Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
This may seem like child abuse to a certain fraction of you, but we don't let Leta listen to music geared toward kids. Or I guess I should say we haven't ever introduced it to her because we were afraid it would induce seizures and/or homicidal behavior in her parents. We get enough of the repetitive, seep-into-your-brain-and-rot-it-from-the-inside-out tunes in the television shows she watches. DORA I'M LOOKING DIRECTLY AT YOU.
If I say the word VAMANOS! I think I will trigger an unwelcome twitch in a certain percentage of you who have had to watch hour after hour of that little kid running around with her wretched monkey and talking map AND OH HEY I NEED THERAPY.
So she's growing up listening to our music, and that means she hears a lot of Radiohead and Boards of Canada and lately a lot of Neko Case. And I recently purchased and am constantly playing the fantastic new Dinosaur Jr. album Farm, but she's always going NO NO NO, THE OTHER SONG, THE OTHER SONG. And people, do you have any idea how many times we have had to listen to the other song? I don't even have to break out my superpower here, you know the one, where I tear off my button-up shirt to reveal a golden H on my chest that stands for HYPERBOLE! And I run around labeling things THE ABSOLUTE WORST or THE BEST THAT EVER WAS and when I have to wait on the phone for customer support for ten whole minutes I'm all THEY MADE ME WAIT SO LONG I DIED FROM DEHYDRATION.
That kid loves Coldplay, specifically "Viva La Vida" and we listen to it all the time, every day. We're listening to it right now. It is her favorite song, no other song compares, and she cannot stop her body from moving to its rhythm. Exhibit A, the child in her pajamas:
I know in some circles it is patently uncool to like Coldplay, and well, those certain circles can suck it. In fact I would have to say GIVE ME AN EFFING BREAK, and please go shave your ironic mustache. I grew up listening to Anne Murray, ABBA, and the Bee Gees, so I would say she's already ahead of me. My only wish is that we can at some point move on to another song. I know, I know, it's about as likely as her looking up from her bowl of black beans at dinner and saying, "This again?"
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Jax said:
I love ABBA. And Bee Gees. Rock on.
08.21.09 - 03:44 PM / 1shelley said:
Love it! We dance to that song at our house too!
08.21.09 - 03:47 PM / 2Milla said:
i cannot wait to see how Leta handles this entry when she sees it as a teenager.
08.21.09 - 03:48 PM / 3Victoria said:
It's an awesome song, and that was the best dance ever! :)
08.21.09 - 03:48 PM / 4Anonymous said:
Love it, she is adorable!! I personally love Chuck's angst-ridden pacing in the background.
08.21.09 - 03:50 PM / 5Amy said:
She is so cool!
I love when kids get so into music.
They can strip away all the crap and just enjoy!
08.21.09 - 03:51 PM / 6Amanda said:
It's really fun to see you all interact like that. And She totally can dance. And you can totally sing.
08.21.09 - 03:51 PM / 7Chantal said:
That is too precious for words. Loved the ending bit with father and daughter.
08.21.09 - 03:51 PM / 8Kirsten A said:
I love the photo below of you and the baby. She is really starting to look like Leta.
I am not into the kid's music either. Even the awesome bands who now do kids music. Although I do have a fond spot for Pete Seeger. How could you not? Anyhow my kids listen to what I listen to. Right now we are listening to She and Him by Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. I love cranking the volume and singing along to torch songs with my kids!
08.21.09 - 03:53 PM / 9Carla said:
She actually dances in a manner quite similar to the front man of Cold Play, Chris Martin.
Music shouldn't make your ears bleed. And lots of kids music makes my ears bleed.
Except "They Might Be Giants." That doesn't make my ears bleed.
08.21.09 - 03:53 PM / 10Rose said:
That's a budding musician....you can see her hear and react to every instrument. Next time could see more of Daddy's dancing?
08.21.09 - 03:53 PM / 11Anonymous said:
LOVE Leta! LOVE Chuck! LOVE it! My 3 year old son has a current mild obsession with the Arctic Monkeys, Led Zepellin and Jay Z... Eclectic? Yes. The exact same way I was brought up? Yes. It reminds me of my Dad sitting us down to make us listen to The Dark Side of the Moon...
And one more thing - Dora drives me mad!
Love from London.
08.21.09 - 03:55 PM / 12doug said:
awesome! and I happen to be wearing the shirt I bought at the Coldplay concert, so...
08.21.09 - 03:56 PM / 13Bucky Four-Eyes said:
I'd love to see Leta's interpretation of "Walk Like an Egyptian."
I second the They Might Be Giants recommendation, also.
08.21.09 - 03:56 PM / 14S said:
IS SHE AIR PLAYING THE SYNTH? Coolest kid EVAR.
Parachutes will always be one of my favorite albums, I don't care who knows it, even millions of Dooce readers.
08.21.09 - 03:57 PM / 15Lori said:
Kid's got moves.
08.21.09 - 03:57 PM / 16Anne said:
This is so great!
08.21.09 - 03:58 PM / 17S said:
P.S. Don't knock the Bee Gees.
08.21.09 - 03:59 PM / 18Nancy said:
Haha I bet she learned her dance moves from the hubby. Very cute (:
08.21.09 - 04:00 PM / 19Fosterhood said:
Now we know where she gets the air keyboard dance moves!
08.21.09 - 04:01 PM / 20Josey said:
Oh Wondrous Being of Light and Splendor...your daughter rocks!! I've just stumbled across your blog and am extremely addicted already. Love it. :) Thanks for sharing your life with us.
08.21.09 - 04:01 PM / 21Mariah said:
That daughter of yours is freakin awesome!
08.21.09 - 04:01 PM / 22Megan said:
So cute..she's got the flailing arms when dancing!
08.21.09 - 04:01 PM / 23Camp Run-A-muk said:
We do let our boys listen to some children's music but only what WE approve...we love They Might Be Giants. However we mix it up with current music like you; also huge fans of Viva La Vida. My boys favorite song is by Nelly... You know the one about "lighting up the Cocoa Puffs?" NOT "light it up and take a puff" What sweet innocence...
08.21.09 - 04:02 PM / 24Nat W said:
That song is awesome, I don't care what anyone says. Also, Leta dances about as well as I do...maybe better.
08.21.09 - 04:03 PM / 25lonek8 said:
great video! I also don't do specifically "children's" music because it is so aggravating. I listen to regular radio and because I have fairly poppy taste in music my kids like it too. There are some songs they prefer over others, and we listen to those ALOT, but in general, other than downloading the clean versions (which I don't even remember to do half the time) I don't make concessions on the music we listen to. Also, because Dora is on the channel with commercials we don't ever watch it. At least that is my excuse. the real reason is I might have to sell my children if watching that show is a requirement of mommyhood.
08.21.09 - 04:03 PM / 26Valancy Jane said:
Huh. I was listening to that song a moment ago, and I'm eating a late lunch of black beans right now, for the fifth day in a row.
Sadly I am not in my pajamas right now, dancing in my kitchen. I would rather be.
08.21.09 - 04:03 PM / 27Kirsten said:
Oh, Dooce. I love this so much, yet it makes me kind of sad at the same time. She will hate you for this like I hate my parents for showing my now fiance the time I danced the macarena in my underwear. I was 10 though, clearly old enough to know better.
Cute pj's too!
08.21.09 - 04:04 PM / 28Mandi said:
Adorable video! We don't do kids music here either. Besides what my mom brings over and gets my kids insanely attached to and now it's a rule they can only listen to it with their grandma and everyone hates me, the mean no-fun no-kids music mom. I'm over it. My three year old son loves Kid Rock and Jay-Z. Innapropriate? Maybe, but at least my ears don't bleed.
08.21.09 - 04:05 PM / 29erika said:
You should get Leta some old Muppet Show episodes. My 6-year-old loves herself some Mr. Leo Sayer...and some Mr. Alice Cooper!
08.21.09 - 04:05 PM / 30