Everybody Wants to Rule the World | One Star Bar | Smithfield Hall | Sid Gold’s Request Room | YouTube Rabbithole
Hi @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears. They were playing it at one of these very fine New York City drinking establishments. Tears For Fears is a British pop-rock band that formed in the 1980s. Their sound was influenced by the likes of Depeche Mode while their lyrics were inspired by Joy Divison. (Source: Vice) This tune came out right after Saint Patrick’s Day in 1985. Let’s take a look at the lyrics…
This song came out right amid the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. If you look at it from that perspective, these lyrics could be about how people in power, or governments in general, tend to get power-hungry, either with their own citizens or abroad.
I’m just going to emphatically say this now…Week to Week Notes has many aspirations but ruling the world is not one of them. My bad, that’s on me dawg, I should have mentioned this earlier. If you don’t believe me, check out our Week to Week Notes’ Goals…
C’mon, I’m trying to give a bit of levity. It’s a Wednesday morning and this is a Pint&Pen&Paper about Guinness reviews.
The words of the chorus when you read them out loud sound so dark, but with the music sounds so good. I guess it could be interpreted as everybody has their own different vision of what should or could be done to improve the world, which is why there is always constant conflict.
In this situation, the narrator is offering some shelter from doom. The walls in this case, likely reference the Berlin Wall which fell 4 years after this song on November 9, 1989.
This tune would land #1 on the US Hot 100 Billboard. It almost made it to the top spot in Ireland and the UK as it landed #2, while it landed #11 in West Germany.
The Instrumental Break from 2:00 to 2:48 is so elite. It has to be Noted. Instant endorphins rush to the brain anytime I hear it.
The narrator here is expressing their disdain for the indecision and lack of vision of world leaders during the Cold War. Never, never, never, never need it likely means military spending or what Oppenheimer created. The one headline bit, probably means the media we consume. Damn, this song is deep but I love it.
Thank you for attending this Ted Talk on my geo-political annotations of Everybody Wants to Rule The World.
On to the pints…
#GuinnessChallengeSeason
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, whom I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
Song On In The Background: Linger by The Cranberries
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: “Suggestion box” painted on the mirror behind the bar. Joe is the bartender, he is from Brooklyn and lives there now. You can bring food in. They are mostly a shot and beer bar, with drafts and cans. It is a neighborhood, casual spot. The owner of the bar once owned a bar called “No Idea” for 20 years so he added to the joke with the name One Star. They do trivia on Saturday Nights, which usually gets packed around 7:30. One Star may be the only bar in NYC to do trivia on Saturdays, so it’s a known hit.
One Star Bar’s trivia is a pencil and paper quiz, so be sure to leave or your phones at home or out of sight to be present. It is hosted by John Chaneski, who grew up in Hoboken, worked on NPR’s Ask Me Another, and also wrote Q&A’s for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. As mentioned, you can bring in food or buy their Cheez-It’s for $1, they’re top-notch! They have plenty of beer options between their drafts, bottled, and cans. I look forward to stopping by for a Trivia Night soon!
Song On In The Background: Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Irish Rugby commercial on the tele. Earl is the bartender. They do Wednesday Trivia at 7 pm. 11 TVs lined up right along the long bar all with what EPL match will be played directly posted under the TV. The back of the hall is full of black-and-white pictures of all types of sports. They also have old cleats and balls on the ledge. They show all the Rugby, from the Six Nations to the World Cup. The Long Acre is a recommended spot. Smithfield Hall is primarily a Manchester United and Barcelona bar, but they show all European football. Their chicken sandwich is the recommended meal and their Irish Exit cocktail would be the drink besides their Guinness.
Smithfield Hall opens every weekday at noon and earlier for the matches on the weekends. They are a premier football (of all kinds) sports bar that has had the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Ronaldinho visit the joint. Their weekend brunch features a mean Irish Breakfast. Monday to Thursday they do a Happy Hour from 5 to 7 PM and on Fridays, Happy Hour is all day. The bar has a total of 27 tables and 26 TVs. Smithfield is a neighborhood on the Northside of Dublin, so no wonder they serve an excellent pint of Guinness. I look forward to going back for another one soon!
Song On In The Background: An Honest Mistake by The Bravery
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Esther is the bartender. She’s from Westchester. One of the investors of the bar is named Sid Gold. Esther has worked at Sid Gold’s for a few years but just started bartending. They have piano and karaoke in their back room. While they do provide snacks, it’s a bar’s bar. Their La Bomba gets requested a ton, “it’s a better margarita.” The cocktail drinks all have music theme names. Esther’s dad has collected thousands of records so she loves music, plays the guitar, and sings for fun. The piano player in the back knows a ton of songs, don’t be the guy to request Piano Man, it’s more a rock and pop spot. Tonight they are doing a Brazilian music theme. Esther loves Taylor Swift and is a fellow Swiftie.
Sid Gold’s also has locations in Nashville and Detroit. In New York, they do a Happy Hour from Wednesday to Friday with $2 off draft beer, wine, and well drinks. The owners of Sid Gold’s have been long-time friends since the 90s and decided to team up for this great piano karaoke bar in ‘12. You can check out their calendar, for their theme nights, they regularly do karaoke, but also have the likes of Erica Smith next Wednesday. They have enough space for a party of anywhere from 25 to 120 people so be sure to check out their website here for a night of music. I look forward to grabbing another drink at Sid Gold’s Request Room again soon!
YouTube Rabbithole
Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World