"Elvis the white n*****r ate at Burger King and just kept getting bigger.”

[Jackeens]

Few would dispute that Bono knows how to write a song, but can the U2 frontman pen a poem? This morning, he offered his skills up for public scrutiny by unveiling an ode to Elvis Presley on Radio 4. In his familiar gravelly voice, the 49-year-old rock icon delivered a fast-paced, 14-minute tribute to The King.

Recorded two years ago, but written in 1994, the poem, entitled American David, contained an array of strange and risqué rhymes set to a musical backing track made up of Elvis tunes and other pop culture recordings from the last 50 years.....A warning about the poem’s language preceded the airing, as a series of offensive words including “nigger” and “spastic” were employed.

While Bono considers himself a “super fan” of Elvis, he didn’t shy away from his famous flaws. One rhyming triplet played on the singer’s long weight battle: “Elvis the bumper stickers/ Elvis the white knickers/ Elvis the white nigger ate at Burger King and just kept getting bigger.”

Another took aim at his iconic dance move: “Elvis the ecstatic/ Elvis the plastic/ Elvis the elastic with a spastic dance that could explain the energy of America.”...

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6279490.ece


I spent half my life defending my fellow Dubliner (Bono, not Elvis) but.....Bono? F**k off.

[Captain Hilts]

1. People thought Elvis was black from the way he sang. He was proudly lower income.

He sang the music of black blues artists, such as 'Hound Dog', etc.

[Jackeens]

4. I know, I just think the poem's shit.

:shrug:

[Captain Hilts]

5. I don't like poetry at all, so I'm no judge. nt

[Jackeens]

9. There was a DU poster called Captain Hilts, who wasn't Scottish so rarely wore kilts. I'm a poet!!

:blush:

[pepperbear]

6. "hound dog" was written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, two white Jewish guys. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

7. yes, but it became famous because of Big Mama Thornton. It was seen as a 'black'

song.

[ismnotwasm]

10. Not Willie Mae "Big Momma" Thorton?

Oh edit, performed by, written by Johnny Otis. Didn't that go to court a couple of times?

[JVS]

14. No. Lieber and Stoller

[taterguy]

2. You spent half your life defending Bono?

Most people sleep for 1/3 of their life

What did you do with the, aw hell, I'm too lazy to do the math

[Jackeens]

3. Literalism is extremely unhealthy, almost as much as a lack of sleep.

:-)

[JVS]

13. 1/6

[krispos42]

17. Shit, I didn't scroll down enough

:slinksofftobasement:

[krispos42]

16. One-sixth is the fraction you're looking for

:hi:

[ismnotwasm]

8. Elvis

Making money and leaving black artists and original songwriters in the wake. Elvis didn't experience anything but being a white man in a white man's world.

Those kind of statements are white entitlement personified.


What. An. Asshole

[mitchum]

11. Saith the tone deaf Mick with not much hair left to slick

[JVS]

12. Has Bono finally gone off the edge? Could this be the end of his career?

:popcorn:

[MilesColtrane]

15. A lad named Paul from Glasnevin

Ascended to rock stardom heaven
Renamed Bono-the hoser
Became pretentious poser
While turning it up to eleven

Yeah, this is easy....

[juno jones]

18. Haven't liked them since they lost their punk after 'War".

I was litening to an old funk/RB tune from the 60's and I heard a number of phrases including the chorus of the song that U2 had recycled almost word for word, note for note for themselves, AFAIK, unattributed.

I remember Led Zeppelin and George Harrison getting sued over that kind of thing.

That Bono may not be so good a poet is a possibility.

[elshiva]

19. The N word is offensive and he should not have used that at all.