March 15, 2005

Right Now, Someone In Europe Is Being Buried… To The Tune Of Highway To Hell

Well, maybe not right now… But, if the results of a poll by digital TV channel, Music Choice, are to be believed then this track will be blaring out at the funeral of someone on that continent in the not too distant future.

The Acca Dacca classic apparently came in third in the survey which asked 45,000 Europeans in nine different countries what music they would choose to be buried to. In front of it, were Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven (No. 2), and The Show Must Go On by Queen (No. 1) (Also high up the list were Metallica's Nothing Else Matters, and another Queen track, Who Wants To Live Forever.)

These results become even more interesting when broken down by country. In Germany, the preference was for heavy guitar anthems by bands such as the aforementioned AC/DC and Metallica. By contrast, people in Mediterranean Catholic countries tended to go for classical music or sentimental pop ballads like Let It Be or Lennon's Imagine. In Sweden, No 1 went to Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton, and No 3 to There Is A Light That Never Went Goes Out by The Smiths.

In Britain, one in five participants opted to shuffle of this mortal coil with their tongues in their cheeks and a soundtrack provided by Monty Python's Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. But the award for the most bizarre choice in funeral music goes to Norway who picked, as one of their favourites, Elvis' Viva Las Vegas... Make of that what you will. (via Viewropa)

Posted by Warren at 08:21 PM

December 31, 2004

We Kicked Hussein's Butt: Songs Written By John Lennon... In The Afterlife

You might think John Lennon’s untimely death in 1980 would spell the end of his career as a songwriter but, according to spirit medium Linda J Polley, nothing could be further from the truth. Back in 1998, Linda and her husband Gerald first made contact with the spirit of John Lennon who was, at the time, working on choral arrangements with Johann Sebastian Bach. Since then, the former Beatle has become a regular correspondent with Mrs Polley and through her he has passed on the lyrics and melodies to over 100 songs written during his time in the Afterlife; songs which apparently have ”helped hold The Kingdom Of God (Heaven) where he now resides, together during the troubled times There in the last few years”.
When compared with his output while on this mortal coil, the new material exhibits a startling swing to the right. Gone are the pinko peacenik sentiments of old; replaced with gung-ho celebrations of the war in Iraq (Hussein’s Butt Song) and ringing endorsements of rising Republican stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger (Goodbye Davis!). There’s even a song of support for beleaguered popstar Micheal Jackson (We Love You Michael!)
Following George Harrison’s ascension to Heaven in 2001, John was able to put together a band called Beatles and Friends which is currently touring to rave archangel reviews. And, on the personal front, he has recently “officially divorced his former partner Yoko Ono Lennon for her support of homosexuality” and married a dancer named Mary Marie Francesca. (via outsider music mailing list and Museum of Hoaxes)

Posted by Warren at 12:28 AM