About Me

I have done a lot of things in my life and have also worked in many different jobs to make a living and to experience life. This blog is just some of my musings, sometimes funny, sometimes inspirational, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes simple but all the time, it's just me.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Push pineapple, shake the tree! Push pineapple, grind coffee!


Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree,
Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee,
To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees,
Come and dance every night, sing with the hula melody.
I met a hula mistress somewhere in Waikiki,
Well, she was selling pineapple, playing ukulele,
And when I went to the girl, "Come on and teach me to sway,"
She laughed and whispered to me, "Yes, come tonight to the bay."
The lovely beach, in the sky the moon of Kauai,
Around calypso sarong we'll all be singing this song.
Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree,
Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee,
To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees,
Come and dance every night, sing with the hula melody.
Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree,
Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee,
To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees,
Come and dance every night, sing with the hula melody.
And down on the shore they gather romance,
She showed me much more, not only to dance.
Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, shake the tree,
Agadoo-doo-doo, push pineapple, grind coffee,
To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees,
Come and dance every night, sing with the hula melody.

The year was 1984, Black Lace performed the song Agadoo. Since then, despite popularity, Agadoo has been voted as the fourth most annoying song of all time. In a poll for Q magazine in 2003, a panel of music writers voted "Agadoo" as the worst song of all time, saying: "It sounded like the school disco you were forced to attend, your middle-aged relatives forming a conga at a wedding party, a travelling DJ act based in Wolverhampton, every party cliche you ever heard." The panel also described it as "magnificently dreadful".


Bah Hambug! What do the so called experts know, right?

I was 15/16 when this song came out, just the right party age where we were partying with friends. I used to breakdance when I was younger, at that age. But now, these old bones of mine creek even when walking normally. Oh how those breakdance memories remain and memories of songs like Agadoo, Funky Town, Mandalay.

I remember the 1st time I bought a Pet Shop Boys cassette and was listening to West End Girls, I expected that my parent would hate it but I was surprised when my friends disliked it as well. However, five years later when I had moved on to other music, these were the same friends who were now fans of Pet Shop Boys.

Push pineapple, shake the tree. Push pineapple, grind coffee.

Simple things, simple pleasures.

I like to sit and write under a tree.

But in Bangsar, the council has been chopping down trees because the house owners have complained saying they fear the trees or branches will fall on their house and damage their property. These are the same homeowners who then complain and say, "These DBKL buggers have been chopping down all our trees and taking the nice greenery and shade away."

Furthermore, if I were to sit under any tree and write in Bangsar, people will likely call the cops to haul me away. I remember fond memories of sitting under a tree and writing when I was in St Xavier's in Penang. I particularly like a raintree by the basketball courts. I used to write under a tree even in winter when I was in US. And in Miri, I used to go to the beach, sit on an old fallen tree and write. Here, I sit, in front of my computer. Maybe at most with a computer screen saver or wallpaper of trees.

Push pineapple, shake the tree. Push pineapple, grind coffee.


I used to have a place of solitude to think, meditate, rest my mind, to talk to God or guardians or the Universe, to reflect, to think of Enki and Enlil, remember my Mayan ancestors, say hello to Jesus and Mahavir and Buddha.

The writing and the solitude comes from within the mind. It can come anytime. But a place to encourage it does help although never mandatory but sometimes necessary.

To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees, Come and dance every night, sing with the hula melody.

Let's go and dance the hula melody, let's go down the beach, let's plant a tree for me to sit under, let's build a lake.

Sometimes I wish there was a chill pill in the city but sometimes all I need is a tree, some pencil and paper and relax under the sun and the stars and the moon, talk to the ancient spirits and souls, guardians and angels, God and His Son.

Some days, just need to push pineapple shake the tree and push pineapple grind coffee.

Take care and be well.

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