The new digital and video release from Marty Thau’s Red Star is the hilarious ‘Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead,’ by Lola Dutronic
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Marty Thau, the Roanoke resident whose past life was deeply intertwined with the New York Dolls, the Ramones, Blondie, Richard Hell and more, is still doing cool stuff in the music business. His revived Red Star label, which deals with digital music, has released a video for the earwormy Lola Dutronic song, “Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead,” which demystifies several rockers — John Lennon, Side Vicious, Amy Winehouse (but not Whitney Houston) — whose legends have lingered even stronger since their untimely deaths.
Choice lines regarding Nick Drake: “Here’s the story of a little boy named Nicky/Sang sweeter than the honey in the hives/But now he’s gone/We all play his songs/Too bad no one cared when he was alive.” Hell, I didn’t know about him till after the Volkswagen commercial — that’s how uncool I am.
And the tune, to be released for digital download in the fall with the album “Everybody’s A Star,” has quite the guest cast. Members of Tom Tom Club and Gang of Four are among those taking part.
UPDATE [11:33 a.m. 8.29.12]: The album is available at itunes.
Hit the jump to read all the lyrics, courtesy Marty Thau.
EVERYBODY LOVES YOU WHEN YOU’RE DEAD
©2012 Richard Citroen (SOCAN)
Chorus:
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
And I can’t get you out of my head
‘Cuz everybody loves you when you’re dead
Johnny used to play down at The Cavern
Playing out the voices in his head
He was rude and crude and sometimes in the nude
But everybody loves him now he’s dead
Brian used to play guitar in London
Playing all the music in his head
He was a liar and a cheater – some say he hit Anita
But everybody loves him now he’s dead
Because…
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
And I can’t get you out of my head
‘Cuz everybody loves you when you’re dead
There’s the story of a little boy named Nicky
Sang sweeter than the honey in the hive
But now he’s gone, we all play his song
Too bad that no-one cared when he was alive
There’s the story of a little boy named Sidney
Didn’t have a thought within his head
He took it all too far and he couldn’t play guitar
But everybody loves him now he’s dead
Because…
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
And I can’t get you out of my head
‘Cuz everybody loves you when you’re dead
There’s the story of a little girl named Amy
Some say that she died a broken heart
Her body was cold – twenty seven years old
But now her record’s back a-top the charts
Hey we’re sorry if you didn’t like this record
Offended by the things that we have said
But one day – oh wow! – we’re now a sacred cow
And everyone will love us when we’re dead
Because…
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
Everybody loves you when you’re dead
And I can’t get you out of my head
‘Cuz everybody loves you when you’re dead
August 28, 2012 - 4:01 PM
A great track and a major issue with music. Only in the digital age could so many still living musicians come together and party down! If you believe in forever,than life is just a one night stand! Well done Richard and company!!!! A serious tribute!!!
What? No Kevin DuBrow? Lame.
So true though.
Death ups the popularity quotient quite a bit, sadly.
Also, breaking up can make bands’ popularity rise, perhaps more than if they’d stayed together, prompting them to reunite for cash grabs.
Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth said several years ago when some late 80s and 90s alt/indie bands were reuniting for festivals and big reunion tours that maybe they, Sonic Youth, should have broken up years ago so that they would be getting the limousine treatment that all of these reunited bands were receiving.