I love the eighties, I love British New Wave music, and I love The Pet Shop Boys; Pet Shop Boys - Always on my mind (long version):

The passenger’s verbal patter is hilarious:

Murderer

I smell youth, vintage youth.

Neil

You don’t have any weapons in there, do you?

Murderer

Why? What do you need?

Chris

Where are you from?

Neil

Yes, where are you from?

Chris

I’m glad you asked me twice. You see I’m a bilingual. I’m a bilingual illiterate. I can’t read in two languages. I’ve just been fishing with Salvador Dali. He used a dotted line… caught every other fish. Then we played poker with tarot cards. I got a full house. Four people died; one of them was a nun.

Neil

You’re very full of yourself, aren’t you?

Murderer

Yes, some people do call me conceited, I can’t think why. I’m just tired. I’ve been up all night trying to round off the infinite. And Lucifer before the day doth go.

Chris

Don’t we know you?

Murderer

I don’t know. I used to be blind. But then I started eating carrots. I still can’t see during the day.

Neil

Do you drink?

Murderer

No thank you, that’s very nice. I’ll get the waiter. Oh, I love the radio. I had a girlfriend once who used to sing on the radio. Every time she walked under the bridge you couldn’t hear her sing. Oh she was a beautiful girl, very beautiful. When I first met her she’d just been to a psychoanalyst. It didn’t do her any good, she said. I asked her why. She said I’m a nymphomaniac, you see, and I only get turned on by Jewish Cowboys. I’m so sorry I said, let me introduce myself, my name is Bucky Goldstein.

Murderer

I didn’t know you played the violin. I wrote a song myself once you know, but I can’t read music, so I don’t know what it is. I wonder… do you think it’s this?

Chris

Where are you going?

Murderer

I’m going there. But I like it here wherever it is. Stop the car. I’m getting out. You are no longer here. Stop! Go! Go! Go! You went away, it should make me feel better…I don’t know how I’m going to get through…

I found this awesome little clip over at Reviewing: The Blog, one of two companion websites of The Review, my local newspaper. It comes from a movie the Pet Shop Boys made in 1988, It Couldn’t Happen Here. The entire film can be seen at Google Video.

A couple of thoughts: some of the passenger’s jokes sounded familiar, and after doing some checking, it turns out that the bit about the Jewish Cowboy named “Bucky Goldstein” has been used by comedian Steven Wright; Steven Wright: on a bus:

Perhaps all the jokes came from somewhere else, or were old standard jokes or something, I don’t really know, but the delivery of the actor, (Joss Ackland, CBE), was brilliant.

Cheers.

Filed under: Music, Film