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

Avsnitt(2800)

It’s Tariff Time, Again

It’s Tariff Time, Again

Weeks before taking office, President-elect Donald J. Trump is doubling down on tariffs. Even if the threat to impose them proves to be just a negotiating tactic or bluster, it is also a gambit that h...

2 Dec 202426min

From Wirecutter: Don't Get Swindled on Black Friday

From Wirecutter: Don't Get Swindled on Black Friday

Most of the deals you’ll see for Black Friday and Cyber Week aren’t worth your time. This week, we reveal how to actually get a deal that’s worth your money.To listen to more episodes, please search f...

29 Nov 202427min

Thanksgiving With Ina Garten

Thanksgiving With Ina Garten

Leading up to Thanksgiving, we took a trip to the home of Ina Garten, the legendary cookbook author and TV star. For one glorious afternoon, the Barefoot Contessa gave us a master class on the art of ...

28 Nov 202429min

How Israel Uses Palestinian Detainees as Human Shields

How Israel Uses Palestinian Detainees as Human Shields

Overnight, Israel agreed to a cease-fire with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah — a major turning point in one of the wars the country has been fighting since Hamas attacked it on Oct. 7. But the war...

27 Nov 202423min

The Metamorphosis of Pete Hegseth

The Metamorphosis of Pete Hegseth

Now that Matt Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration as attorney general, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s most controversial cabinet pick is his selection of Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.Dav...

26 Nov 202429min

A Sudden Escalation in Ukraine Before Trump Takes Office

A Sudden Escalation in Ukraine Before Trump Takes Office

President-elect Donald J. Trump has promised a radically different approach to foreign policy from that of the Biden administration. In Ukraine, he has pledged to end the war in a day.But just weeks b...

25 Nov 202426min

From Serial: ‘The Good Whale’

From Serial: ‘The Good Whale’

After the movie “Free Willy” became a hit, word got out that the star of the film, a killer whale named Keiko, was sick and living in a tiny pool at a Mexican amusement park. Fans were outraged and pl...

24 Nov 202447min

'The Interview': K-Pop Trained Rosé to Be ‘a Perfect Girl.’ Now She’s Trying to Be Herself.

'The Interview': K-Pop Trained Rosé to Be ‘a Perfect Girl.’ Now She’s Trying to Be Herself.

The Blackpink star strikes out on her own, away from the system that turned her into a global phenomenon. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscri...

23 Nov 202435min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
rss-expressen-dok
flashback-forever
rss-sanning-konsekvens
motiv
aftonbladet-daily
spar
rss-vad-fan-hande
blenda-2
rss-krimreportrarna
olyckan-inifran
rss-frandfors-horna
rss-flodet
grans
krimmagasinet
dagens-eko