Close But No Cigar

Post by **Kristine** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:20 am

chophii @ Oct 12 2006, 08:39 PM wrote: What other songs do you have chords to from SOL?

Haven't read every post in this thread (yet ) but this song, to me, has a "classic Al" vibe going on. It reminds me of his stuff on Bad Hair Day, and it would fit right in. I love the guitar intro.

so far, I did the chords to Pancreas (check that thread) and buff did DDTS.

SmileyGirl87 · Post by **SmileyGirl87** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:35 pm

Now, Virus Alert may be tricky...

Thanks for all your work on the chords!! We guitarists really appreciate it. (And I suppose pianists might, too..)

~*Cat*~

Insert Coin(s) to Continue · Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:46 am

I like the cowbell in the 3rd verse of the song. It's subtle but present.

sethmartin · Post by **sethmartin** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:48 pm

Why are there so many people who don't like this song? Or say it's their least favorite on the album? I think this song is one of the best. Pancreas or Virus Alert I can understand. But this one? However I've always been a big fan of Cake so I may be a little biased

Post by **Well, Well, Well** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:33 pm

sethmartin wrote: Why are there so many people who don't like this song? Or say it's their least favorite on the album? I think this song is one of the best. Pancreas or Virus Alert I can understand. But this one? However I've always been a big fan of Cake so I may be a little biased

I like Cake, but don't really like "Close But No Cigar." How you felt about the lyrics in "Pancreas" is how I feel about the lyrics in this song. They just don't add up to anything. I'm not sure if the lyrics are supposed to be parodying the type of oddball lyrics Cake uses, or just be funny by themselves. But either way, it just seems a tad askew. It's not terrible--and there are days when I am able to get into it--but it just ends up being my least favorite.

sethmartin · Post by **sethmartin** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 12:35 am

Well yeah true. Close but no cigar really isn't that funny either, but it builds up to the point he's got the quote unquote perfect girl but still turns her down. That's where I was going with Pancreas. I thought the lyrics were going to get to the point of being absured. which they didn't. But you're absolutely right about sometimes its just about the music. Close but no cigar is simple and not very funny but catchy none the less. But it's cool to see a few people on here that can actually be honest about Al's songs and not feel wrong about admiting it.

Post by **Well, Well, Well** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:05 am

Well I, too, can see why someone wouldn't like "Pancreas" if it's about the lyrics. They certainly are not laugh-out-loud funny, nor do they get to the point of the pancreas hogging the shower or leaving twinkie wrappers all over the place, but I think they flow really well with the song (no pun intended). The way the 'flow, flow, flow...' parts come into the song, followed by the background chants of 'comin from the islets of Langerhans' and etc...I just love it. I think the song is beautifully put together. Plus, for me, it's all about the toy piano.

Post by **Kevbo1987** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:12 pm

I didn't get some of the lyrics in this song until I thought about them. For instance, "Are we playin' horseshoes, honey?" was a lyric I didn't understand until I remembered the old saying "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." Then it made perfect sense. Then someone else pointed out that there was a saying, "Close enough for government work." Again, it made the lyrics make a whole lot more sense to me. I agree that the lyrics in this song aren't hysterical, but I think they are funny. "I was crazy like Manson about her, she got me all choked up like Mama Cass."

Again though, the concept is what really makes this song funny.

Post by **Bruce the Duck** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:59 pm

I love this song! The similies are especially clever. If it weren't for a few risque lyrics in the song, I'd use this song to help teach similies to my class.

SmileyGirl87 · Post by **SmileyGirl87** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:21 pm

I think this song is a perfect Cake style parody..and as far as the lyrics, for a style parody, Al's aiming more to capture their oeuvre than copy their lyrics...the originals are well, for lack of a better word, ORIGINAL..he's going to write whatever he sees fit..who knows, he may have written this retrospective in respect to how he couldn't find the "perfect" woman until Suzanne...if you think about it that way, the song is really sweet and almost takes on new meaning.

~*Cat*~