Boxcar Willie
Posted by in Living at 11:37 p.m. on July 06th, 20063 Comments 0 Pings
I’ll be damned; Boxcar Willie, the World’s Favorite Hobo, is on Bavarian TV right now. And, get this: he’s singing “The Lord made a hobo outta me.” Never heard the song, but it started off with his trademark train whistle schtick that he does. Or did. I think he’d dead now. Poor Boxcar Willie: First the Lord made him a hobo, then he made him a sad, bitter old man on late night commercials on WTCG, channel 17, pre-Superstation/TBS days, hawking used-up old railroad songs to unappreciative hobo-groupies.
You actually get a lot of the old Urban General late-night infomercial stars over here. Roger Whitaker, for example, is very big in Europe. I only ever knew him from those commercials where they used the infamous “Elvis and the Beatles combined!” loophole to say how many records he’d sold. But over here, he actually gets some TV-time on the variety shows. Or maybe he’s dead too, now, and it’s all just re-runs.
And now, at 12:27AM, the Oak Ridge Boys are on stage. Bunch of mincing Nancies, these guys. Funny I didn’t notice that back in the 70s. One of them has got on Jordache jeans, for the love o’ Jesus. And they’re tucked into his spiffy little light-brown ‘cowboy’ boots. And, I might add, a bright red bandana around his neck, with a brooch, I swear to God. That would be the one in the mauve blazer.
As a followup, they have what has to be the gayest cowboy act I’ve ever seen. There’s a gym-queen Indian running half-naked around the stage, being chased by a bunch of leather-chap-wearing cowboys. With whips.
Late-night TV in Germany: It’s not just for cheese documentaries anymore.
Comments
Bob Baird
July 7, 2006 at 8:30 p.m.:Rube --
They're just doing that late night thing like NPR does during the "beg weeks": they put up the big file with 10 hours of content on and they don't care if it is dated 1954. Then they play it over and over... sort of a pre-iTunes thing... while they are relaxing in St. Maarten, smiling at the idea that the dolts back in Fargo are covering their action.
By the way, Boxcar Willie died of lukemia in 1999. I imagine his heirs appreciate the effort to peddle him. They're there with the pogues from NPR. Just more whores.
Bob
Sandy
July 7, 2006 at 9:58 a.m.:Ummm..I had that very same Oak Ridge Boys album...my Aunt Melba gave it to me as a "birthday present".
I mean 10 bucks would have been just fine but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO I got that album.