The Turtles
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In their smash hit single Elenore, ’60s troubadours The Turtles express their love for the titular Elenore as follows:
Elenore, gee I think you’re swell
And you really do me well
You’re my pride and joy, etcetera
‘Etcetera’?? ‘Etcetera’?? Brilliance. I mean, I’d have been overcome with giddiness at the thought of wooing someone with the underused adjective that is ‘swell’. But they effortlessly top themselves with the magnificently half-hearted ‘etcetera’.
I, for one, am saddened that other bands of the era didn’t pick up the lyrical laziness gauntlet thrown down by those zany, but well-groomed, Turtlers and usher in a thrilling new era of half-assedry:
“Hey Jude, don’t make it bad. Take a sad song and, y’know, whatever…”
“There is a house in New Orleans, they call the Rising something…”
… and, y’know, whatever other examples you lot come up with. I can’t be bothered thinking about it any more.
Etcetera.
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Posted: February 2nd, 2010 under music.
Tags: gauntlets, hey jude, laziness, new orleans, pride and joy, turtles (non-skulky)
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Lyrical genius. I am somewhat disturbed to think you may actually have this in your collection though.
Why? Your name’s Elenore, isn’t it?
Oh! Oh! Talk to Boy-Morgan about this one — he’s a repository of Turtles-lore. Years ago, when he still worked in the music business, he filled me in on the backstory behind Elenore and the “etcetera” in question. Per Boy-Morgan, the song was written as a deliberate spoof of all the schmaltzy love songs of the era, which is why the lyrics are so downright loopy (“Your looks intoxicate me, even though your folks hate me”) and/or half-assed (“etcetera”), but everyone accepted it as a legitimate love song.
Of course, it’s possible Boy-Morgan was just spinning me a web of elaborate lies.