It has been 35 years since the release of William Shatner's debut album (yes, this is true). In his new album produced by Ben Folds (sounds familiar?), Shatner sings/raps/speaks his way through the song "Common People":
I took her to a supermarket.
I don't know why, but I had to start it somewhere.
So it started there!
I said, pretend you've got no money.
She just laughed and said, oh, you're so funny!
I said, yeah? Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here!
Are you sure you want to live like common people?
You want to see whatever common people see?
You want to sleep with common people?
You want to sleep with common people like me?
But she didn't understand...
He speaks throughout the song, putting in a little tune here and there. Imagine poetry reading with a bit of background music thrown in. Nevertheless the song is catchy, and strangely enough, it almost made me smile (in amazement? in ridicule? in respect?) The song has a deeper meaning in there somewhere, but knowing the song is by William Shatner sort of makes it easier to overlook that fact. I don't know about the whole album, but the song "Common People" is quite tongue-in-cheek, and you never really know if you're laughing at Shatner, or laughing with him. Yes, Captain Kirk is singing with a wink and a smile.
You'll never live like common people!
You'll never do whatever common people do!
You'll never fail like common people!
You'll never watch your life slide out of view,
and dance, and drink, and screw!
Because there's nothing else to do!
The song "Common People" also features Joe Jackson, and is from Shatner's new album, "Has Been", released October 2004 in the US of A (where else, the self-proclaimed capital of the world). For more legitimate information about William Shatner's album, you can try that bastion of American journalism, CNN.
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