The song was inspired by the 1896 story "Disillusionment" by Thomas Mann. Jerry Leiber's wife Gaby Rodgers (née Gabrielle Rosenberg) was born in Germany and lived in the Netherlands. She escaped ahead of the Nazis, settling in Hollywood where she had a brief film career. Rodgers introduced Leiber to the works of Thomas Mann. Most of the words used in the song's verses are taken verbatim from the narrator's words in Mann's story.
In tapes recently released by the New York Times, Donald Trump said that his favorite song of all time is Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?" On the tapes, which were recorded interviews by journalist Michael D'Antonio for his 2014 biography The Truth About Trump, the billionaire directly connects the lyrics to the song to his own life:
It's a great song because I've had these tremendous successes and then I'm off to the next one. Because, it's like, "Oh, is that all there is?" That's a great song actually, that's a very interesting song, especially sung by her, because she had such a troubled life.
This is a fascinating tidbit I had no idea about. I can totally see Trump being one of those rich, successful guys who really does find it totally empty, but doesn't have the imagination or the stones to do something drastic to change it.
Overbearing, awful father who seemed to show him no love beyond his utility (much like he seems to with his own kids), success basically gaurenteed from birth since even his high profile failures were always bailed out, few to any real friends and surrounded by rich and famous phonies.
So he goes for simple, shallow pleasures - junk food and uppers and constant reassurance from yes men, gets into petty, victimised squabbles with celebrities that don't stroke his ego, builds hotels and casinos and golf clubs because it forces people to acknowledge him socially and makes him the centre of the party that people might not show up to otherwise etc etc.
Trump is more like a villain in a ridiculous cartoony comedy than a real person. He buried their mom on a sad, isolated plot at his golf course to save on his taxes.
So he goes for simple, shallow pleasures
I have a theory that a huge number of ghouls live joyless lives and they can't even experience simple pleasures like food. Trump penchant for over-cooked steak with ketchup is like what a pouting rich boy orders to annoy his parents.
And this was Nixon's last meal at the White House. People might say he was a broken man so he didn't care. But if so - why wouldn't it be just a cup of coffee? I think that sad sack of a meal is what Nixon actually liked. Maybe for him food served as some kind of Quaker culinary cilice
I think Nixon, Trump and their ilk tend to be alike in that the only things that mattered to them are power and revenge. In this context when the the super-powerful and super-rich who are super-unhappy see some peasant walking down the street happily noshing on what appears to be a cheap and unimpressive Danish - they must fly into a rage and be filled with envy and hate. They might call somebody like Jeffrey Epstein to set up a "date" for them.
I definitely think you're onto something with the food trend. I do think McDonalds is a good indicator of Trump's kind of pleasures though; all capitalist marketing and empty calories. And he's absolutely an absurd villain obsessed with personal vendettas.
I never believe him when he talks about how good things are.
It's hard (if not impossible) to know when Trump is telling the truth but I think he was honest about his favorite song - Is That All There Is?
This is a fascinating tidbit I had no idea about. I can totally see Trump being one of those rich, successful guys who really does find it totally empty, but doesn't have the imagination or the stones to do something drastic to change it.
Overbearing, awful father who seemed to show him no love beyond his utility (much like he seems to with his own kids), success basically gaurenteed from birth since even his high profile failures were always bailed out, few to any real friends and surrounded by rich and famous phonies.
So he goes for simple, shallow pleasures - junk food and uppers and constant reassurance from yes men, gets into petty, victimised squabbles with celebrities that don't stroke his ego, builds hotels and casinos and golf clubs because it forces people to acknowledge him socially and makes him the centre of the party that people might not show up to otherwise etc etc.
Trump is more like a villain in a ridiculous cartoony comedy than a real person. He buried their mom on a sad, isolated plot at his golf course to save on his taxes.
I have a theory that a huge number of ghouls live joyless lives and they can't even experience simple pleasures like food. Trump penchant for over-cooked steak with ketchup is like what a pouting rich boy orders to annoy his parents.
And this was Nixon's last meal at the White House. People might say he was a broken man so he didn't care. But if so - why wouldn't it be just a cup of coffee? I think that sad sack of a meal is what Nixon actually liked. Maybe for him food served as some kind of Quaker culinary cilice
I think Nixon, Trump and their ilk tend to be alike in that the only things that mattered to them are power and revenge. In this context when the the super-powerful and super-rich who are super-unhappy see some peasant walking down the street happily noshing on what appears to be a cheap and unimpressive Danish - they must fly into a rage and be filled with envy and hate. They might call somebody like Jeffrey Epstein to set up a "date" for them.
The Sad, Stately Photo Of Nixon's Resignation Lunch : The Salt : NPR
I definitely think you're onto something with the food trend. I do think McDonalds is a good indicator of Trump's kind of pleasures though; all capitalist marketing and empty calories. And he's absolutely an absurd villain obsessed with personal vendettas.