Starship's "We Built This City" - it sucks or not?

rostasi · 11-09-2018, 01:28 PM

There was a lot of embarrassing crap in the 80s.
This was high up there. A uber-corporate rock song
acting like it's against the corporate music business.
...and what the hell is "Marconi plays the mamba" (?)
What, is he beating on a snake? Both Bernie Taupin
and Grace Slick should be embarrassed - actually,
I think they are, but the money still rolls in...

~~MicShazam~~ · 11-09-2018, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

What, is he beating on a snake?

So they were basically admitting it's a load of wank.

Neapolitan · 11-09-2018, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

There was a lot of embarrassing crap in the 80s.
This was high up there. A uber-corporate rock song
acting like it's against the corporate music business.
...and what the hell is "Marconi plays the mamba" (?)
What, is he beating on a snake? Both Bernie Taupin
and Grace Slick should be embarrassed - actually,
I think they are, but the money still rolls in...

Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio. They are using "Marconi" in lieu of radio. However the use of "radio" within the song represents the whole "corporate music business." Mambas are predatory snake. He doesn't play it like one plays an instrument, he "plays" it like one plays a part. They probably used "mamba" for both alliteration Marconi/mamba and as a malapropism Mambo/mamba - a two-for-one, which makes that lyrical line genius. In short they are saying the music industry is a predator.

rostasi · 11-09-2018, 02:22 PM

Mickey Thomas (the vocalist): "When the song went to No. 1, I said to Bernie [Taupin, one of the writers],
"More than ever, people are gonna ask what ‘Marconi plays the mamba’ means." He said, “I have no fucking idea, mate.”

Neapolitan · 11-09-2018, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

Mickey Thomas (the vocalist): "When the song went to No. 1, I said to Bernie [Taupin, one of the writers],
"More than ever, people are gonna ask what ‘Marconi plays the mamba’ means." He said, “I have no fucking idea, mate.”

Well I can only guess if the record company knew what Taupin meant they would have black-listed him. He just took the fifth to keep his job.

~~[MERIT]~~ · 11-09-2018, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio

I like to think that Tesla played a larger part than Marconi.

Neapolitan · 11-09-2018, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [MERIT]

I like to think that Tesla played a larger part than Marconi.

Not in this song he didn't, and besides "Tesla plays the tree snake." wouldn't make sense.

youdoofus · 01-11-2019, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio.

no no no no.... no, he didnt. Nikola Tesla did

View Poll Results: Starship's "We Built This City" - it sucks or not?
It sucks	15	53.57%
It doesn't suck	13	46.43%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

11-09-2018, 01:28 PM	#1 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,009	There was a lot of embarrassing crap in the 80s. This was high up there. A uber-corporate rock song acting like it's against the corporate music business. ...and what the hell is "Marconi plays the mamba" (?) What, is he beating on a snake? Both Bernie Taupin and Grace Slick should be embarrassed - actually, I think they are, but the money still rolls in...

11-09-2018, 02:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,009	Mickey Thomas (the vocalist): "When the song went to No. 1, I said to Bernie [Taupin, one of the writers], "More than ever, people are gonna ask what ‘Marconi plays the mamba’ means." He said, “I have no fucking idea, mate.”