The Sunday Read: ‘Why Did This Guy Put a Song About Me on Spotify?’
The Daily19 Touko 2024

The Sunday Read: ‘Why Did This Guy Put a Song About Me on Spotify?’

Have you heard the song “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes”?

Probably not. On Spotify, “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes” has not yet accumulated enough streams to even register a tally. Even Brett Martin, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the titular Nice Man, didn’t hear the 1 minute 14 second song until last summer, a full 11 years after it was uploaded by an artist credited as Papa Razzi and the Photogs.

When Martin stumbled on “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes,” he naturally assumed it was about a different, more famous Brett Martin: perhaps Brett Martin, the left-handed reliever who until recently played for the Texas Rangers; or Brett Martin, the legendary Australian squash player; or even Clara Brett Martin, the Canadian who in 1897 became the British Empire’s first female lawyer. Only when the singer began referencing details of stories that he made for public radio’s “This American Life” almost 20 years ago did he realize the song was actually about him. The song ended, “I really like you/Will you be my friend?/Will you call me on the phone?” Then it gave a phone number, with a New Hampshire area code.

So, he called.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(2757)

Is There an A.I. Bubble? And What if It Pops?

Is There an A.I. Bubble? And What if It Pops?

After years of soaring optimism and colossal investment, Wall Street has begun to seriously question whether the frenzy for A.I. is justified.Cade Metz, who covers technology for The New York Times, e...

20 Marras 202525min

Congress Orders Trump to Release the Epstein Files

Congress Orders Trump to Release the Epstein Files

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill to release all of the files related to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a bill that President Trump spent months trying to kill.Th...

19 Marras 202533min

The Future of Energy Has Arrived — Just Not in the U.S.

The Future of Energy Has Arrived — Just Not in the U.S.

For the first time in 30 years, the annual U.N. conference on climate change is taking place without top government representation from the United States. China has emerged as the top dog at the summi...

18 Marras 202535min

Unpacking Trump’s 50-Year Mortgage Proposal

Unpacking Trump’s 50-Year Mortgage Proposal

When President Trump proposed the introduction of a 50-year mortgage, he challenged a bedrock of the American housing market and financial system. He also revealed how desperate the administration is ...

17 Marras 202525min

Sunday Special: A Sea of Streaming Docs

Sunday Special: A Sea of Streaming Docs

There was once a time when documentaries could be found only on public television or in art-house cinemas. But today, documentaries are more popular and accessible than ever, with streaming services s...

16 Marras 202550min

'The Interview': Tina Brown on Epstein, the Über-Rich and Her Most Burning Resentments

'The Interview': Tina Brown on Epstein, the Über-Rich and Her Most Burning Resentments

The longtime editor and chronicler of the elite says she’s liberated and is letting it rip. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your fa...

15 Marras 202548min

Ozempic for All?

Ozempic for All?

Drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have revolutionized weight loss. And starting next year, the drugs are going to become more affordable for Americans because of a deal struck with pharmaceutical compan...

14 Marras 202522min

‘He Knew’: What Epstein Said About Trump in New Emails

‘He Knew’: What Epstein Said About Trump in New Emails

Thousands of pages of newly released emails between Jeffrey Epstein and his associates have put the convicted sex offender’s relationship with President Trump back in the spotlight.David Enrich and Mi...

13 Marras 202528min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
viisupodi
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
otetaan-yhdet
rss-podme-livebox
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-asiastudio
the-ulkopolitist
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-tekkipodi
io-techin-tekniikkapodcast
rikosmyytit
rss-mina-ukkola
rss-fingo-podcast
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat