"Jody Rosen: Jonah, forget Rusted Root. Try Baha Men. One of the things I love about “Ambling Alp”–and there’s lots I love about this clattery art-pop freakout–is the fact that it’s a stealth jock jam. As best I can make out, the second verse goes like this: “Oh, Max Schmeling was a formidable foe/ The Ambling Alp was too, at least that’s what I’m told/ But if you learn one thing, you’ve learned it well/ It’s true, you must give fascists hell.” The user-generated lyrics sites that I checked have a totally mangled version of the words. (“Old Man Schlemming” etc.) Evidently there’s a history-literacy problem in the hipster community. Worse: there’s a boxing-literacy problem. See, the song’s about Joe Louis and two of his famous opponents: Primo Carnera, the pugilist-hero of Mussolini’s regime, and, of course, Hitler’s beloved Schmeling, Louis’ foe in two legendary 1930s bouts. “Ambling Alp” sounds like some “poetic” indie-rock nonsense; it was actually Carnera’s nickname. (The dude was a man-mountain.)"
I mean, seriously, read up on some history and clean the wax out of your ears before you type up lyrics. Sheesh!
nice catch. yeah i googled amblin alp because i had this image of a giant man mountain like buddha wandering around spreading a message of peace and standing up to adversity. Then I found out it was old time boxing legend, Primo's nickname. Then I read Schmelling in the lyrics and it clicked. He was the Nazi's olympic superman, so the song had to be about the legend of the Brown Bomber. I'm not sure hipsters are exactly well known for their sense of history, though. Sense of retro maybe. Not the same thing.
nice catch. yeah i googled amblin alp because i had this image of a giant man mountain like buddha wandering around spreading a message of peace and standing up to adversity. Then I found out it was old time boxing legend, Primo's nickname. Then I read Schmelling in the lyrics and it clicked. He was the Nazi's olympic superman, so the song had to be about the legend of the Brown Bomber. I'm not sure hipsters are exactly well known for their sense of history, though. Sense of retro maybe. Not the same thing.
I like how your idea of doing research is reading a blog. how non-hip of you...
I like how your idea of doing research is reading a blog. how non-hip of you...
Also that's a super surface level interpretation of the song and, while yes that's what the lyrics are about, there is some amount of irony and metaphor throughout the song.
Also that's a super surface level interpretation of the song and, while yes that's what the lyrics are about, there is some amount of irony and metaphor throughout the song.
Admitting this is a copy and paste from Wikipedia, it has a footnote so go check it out if you are skeptical-instead of criticizing me too.
Admitting this is a copy and paste from Wikipedia, it has a footnote so go check it out if you are skeptical-instead of criticizing me too.
"In 2009, the band Yeasayer came out with a song titled "Ambling Alp" which imagines what advice Joe Louis's father might have given him prior to becoming a prizefighter. The song references adversities and opponents, including Max Schmeling and Primo Carnera, Louis had to overcome in his career.[113]"
"In 2009, the band Yeasayer came out with a song titled "Ambling Alp" which imagines what advice Joe Louis's father might have given him prior to becoming a prizefighter. The song references adversities and opponents, including Max Schmeling and Primo Carnera, Louis had to overcome in his career.[113]"
I think we could loosen up a bit.'dizzymisslizzy' gave me great information that helped me know where to look next...if you're discrediting (presumably) her for researching on a blog, what exactly would you have done? She is useful, not insufferable. Don't fight needlessly. Judging from the superficial perspective of internet posts, 'pGFP' may have shown the most maturity when he said "Oooooh! Hipster fight!". Really, you make this a lot less pleasant.
Hi guys, just thought you should know most of the lyrics on here are incorrect.
As quoted from: slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2009/11/05/track-of-the-week-yeasayer-s-ambling-alp.aspx
"Jody Rosen: Jonah, forget Rusted Root. Try Baha Men. One of the things I love about “Ambling Alp”–and there’s lots I love about this clattery art-pop freakout–is the fact that it’s a stealth jock jam. As best I can make out, the second verse goes like this: “Oh, Max Schmeling was a formidable foe/ The Ambling Alp was too, at least that’s what I’m told/ But if you learn one thing, you’ve learned it well/ It’s true, you must give fascists hell.” The user-generated lyrics sites that I checked have a totally mangled version of the words. (“Old Man Schlemming” etc.) Evidently there’s a history-literacy problem in the hipster community. Worse: there’s a boxing-literacy problem. See, the song’s about Joe Louis and two of his famous opponents: Primo Carnera, the pugilist-hero of Mussolini’s regime, and, of course, Hitler’s beloved Schmeling, Louis’ foe in two legendary 1930s bouts. “Ambling Alp” sounds like some “poetic” indie-rock nonsense; it was actually Carnera’s nickname. (The dude was a man-mountain.)"
I mean, seriously, read up on some history and clean the wax out of your ears before you type up lyrics. Sheesh!
nice catch. yeah i googled amblin alp because i had this image of a giant man mountain like buddha wandering around spreading a message of peace and standing up to adversity. Then I found out it was old time boxing legend, Primo's nickname. Then I read Schmelling in the lyrics and it clicked. He was the Nazi's olympic superman, so the song had to be about the legend of the Brown Bomber. I'm not sure hipsters are exactly well known for their sense of history, though. Sense of retro maybe. Not the same thing.
nice catch. yeah i googled amblin alp because i had this image of a giant man mountain like buddha wandering around spreading a message of peace and standing up to adversity. Then I found out it was old time boxing legend, Primo's nickname. Then I read Schmelling in the lyrics and it clicked. He was the Nazi's olympic superman, so the song had to be about the legend of the Brown Bomber. I'm not sure hipsters are exactly well known for their sense of history, though. Sense of retro maybe. Not the same thing.
Haha, way to show those clueless hipsters!
Haha, way to show those clueless hipsters!
No, really, maybe try not being such an insufferable know-it-all.
No, really, maybe try not being such an insufferable know-it-all.
yea good call but no need to be such a douche. are you one of those know it all hipsters who puts himself above the normal hipsters?
yea good call but no need to be such a douche. are you one of those know it all hipsters who puts himself above the normal hipsters?
Oooooh! Hipster fight!
Oooooh! Hipster fight!
faggots are gay
faggots are gay
I like how your idea of doing research is reading a blog. how non-hip of you...
I like how your idea of doing research is reading a blog. how non-hip of you...
Also that's a super surface level interpretation of the song and, while yes that's what the lyrics are about, there is some amount of irony and metaphor throughout the song.
Also that's a super surface level interpretation of the song and, while yes that's what the lyrics are about, there is some amount of irony and metaphor throughout the song.
Admitting this is a copy and paste from Wikipedia, it has a footnote so go check it out if you are skeptical-instead of criticizing me too.
Admitting this is a copy and paste from Wikipedia, it has a footnote so go check it out if you are skeptical-instead of criticizing me too.
"In 2009, the band Yeasayer came out with a song titled "Ambling Alp" which imagines what advice Joe Louis's father might have given him prior to becoming a prizefighter. The song references adversities and opponents, including Max Schmeling and Primo Carnera, Louis had to overcome in his career.[113]"
"In 2009, the band Yeasayer came out with a song titled "Ambling Alp" which imagines what advice Joe Louis's father might have given him prior to becoming a prizefighter. The song references adversities and opponents, including Max Schmeling and Primo Carnera, Louis had to overcome in his career.[113]"
I think we could loosen up a bit.'dizzymisslizzy' gave me great information that helped me know where to look next...if you're discrediting (presumably) her for researching on a blog, what exactly would you have done? She is useful, not insufferable. Don't fight needlessly. Judging from the superficial perspective of internet posts, 'pGFP' may have shown the most maturity when he said "Oooooh! Hipster fight!". Really, you make this a lot less pleasant.