the sunflowers grwoing inside of brains line!
--Jen

[Sue Ellen]

I get a kick out of the thought of sunflowers growing in my brain. It makes me feel socially concious.

[Patti]

It always made me think of Vincent's Sunflower Painting.. I will have to look into that Ferlinghetti poem..

Ellis also used to say.. if Phil COllins could sing Su So Sudio (?) then he could sing Braaaaaaaaiiiiinnnn

He also used to give a few other examples I just can't think of them of them now.

[paddyinthepub]

It bears mentioning that this song appears on the second "rockier" disc of Essentials for good reason.........it flat out rocks!!! I just wanted to throw that in for any readers of this thread who may not have ever heard the song. We often talk about the brilliant lyrics and storytelling that goes on in Ellis Paul's work, often leaving out the excellent treatment these songs receive in the studio with all the wonderfully talented musicians who bring a little something EXTRA to the mix. I'm not as into liner notes and who plays what instruments as I was in earlier days. But it needs to be said at some point, Ellis Paul has some of the most talented musicians in the land adding their touches to these songs in the studio.

It also brings this question to mind......I'd swear Ellis played mainstage at Kerrville the first time switching between Electric and Acoustic guitars. Was I imagining that, or has anyone else seen Ellis perform with an Electric guitar?

[KarenZ]

Patti,

You're right. There have been times when Ellis does his "stuttering" segment at the end of "Marty's Lounge". In addition to Phil Collin's "sussudio", I've heard him include David Bowie's "changes" (ch-ch-changes) and I'm pretty sure the Kinks' "lola" (la-la-la-la lola). There are others as well that escape me now. Actually I think another one was Culture Club's "karma chameleon" - although it's more a repeat of the word "karma" than an actual stutter. I think Ellis said once he was going to incorporate a bunch of them into one song. Thankfully he hasn't. Nor has he written that song he threatened to write made up of nothing but acronyms! (Thank the Lord above for no-acronym songs being cast in the play he wrote for you.) Oops.

Karenz

Ellis also used to say.. if Phil COllins could sing Su So Sudio (?) then he could sing Braaaaaaaaiiiiinnnn
He also used to give a few other examples I just can't think of them of them now.

[Patti]

I love acronyms**.

Not sure if I would love an entire song of them, though I always thought James Taylor's song B.S.U.R. (S.U.C.S.I.M.I.M.) was pretty clever!!

And what is it called when an acronym becomes and actual acceptable word..
such as RADAR... TIP...POSH...?

[Sue Ellen]

Karen, thanks for the reminder.

I've heard him include David Bowie's "changes" (ch-ch-changes)

At the end of Martyr's Lounge on the "Live" cd, Ellis makes the "Brain" descend (that sounds so funny), like David Bowie does with "Fame." I've been trying to think of that song all week. Thank you. I love the last chorus done that way. That's why I like the "Live" version best.

[paddyinthepub]

Just in from "Wax Museum" day in my son's 2nd grade class. These kids were too cute dressed as Historical figures in time. All you had to do was press the yellow button on their desk and they would stand and give a short oration on their famous person from history.

My son portrayed Jesse Owens, the FIRST Black Man to win a Gold Medal in the Olympics. There were close to 85 kids spread out over four classrooms....all just too darn cute.

One of my favorites though, besides my little guy, was one of my son's friends dressed as none other than Jacques Cousteau. He was dressed in full Scuba Gear and gave a wonderful oration of Jacques' life.

He left out the part about "the sharks he used to know", but it did not escape this proud parent and music lover today.