Obsequious, Purple and Clairvoyant

Only one of the best songs ever. It sent me running for the dictionary. I can’t hear the word

obsequious  without following it in my head, under my breath always, always with purple and clairvoyant.

I was a kid when Let’s get Small    came out and I think I fell in some kind of kid love.

I’d never seen a grown up behave that way –I didn’t realize what a comedian was, but I

figured out that when I grew up up I wanted more like that guy than most of the grownups I knew.

I didn’t get half the jokes, but I got the songs and I laughed so hard I cried

I love Steve Martin now for other reasons–I happen to like banjo music (hey no jokes about where I’m from!)

and the Steep Canyon Rangers are just cool, no matter how you slice it.

He also  seems to be very much himself–not made over into something by the Hollywood machine.

I also really like his books and Shopgirl. I’m not a fan of *everything* but I like that there are enough

sides to the things he does so that I can choose.

I chose Obsequious for O because what popped into my head and stayed there, even though I tried to find other more erudite things to write about

It was that little line “obsequious, purple and clairvoyant” –it just wouldn’t get out of the way.

http://www.myspace.com/stevemartin-45784588/music/songs/grandmother-s-song-lp-version-17232119

 

 

Be courteous, kind and forgiving,
Be gentle and peaceful each day,
Be warm and human and grateful,
And have a good thing to say.

Be thoughtful and trustful and childlike,
Be witty and happy and wise,
Be honest and love all your neighbors,
Be obsequious, purple, and clairvoyant.

Be pompous, obese, and eat cactus,
Be dull, and boring, and omnipresent,
Criticize things you don’t know about,
Be oblong and have your knees removed.

Be tasteless, rude, and offensive,
Live in a swamp and be three dimensional,
Put a live chicken in your underwear,
Get all excited and go to a yawning festival.

O.K. everybody!

Be courteous, kind and forgiving,
Be gentle and peaceful each day,
Be warm and human and grateful,
And have a good thing to say.

Be thoughtful and trustful and childlike,
(O.K. everybody on this!)
Be witty and happy and wise,
Be honest and love all your neighbors,
Be obsequious, purple, and clairvoyant.
(Let ’em hear you outside!)

Be pompous, obese, and eat cactus,
(Everybody sing!)
Be dull, and boring, and omnipresent,
Criticize things you don’t know about,
Be oblong and have your knees removed.

(Ladies only)
Be tasteless, rude, and offensive,
(Now the men)
Live in a swamp and be three dimensional,
(Everybody)
Put a live chicken in your underwear,
Go into a closet and suck eggs.

oh and obsequious is an adjective meaning obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

While you are at it you might also get after being oblong as well!