Song Of The Day 7/25/2014: Shane McGowan & The Celtic Chorus - "Tomorrow Belongs to Me"



Fun With Spotify -- The "Appears On" Game (What This Is): Judith Ryan (that's two selections this week Judy! Don't say I never get you anything) had me look up Rod Stewart, the rogueish, besotted delinquent turned bleached, plasticine sex pole turned genteel, harmless standard-singer for transitioning boomers. Do you mind if I bring up that famous Greil Marcus quote? "Rarely has a singer had as full and unique a talent as Rod Stewart; rarely has anyone betrayed his talent so completely. Once the most compassionate presence in music, he has become a bilious self-parody – and sells more records than ever." Ouch! I've heard that quote before and never realized just how biting it really was until I used it myself.

Generally though, Marcus was on point. He made that quote in 1980. Unless you have a resounding, irrefutable defense of things like "Love Touch" and The Great American Songbook Vol. 327: Swinging With Patti Page, Stewart remains etherized in the brilliant light of almost everything he did before disco. But he loves his Celtic Football Club. He even broke down in tears in 2012 when his team beat Barcelona, one of the five or so most iconic sports teams in the world who junior teams usually hold the door for. Celtic beat 'em 2-1, and Rod turned to jelly in front of Daily Mail cameras. Oh, soccer.

Rod contributed "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" to a compilation album called The Ultimate Celtic Album, apparently a charity get-up centered around said football club. Apparently it is one of the Celtic Football Club's big crowd anthems, which is doubly funny since it was about his breakup with Swedish model Britt Ekland. Also on this digital platter is the Pogues' vertically improving front man Shane McGowan with a song called "Tomorrow Belongs To Me." It is not the same song from the musical Cabaret that is performed by young, up-and-coming Nazis.

Thank you Rod! Hey, who needs Greil Marcus!

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