This song is about how television media can take the complexities of the world and turn them into simplistic black and white scenarios. It does so using attractive smart young newsreaders. Can make everyone smug or only interested in sexiness, just shining the buttons on their shirt. Oblivious to fascistic type behaviors that the sex is selling. Of course Elvis isn't oblivious, he's criticizing the vapidity while also yelling 'watch out!'
Love how the music coincides with the lyrics, for example just after the line about the 'short time typist taking seconds over minutes' there's a drum beat going 'dot dot dot dot' that simulates a typewriter. This brilliant line also reflects someone taking seconds on drinks or sex rather than recording what's going on - another example of ahistorical pursuit of pleasure over the vigilance require to accurately record what's happening around us.
@ddirks : Yeah, you're right: the 'dot dot dot dot' drumming does remind one of the aforementioned typist. Somehow never occurred to me. (Maybe because I hadn't touched a manual typewriter since I was six years old.)
@ddirks : Yeah, you're right: the 'dot dot dot dot' drumming does remind one of the aforementioned typist. Somehow never occurred to me. (Maybe because I hadn't touched a manual typewriter since I was six years old.)
I'd been thinking of the rhythm of soldiers marching. Or their automatic rifles: which might suddenly be turned on whoever's "gonna get it."
I'd been thinking of the rhythm of soldiers marching. Or their automatic rifles: which might suddenly be turned on whoever's "gonna get it."
This song is about how television media can take the complexities of the world and turn them into simplistic black and white scenarios. It does so using attractive smart young newsreaders. Can make everyone smug or only interested in sexiness, just shining the buttons on their shirt. Oblivious to fascistic type behaviors that the sex is selling. Of course Elvis isn't oblivious, he's criticizing the vapidity while also yelling 'watch out!'
Love how the music coincides with the lyrics, for example just after the line about the 'short time typist taking seconds over minutes' there's a drum beat going 'dot dot dot dot' that simulates a typewriter. This brilliant line also reflects someone taking seconds on drinks or sex rather than recording what's going on - another example of ahistorical pursuit of pleasure over the vigilance require to accurately record what's happening around us.
@ddirks : Yeah, you're right: the 'dot dot dot dot' drumming does remind one of the aforementioned typist. Somehow never occurred to me. (Maybe because I hadn't touched a manual typewriter since I was six years old.)
@ddirks : Yeah, you're right: the 'dot dot dot dot' drumming does remind one of the aforementioned typist. Somehow never occurred to me. (Maybe because I hadn't touched a manual typewriter since I was six years old.)
I'd been thinking of the rhythm of soldiers marching. Or their automatic rifles: which might suddenly be turned on whoever's "gonna get it."
I'd been thinking of the rhythm of soldiers marching. Or their automatic rifles: which might suddenly be turned on whoever's "gonna get it."