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Lyric under scrutiny: "I read the news today oh boy"(Cupid's Dead, III Sides To Every Story) by Alison Cummings
This one has a history which many of you will be aware of. Apart from the fact that it cleverly links with the idea of a news article about the death of Cupid, its home within an Extreme song is just one of many. "I read the news today oh boy" has had an interesting life so far. Born in 1967, it was fathered by the man who in my opinion started the whole tradition of cool lyrics - John Lennon. From the song 'A Day In The Life' (Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band), it introduces us to a tragic comedy of sorts: "I read the news today oh boy/About a lucky man who made the grade/And though the news was rather sad/Well I just had to laugh/I saw the photograph". This, to me, embodies the idea behind the cover of Punchline - as Nuno said in 'Guitarist', "... it's the cynical desensitisation of people - especially in the States - where people can be sitting at the dinner table having a light conversation about a devastating earthquake that just happened in Japan like it was last night's sports scores...". But it was Gary Cherone who adopted the lyric and really made it his own - rapping on 'Cupid's Dead'. So, from its birth in 1967, "I read the news today oh boy" has had many homes (including David Bowie and Shane) - probably more than just the ones I know about - and, eventually, ended up in the care of our own Gary Cherone, tucked up nicely in one of our favourite Extreme songs... not a bad place for a lyric to be.
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