Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Martha Grondin, Yorktown VA — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:42:48 GMT

good grief, people really were that rude to you because of a disagreement over song lyrics!? its a scary world we live in.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

John Filkins, Bellevue NE — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:44:13 GMT

Didn't Wolfman Jack say that or something very close to it on the song "Clap for the Wolfman" by the Guess Who? Naw, I checked. Wolman says "confidence of love". I wonder if Stevie "Guitar" Miller "thought" he was copying the Wolfman? I wonder if fish will ever fly.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Not Miller Time, Devonia, o-HI-o — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:36:47 GMT

Who really cares? It's a stupid song, from an even more stupid period in rock and roll. Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" contained all the hooks that he overused in all of his later "hits", and it overplayed his silky-smooth vocals to the point where even hearing one of his songs made me cringe. Who can forget his "Heart Like a Wheel"? Yeah... great song, not. Or, his other big "hit", "Abracadabra". He put the bubble in bubblegum. Now a former bandmate of his... Boz Scaggs, he is a true talent.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Toni — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:49:00 GMT

Reading the comments you pulled as examples was intresting. It's sad how many people go straight to insulting the person who hears something different. The internet has sure made us all smug, hasn't it?

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

caineme, Quincy CA — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:15:22 GMT

Since I was the one who brought up the whole "pompitice" subject....I still stand by my opinion that Steve is indeed saying "pompitice". Since the initial posting, I have seen a interview of Steve Miller (I think it might have been "I love the 70's" on VH1), and he said that he made the word up because it sounded cool.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jill, Ohio — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:30:22 GMT

Have there been any theories about the mystery word that explain the connection to someone named "Maurice?" He does say, after all that people call him Maurice because he speaks of the (insert your choice of word here) of love. Maybe whoever Maurice is, he is the clue to the misunderstood lyric...

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Heather, Hollywood, MD — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:37:02 GMT

When the post first ran, I did a quick search on on the word "pompatus" and the most reasonable thing I found was in the trivia from Jon Cryer's movie on IMDB:

The title phrase was taken from two songs by Steve Miller; the mysterious word "pompatus" was originally spelled "pompitous" in the printed lyrics. But it originally comes from the Medallions' 1954 song "The Letter", written by Vernon Green when he was 14. Green explained in the 1990s that the word actually began with "puppet" and was a term he'd made up for "a secret paper-doll fantasy figure, who would be my everything and bear my children".

As far as it being any other word, I distincly remember reading "pompatus" in the printed lyrics in the CD jacket.

And, yes, I do still enjoy this song... very much.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Des, Fall River, MA — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:18:07 GMT

I just tried looking it up on dictionary.com. the word doesn't come up with a definition, and the encyclopedia fails to define it either, but mentions all of the pop culture references from "the joker", "the pompatus of love" and "the letter". So, isn't just a made up word? Maybe I missed it on one of the hundreds of posts before, but does it actually have a meaning?

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Marnie, Milwaukee, WI — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:42:29 GMT

Check it out:

http://www.reference.com/search?r=13&q=Pompatus

It's "pompatus" in the sheet music lyrics.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Hunni — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:56:57 GMT

John in Bellvue, fish do fly. Barbados is know as "land of the flying fish" :-)

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

GB — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:10:20 GMT

I always thought he was saying "apotheosis of love"... just saying it real fast?

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

GB, Ontario, Canada — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:11:59 GMT

I always thought he was saying "apotheosis of love"... just saying it real fast?

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Dick M., Detroit MI — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:48:46 GMT

I always heard it as "I speak of the HYPOTENUSE" of love," and that sort of makes sense. Think of a right triange with one lover being the horizontal axis and the other being the vertical. Love would be the line connecting the ends of the axes (axises?).
Except that the axes are already connected where they meet to form the right angle.
Geez, maybe it's POMPATUS after all.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

RandomEsq, Chicago, IL — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:25:07 GMT

"Congrats for outing your intellegence (sic) on the internet."

Oh, the irony. I love it.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Tom — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:41:55 GMT

Properties of love? I don't think so. Anyone with one good ear can hear that there's no way Miller is saying "properties."

Miller had something to say about it not long ago.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/hoekstra/2007/07/pompatus_of_love.html

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:06:16 GMT

To Jill in Ohio: That Straight Dope link says this about Maurice: "Space cowboy" and "gangster of love" referred to earlier Miller songs. Maurice was from Miller's 1972 tune "Enter Maurice," which appeared on the album Recall the Beginning ... A Journey From Eden. "Enter Maurice" had this lyric: "My dearest darling, come closer to Maurice so I can whisper sweet words of epismetology in your ear and speak to you of the pompitous of love."

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

dbs — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:11:49 GMT

check out this link---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompatus

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Sean, Escazu,Costa Rica — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 23:52:28 GMT

Just so I can start another debate on song lyrics..

Song by the Hollies, I think it was called "Fine Mess" but because the lyric "long cool woman in a black dress" is more audible it is now know by that title. So help me out which was the "real" song title?

Ina Gadda Da Vida to you all

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

steve, montreal — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:31:48 GMT

I had thought it was pulpit-is, or something similar, meaning that he was speaking from a pulpit like the priest in church.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

MamaP,SWVA — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:44:47 GMT

re: Hollies
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Long-Cool-Woman-In-a-Black-Dress-lyrics-Hollies/AE466CEEA3376AE148256A9A000377D1

And an ana gadda da vida to you too (made me laugh - thanks!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Bill, Phoenix — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:48:58 GMT

In a Gadda Da Vida is much simpler. Doug was extremely drunk when he wrote this song. It was supposed to be In The Garden of Eden. But it cause out the way that it did because of his drunken slur.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Robert, Chattanooga, TN — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:10:17 GMT

I think the word "love" in Miller’s (and many others) lyrics is much more mysterious and deserves more visitation than "pompatus." Who cares what a word we are not sure of means if it means anything? We could spend countless hours, even days dissecting love -- a word which can mean many different things even in its own context. It would be interesting, not to mention ironic, to see the worthless bashing of one another via this thread over the meaning of love in its Platonic sense.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Ben Dover — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:10:54 GMT

And I gotta velveeta?

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Dave, St. Louis MO — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:43:42 GMT

The title IS Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)...

And, the lyric you're thinking of is "With just one look I was a bad mess, 'cos that long cool woman had it all"

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

John Doe, Seattle, Wash. — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 03:04:43 GMT

Wow what a fine debate in the large scheme of things.
I see your all into important matters I just wasted 15 minutes of my life reading drivel. I won't try to figure out why.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Mark — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:20:36 GMT

Steve Miller, what a lyrical genious. He also penned a song where Texas rhymes with facts is, what a hack!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

kwirl karphys — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:27:30 GMT

not that i expect anyone to care, BUT

pomp - dignified or magnificent display; splendor
atus - a latin adjectival suffix added to noun stems indicating possession or likeness

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jay T., Florence, Alabama — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:45:58 GMT

I can confirm that this definitively comes from the 1954 R&B song by the Medallions, "The Letter".
I have a copy of this song and it clearly sounds like "Pompatous of Love" as the singer speaks over the Doo-Wops he says "and Discuss the Pompatous of Love". When listening to it more carefully, he says "Puppetutes of love" but with his accent, it sounds like "Pompatous of Love".

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

bill, Phoenix — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:46:25 GMT

"Do you want a Fahita baby...don't you know that I love you!" And you guys didn't even know that Iron Butterfly liked Mexican Food

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

T Hurlbutt, Champaign, Il — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:45:30 GMT

In WWII, "pom-pom" was the nickname of the 40mm Bofors antiaircraft gun, usually mounted in twins or quads on Navy ships. They're the ones you see in the newsreels with the two barrels close together, firing alternately. Pom-pom was a description of the sound they made, I believe.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Steve Marconi, Griffin GA — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:25:54 GMT

Around that same time, there was another song out by the Guess Who called "Clap for the Wolfman", and in the song, Wolfman Jack is heard to say "Everybody's talking about the Wolfman's "Pompatus of Love""

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

ATANK — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:52:01 GMT

Listen for yourself below.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LInnlb8e054

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Gary-O — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:47:49 GMT

"The Joker" was not the first Steve Miller song to use the word pompatus. He also had released previous songs titled "Gangster of Love" and "Space Cowboy." Of course, real Miller fans already knew that.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

chris ell, boston mass — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:51:20 GMT

and don' forget, is it "lawdy Mama" or "Strange Brew" by Cream. both exist same rifts, completely different lyrics!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Robb, Baltimore, MD — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:52:36 GMT

There are tragedies aplenty on this planet and I am laughing so hard that I am crying over "And I gotta velveeta." Thanks for the "debate" and fun typos (SpellCheck, anyone?), folks. Let's find some more miscontrued lyrics. (Here's one - when I was a kid and heard the original "I'm Your Venus" I was convinced the words were much more sexually explicit than they. Talk about the power of hormones.)

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

John Doe II, Seattle, Wash — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:43:34 GMT

"And I gotta velveeta" - LOVE IT!!!!!
Why are we acting like a group of Rabbi's pouring over Holy Scripture.
Mr. Miller was a pothead drunk, as I was when I listened to his music. The music was fun and funny. Nothing more. No hidden meanings.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

John Doe, Seattle Was — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:55:41 GMT

This reminds me of that great Elton John tune - Hold Me Close Now Tony Danza

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Zealot — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:56:50 GMT

Could we please get to the real question...What the heck comes after "Blinded by the light?"

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Dan, Martinsburg, WV — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:14:05 GMT

Bill:
That's a very common fable. If that actually did happen it would affect his vocals throughout the whole song and not just the title. But you're not the first person to fall for that one.

Steve is, has, and forever shall be saying "pompatus". The meaning of the non-word is quite variable, depending upon whom you ask. If you had any "intellegence" at all you'd know that. Isn't that right Tim? Man, I'd hate to see what some of these irony soaked respondents would have done if you'd really committed a crime.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

The Mack Girl — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:42:05 GMT

Well, if you're familiar with Lonnie Mack's, Wherever There's a Will There's a Way, you'll know that the lyric debate has been going on for years including the intro -- All dumped down, so discouraged? Go downtown, so discouraged? Having had the honor of meeting Mack in the 90s at the Southgate House in Newport, KY, I took my WHAM album, he signed it, and also sang the lyrics to me so I know them. Does anyone else?

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

slater, midtown — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:46:31 GMT

Excuse me, does anyone really care abou this? Hey, have you guys heard? Paul is dead. Yup, it's right there in the lyrics. That's what walrus, means, right? Dead? Poo-poo-ka-choo.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jane Doe, Seattle, WA — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:52:26 GMT

"Wow[,] what a fine dbate in the large scheme of things. I see you['re] all into important matters[;] I just wasted 15 minutes of my life reading drivel. I won't try to figure out why."

Noone required you to read it.

I love this song. I agree that he's saying "pompatus", and it's brilliant that he never really cleared it up. This many years later, people are still talkig about it!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Coco, White Bear Lake, MN — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:55:36 GMT

Ha, I have always loved "The Joker" specifically because I loved that line. I always thought: how cool that Steve just made up a catchy lyric that people can debate about forever. What better PR is there? How old is that song, and it still brings people out of the woodwork to talk about that line? Bravo, Steve Miller. Besides, how can we even begin to criticize that lyric when these days popular musicians like Justin Timberlake make up their own words to sound cool? Has anyone heard "What goes around comes around"? I swear Justin says "when you cheated girl, my heart bleeded girl". Music isn't always meant to be intellectual; it's just supposed to be fun. Lighten up!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

C, Lincoln NE — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:11:16 GMT

If you are going to continue song lyric postings...can we please discuss Kanye West's Song..."Stronger" Especially this part " You know how long I've been on ya?
Since Prince was on Apollonia
Since OJ had Isotoners
Don't act like I never told ya [x6]
Baby, you're making it (harder, better, faster, stronger)"

Seriously what the heck?? Especially the part of SINCE OJ HAD ISOTONERS?!?! Kindda creepy lol. Sorry this is not related to this thread...you dont have to post it/ just a suggestion on something to discuss.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Kim, ROCK N ROLL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:19:02 GMT

Just google the 'The Joker lyrics' and put an end to the debate.....

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

john doe, Seattle washington — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:40:32 GMT

Golly, the other John Doe should have used the 15 minutes he wasted reading drivel studying his homonyms. He doesn't know the difference between your, you're or yore! Hey fifteen minutes could save the language or save you a bundle on car insurance!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

steve new york, ny — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:48:08 GMT

This may be opening a can of worms, but what about the lyrics to "Louie Louie"?

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Vandaman N. Canton, Ohio — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:18:17 GMT

How about Phil Collins' song re. the chick in the see through blouse ?
"She seems to have an invisible top- shirt"!?
Remember- there's a bathroom on the right.....

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

effing librarian, somewhere, FL — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:57:39 GMT

I heard a radio show once where the original singer (the puppetute guy) said that the lyric is about looking at a beautiful mannequin in a store window. he asked a passerby what the object was (the mannequin) and the guy told him something that sounded like "puppetute." so a puppetute of love is a beautiful mannequin in a store window that makes you feel like you're in love.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Cooky Mann — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:31:41 GMT

Don't you people have anything better to do'? Who gives a rat's ass what he said? Your descendents will someday be electronically enslaved with chips inside their bodies because you people sat around worrying about stupid rock lyrics. Get involved in what's happening in the real world.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

tg, kerrville, tx — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 05:31:09 GMT

"really love your peaches, want to shake your tree" comes from ZZTop's first hit, which was a hit in the sense of being a Texas Thang. but R&B it was not.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Laurah in NY — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:09:58 GMT

I think that's "She seems to have an invisible touch, 'yeh'" He says "touch," with a little extra sound on the end.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Bro Diji, Snausalito, CA — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:24:28 GMT

Answer ALL your burning lyrical questions, have a laugh, and dress yourself...here!

http://www.misswit.net

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Heather, Hollywood, MD — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:30:16 GMT

Yes Vandaman! There is a bathroom on the right!! I still enjoy singing it that way. My other favorites that I refuse to sing correctly-

"You and me and Leslie..." ("Groovin" by Rascals)

"She's so punc-tu-al..." ("Games without Frontiers" by Peter Gabriel)

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

John Dale, Costa Mesa, CA — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:20:06 GMT

Okay, being a research librarian has lead me to the real answer behind the Miller song "The Joker". The word is "Prophetess". Here's why: In 1873 Terese of Lisieux was born and later became a Nun of the Carmelite Cloister. She died at the age of 24. Why is she associated with The Joker? She was cannonized as a Saint because of her devotion or deep "Love" for both God and a man who came "Into the life of this Saint, less that two years before she died,...a young man named Maurice Belliere. They never met, but they exchanged twenty-one letters, and that correspondence opens a window on the heart of St. Therese which would have remained forever closed if Maurice had not written to the Carmel asking for a sister to pray for him". This quote is taken from Maurice and Terese: The Story of a Love. Written by Patrick Ahern. This was the love of a brother and sister who both died in their twenties. She was a Saint, a Prophetess, and vessel for some of the most Pure love in history. Even the Mother Teresa of Calcutta we all know took her name from the "Little Teresa of Lisieux". Maurice was the gangster of love and she was the prophetess. Her autobiography is entitled "Story of a Soul".

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Michael — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:12:34 GMT

Prior to their come-back tour, The Iron Butterfly original group, sans drummer,were in my studio, Premonition in Van Nuys Ca. After two weeks of auditions I had enough! When Rhino came in one night with a new guitar, he let me try it. I started you know which song, and we played for two hours.
Doug told me the original title was "In A Garden of Eden." But uptight producers then didn't like the references. They were'nt hip then.
Try some of The Seeds tunes.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

michael — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:08:20 GMT

I believe that it was "pompages", refering to the pompous nature of rogues, and cuckolds.
Sorry, Romeo's, you are stuck with pompacity.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Lindy Phoenix AZ — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:52:06 GMT

I have a great link to submit for multi link Monday http://us.eternityii.com/try-eternity2-online/
This is a teaser of a new puzzle that is coming to America. It was released in Europe in 1999. According to the info I received on it the first person to solve the puzzle will win $2 million dollars! P.S. It took me a little over 7 minutes to solve the teaser.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jill Henderson, Ft. Wayne, IN — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:40:43 GMT

To those wondering about Bruce Springsteen's song Blinded By the Light, it's: Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a deuce, another runner in the night.
WLDE 101.7 Ft. Wayne, IN had a contest a few months ago about song lyrics everyone gets confused about and that was what they said the lyrics were for Blinded By the Light.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Meg, Carson City NV — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:29:41 GMT

Cooky Mann, don't *you* have anything better to do than rude posting to people talking about a subject you have just admitted to no interest in? The real world is depressing sometimes. If others want to take a few minutes to laugh over rock lyrics, why should you care? YOU get involved in something else, and don't read this column if our conversation annoys you so much. And since this blog is about song lyrics, you remind me of a David Allan Coe lyric...."were you born an a......, or were you that way your whole life?" In your case, it's difficult to mishear THAT lyric!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Bri, DC — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:39:15 GMT

C in Lincoln-

What about the other lyric in that Kanye West song:

"I heard she'd do anything for a Klondike,
And I would do anything for a blond ****" (slang term for female lesbian inserted there; I dislike the word intensely and will not post it).

WTF???? I know black male rappers have this tendency to use racially and sexually charged slurs in their music, but since when do we associate them with ice cream desserts??? RUDE.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jill Ft. Wayne, IN — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:45:11 GMT

Ooops! My bad, I meant "revved up like a deuce" not "wrapped up like a deuce". That's what I get for staying up too late!

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jane Doe, Clare, MI — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:47:55 GMT

I'd like to know what the song "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" is about. When I was about 13 (back in the late 60's, my cousin had me convinced it had to do with someone being be-headed. Huh???????

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

DHFabian — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:50:08 GMT

Don't high schools teach Latin any more? The "in-a-gadda-da-vida" is, simply, Latin for "Garden of Love" (gada=garden, vida=love, etc.).

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Sarah, Walnut Creek, CA — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 03:56:59 GMT

I always thought he was saying "politics" of love....

Cooky Mann....well you're wasting time yelling at us for caring about music lyrics. Music gets me thru the "real world."

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jenny E, Indianapolis, IN — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:53:32 GMT

To C, in Lincoln, NE:

OJ used to do Isotoner glove commercials, back around the same time Prince was "on Apollonia". So did Joe Montana, and a couple of other footbal players. Nothing to do with THOSE gloves.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jenny, Indianapolis, IN — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:59:40 GMT

John Dale: How mank drunken pothead rock stars in the 70s do you really think were reading books about St. Therese and her brother? Read the lyrics in the CD liner. It's pompatous, people.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

steve. a- town — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:09:33 GMT

all song lyric disscusions end with the the louie louie slurfest. now everybody back to work. move along nothing to see here...

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Mike Minick, Halifax, Canda — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:37:33 GMT

On the back of the 1st Springsteen album "Greetings fron Asbury Park" (which features Bruces version of Blinded...), the words are "wrapped up like a deuce, another roamer in the night".

Ya know what drove me nuts for 30 years: "Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse soap and sleigh":)

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Lamont, Riverside, CA — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:36:13 GMT

God! To debate whether serious rock lyrics ever make it to a sheet of paper leaves room enough for conjecture. I never got into rock. I always liked music that was sensible, easy to understand, and well-thought out. That's why I listen to the "Blues". Now, there are some lyrics! Gausagetchachil'n weritzdamp.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Jeana Marie Branson Missouri — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:07:36 GMT

you know, i've been listening to that song since I was a teenager and I've somehow allways known it was pompatus of love without even really knowing the definition. Yet, I still understood what it was refering to. Then I just googled it and I was right. It IS pompatus and it's kinda of like a puppet and prostitute, A fantasie if you will of love.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

mike h — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:11:48 GMT

The word pompatus (also spelled pompitous, ) is a neologism used in the lyrics of Steve Miller's 1973 rock song "The Joker":
Some people call me the space cowboy.
Yeah! Some call me the gangster of love.
Some people call me Maurice,
'Cause I speak of the pompatus of love.
The words "space cowboy" and "gangster of love" are both references to previous Miller songs. The "pompatus" line is also a reference to an earlier song of his, "Enter Maurice," which was recorded the previous year:

My dearest darling, come closer to Maurice
so I can whisper sweet words of epistemology
in your ear and speak to you of the pompatus of love.
Although Miller claims he invented the word, all of his song-writing shows strong rhythm and blues influences, and a 1954 song called "The Letter" by the Medallions had the lines:

Oh my darling, let me whisper
sweet words of pizmotality
and discuss the puppetutes of love.
The song was composed by Vernon Green as a description of his dream woman. "Pizmotality described words of such secrecy that they could only be spoken to the one you loved," Green explained. He coined the term puppetutes "to mean a secret paper-doll fantasy figure who would be my everything and bear my children."

from http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Pompatus

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

Doe A. Deer — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:24:19 GMT

"and the guy told him something that sounded like 'puppetute.'"

I get the feeling that dude called the mannequin a prostitute.

Untangling mysterious song lyrics: 'Pompatus of Love'?

ROBIN, MESA ARIZONA — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:36:04 GMT

hOW ABOUT THAT. I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS I SPEAK OF THE PROMISES OF LOVE