Nellie McKay: "Mother of Pearl" and "If I Had You"

www.ted.com The wonderful Nellie McKay sings "Mother of Pearl" (with the immortal first line "Feminists don't have a sense of humor") and "If I Had You" from her sparkling set at TED2008.
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[@lucasboden]

I am scared to share this video cause my friends are not all too bright.

[@Gabbodaundadog]

The song "if I had you"@3:20 cutts your soul.if it was because of a loss or a longing for someone, when she performs it in this video you can feel it.

[@noraayumustari1274]

if i had you.... its like a lullaby to me. I have listened to her singing this song since school... and now im singing it back to my son.. as his lullaby every night.

[@cfcasey.guitars-ukuleles]

Wicked humour and gentle wistfulness - remind anyone else of Blossom Dearie?

[@thedarksavior0]

Pure brilliance. I don't understand how anyone could not enjoy this.

[@douglasware4511]

Thanks Jimmy D for introducing me.

[@johnf4279]

I thank JD for introducing me to her: )

[@z1z2z3z]

Me too! She's amazing!

[@DavidDevereuxMusic]

I love this woman

[@seBcopTer]

Wonderful musician and songwriter. So original. Haven't come back to this in many years, but just as wonderful as before. I hope she is well.

[@therugburnz]

Feel better. Still cried at the end.

[@Curiouser581]

so clever, so adorable, so talented. finally, some music worth paying for...

[@LindsayCatherine]

It is re-donk-u-lous how good she is! Absolute perfection!

[@thechaser1985]

"If I Had You" just makes me smile and feel at ease.

[@parrotbill]

I'm 56 years old, but if I could find one like you my age I wouldn't be single any longer. It takes a special sense of humor to make me laugh...kind of sick on the funny side. Keep up he good work!

[@kimberlymanning]

I Love Nellie - she's a genious

[@jacquelineramphal1911]

What a voice! She totally did brilliant with PS I Love You!😎💥❤️💥 A good singer makes you feel the emotions;she delivers!

[@BarryAir]

touched my heart

[@crudhousefull]

Absolutely incredible. Love this lady

[@flixarama]

Wow. Awesome voice. Awesome lyrics. Awesome song. (Mother of Pearl)

[@evilmarc]

This song is awesome in so many ways!

[@Blackmailman]

Aww those were both great.

[@howlinhobbit]

dear Ms. Nellie. you are fabulous. don't ever change.

[@Lechatnoir3]

absolutely gorgeous, brings me to tears ❤

[@therugburnz]

I did cry the first few times i saw it. Sometimes I watch he first song over so I can stop crine.

[@therugburnz]

Stumbled in tonight did the same

[@b1ngnx33]

Sweet. She's brilliant!

[@egajahsiis]

Her voice is amazing...

[@Samuel-zs9lh]

Ela é linda, estou conhecendo o trabalho musical agora, apenas fiquei encantado com sua interpretação em P.S. I Love You, exalando energia

[@x3naurus]

5 STARS ENCORE

[@daf827]

Saw her last night opening for Madeleine Peyroux at Tarrytown. Absolutely fabulous! Amazing talent! Loved her! Last night, it was "This message was approved by Michelle Bachmann." Hysterical! Thanks for posting!

[@axelhyltan]

Nellie Angel Mckay🙏🦄

[@IvoMiller]

I love ❤ her

[@pdunny20]

amaaazing

[@davidluk8]

I like her voice and style.

[@szatmar666]

Nellie is my hero ;)

[@evilmarc]

She's a true artist.

[@ryanjohnson1548]

wouldn't you? I sure would walking off a TED stage after singing "If i had you" like that. I almost cried at the end myself. :)

[@wolfiesocrates]

I love her she is the cutest thing--heard her on NPR great sense of humor.

[@clara-fn4mc]

i love you, nellie

[@kirkjohnson9353]

I hope she hits it really big and can get a bigger guitar- shes worth it.

[@Pixelologist]

LOL! :-D

[@quackslikeaduck]

Haaaaaaaaaaa

[@ShaunYoung]

Awesome sense of humour, bloody talented vocalist and musician!

[@therugburnz]

To: unity100, I think she had a beloved pet pass away just a day or two before this performance and the emotion got to her. She's a pro and got through it. Emotional players like her sometimes let themselves come through just a bit .

[@gup8175]

❤Nellie did a show at Monks Jazz Cafe recently. It's on yt of course.

[@otzi1]

I can't believe it has almost been 10 years now! When I started listening to Nellie McKay, I couldn't understand much of the lyrics, but now I'd love to meet her personally and have a small discussion about feminists and what they are doing right or wrong.

[@davidluk8]

I like her style.

[@janarosem]

Whoa, she did TED??! No wonder I love her.

[@mistersunday_]

This girl has got a head on her. Bravo!

[@AlexReynard]

Precisely my point.

[@peterobby1769]

If I had you was so wonderful

[@Daztents]

There's no one like Nellie and never shall there be.

[@downtourth]

Nellie is an Angel hear on Earth.

[@henrikharbin5521]

Kellie is one if those rare people who can sing whatever she wants. :)

[@emperoremesis9494]

I love her so much jdjsnsjdsk

[@KateSloan]

I just started playing ukulele because of this video. Does anyone know the chords of Mother of Pearl?

[@TheParsleyPress]

sweet and funny - and crunchy.

[@Dahlen4Dummies]

Melodic voice as if here vocal cords were chords.

[@mindrunfree]

She is so brilliant. I love her facetiousness.

[@zzzz1192]

feel in love @ 3:25

[@anonymous-yk9sz]

Me too

[@curiousted]

LOLZ. This gal is too funny.

[@szatmar666]

She reminds me of Billie Holiday while singing "If I had you", but I don't know if Billie Holiday ever recorded this song. Can anybody tell if me if she did? Anyway, it's is mesmerizing, Nellie is our times' Billie!

[@CalicoCupcakes]

i thought the same thing!

[@syncopate.]

This makes me laugh until I sob.

[@ReiSilver]

lolgasm XD

[@FormbyFanatic]

wow. Shes got my vote..

[@awesomelyizzy]

She was satirising anti-feminists. Is that not clear?

[@jeraldjoyce2995]

@myanabull downvote

[@MiaHessMusic]

and on uke yet. You go, girl!

[@nyurieisbal1389]

who here in 2022 been 14 years babyyyy

[@kyrgyzstanification]

Is that a Martin Uke? I love Nellie!

[@timgoes]

Go TED

[@lazlopanoflex]

the laugh track is part of the song (the studio version)

[@awesomelyizzy]

haha brilliant :)

[@superfluouslyme]

I'm Rick Santorum and I approve this message.

[@hangule]

epic

[@bbarsher]

smart creative artistic personality

[@bbarsher]

bones without marrow!

[@capedchameleon]

@fretsbie tell me, what is the point?

[@3Kmartin]

A Martin ukulele no less!

[@V1sual3y3z]

it's not an organization... O.o it's a theory/perspective/political umbrella. Which also means it is a general term used to describe a number of movements.

[@ivomonroemiller]

I voted for Ralph Nader

[@anonymous-yk9sz]

But the second one was stunning

[@arnoldgibaldi6779]

Thought about Billie during If I Had You.

[@neogen23]

It's been 14 years already? Jesus...

[@timgoes]

yes she cried

[@TechGorilla1987]

I won't lie - I'm a man and "If I Had You" makes me weep.

[@SazzyIsSnazzy]

@deadninga There are definitely people who don't get it's a satire. Take "uprockbiddy" who commented on here, for example.

[@AlternateViewpoint]

Hilarious!

[@steveandrobbia]

adoringly unique tigress...

[@kassandraayalasongs]

Lmao

[@unloads]

You have got to be kidding me. The song is making a comment on the stereotyping of the feminist movement, as well as the usual response from the public. This song in its humour manages to bring to light the current culture in America and its shortfalls. Unless you just don't get satire, you'll understand what is really going on in this song. Learn to satire.

[@wmarkfish]

There are 51 doofuses out there to dislike this???

[@HarshitGupta_nl]

If you dislike this you shouldn't be watching

[@therugburnz]

Is she crying at the end?

[@stephenarling1667]

Yes

[@deadninga]

@pocketsnatcher just so you know there is NO ONE in the WORLD who doesn't realize this is satire and the fact that you even thought it was a possibility is very sad. And yes to answer your question you did just get owned.

[@3Kmartin]

Indeed. A vintage style 0 ukulele from the 1920's.

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

Back when I was a feminist, I actually thought this was funny. Then I examined the actual issues. What an eye-opener.

[@Scinery]

lol

[@awesomelyizzy]

I think that many people I know believe in politcal, social and economic equality for women...?

[@nauort23]

The "organization"?! I must have missed that memo.

[@averysgore]

Talk about a song that proves its own point.

[@AlexReynard]

No, it was not clear. Hence my comment saying that I did not find it clear.

[@AlexReynard]

If she is, then it's clever but a bit confusing. Poe's Law can be invoked by sarcasm as well as extremism.

[@carlosalmonacid8958]

So this song is called Mother of Pearl, eh? Well, it reminds me more of a SpongeBob episode without Pearl. SpongeBob: I'm serious, Squidward! Miss Clinton is a feminist. And I can prove it, too. Squidward: [confused] How did you...? SpongeBob: Let's see, in the movie the feminists didn't have a sense of humor! They couldn't laugh. Hey, Mr. Krabs! Miss Clinton: [runs up to the counter] What is it, boy? SpongeBob: Squidward just told me a hilarious joke and I thought you might like to hear it. Mr. Krabs: Is it true, Squidward? Is it hilarious? Squidward: Umm... yeah, sure. Miss Clinton: Well, let's hear it, lad. SpongeBob: Okay, here it goes! Uhh, how'd it go Squidward? Squidward: [chuckles nervously] Uhh, it went, umm, uhh, let's see, uhh... why couldn't the 11-year-old get into the lesbian pirate movie? Miss Clinton: Why? Squidward: It was rated "Arr!"[laughing] Arr! Because it's... about...lesbian.... pirates. Miss Clinton: I'm not paying you to do stand up, Mr. Squidward! Now get back to work! SpongeBob: [gasps] Not even a chuckle! See, Squidward? She didn't laugh because she couldn't laugh because she's... [scene zooms in on him] ...a feminist! Squidward: There's a logical explanation why she didn't laugh, SpongeBob. She's obviously heard it before. The only reason you think Krabs is a Feminist is because you watched that stupid movie. Now why don't you... SpongeBob: Hey, Miss Clinton! Miss Clinton: [runs up to the counter again] What? What is it, boy? SpongeBob: Squidward's mother never hugged him. Isn't that sad? [pretends to cry] Mr. Krabs: Yes, I suppose that is rather sad, but Squidward can hug himself during his break! Now get back to work! SpongeBob: Just like the robot in the movie. He couldn't cry either. Squidward: SpongeBob, this is getting ridiculous. I'll have you know my mother loves me very much! SpongeBob: That's the final test, Squidward; the love test. Robots can't love. Squidward: No, wait, SpongeBob! SpongeBob: Hey, Miss Clinton! Miss Clinton: [runs up to the counter again] What is it, SpongeBob?! SpongeBob: I just wanted to tell you that Squidward loves you! [Mr. Krabs makes a blank expression on his face] Miss Clinton: Get back to work, Mr. Squidward.

[@Jybgame]

Well, you can't share it after writing THAT, lol.