A pineapple for me

In response to previous charges that Charles has no sense of romance, I stand by my man and present the following for your consideration:

One of my favorite recordings - ever - is Lotte Lenya and Jack Gilford's "It Couldn't Please Me More (A Pineapple)," recorded in 1966. (Listen to mp3) The lyrics are sweetly goofy (even a bit dada), but that's largely what I find so wonderful about it. The song is a duet from Cabaret, following a scene in which an eldery gentleman (Gilford) buys a pineapple for his "lady love" (Lenya). Upon receiving the gift, she is overwhelmed with emotion and begins singing:

If you bought me diamonds
If you bought me pearls
If you bought me roses like some other gents might bring to other girls
It couldn't please me more than the gift I see
A pineapple, for me!

I put this song on just about every mix CD I make, including one I made for Charles last year. And so, on the anniversary of our first date (last May), when he came to pick me up for dinner, he brought me... a pineapple!

Comments

[Angela]

I have never written on a blog before so I hope I am not being impolite by commenting on some of the earlier entries I just read.

The best predictor of how a man will treat his future wife is how he treats his mother. From what I know about Charles and his mother it seems to me that Carrie will enjoy a long life of love, respect and compassion from her future husband.

As for proposals – my husband had quite the time proposing to me because I don’t like diamonds or jewelry of stuff in general. That has not stopped us from having a happy marriage. (That may be one of the reasons we have happy marriage).

And as for pineapples – Thank you Carrie for sharing. How can a pineapple NOT be romantic?

[Rick Blaine]

I didn't comment on previous posts, because others were expressing my views much more eloquently than I could, but I cannot stand by in the face of this latest abomination.

Charles, I can understand your Oedipal need to pander mindlessly to everything your Mother tells you to do, think, or say. I can even sympathize with your naive nostalgia for the regressive, oppressive, primitive superstitions of the dirty Jews.

Carrie, I can forgive what I hope is a temporary self-indulgent lapse from the Marxist-Leninist asceticism that normally drives your every thought and action, and only hope that in the coming months you reconsider the boundless hedonism you currently are contemplating.

But now this?

Pineapples?

Jeebus, Charles, why not just bring her the severed head of a cute baby cosmetic-testing bunny rabbit? I mean, where to begin?

If you want to fetishize "exotic" fruits in the privacy of your own home, that's your right. But why plaster it all over the internet, unless it is to satisfy your latent sado-masochistic exhibitionist complex?

And don't even get me started on the Pineapple-Industrial Complex.

I love you both more than my own children (who are selfish, controlling little bastards anyway), and I wish you nothing but the best in all your endeavors, but I could never live with myself if I didn't point out the obvious:

You are weak, selfish, evil hypocrites who deserve to be drawn and quartered. I don't say that as a criticism, just pointing out the truth, for your own good, because I know you both so very intimately.

Best regards,

Rick.

"Pineapple is Murder"

[Charles]

Too close to the real thing, Rick.

[Traveler Bill Blevins]

Wow. That is quite possibly the most beautiful story I have ever heard. That song is now on my mp3 player and I can only hope I someday have someone I can buy a pineapple for.
Congrats.

[Sonya K]

Hi Carrie.

Sujan Hong led me to your site and I'm in the same boat..recently engaged, starting to research reasonable places, not wanting to spend a ton of money. Have you checked out indiebride.com? I look forward to reading your blog and if I find any bargains, I will pass them along, but check out the "vendor" section of that website. see ya!

[FreshMex]

I don't even know you... but I think the pineapple story is wonderful. So simple. It's the little gestures and the shared history that make relationships strong. And I really like the place you picked for your day. Lots of light. Even if it poured all day it would make for an interesting venue because of the windows. I want to live there (if it had sand and trees nearby of course)!

[internet dude]

This is kind of a random post....but I'm a musician and I played in this musical (Cabaret) last May. Coincidently, my ex girlfriend happened to break up with me in the weeks that I was doing this show, and I remember this song in particular, after she broke up me, for whatever reason got to me, and always made sad during the show while we played it, because I would think of her. Anyway, I was just sittin' here on my computer surfing the internet and found this mp3 and listened to it, and it of course brought back some bad memories. This tune man haha.....

[Phil@Gaming Mouse]

Cute, very cute. A very spikey gift, the pineapple, but still very cute.