Talk:Copacabana (song)

Star Wars???[edit]

Hi there. I changed the sentences a bit, because it took me a few minutes to figure out what the previous author was trying to say.
Anyway: I'd like to dispute a point: Article (now) says:

A parody cover version by the name of Star Wars Cantina was performed by Mark Jonathan Davis

Well I don't know Mark Davis, but if it's titled Star Wars Cantina, are you sure it's not a cover version of the famous Star Wars Cantina by John Williams? -- BjKa 21:34, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've heard the song. The article is correct. Philip Reuben 23:53, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The article now says that "Star Wars Cantina" is by Richard Cheese, not Mark Davis. Which one is it? Stonemason89 (talk) 02:44, 22 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Oops, just looked up the song and it looks like Mark Davis is Richard Cheese. Silly me... Stonemason89 (talk) 02:44, 22 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

the famous parody was by al yankovic, not richard cheese/mark davis -- whoever that is! (some kid doing a similar parody in his basement?) 66.105.218.9 (talk) 07:20, 25 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Either way, a reliable source will be needed for this to be added to the article at this point, especially if we're to claim it's a "famous" parody. Doniago (talk) 16:43, 25 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

No, Richard Cheese isn't "some kid doing a similar parody in his basement," he's a professional entertainer who has been doing song parodies for the past decade. Anyone who doesn't know who Richard Cheese/Mark Davis is should type his name into the search function at the top of the page and then read his Wikipedia page. In the meantime, let's all strive to keep things civil and polite. Grognards or newbies, there's no need to be rude. {64.75.215.170 (talk) 11:02, 9 September 2011 (UTC)}[reply]

Really in Havana?[edit]

The article says this song refers to the nightclub in Havana. Is there really such a club? I assumed it referenced the club in NYC, especially given the lyrics "hottest spot north of Havana", implying the club wasn't in Havana at all. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Kelly.terry.jones (talk • contribs) 23:09:35, August 19, 2007 (UTC).

I dont know, they have hispanic names.. :D\=< (talk) 03:12, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Just because they have Hispanic names doesn't mean they live in Cuba. NYC has a large Hispanic population too, you know. Stonemason89 (talk) 02:42, 22 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

has nothing to do w "hispanic population", cuba was in vogue back then and many swanky clubs in NYC had cuban themes/entertainers, same as the many swanky clubs in cuba proper. think ricky ricardo.

song is definity set in NYC. or possibly miami. certainly not havana. or even "habana", as the article says! 66.105.218.9 (talk) 07:14, 25 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The chorus states that this club, wherever it is, is "north of Havana", so it definitely isn't in Havana. -- 188.29.100.250 (talk) 09:50, 29 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Absurdist[edit]

Is it just me or is this one of the finest examples of popular absurdist music? A guy dies, a girl loses her mind, and the upbeat latino music just keeps playing.. barry keeps smiling and dancing, the bongos keep popping.. the gentle indifference of the world :D\=< (talk) 03:14, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You might enjoy Macarthur park. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.17.191.101 (talk) 03:36, 20 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Rico or Lola?[edit]

I always thought Lola shot Tony - by accident =^..^= (talk) 01:27, 13 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The article says "The ensuing brawl results in a shooting; after it is initially unclear "who shot who," it soon becomes clear that Tony has died." I disagree. The lyrics remain ambiguous. It is possible that Rico was shot, and Tony jailed as a result. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.254.201.36 (talk) 08:01, 4 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

I think it is impossible and also add a citation do thay statement please. Tee wew28 (talk) 17:55, 21 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Where in the song does it say who died?[edit]

In the version of the song I remember it is not specified who if anyone actually died, let alone that Rico killed Tony. Yes, the lyrics say that Lola lost Tony, but I don't remember the lyrics saying that she lost Tony because he was killed by Rico, because he was sent to prison for killing Rico, or because he left her for some other reason in the 30 (?) years since the incident. I also recall the phrase "...north of Havana..." which would appear to indicate a locale north of Cuba. Someone should ask Barry about this and then print his answer in an accepted mass media outlet so that his explanation could be quoted here as fact rather that as "original research." {64.75.215.170 (talk) 10:49, 9 September 2011 (UTC)}[reply]

My own interpretation of the second verse of the song has always been that it (deliberately?) leaves ambiguous the question as to whether Lola lost Tony (which is all that the lyrics clearly state) because Rico killed him, or because he killed Rico and was executed for this. From the above, I now see that there's at least a third possibility, that Tony killed Rico and got a life sentence (for manslaughter committed in self-defence?). To my mind, all that can definitely be stated is that as a result of the fight, Lola "lost" Tony in some unspecified way (the lyrics actually state "who shot who?", underlining the ambiguity), and the claim that Tony was shot by Rico is thus speculation/OR and should be removed. -- 188.29.100.250 (talk) 09:45, 29 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Something wrong[edit]

You say the song's title refers to the famous New York night club, the Copacabana. But why then brasilian music ? In New York you would composing somthing like across the 110th street. and why did he sing..."I'm at the Copa" which means that hotel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana_Palace — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.131.182.175 (talk) 16:08, 27 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Problems in article[edit]

First one hasn't been fixed since 2007 evidently. The lyrics specifically say "North of Havana", therefore the club can't be in Havana. I'm pretty sure it refers to the New York nightclub. The article for the club states Manilow's song is about it. One article or the other needs to be fixed. Any sources?

Also, in the article body, it says the long version is on the "B" side. The infobox says the long version is on the "A" side. Anyone have a label scan (or some other source) for confirmation? Thanks! 78.26 (I'm no IP, talk to me!) 06:15, 3 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that the lyrics suggest that the club is in the US, "north of Havana". Regarding the A and B-sides, the label scans here suggest that they were simply labeled "long version" and "short version". There doesn't seem to be any information on the labels to suggest that one or other was called the A-side - on that site, the long version is labeled as the A-side, but it's a user-generated site so that might simply be a random choice. Ghmyrtle (talk) 15:57, 3 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Removed the "generally assumed" sentence regarding the location of the club. There's no citation provided and the article's already been tagged for needing better sourcing for years now. Let's not add original research. Doniago (talk) 16:26, 3 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

seems reasonable. I am also going to remove the "A" and "B" side designations. Whitburn (Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1999, page 401) lists the "long version" as the flip side, implying it was the "short version" which charted, so I will list that first. Now I realize there is a discrepancy in the track length. The body lists the "short version" length at 4:08, while the infobox lists it at 3:48. This 4:08 lengh agrees with the Even Now track listing. Is it possible (likely?) that there are three original versions released in 1978? 3:48 (single), 4:08 (album), and 5:46 (disco)? 78.26 (I'm no IP, talk to me!) 16:36, 3 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

The US release (Arista AS-0339) has versions at 5:46 (long) and 3:48 (short). But, the Canadian release here gives the length of the short version as 4:12, and releases in other countries like Italy (4:05), Sweden (4:08), France (4:08), and Netherlands (4:07) give similar lengths - though Belgium gives 3:46! Could the 20 second or so difference simply be down to different measurements of a fade-out, or different edits? I don't know - I've always preferred the long version! Ghmyrtle (talk) 17:19, 3 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

I've now added a reference regarding the writing of the song from this book, which sets it out in Manilow's own words. Ghmyrtle (talk) 17:07, 3 April 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Line Renaud's version[edit]

I don't get why the mention of the song interpreted in French by Line Renaud has been removed. When I first introduced it, I had to indicate sources in order to get it validated, then received a "thank-you note" for enriching the article, but now, it's gone again! It's frustrating and discouraging.

Yet, I guess Line Renaud's cover is worth Amanda Lear's one, which deserves a whole section! Not to mention the other ones missing. I don't understand why this article mentions some versions, and not others.

I'm certainly not representing Mrs. Renaud's interests, I'm just trying to help making an article as complete as possible. --Paul — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.67.188.43 (talk) 15:59, 3 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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"list of miscellaneous information" tag is not appropriate[edit]

The "Cover versions" section has a "list of miscellaneous information" tag, which points to a guidelines page.

From that guidelines page: "This page in a nutshell: Sections with lists of miscellaneous information (such as "trivia" sections) should be avoided as an article develops. Such information is better presented in an organized way." See also the section "Not all list sections are trivia sections."

This list does not fit that description. It is not a list of trivia, or miscellaneous information. It is narrowly focused list of cover versions. The tag is not appropriate, and I've removed it. Omc (talk) 12:23, 6 August 2019 (UTC)[reply]