David Letterman has long made TV a little more surreal. I've watched Dave on and off since probably 1986; I've read
The Late Shift (Bill Carter's book on the drama surrounding Letterman and Jay Leno and who'd get to take over
The Tonight Show, and why Dave eventually went to CBS to start
The Late Show with David Letterman)+ several times; I've
linked to some of the products of Dave's show's wonderful weirdness; I've gotten a little emotional over Dave's introducing to his audience the medical team who saved his life; and I went "woo hoo!" at the news that he'd finally become a father, which is something I think he was meant to be.
And because I'm in the mood to share, I'll share "The Late Night Anthem." Yes, in the Eighties,
Late Night with David Letterman was immortalized in song:
There's a cool breeze blowing,
You can feel it across the land.
It's clear blue skies,
Clip-on ties,
A place where you can stand.
And Late Night
is the reason
Our forefathers fought with pride.
It's stupid pets, talk show guests,
A feeling, that's deep inside.
It's a Late Night
world,
It's a world that we can share.
So turn on the TV,
And watch it with me,
It's a Late Night
world of love!
To all the people around the world,
Some words of sage advice,
That you should try
To always buy
Our sponsors' merchandise.
So change the channel,
Change your life,
It doesn't cost a thing.
We're talking loud,
Standing proud,
Now join us, as we sing...
It's a Late Night
world,
It's a world that we can share.
So turn on your TV,
and watch it with me,
It's a Late Night
world of love.
It's a Late Night
world..... of love!(Someone last year was kind enough to share those lyrics in the comments to
this Tim Goodman column last year, congratulating Dave's then-25 years in late-night television.)
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+ A little pet peeve of mine: When Dave's Eighties late-night show is referred to as The Late Show, which it was never named until he went to CBS in 1993. Laziness and/or sloppiness makes it sound as if it was always The Late Show. It wasn't. And before that there was The David Letterman Show, his 1980 morning show. Yes, once someone at NBC thought Letterman as a morning show host was a good idea. (NBC eventually cancelled that show, with the condition that it'd keep paying Dave until it could give him another show. The result of that was, finally, Late Night With David Letterman a year later.)
elionwyr took the quiz, and now I take it, too...)