Does anyone have any idea about the reference in Man on the Moon to "Mott the Hoople" and the "Game of Life"? I can't find any connection to Andy Kaufman and I'm just about to fall down, exhausted from trying. (The rest of the song I'm pretty OK with). Thanks.

-- alison borchers (borchersa@tabcorp.com.au), July 18, 2000

Answers

mott the hoople was a glam rock band in the 70's, michael and peter i think were big fans (as everyone should be, they were a great band).

-- jason (boxelder1932@aol.com), July 19, 2000.

Thanks Jason - I'm knocked out that you responded! I actually knew M the H were a band but I'm struggling with why they are mentioned in this song. Perhaps there's no answer - perhaps it sounded cute or is another obscure piece of imaginative authorship. Never mind - let's see what other fans come up with ! Thanks again.

-- alison (borchersa@tabcorp.com.au), July 19, 2000.

I think that Michael was just setting the scene for the time in which Andy was at his peak, the same time at which Mott the Hoople were big, although the 'game of life' reference puzzles me as well!

-- Wendell (lekitch@hotmail.com), July 19, 2000.

I have an idea about the "game of life" reference in Man On The Moon. The lyric is actually, I think, "the game of 'Life'", as in the board game called Life. I don't know if anybody else remembers this game, but it was around. I can't connect it to Andy, really, except perhaps in the same way as Mott the Hoople: both Mott and Life were around at the same time as Andy. OK, see ya!

-- Eddie Yo (MrBRETT@angelfire.com), July 19, 2000.

I think you're all geniuses ! I'll buy the "placing Kaufman in his era" theory about these two bits of lyric. Thanks again everyone !

-- alison (borchersa@tabcorp.com.au), July 19, 2000.

'The Game Of Life' is a board game in which you roll dice and move around living the life that is put before you by the dice, in the same way as 'monopoly' and 'twister' which are also mentioned in the song. Quite why they are there i'm not sure, maybe its making a comment about the life of andy kaufman - unpredictable and a whole lotta fun...

-- mark (MarkStephenBell@hotmail.com), July 20, 2000.