Don’t Stop Me Now | The Penrose | Horn’s Hook Tavern | Phil Hughes | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. It was on in the background at one of these fine drinking establishments and I can’t pass up learning from writing a bit about Queen.
The lyrics to this tune are fairly straightforward in that they are about having a good time.
The original Lady Godiva was an 11th-century noblewoman who married a guy named Leofric. This guy was the Lord of Coventry and was responsible for taxing its citizens. Godiva didn’t like how high Leofric’s taxes burdened the people. She asked him many times to lower them and he joked he would lessen the load on the people only if she rode naked on horseback through the center of town. So, Godiva stripped naked, climbed on her horse, and galloped through their market square with only her long flowing hair covering herself. Before heading into town, she ordered the people of Coventry to stay inside their homes and not peek outside. However, one fella, who just so happened to be named Tom, couldn’t resist taking a peep. This is how we got the phrase “Peeping Tom.”
Mr. Fahrenheit was one of Freddie Mercury’s nicknames. It was a play on his name because they would use Mercury in thermometers. The metric system was invented back in 1742 by Anders Celsius. Most English-speaking countries, however, didn’t switch over to it until the mid-20th century. India did so in 1954, the UK in 1965, and Ireland in the early 1970s. Freddie Mercury also acknowledged that Celsius didn’t rhyme with light.
Sidenote: Stumblin’ into researching the history behind the phrase “peeping Tom” and the metric system's origins is a prime example of exactly why I feckin’ love writing Week to Week Notes. School is very important but it ain’t taught there, well at least the peeping Tom bit, and who knows where the hell research like this will go in a given week. I’m sure plenty of people could think, “Dude, who feckin’ cares?” but no bother, just read the chorus above.
Don’t Stop Me Now came out in 1978 on their album called Jazz and was released as a single in 1979. Like a rocket ship, it landed on the UK Charts peaking at #9. Surprisingly it only peaked at #86 in the US, but it reloaded over time as in ‘14 Rolling Stone readers ranked it the 3rd best Queen song of all time.
I would think everybody knows this tune. Just on Spotify alone, it has been listened to 1,879,279,730 times. That is Queen’s 2nd most-played song only behind Bohemian Rhapsody which has been played over 2.4 billion times on Spotify.
This song is for sure an upper and a great one at that.
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: Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Barbie theme party going on in the back. Everybody is dressed in pink and then there is me with a black shirt on with jeans. Mules and Bucks are recommended, you choose your spirit and they make it great. A chicken sandwich or chicken biscuit is recommended on the brunch menu. “It gets crazy here for brunch” and it is about to pop off. Live music on Sundays. They’ll have a bit of live bluegrass, folk, and jazz. Heaven is bartending. She is from Florida and has spent 5 years in New York, loves it.
The name Penrose comes from a historic building in Penrose Quay, County Cork, Ireland. The owners have done an excellent job at combining old American and Cork traditions. Located on the Upper East Side, they welcome all who seek friendly company, good conversation, and great drinks. All the food on the menu is locally sourced. They have a great space for private parties as they can accommodate themes and hold up to 250 guests. I made sure not to bring down the pink Barbie vibe in my Oppenheimer black. For the late-night crowd, Penrose has a $10 cocktail special after 10 pm. The live music on Sundays also sounds like a fun time. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at Penrose again soon!
Song On In The Background: Diamond by Rihanna & Kanye West
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Oyster set up in the corner. Emma is bartending. The place is an American Revolutionary tagline. They have Halloween decorations behind the bar with an old-school cash register. I thought the old black and white lady photo of the lady had a deeper meaning like the owner’s sweet great-great grandmother but it’s just a decoration. Emma said I’m not the only one so they’ve fooled a few. They have a dart board in the back. Wings and burgers are recommended. Frozen Irish coffee would be what she recommends. Emma is from Australia and has been in New York for 11 years. She came here for school and fell in love with it. They have rifles hanging up above me on the ceiling with a famous George Washington in New York City portrait along with an old Manhattan map on the wall.
Horn’s Hook is a sports bar with American history. The college team they support is the Texas Longhorns, but they also show all New York teams as well. Horn’s Hook captures the spirit of the American Revolution by offering a unique experience of patriotism along with a nice game day vibe. It’s a very cool spot for sports fans and history buffs, I know a few of those. They serve brunch all day, every day. On Wednesday nights at 8 PM, Horn’s Hook is home to trivia. From 9 PM to midnight on Friday, they do live music. Lastly, on Saturday evenings from 4 PM to 10 PM, they also have a Raw Bar of Oysters and such. I look forward to grabbing another pint of Guinness at Horn’s Hook again!
Song On In The Background: Don’t Stop Me Now by Queens
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Taytos behind the bar look terrific. They now have this new flavor called “Hunky Dory” kettle-cut sour cream and an onion version that I never knew existed in light green packaging. What have I been missing out on? Not Phil Hughes the former Yankees’ bar, I made sure to confirm that. They have a pool table, darts, and a Mayo flag draped in the corner. This Guinness glass is Croke Park edition, another rarity I haven’t seen before. I figure this would be like a kid in the 1950s getting a Mickey Mantle card, I want to take it home with me. Ken is the bartender and he is dressed up as Ken from Barbie because it’s Halloween weekend…his girlfriend is dressing up as Blondie.
Phil Hughes Bar is Yorkville’s oldest Irish pub. Family-owned and operated since 1957. They were around well before Phil Hughes made his MLB Debut for the Bronx Bombers on April 26, ‘07. That Phil Hughes was the Yanks first-round pick in ‘04. He came up as a starter with a heater and was moved to the bullpen in ‘09 where he pitched to a 3.03 ERA on the eventual ‘09 World Series Champions. After finding his fastball again from joining the bullpen, Hughes would be reinserted into the Yankee rotation in ‘10 and win 18 games as an AL All-Star. His career would end with stints in Minnesota and San Diego but by 32 he was done in the MLB. Still had a very solid 12-year career in the bigs. (Source: My Remembrance of Phil Hughes) Phil Hughes, the bar, has trivia every Wednesday at 8 pm. They serve an excellent pint of Guinness. I look forward to grabbing another one again!