OH, POPEYE!

One of my most favorite movies is Robert Altman's live-action Popeye. I was pretty much a toddler when I first saw it, and it blew my baby-mind! First of all, I'm a little obsessed with the character of Popeye. Out of all the sailor-men, Popeye is the one who must EAT in order to SUCCEED. You remember, don't you? He's "strong to the finish-ke 'cause [he] eats [his] spinach-ke!" Growing up, Popeye's strength-ke from spinach-ke became a fundamental life lesson to me, and it's continued to shape the core of my personality. It is only through FOOD that we become STRONG. That is POWERFUL!

Altman's Popeye is also one of only a few film musicals that I truly adore, and that's because the soundtrack was written by GENIUS songwriter Harry Nilsson. This Harry is One To Watch. I mean, he GETS IT! At least, he GETS ME!

Here are the lyrics to the song Food, Food, Food, which is as close to my life's philosophy as you're likely to find:

Everything is food, food, food
Everything is food to go
Everything is food for thought
Everything you knead is dough

It is food
Everything is food

Everything is meat, meat, meat
Careful what you put on your feet
Once it lived on an animal
Now it walks along with you
It could be food
Food, food, food

It is food
Everything is food

Everything is upside down now
Everything is sunny side up
It's ubiquitous
Enigmatic and
They can't trick us
With no hot dogmatic

It is food, food, food
And it's full of flavor
Food, food, food
It's so good to savor

Everything is food, food, food
Everything is upside down
Everything is sunny side up
It's ubiquitous
Enigmatic and
They can't trick us
With no hot dogmatic

It's food, food, food
Make no mistake about it
Food, food, food

Never ever doubt it
Food, food, food
Everything is food

HOLY SHIT, RIGHT?!!

I will give you a minute to wipe the bits of bloody gray matter off your computer screen, 'cause I know YOUR HEAD JUST EXPLODED!











You've got to HEAR this song to truly appreciate it. Wimpy, that burger-loving scamp, sings underneath the chorus, "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today," and honestly: Wimpy is the kind of man a girl like me could fall in love with. I know he's got a problem with the burgers and the paying for them, but I LOVE him for this weakness because IT IS MY WEAKNESS, TOO.

Unfortunately, the Popeye Soundtrack is NOTORIOUSLY difficult to come by. I'm fortunate that my parents have it on first-edition vinyl, and believe me that it has been well-played over the years. But if you ever come across it, BUY IT, because EVERY SONG is AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING.

Or you could just get a hold of the film. Which you should do. I know I seem to be doing a lot of schilling for Popeye in this entry, but that's only because he needs me, he needs me, he needs me...