Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend XX
[0] Hi, my name is Nora Jones, and I feel ecstatic about being Conan O 'Brien's friend.
[1] Fall is here, hear the yell, back to school, ring the bell, brand new shoes, walking loose, climb the fence, books and pens, I can tell that we are going to be friends, we are going to be friends.
[2] Hey there, welcome to Conan O 'Brien needs a friend, Conan here, as if you didn't know that, hanging out here, with Sonoma Sessian and, of course, the, that scamp, Matt Gourley.
[3] I'm sorry, but.
[4] And you're just laughing because we did three, two, one.
[5] And then usually I go right into it.
[6] But this time I took, I would say, two or three beats before I started speaking.
[7] If you would have counted it, it would have gone three, two, one, nine, eight, seven, six.
[8] Yeah, I took a little extra time to create a tension in the room, which then I could explain.
[9] because I'm a master of this medium.
[10] There's no, there's no tension.
[11] Oh, that's right.
[12] I forgot who I was dealing with your six gummies into the wind right now.
[13] I wish.
[14] Oh, man, I wish.
[15] She puts them in her scrambled eggs in the morning.
[16] But it was really funny is that we were, we were laughing our asses off, just goofing around.
[17] And Adam Sacks, who's in the, you know, who's our master and our guru, he's in the room.
[18] And he was like, enough, enough.
[19] Yeah.
[20] He said, all laughing has to be done on Mike.
[21] No laughing off Mike.
[22] Yeah, no laughing on Mike.
[23] No fun when the mics aren't on or something.
[24] And so that's why I think I took a long pause was to try and kill the joy that was in the room before we got started.
[25] I see.
[26] Yeah.
[27] We were having a good time.
[28] We were.
[29] No, no, no. I know we were having a wonderful time.
[30] And Adam Sacks comes by and you're, feel free to defend yourself, Adam.
[31] And don't have any fun on Mike.
[32] Yeah.
[33] But what happened?
[34] You sensed.
[35] Well, I'm not going to defend myself because I agree with your.
[36] with the way you're characterizing what happened is I just, you guys were laughing.
[37] We don't have a lot of time.
[38] We've got 35 minutes.
[39] Now, wait a minute.
[40] Why don't we have a lot of time?
[41] There's another podcast coming.
[42] Okay, let me tell you something.
[43] This is my podcast building.
[44] What do you mean?
[45] I'm being shoved out of my own studio?
[46] So we don't have a lot of time and you guys were laughing and I was looking at the clock and I got nervous and I said, laughing's okay, but only do it while the mics are on, please.
[47] What would happen if you went out and told the guys Conan O 'Brien's in there?
[48] They're like, oh my God, oh my God.
[49] and, you know, what do they start quivering.
[50] It's going to be another five minutes.
[51] Is that the end of the world?
[52] No, that would probably be fine.
[53] Oh, probably be fine.
[54] I can't speak for them.
[55] I think it would be fine.
[56] Five minutes, yeah.
[57] This building, we're painting my face on the side of it.
[58] Yeah.
[59] You know?
[60] And also you explaining this is now prolonged this intro because we still have to do bits and giggles.
[61] No, no. We have to do bits and giggles.
[62] Is that what we call it?
[63] Sure.
[64] Bits and giggles.
[65] Sure.
[66] I didn't slave away for 40 years to craft a career in bits and giggles.
[67] We're here changing the way man thinks about man. Better late than never.
[68] Is that what we're doing?
[69] No. I just said something and thought it would make sense.
[70] I don't know what we're doing.
[71] No, but I'll tell you this.
[72] Adam, I do appreciate the hard work.
[73] And yes, we do need someone to crack the whip occasionally and let us know that our Tom Foolery, our hijinks, Bits and giggles.
[74] Our bits and giggles maybe are wasting time.
[75] And we've got to make way for the next podcast.
[76] What if this is part of our process?
[77] Right.
[78] Oh.
[79] Oh, really, Sona, talk about your process.
[80] You have a process?
[81] To get in the zone?
[82] Uh -uh.
[83] No?
[84] I don't know.
[85] Sona uncaps a hollow molar and out drops a gummy edible.
[86] I wish I was as high as you guys say I am, but I'm not.
[87] Well, you used to be.
[88] I did.
[89] Yeah, yeah.
[90] And now with twins, of course.
[91] Yeah.
[92] I got to stay normal, man. Dating.
[93] I got his take a problem.
[94] This is, I know personal, but if you're breastfeeding, you can't, right?
[95] I did it, yeah.
[96] Because the gummy would, it would come out in the milk.
[97] Is that right?
[98] The gummy, the full gummy would come out the nipple.
[99] I just picture a gummy shooting out the nipple into Mikey or Charlie's mouth.
[100] That's where I picture.
[101] I picture.
[102] Mikey or Charlie, or one on each breast, and all of a sudden each one goes, gloop, gloop.
[103] I got the prize.
[104] They sleep really well that night, so it's totally worth it.
[105] Did you ever get up in the middle of the night and find them moshing?
[106] Just in their cribs?
[107] In their cribs?
[108] Just grueling around and just moshing on top of each other?
[109] No, I didn't.
[110] I'm glad you answered that honestly.
[111] Yes.
[112] No, I have not seen them moshing.
[113] The strangest thing that's ever come out of your breast.
[114] Honestly, milk, what the fuck?
[115] What is that?
[116] That's got to be a very strange thing.
[117] It's weird.
[118] It's really, and I had to pump.
[119] And so you put like a cow, you put these things on your boobs.
[120] And then it just like squeezes liquid out of your nipples.
[121] I have a question.
[122] Sure, I'll handle this.
[123] Okay.
[124] Thank you, Matt.
[125] If I attach those to my nipples and they sucked really hard for a long time, would any milk come out?
[126] Is there any milk in that?
[127] Oh, boy.
[128] I just don't know about how humans work.
[129] I think there have been some instances where men have lactated.
[130] Right.
[131] First of all, your dad is a doctor.
[132] Yeah.
[133] So, of you asking this question is already very unsettling.
[134] My dad said he was a doctor.
[135] But when we asked to see any kind of certificate, he got real squirrely.
[136] Where was he going every day?
[137] I think to the train station, he'd eat a sandwich.
[138] He was going to the doctor.
[139] Yeah, yeah.
[140] No, it's weird.
[141] It is weird.
[142] First of all, I don't think milk would come out of your nipples.
[143] Oh, here we go.
[144] What does it play?
[145] To start, male lactation has been observed to a few domesticated animals, including cats, goats, and guinea pigs on rare occasions.
[146] And also, it says here, some transgender men and nine binary people nurse their babies and use the term chest feeding or body feeding rather than breastfeeding.
[147] Okay, there you go.
[148] All right.
[149] Why do you guys want to lactate?
[150] First of all, let me tell you this.
[151] If science made it possible, if science made it possible, for men to lactate, I think women would be very happy if they could get up for some of those midnight feedings.
[152] You're right.
[153] Or would you be jealous?
[154] Would I be jealous that, like, tack would be able to breastfeed instead of me?
[155] Yeah.
[156] No, I wouldn't.
[157] But I don't, I just, it's not like, it's not like it's fun when you, like, squeeze your boob and, like, milk shoots out.
[158] It's weird.
[159] I can't think of anything that'd be more fun.
[160] I'd be firing.
[161] you know what I'd love to do is if I was at the beach and I didn't have my shirt on just go like oh man you didn't goarly be like what is it oh this part of my chest is real sore well and then I just push it and shoot you right in the it's a squirting flower that's part of your body I go to the carnival when you're supposed to shoot those water guns into the clown's mouth and see if you can raise the balloon up the wall yes yeah I would do that too this is why men don't lactate this you guys know if men could lactate yeah the baby would get none of the milk because we'd be going to carnivals and trying to shoot it ducks with our lactation milk right?
[162] And we'd be playing pranks on each other.
[163] My chest is sore.
[164] What is it?
[165] Man, squirt.
[166] Gotcha!
[167] Yeah, exactly.
[168] I think it would be a huge disservice to babies if men lactated.
[169] So I think it's important that women just Yeah.
[170] You know, I think that you know, we followed Adam Sachs' advice and we got back on track and talked about some really important stuff.
[171] We got into some tits and giggles.
[172] Okay.
[173] I'm sorry.
[174] You know what?
[175] That's both a fun.
[176] It's also called it back.
[177] Nope.
[178] I'm checking the boxes.
[179] Yep, yeah, yeah.
[180] I just, you just made it finally to the very top of my list of worst people ever.
[181] Mission accomplished.
[182] Hitler number two, Stalin number three.
[183] Who's Hitler number two?
[184] What's that?
[185] Who's Hitler number two?
[186] Oh, he's number two on the list now.
[187] Hitler number two.
[188] Well, anyway, our thanks to Adam Sacks for getting us to settle down, stop being silly.
[189] so that we could get back to being silly.
[190] My guest today is a singer, songwriter, and pianist who has won nine Grammy Awards.
[191] That's too many for her work.
[192] Her debut album, Come Away With Me, was a global phenomenon, selling over 27 million copies.
[193] Now she has a new podcast.
[194] Nora Jones is playing along and she's joined by other musicians for conversations and musical collaborations.
[195] I am very excited.
[196] She's here with us today.
[197] I really adore her.
[198] Nora Jones, welcome.
[199] You know, I've adored you for so many years, and you were kind enough to come on my late night show, or in shows, plural, I'll say, over the years.
[200] Well, I was trying to figure out how many times.
[201] You know what?
[202] We could probably look it up, but you came on.
[203] That's okay.
[204] As a minute I said that, everybody, get going.
[205] Nine people in the room started getting on their computers.
[206] Oh, no, I'm just got some.
[207] medical results.
[208] Yeah, you started crying.
[209] Don't worry, six months is a long time.
[210] Oh, Jesus.
[211] Oh, my God.
[212] Too long in this job.
[213] Yeah, okay, take it easy.
[214] We're sitting here with Nora Jones.
[215] I am not going to waste time bantering with you about your life expectancy.
[216] You came on many times and in so many different guises because you would perform yourself, you'd be performing your work, and then I remember we did a George week once in honor of George Harrison and you know Paul Simon came all these amazing people came by for the week Danny Harrison was around and it was this wonderful week and you came and I'm trying to think I think you did I'd have you any time No I did behind that locked door Oh behind that locked door okay It was so fun That was one of our Actually I remember my band and I because we'd done a lot of TV shows together at that point that was probably one of our best TV performances.
[217] You know, usually you do it and you're like, eh, it would have been better if this.
[218] And we were like, yes, nailed it.
[219] Yeah, the problem is you did that on camera.
[220] You turned to the camera and say, yes, you nailed it.
[221] Mid -song, too.
[222] It was weird.
[223] And you said, top that, other musicians in the world.
[224] Yeah, better than George's version.
[225] Yeah, better than George.
[226] You know, when you started dancing and saying better than Harrison, that's right.
[227] That put a lot of people off.
[228] No, you were, yeah, I was trying to remember what song it was this morning, and I could have just typed in, because we live in that world where I can type in, you know, Nora Jones, George Harrison, Conan, or whatever, and it would come up immediately, but I can't work my own phone.
[229] I can't turn it on.
[230] That's less fun anyway.
[231] Yeah, exactly.
[232] So, but you, you came on that week, and you were always coming by and performing, and I just loved it every day.
[233] time you came on the show.
[234] I'm a massive fan.
[235] I'm a massive fan.
[236] I remember the first time I came on your show was for my first record in 2002.
[237] Yeah, that's right.
[238] And I was so excited.
[239] Oh, well, that's, I remembered you, of course, that was the record, come away with me, five Grammys, you know, I remembered at that time fighting out about you, hearing about you, and saying, what is this, Nora Jones?
[240] What is this all?
[241] I'm very skeptical.
[242] What is this?
[243] come away with me album.
[244] I'd better check it out and see if it's up to snuff and listening to it and thinking, I don't understand how someone your age at the time or anybody could come out with an album of all brand new standards.
[245] It was like these are all going to be in standards books that everyone has to have forever.
[246] And I was like everyone else in the world like a 85 billion other people completely floored.
[247] Well, that's nice to say.
[248] Yeah, and I remember whoever was playing guitar with you I think you did don't know why and I was he offered to show me how to play it on the guitar afterwards and so he came into I don't know who it was but he came into my dressing room and he's showing me how to play the guitar parts and I was like I think I got it and then we got into a lot of stuff you know edits and work and we got to figure out tomorrow's show and then I got home completely forgot I think it's a hard song to play on guitar Yeah, it's probably not in my wheelhouse.
[249] It's not in my wheelhouse.
[250] It was either Jesse Harris who wrote the song or Adam Levy who toured with me at the time.
[251] But that's really fun.
[252] I think it was the person who wrote the song.
[253] Then it was Jesse Harris.
[254] Well, Jesse, I need you to come back.
[255] I need another lesson.
[256] He'll probably send you a video if you just give me your phone number.
[257] No, I need him in person.
[258] He needs to fly out to L .A. at his own expense that I do require.
[259] I was thinking about, I wanted to mention first that you have your own podcast, which I've really been enjoying.
[260] Thanks.
[261] And it's Nora Jones is playing along.
[262] And what's nice about it is that you get these people, it's two musicians talking and screwing around and it's a very loose atmosphere.
[263] And I was listening to you with Jeff Tweedy, who's one of my favorite humans.
[264] Yeah, mine too.
[265] And it was such a great vibe.
[266] And I was thinking, man, I'd like to be on this podcast.
[267] And then I realized, oh, right, I'm not a musician.
[268] Except you are.
[269] Well, not really, but can you, does it ever expand out to non -musicians?
[270] If they're playing music with me. I think my only, my way in is, you know, there's so many podcasts, of course.
[271] And you guys were kind of a big inspiration because over the pandemic, I just hearing you guys laugh really.
[272] lit me up.
[273] Oh, that's nice.
[274] Good.
[275] It's just like, belly laughs were needed and it felt really good.
[276] And you screwing around with people on this podcast is kind of like what I want to do, except I'm a musician, so it's a little bit different.
[277] No, but it's the same idea.
[278] There's such a, we talk about this a lot on the show, but I've been fascinated all my life with the fact that I have a natural, you know, bent towards comedy, but I'm always, the grass is always greener.
[279] I'm always peering over into the music yard.
[280] I see that, yeah.
[281] And thinking, man, it's so cool.
[282] That's the cool place to be.
[283] I'm over here with the laughing clowns.
[284] Well, sorry, not you guys.
[285] Oh, no, no. You're the laughing clown.
[286] I don't think of you as comedians at all.
[287] Oh, well, I do.
[288] Oh, thank you, Nora Jones.
[289] Thank you.
[290] What do I know?
[291] I'm just a musician.
[292] Thank you.
[293] Yes.
[294] Yes, you don't have a professional eye like, I do.
[295] No. Couldn't possibly understand.
[296] It's that laughing clown.
[297] Like hearing you with Kevin Nealyn, just like messing around, I mean, that makes me so happy.
[298] And I feel like that's kind of what I'm trying to do with music, with people who I know, some who I don't know.
[299] And we find this commonplace and we're speaking like the same language.
[300] Well, this is what always fascinates me because I, you know, if there's something that you don't do, you put it on a pedestal or you don't have a natural inclination.
[301] When I see you sit down in a piano and play and sing, I think, well, she's superhuman.
[302] I am a mortal.
[303] You know, I said amoral, not immortal.
[304] I just want to be really clear.
[305] There is such a close connection between comedy and music.
[306] It's the same.
[307] I mean, you could do a perfect take of a song and it just doesn't feel right.
[308] Or you can do a really messed up, messy version of a song together and it just feels magical.
[309] and it hits the spot, you know.
[310] I was thinking about your path, your journey, and I was thinking about how growing up, because I know your mom and dad divorce when you're pretty young.
[311] They were never married.
[312] Oh, they were never married?
[313] But, yeah.
[314] So they were living in sin, as we caught up saying.
[315] I mean, honestly, I don't even know.
[316] Their story's so crazy.
[317] I don't even know what was going on.
[318] Really, after all these years, you still don't know what was going on?
[319] I've heard a lot of times.
[320] different version.
[321] I'll put it that way.
[322] But yeah, no, I think, yeah, they split up when I was really young.
[323] So I just, I grew up with my mom.
[324] Right.
[325] And this is an interesting thing in grapevine, Texas.
[326] And so what's interesting is that you have anyone who doesn't know, your dad, Ravi Shankar, you come and your mom as well, both have this musical pedigree, this musical background.
[327] So there's some of that, but then you're transplanted to Texas.
[328] Yeah.
[329] And I think that's got to be fascinating because you grew up, you grew up in this environment that had to have influenced you.
[330] I mean, if you had grown up in New York City, do you know what I mean?
[331] Or in India.
[332] Or in India.
[333] With my dad.
[334] With your dad, you might not be, you might not be you at this moment.
[335] Does that make sense?
[336] Yeah.
[337] I mean, my history is very different.
[338] I mean, it's interesting because I'm a musician.
[339] And he was, he passed away, but he was this brilliant musician, Indian musician.
[340] And my mom is not a musician, but she loved music.
[341] So I grew up with my mom seeing my dad here and there and then not seeing him for a long period.
[342] And then we reconnected later.
[343] But growing up, I was influenced by my mom's record collection.
[344] So who were you listening to?
[345] Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin and Willie Nelson.
[346] So this is what's fascinating.
[347] So you grow up and you're listening to those people and you're in this.
[348] What I imagine is this, is it a small town in Texas?
[349] Grapevine is a huge sprawling town now, but when I was little, it was small.
[350] Right.
[351] So you're growing up in this environment and you were not that connected to the pop music of your time.
[352] Is that right?
[353] I was in middle school.
[354] I loved Casey Kasem's top 40 every Sunday.
[355] I was obsessed with that for a while.
[356] I just listened to Casey.
[357] I would turn off the music.
[358] I fell in love with the voice of Casey Casey.
[359] Who's going to be number one?
[360] You can buy bootlegs where it's just Casey and then you don't hear the music.
[361] I have all of them.
[362] They're awful.
[363] There are Casey and bootlegs.
[364] I don't know if you've heard of it.
[365] Oh, really?
[366] We know where he loses it.
[367] He has a meltdown.
[368] Oh, boy.
[369] We should start releasing mine where I have a meltdown.
[370] Oh, yeah.
[371] There's a lot.
[372] You can actually physically hear me hitting goarly.
[373] But so you were somewhat aware, but you were, I guess, was jazz was, was jazz a bigger part of your life?
[374] It was after a certain point.
[375] But I was really in a nervous.
[376] and the Violent Femmes at one point, you know, and then maybe like ninth grade I got really into jazz.
[377] Okay.
[378] And then that's all there was for like the next five years.
[379] That's all I was obsessed with.
[380] I'm so intimidated by jazz.
[381] So a lot of people are, even I am, because I'm not really a great jazz musician.
[382] It's kind of where I came from musically.
[383] But I never practiced enough to really hang with, you know, real jazz musicians and a jam in a jam session.
[384] Jazz, that's exactly what they call themselves.
[385] Yeah, I've always thought of jazz music as, you know, you're sitting at the sushi bar and they're like, it's chef's choice and you don't know exactly.
[386] It scares me a little bit.
[387] And that's just because I have some mental block.
[388] I was all about rockabilly, crazy, intense rockabilly.
[389] And that was the stuff that pulled me in and kind of lit me up.
[390] You know, I just inspired me in so many ways.
[391] It's great music.
[392] But very, very simple.
[393] Yeah.
[394] Extremely rudimentary.
[395] And that was maybe part of the magic for me is it, I could play it.
[396] I feel you.
[397] I mean, that's why I love country songs.
[398] And sometimes you just cut straight to the heart of something with the most simple thing.
[399] I think that's, I can't play fast jazz either.
[400] So we're in it together.
[401] In that terms.
[402] There are so many ways in which we're similar.
[403] Yeah.
[404] People are always calling it.
[405] me the Nora Jones of comedy.
[406] We can't like jazz jazz.
[407] I think they call you the Jim Jones of comedy.
[408] Yes, that's right.
[409] You're right.
[410] I'm sorry because I'm leading my followers to your instruction.
[411] Either way.
[412] I'm fine either way.
[413] Either way it's a compliment as far as I'm concerned.
[414] But you know what's amazing is that you grow up listening to these people and then if you could ever imagine that, okay, you're a huge Willie Nelson fan and Ray Charles fan, you're going to be playing with these people.
[415] you did a duet with Ray Charles.
[416] Yeah.
[417] Yeah, I did.
[418] What was that like?
[419] What was Ray Charles like?
[420] He was very nice.
[421] We went in for 20 minutes.
[422] We did three takes of the song and that was it.
[423] But we were all live in the room together.
[424] It was amazing.
[425] He was sweet.
[426] Yeah.
[427] Yeah.
[428] And then I know that you have this longer lasting connection with Willie Nelson.
[429] I've been so lucky to play and sing with Willie like multiple times.
[430] I love him so much.
[431] Yeah, he is such a great spirit.
[432] Yeah, did you see they're having a big show at the Hollywood Bowl for his 90th birthday?
[433] 90th birthday.
[434] In April.
[435] Yeah.
[436] He is a great advertisement that marijuana is not bad for me. Exactly.
[437] He and Snoop Dogg will live to be 600.
[438] You know, what's amazing to me is I'm thinking about the first time I met Willie Nelson, he came on my late night show in the early days.
[439] And he had that incredible beat -up guitar he has.
[440] Oh, trigger.
[441] Trigger.
[442] Yeah.
[443] That he's played forever.
[444] Is it a Martin?
[445] It's a nylon string.
[446] That's all I remember.
[447] Yeah.
[448] But he puts it through an amp.
[449] Yeah, he puts it through an amp.
[450] Which is totally cool.
[451] Right.
[452] He's got a little drop -in, I think, pickup.
[453] Yeah.
[454] And he plays it through an amp.
[455] And it's got a hole in it as if it had been recovered somewhere and a rat had eaten through it.
[456] Not the sound hole.
[457] It's got a separate.
[458] No, it's got a gay piece.
[459] It's got its own.
[460] There's the sound hole, and then there's this thing that looks like a ferret plot its way into the guitar or clawed its way out.
[461] And it's covered in signatures.
[462] Yeah.
[463] And it's all these people, he's had Trigger forever, and it's everyone has signed.
[464] He's had all these amazing people signed Trigger.
[465] And the show's over, and I said, that's just incredible.
[466] He's got like George Jones's signature.
[467] He's got all these, he's got everybody, and there's Tammy Wynette, and there's, but And he said, yeah, sign it, Conan.
[468] And I said, no. We shall not sully this.
[469] And he's like, come on.
[470] And so I signed it with like a ballpoint pen.
[471] Oh, you did?
[472] Yeah, I'm pretty sure that when Willie got backstage, he wiped it off.
[473] That's cool.
[474] I don't think I've signed Trigger.
[475] That was a dry erase marker.
[476] Yeah, exactly.
[477] He said, I said, I'll use my pen.
[478] He went, no, use this one.
[479] Wipes off easily.
[480] that's lucky you got to touch trigger I got to touch trigger it is funny when you get when you get to hold an iconic instrument yeah it is you've had that experience I'm sure you have where it's it's you know a famous guitar that you get to hold on to know if I actually have but my friends we did a song with Willie and before he got to the studio his tech asked a friend of mine to tune it or to hold it and play it while they while they did the sound and my friend was pretty excited to play trigger I would imagine that would be pretty freaky I think I've seen just over the years well through Danny Harrison I was in England and went by his house which was his dad's house obviously and he he showed me and he's acting like it oh you know do you want to hold the 1963 Gretsch duo jet that my dad played in the cavern oh wow And I was thinking I shouldn't touch it.
[481] It's like I will defile it.
[482] And then you realize it's a guitar.
[483] Yeah.
[484] And it needs to be played.
[485] It wants to be played.
[486] It wants to be.
[487] Well, actually, the guitar did see me and say no. Not him.
[488] First time I spoke.
[489] That's so funny.
[490] Actually, you're reminding me I have played a very famous piano.
[491] And I got to go to Friar Park and met George Harrison and Danny.
[492] there in Olivia, when I first reconnected with my dad, actually.
[493] You're kidding.
[494] I was 18 years old.
[495] We finally reconnected.
[496] And we got very close over the years after that.
[497] So it was a great thing.
[498] And I remember I landed in London to go visit them for the first time in a long time.
[499] And they were like, we're going to George's house for dinner.
[500] So just take a nap, clean up.
[501] I was like, okay, whatever.
[502] I didn't know we were going to George Harrison's house.
[503] Oh, my God.
[504] Who is this, George anyway?
[505] Right.
[506] I was kind of oblivious.
[507] You know, I was jetlighted and young.
[508] And we get there.
[509] And he was so sweet.
[510] Yeah.
[511] And he was so happy to see me and my dad reconnect as well.
[512] And he idolized your dad.
[513] He did.
[514] Clearly, it was your dad changed his life.
[515] Of course.
[516] Yeah.
[517] I mean, it was kind of a crazy night and I was half jet lagged through the whole thing.
[518] But he asked me to play for him because my dad told him that I was this piano player.
[519] And I was like, okay.
[520] Because I just was like, you know, I knew who he was at that point, of course.
[521] You played for George Harrison?
[522] So I'm, I sat down at this piano, which now I know I didn't at the time, but I think it was one of John Lennon's piano.
[523] Yes, and I've seen it because when I was there, I think they moved it to it.
[524] This was in a different, it's not in the house when I saw it.
[525] It's, there's this other place where they shot all the interviews for the anthology.
[526] And it's got this hand painting on it.
[527] It's got painting on it.
[528] Like a rainbow and sort of psychedelic stuff.
[529] Yeah, so I didn't know this at the time.
[530] And I was kind of just oblivious to the whole meaning of the moment.
[531] But I sat down and I played an old Hogi Carmichael song called The Narness of You for George.
[532] And he was so sweet.
[533] And it was just a very funny moment that I just now remembered.
[534] And I'm sure he loved it.
[535] Yeah.
[536] I mean, he was kind about it.
[537] I don't know.
[538] If he hated it, he pretended he loved it.
[539] You are Nora Jones, you know.
[540] I know, but I was 18.
[541] It's not, I know.
[542] But if I had come in at 18 and played a song on the piano for George Harrison, it would have gone very differently.
[543] Well, I sang it too.
[544] Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang.
[545] Luckily, I didn't know the instrument was so historic.
[546] Yeah.
[547] It's good not to know those things.
[548] I think so.
[549] It's better to just be oblivious.
[550] Yeah.
[551] I'm kind of intrigued that when you first started out, before you had all your success, you were a lounge singer.
[552] You know?
[553] And I've, and for just a little bit, you were a lounge singer and I'm thinking, you know, let's say things hadn't blown up for you.
[554] Do you think you could have like made your piece with being a lounge singer for a long time or is that a tough gig?
[555] I mean, it's something you don't really know, right?
[556] You can't go back.
[557] I wouldn't, yeah, I kind of was a lounge singer, but it was really more like a restaurant than a lounge.
[558] So you're playing for people while they're eating.
[559] Yeah.
[560] And usually they wouldn't clap and nobody.
[561] heard, but the gig was actually to just play piano, but since I sang, I asked if I could bring a little amp and sing like every five songs or something.
[562] And it was actually the best practice I ever had.
[563] This is in college in Dallas.
[564] And I basically learned how to sing and play at the same time because it's kind of a coordination thing.
[565] Sure.
[566] Yeah.
[567] So it was great practice.
[568] And every once in a while, the whole restaurant, like one person would just start clapping and then slowly the whole restaurant would start clapping.
[569] But then usually they weren't they weren't clapping at all.
[570] I will tell you that, first of all, the thing I hate the most in comedy is when you have to perform for people who are eating.
[571] Yeah, it's horrible.
[572] And it doesn't matter what stage you get to.
[573] There's, there are benefits.
[574] Yeah.
[575] Where they say, okay, go on up and you have your jokes and you have your riffs that you want to do and you get up on stage and you hear the distinct sound of silverware hitting, you know, clanking Which is a horrible sound.
[576] And then, and people chewing.
[577] And I remember being at the, there's a big ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria.
[578] And I had to do benefits there a million times when I was in New York and being up there.
[579] And the crowd doesn't even know.
[580] Just a voice of God goes, ladies and gentlemen, Conan O 'Brien.
[581] And people are just getting there like, plates are being put down and served.
[582] And people are saying, no, no, no, I said red, not white.
[583] And I walked up stage and there wasn't even any sense that I was on stage.
[584] And I go, well, well, anyway, and I start to get into my thing and a man was sitting right in the front row.
[585] Oh, just sawing.
[586] And his back was to me. And he was cutting into his meat and he put it in his mouth and he's chewing.
[587] And then he whipped his head around to look at who's this annoying person at the podium behind me?
[588] And I just saw a chewing unhappy face looking up at me. That's not great.
[589] And I thought, fuck this.
[590] I don't want to perform for people eating.
[591] You can have like a no eating clause.
[592] Oh.
[593] I actually, yeah.
[594] Yeah, like you need more pull in the industry.
[595] You can say like, I'll do it, but not when they're eating.
[596] When they're eating.
[597] Directly before dinner or after the place have been clear.
[598] But I will tell you this, Nora, I am a person who, if I'm anywhere, if I'm in a bar or restaurant, and someone's playing when they finish the song, I applaud.
[599] I don't care.
[600] And sometimes it's awkward because I get self -conscious because if you're the, if I start applauding and no one else does, I think I'm making the situation worse.
[601] Yeah, especially if no one else does.
[602] Yeah, it's kind of weird.
[603] And also you're drawing attention to yourself.
[604] Well, I love that part.
[605] Oh, okay.
[606] I didn't know if you like that or...
[607] Oh, no. I go out in a T -shirt that says, I am Karen O 'Brien.
[608] And then parentheses, it explains who that is.
[609] You start clapping in the middle of the song.
[610] Just people look at you.
[611] And I say, Conan Likie!
[612] I've, yeah, many times when you've been on the show, I'd be, I'd clap midway.
[613] Conan's happy.
[614] Let's get a camera on me. I just want to get a cockaroo while we're here.
[615] A cockaroo!
[616] Thank you.
[617] Oh, my God.
[618] I can die now.
[619] I just want to get a cockaroo while I'm here.
[620] That's what she said.
[621] Yeah, exactly.
[622] I've been getting that all my life.
[623] You know, I'm thinking about all the different people you've collaborated with because you mentioned Ray Charles, but what it's amazing to me is that you have, I think, a very enviable career.
[624] You've had massive commercial success and you're respected and you're a nice grounded person and you can.
[625] So like that you know of.
[626] I usually find out.
[627] I'll tell you what, word gets out.
[628] Yeah.
[629] Yeah, I guess so.
[630] I talk to Uber drivers and they tell me. But, like, you've collaborated with Keith Richards.
[631] Yeah.
[632] What's that like?
[633] Again, just like a nice human, you know, a musician.
[634] Yeah.
[635] Sometimes you do these collaborations and the song's already been recorded and the person's not even there.
[636] And you go in and you add your vocals.
[637] And I've done a couple of those with Keith, but I've actually been in a room playing music with them a few times and it's incredible.
[638] I would, yeah, that would be sort of otherworldly.
[639] Yeah.
[640] You know, I just, in the few times that I've had little contacts with him.
[641] Oh, yeah.
[642] Very, you know, like he didn't know who I was or anything.
[643] I'm sure that's not true.
[644] No, no, this was years ago before I had a show.
[645] You weren't wearing a little t -shirt?
[646] I had it on, even when I was, before I had a TV show, I had it on.
[647] But, yeah, I'm always fascinated when that it feels, to me like it would be a great exercise to one one might not immediately link nor jones and keith richards but you can get together musically you guys can yeah find find the groove or find what it is i mean we both love hank williams right so it's not a problem it's it's it's a language and it's like that's what's so fun about this podcast is it's like a never -ending list of people to just play with and play music with but it's like really just like playing in a playground You know, it's like that.
[648] It's so fun.
[649] And do you have like your bucket list of these are the people I've got to have on your podcast that you want to mess around with?
[650] It's just never ending.
[651] It's a bazillion people.
[652] It's like, of course, you know, my idols or a young musician who I admire or someone that nobody knows about that I just like or, you know, whoever.
[653] I mean, that's so fantastic.
[654] Yeah.
[655] And I think that's what this medium, this podcast thing, what I'm, I mean, everyone.
[656] Every time we come into the studio, I'm delighted that this form exists.
[657] Me too.
[658] It's like intimate and fun.
[659] And it's, I'm never, you know, going to get invited to dinner with you probably.
[660] So it's fun to just have this time together to talk.
[661] I know you've asked a lot and I'm still not ready.
[662] You find that very hard to believe.
[663] Yeah.
[664] Yeah.
[665] I just need to hear a little more of your stuff.
[666] You know what I mean?
[667] Like there's a lot of people you might not cross paths in an intimate way.
[668] So it's a way to really connect.
[669] That's what I was on my way to work today.
[670] And I called the guy who's a good friend and he booked music on our show all through the 90s, 2000s, Jim Pitt.
[671] Oh, yeah.
[672] I remember him.
[673] Yeah.
[674] And, you know, great person who helped put the, really put the musical stamp on my show, which was so important to us.
[675] And I called him up and I just was as excited.
[676] And I said, hey, I'm going to be, I just want you to know, I'm going to be talking to Nora in like half an hour.
[677] And he was like, oh, my God.
[678] And we were chatting about how nice it is.
[679] And I said to him, all these years, Nora's been coming on my show and performing.
[680] And of course, we chat, but I never got to sit down with you and talk to you.
[681] Yeah.
[682] Because people don't realize show business is, you know, you do your sound check, your rehearsal.
[683] I come down.
[684] I say hi, then I've got to go and do my stuff, then you perform, I thank you, and then you move on, I move on.
[685] Yeah, it's brief.
[686] Yeah, and this is, this is what I love.
[687] Yeah, it's so much, it's so like warm, it gives me the warm fuzzies, you know.
[688] Because I didn't know that country music was so important to you.
[689] Yeah, well, I grew up in Texas.
[690] Yeah, exactly.
[691] It was in the water.
[692] Yeah.
[693] You know, and my mom's from Oklahoma, so it's a familial thing on that side of my family.
[694] Do you have a favorite Hank Williams song?
[695] I mean, so lonesome I could cry.
[696] It's just about one of the best songs ever, ever sung, I think.
[697] Yeah.
[698] Yeah.
[699] Yeah.
[700] And sad.
[701] I love that Ken Burns documentary on country music.
[702] Oh, yeah, yeah.
[703] And, you know, he's taking you through everybody, and then he gets to the, there's the chapter episode about Hank Williams and it's entitled Shakespeare of the South.
[704] Oh, yeah.
[705] And you're like, yeah, that's right.
[706] That's right.
[707] Yeah, I mean, I love that music.
[708] But also you get to like work with outcast, foo fighters.
[709] Yeah.
[710] So it's run the gammon.
[711] I've been super lucky.
[712] Yeah.
[713] Has anyone ever asked you like can I do a duet with you?
[714] And it was someone you did not want to do that with?
[715] You mean do I say yes to everything?
[716] I just met you in person.
[717] You know, I meant like the awkwardness in person.
[718] Like you're talking to someone new.
[719] Like let's do this.
[720] Yeah.
[721] Well actually.
[722] I'm ready to do a duet with you.
[723] I don't know.
[724] I don't think.
[725] I've got my ukulele.
[726] It never happened like that ever.
[727] But, yeah, I mean, I've turned a few down, I guess.
[728] I've got my ukulele.
[729] I have my bassoon.
[730] Come on.
[731] We can do it right now.
[732] I would do that, probably.
[733] It was just like really easy.
[734] But I don't know.
[735] I've turned a few things down.
[736] I've turned a few things down where I really liked the person and I just didn't have time.
[737] You know, stuff just happens.
[738] But doing this podcast, it's like I have to actually ask people now.
[739] and that's kind of nerve -wracking for me, to ask people to come be on my show now.
[740] Right.
[741] And being in that position of asking and maybe getting rejected, that's been like the most kind of like, I don't know what I'm doing, you know?
[742] You know, it's funny, I'll just, just because I've been doing this for so long, I used to take it personally.
[743] Yeah.
[744] If someone couldn't come on the show or said no to the show, I took it as them saying, Conan O 'Brien, thank you, no. Yeah, what a jerk that guy is.
[745] Yeah, and then later on, it took me years because my publicist used to say, no, don't take it personally.
[746] They're in town.
[747] Yeah.
[748] And then I realized, because I'd been on the other side of it, where I'm someplace and they'll say, like, hey, there are these five people that, or these five shows that are saying, can you come do something, and you think I'm only here for a day, I can do one or I don't really want to do that this time, or I can't do it for some.
[749] and you realize that it's not personal at all.
[750] I mean, sometimes it is.
[751] Sometimes it is.
[752] I've had celebrities say I despise that guy.
[753] And I don't realize why that has to get back to me. Some them personally.
[754] Yeah, yeah.
[755] George Clooney calls and says, no, no, no, no, no. You are not my cup of tea.
[756] You're way too silly.
[757] If only that were a joke.
[758] Oh, oh, come on.
[759] I'm not Clooney.
[760] I'm just, no, no, no. He loves me. We'll connect.
[761] eventually.
[762] But no, no, let's not put that out there.
[763] Or do we?
[764] Yes.
[765] What's that?
[766] I want George Clooney.
[767] Oh, really?
[768] Can you be better?
[769] Can you change yourself?
[770] Go get him, Tiger.
[771] I'll try.
[772] I'm going to try and up my game just enough to get Clooney.
[773] Get all of Ocean's 11 in here.
[774] Oh, yeah.
[775] Oh, yes.
[776] At the same time.
[777] I think I could get two of them.
[778] Carl Reiner.
[779] No, no, no. No, Carwinter Pass, we can't get him anymore.
[780] I could have, but we'd need some hoodoo magic to get him now.
[781] Nice one, Gourley, by the way.
[782] I picked the one guy who's not a lot.
[783] No, I'm talking about waiter number three.
[784] Oh, he's good, though.
[785] Yeah.
[786] What is your...
[787] I'm sorry.
[788] The way you just went right back into conscience.
[789] That's what I have to do.
[790] I know.
[791] I'm a pro.
[792] Nora gets it because she's a pro.
[793] I'm sorry.
[794] I'm sorry.
[795] Right?
[796] You were on a podcast.
[797] You know how to just snap back.
[798] I love when you get Sona going.
[799] It's my favorite thing.
[800] Oh, when I get her angry?
[801] No, when you get her laughing.
[802] Oh, when I get her laughing.
[803] When she gets going.
[804] It's my favorite thing too, actually.
[805] Well, it must feel so good to laugh like that.
[806] It does.
[807] It's rare to laugh like that.
[808] I'm a hearty laugher in general.
[809] And then also just working for someone, for Conan O 'Brien has been the best.
[810] Well, I think the thing that comes to, that, that is real is, how much bullshit happens between Sona and I and laughing that isn't recorded because I will call you and say there's something really important I need you to do for me and then it's something that's completely made up Yeah, yeah and he'll go on riffs on the phone with me just because I'm laughing and I think it's a because it's a drug for him.
[811] It must feel so good to have her around he's such a great laugh at oh thank you thank you Morley less so no Gourley isn't really a laugh Gourley is funny as hell.
[812] I know.
[813] You cracks me up.
[814] I don't.
[815] I remember when I first started listening to your podcast, he was just kind of quieter.
[816] Well, he's a quiet, and then he started.
[817] He's really come out.
[818] Oh, yeah.
[819] And now, guess what?
[820] Now we're trying to get him back in.
[821] Yeah, too late.
[822] I need the cat's out of the back.
[823] No, no. Jeannie's out of the bottle of me. Yeah, it's out.
[824] It's like, it's a jack in the box that I'm trying to jam back into the box.
[825] Can't do it.
[826] No, it's good.
[827] He compliments you really well.
[828] No, no. I got very lucky because this all came together.
[829] I mean, Sona, I knew was going to be part of it.
[830] And then they brought this goarly guy in.
[831] And I said, absolutely not.
[832] And they said, no one else will do it.
[833] That's true.
[834] That's true.
[835] And even I did it because I was being blackmailed.
[836] Oh, my God.
[837] It's a beautiful thing.
[838] But I'm curious if, because I am baffled by songwriting.
[839] I don't understand it.
[840] And I don't understand composition.
[841] And I guess, even people, do it but you know i i i play a lot of guitar and don't really know what i'm doing but the idea and i've talked with amy man about this extensively i loved that and we're supposed to write a song together did it ever happen well it's my fault because that she said i'm ready to go when you are and i'm terrified because she mentioned yeah you need to sort of make yourself emotionally available oh what is it you want to say in your song and i'm thinking emotionally available what's that I can't do that.
[842] Everybody's different, though.
[843] I think everybody has their own process.
[844] Right.
[845] And that Jeff Tweedy actually has this really great book called How to Write One Song.
[846] It's like this little inspiration guide book.
[847] Oh, I have to get that.
[848] You would love it.
[849] It's great.
[850] How to write one song.
[851] Yeah.
[852] And he talks about how he doesn't believe in writer's block, but actually he just thinks it's you self -editing yourself.
[853] Yes.
[854] I love that because I agree with it.
[855] If you just let it go and you're not worried about it until later, and then you can clean it up or not play it for anybody.
[856] It's funny.
[857] When creating stuff in comedy or all the years that I was a writer, one of my biggest problems was I have such, there's a little gremlin on my shoulder that is so, nope, not good enough.
[858] Well, exactly.
[859] You know all about it.
[860] Yeah, and when I can get that guy drunk or anesthetize him or excise him in some way and just go.
[861] Yeah.
[862] And that was an amazing.
[863] revelation for me in my career was I thought writing comedy meant sitting down and getting to work, which, yes, it does mean that.
[864] But then there were so many times where I was just screwing around, making people laugh.
[865] And they would say, oh, well, that's great.
[866] Write that down.
[867] That's a sketch.
[868] Yeah.
[869] I'd say, what?
[870] I was just having fun.
[871] It's the inspiration.
[872] Yeah.
[873] And it's just if you can remove this.
[874] serious, it's time now for I, Nora Jones, to get to, if you got to get rid of that.
[875] I can't do that.
[876] That doesn't work for me at all.
[877] I have to just record ideas as they're in my head in the shower or driving in a car or whatever.
[878] Just get it down real quick on the recording part.
[879] So instead of soap on a rope, you have a tape recorder on a rope in your shower.
[880] Yeah.
[881] No, but seriously, like you just get it down and then later you can work on it, but the inspiration part has already happened.
[882] Does anything ever come to you in a dream because famously you hear about Paul McCartney waking up and in saying, oh, I don't know what this is.
[883] I think I must have heard it somewhere.
[884] And it was yesterday.
[885] Again, and that's Paul McCartney.
[886] But does that, do things like that come to you in a dream ever?
[887] I've written some brilliant songs in dreams that are basically like the Jack, like the tenacious D song tribute where you can't remember it, you know?
[888] Right, right.
[889] And it's basically that, you know, you know it's amazing, but then you wake up.
[890] You can't remember it.
[891] But I have written songs doing like meditations before and I'll think of an idea and I'll stop really quick and record it and then finish meditating or when you're falling asleep and you're in that in -between spot.
[892] Yeah.
[893] Stuff comes there and I've written a couple little ideas from that that I really like.
[894] Anytime I have, you know, awoken in the middle of the night and scribbled something down in the morning, it's just total gibberish.
[895] Yeah, really.
[896] It's like caramel gravy fight.
[897] Not bad.
[898] And I look at it and I go, what?
[899] Oh, my God.
[900] Yeah.
[901] I love those dream journals.
[902] Yeah, people write like the first thing that comes to mind.
[903] Right.
[904] Bananas.
[905] Yeah.
[906] And I know you're living, you're East Coast exclusively pretty much.
[907] New York.
[908] Is that just, it's so funny because I was so East Coast for so many years and then came this way.
[909] Yeah, I know.
[910] I remember.
[911] And, yeah, that's right.
[912] greeted me as I landed.
[913] I was there.
[914] You were at the American Airlines game.
[915] Actually, I saw you once at an airport in New York, probably, I don't know how old your oldest child is, but you had a newborn in your arms.
[916] And it was like after a red eye from L .A. Yeah.
[917] And we had done your show a couple times.
[918] And I was like, look, there's Conan O 'Brien.
[919] We're holding a newborn.
[920] Yeah.
[921] It wasn't my baby.
[922] Yeah, it was definitely your baby.
[923] No, they were just giving them out on the flight.
[924] You know?
[925] Yeah.
[926] Oh, like, it was first class.
[927] Get a baby if you want.
[928] I didn't want to say hi.
[929] I didn't want to say hi.
[930] You did?
[931] No, I didn't say hi because it was like a red eye.
[932] It was six in the morning and you had a newborn in your lap.
[933] And now I feel like I would say hi to you if I saw you at six in the morning.
[934] And you were holding a newborn.
[935] I love randomly bumping into people that I adore.
[936] I remember so clearly coming off, I think, a red eye and going into JFK and there's this one specific part of the airport.
[937] I'm walking through and I bump right into literally almost ran into Paul Rudd.
[938] Oh, amazing.
[939] I remember he was holding a guitar case because he was working on his guitar playing and we bumped into each other and we had this really great conversation and now every time I pass that part of the JFK terminal when I'm walking through which I am all the time I think of like this romantic moment with Paul Rudd.
[940] And he's told me that Eve thinks of it too.
[941] That's sweet.
[942] You should recreate it.
[943] Yeah.
[944] Can I come?
[945] I think we should just marry.
[946] Yeah, you know, me too.
[947] I love Paul Red.
[948] You know what?
[949] You know what?
[950] Nobody dislikes Paul Rowe.
[951] No, that's true.
[952] And I've been searching because I'm determined to find somebody.
[953] It's totally true.
[954] Yeah, there's some people.
[955] Paul Red and Dolly Parton.
[956] Oh, my God.
[957] Yeah, nobody dislikes.
[958] Have you worked with Dolly?
[959] I have before.
[960] Yeah, I got to sing with her.
[961] Oh, that song you have creeping in with Dolly Pots.
[962] Yeah, I did creeping in, yeah.
[963] And she came and sang with us at the Ryman, and I got to sing one of her songs with her ones.
[964] Okay, that's just crazy.
[965] But this is forever ago.
[966] And I mean, she's the best.
[967] It doesn't matter if it's forever ago.
[968] It happened.
[969] She's the best.
[970] She's the best.
[971] And the funniest.
[972] You should have Dolly on.
[973] Yes.
[974] No, no. She's not ready yet.
[975] She needs to prove herself a little more in the world of music.
[976] Yes.
[977] You know what I love is when people say, you should have Ron, as if you haven't thought of that.
[978] As if I'm forbidding it.
[979] It will happen, Adam, it's going to happen.
[980] Please.
[981] But one of my favorite things, this reminds me of when you host a show, show, people are always suggesting guests in the early days of my late night show.
[982] There was a guy who, and I can't remember what I think he was from Central America.
[983] And his job was to sort of be the guard that stood on the way into the elevators at Thurie Rock to get into our part of the building where the offices were.
[984] And I remember this guy was very nice.
[985] He was very young.
[986] And I think his name was like Luis, I think.
[987] And I'd come in and he'd be like, oh, hello, and go to see you.
[988] And I said, oh, hi, Louise, you know, have a good day.
[989] And I remember I came by once and he said, hey, Conan.
[990] And I said, yes.
[991] And he said, the Rolling Stones are in town.
[992] And I said, oh, I know, Louise, it's been in all the papers.
[993] And he said, I think they'd be pretty good on your show.
[994] And I said, yes, Louise, they would be amazing on the show.
[995] But the Rolling Stones are the biggest musical act in the world.
[996] And they don't do shows like mine.
[997] And also, if they were going to do a show, they'd probably do like a big 1130 show like Letterman.
[998] And I'm a 1230 show and, you know, we've only been on a few years, so they wouldn't probably come on my show.
[999] And he looked at me and he shrugged and he went, I think they'd be good.
[1000] Oh, that's so sweet.
[1001] Like I was blowing him off.
[1002] I'm like, I'm not blowing.
[1003] You're missing an opportunity.
[1004] You're right.
[1005] Can you help me facilitate that?
[1006] Yeah.
[1007] He's like Mick Jagger was on the phone like, come on.
[1008] No. That's funny.
[1009] But somebody told me I should have Billy Eilish on my podcast.
[1010] and I was like, that would be amazing.
[1011] I don't know if she would want to do my podcast.
[1012] Of course, she would.
[1013] I think anybody would.
[1014] That's the nice thing is you are in that sweet spot of, I just think a new act, an act that's been around for 100 years.
[1015] Anyone's going to want to do your podcast.
[1016] Well, thanks.
[1017] Not anyone, but I'm...
[1018] Let me talk to them.
[1019] You be my liaison.
[1020] Please.
[1021] Hey, Colonel O 'Brien, hear, listen to me, Eilish.
[1022] Get me, Billie Elish.
[1023] You're going to do Nora Jones, see?
[1024] Who am I?
[1025] Colonel O 'Brien from television.
[1026] Well, not any more television, but used to be television.
[1027] Elish, are you there?
[1028] Are you there?
[1029] Irish!
[1030] Yes.
[1031] Maybe I shouldn't do that for you.
[1032] Please do that for me. So I was, where was I?
[1033] I was having dinner with, I think I was, what was I having dinner with?
[1034] I think it was Nick Offerman and Megan Malalley.
[1035] And one of, someone looked over and in a far corner booth was Dolly.
[1036] Oh, wow.
[1037] And I know Dolly, because I think she did the late night show once or twice.
[1038] They were both like, can you bring us over and introduce us to Dolly Parton?
[1039] And it was just so, it was like going to say hello to the Pope.
[1040] Yeah.
[1041] Actually, I'm going to say higher than the Pope.
[1042] Whoa.
[1043] Well, I'm sorry.
[1044] Aren't you Catholic?
[1045] Yeah, you are very, your family especially, you're very Catholic.
[1046] but there's a lot of popes.
[1047] They keep replacing them.
[1048] You're right.
[1049] There's only one dolly part.
[1050] Yeah, there's been like 175 popes.
[1051] And they had two popes at the same time.
[1052] They did.
[1053] I'm sorry, the pope like the euro has been devalued.
[1054] There's just too many of them being, too many are being minted.
[1055] But there's only one dolly part.
[1056] It's true.
[1057] And man, is she.
[1058] She's the best.
[1059] She is the nicest person.
[1060] We were all like quaking in our boots.
[1061] And she couldn't have been a more beautiful soul.
[1062] She's very giving with herself, like her personality and everything, you know.
[1063] Also, she is never, she's always of the time in this crazy way, which is so if you, you know, in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, like right now, wisdom from her is as precious as it's ever been and or her doing a musical performance.
[1064] It's just kind of neat that she sort of transcends time.
[1065] I don't know how she does that.
[1066] She's great.
[1067] Well, she just got inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and she thought it was kind of funny because she says she's not a rock and roll musician.
[1068] But she did it anyway and she's very gracious about it.
[1069] And now she's made a rock and roll album.
[1070] Oh, really?
[1071] I think as a sort of, like, you know, I might as well.
[1072] And I think that's pretty awesome.
[1073] I almost feel like 9 to 5 is kind of a rock and roll song.
[1074] Yeah, I mean, genre, I mean, so much.
[1075] She definitely deserved it.
[1076] Yeah, yeah.
[1077] A rock and roll song that has typewriter for percussion.
[1078] Oh, that's right.
[1079] Yes, yeah.
[1080] That's so cool.
[1081] We just had, it'll have already been out, I think, by the time.
[1082] But Jane Fonda sat in that chair a couple of days ago, and we got on the topic of Dolly Parton, and she spoke of her as if she was, you know, I mean, she idolizes Dolly Parton and told these really great stories about her.
[1083] But so.
[1084] It's Dolly Week at Conan.
[1085] I know.
[1086] I know.
[1087] Sacks.
[1088] You know what?
[1089] We've all wanted Dolly, but Adam Sacks is forbidden it for now.
[1090] Yeah, why is that?
[1091] Yeah, there's one track she cut in 1973 that Adam Sacks didn't quite light.
[1092] Now that Nora Jones has blessed it all.
[1093] Yay.
[1094] Thank you.
[1095] Go to Dolly.
[1096] I know.
[1097] Go to her.
[1098] Go to the light.
[1099] If we do book her and you have to travel, will you let me and Gorley go?
[1100] I mean, sometimes you don't let us come.
[1101] Well, I have to come as the caveat.
[1102] Oh, you can come more.
[1103] Look, let me explain.
[1104] If I'm going to talk to like a, you know, Barack Obama or someone, there are security issues involved, background checks.
[1105] And that's why you two are usually excluded.
[1106] Right.
[1107] You know what you did and you know what you did four times.
[1108] I mean.
[1109] Yeah.
[1110] You're a shoplifter.
[1111] Okay.
[1112] Are you?
[1113] What about?
[1114] Yes, I am.
[1115] I am.
[1116] I am.
[1117] I was.
[1118] I was.
[1119] I'm not anymore.
[1120] And I've never been caught so it wouldn't be on a record.
[1121] So there you go.
[1122] You've only talked about it many times.
[1123] On the air and...
[1124] You bring it up.
[1125] You ruin it.
[1126] Yeah, that's a great criminal.
[1127] I wouldn't even confess, but you brought it up.
[1128] But Dolly Parton doesn't have a secret service.
[1129] So, Gourley and I, we're putting you on the spot.
[1130] You're taking us with us.
[1131] You're taking us with you.
[1132] And if you don't, we're striking.
[1133] Okay.
[1134] Oh, oh.
[1135] Yeah, okay.
[1136] All right.
[1137] Okay.
[1138] Well, good you did, Nora.
[1139] Opposed.
[1140] This is fun.
[1141] You know what happened?
[1142] Gourley's been getting a little more feisty.
[1143] We all know that.
[1144] And Sona, of course, always just a terror.
[1145] But you come in and you praise them both.
[1146] And now they're insane.
[1147] They're like, we're going to strike.
[1148] Three of us are striking.
[1149] Yeah, it's fun.
[1150] Uh -huh.
[1151] Yeah.
[1152] It's fun.
[1153] Yeah.
[1154] All right.
[1155] Well, so what do you have planned for this coming year?
[1156] I know that are you recording right now?
[1157] Yeah, I'm actually making an album.
[1158] And a lot of the songs came from those in -between sleep.
[1159] Sleep times, oddly enough.
[1160] And I'm going to go on tour in Europe this summer, which is always a joy to play music live and really just doing this podcast and trying to hang out with people in front of microphones.
[1161] The podcast is Nora Jones is playing along, and it's terrific.
[1162] Mavis Staples was on the podcast.
[1163] Mark Rebier, do you know him?
[1164] He's incredible.
[1165] I'm not as familiar with him now.
[1166] Yeah.
[1167] We had Bobby Hall, aka the rapper Logic, which was a really fun, like, meeting of two different worlds, you know.
[1168] So, yeah, it's, it kind of runs a gamut.
[1169] It's, if there's no limitations, it just has to be playing music together.
[1170] There's no genre or anything.
[1171] Also, I'll tell you this, as a fan of your podcast, you have an amazing, obviously you have an amazing singing voice, but I love your speaking voice.
[1172] Really?
[1173] Yeah, it sounds very, uh, it just sounds really lovely.
[1174] That was the thing I was most nervous about.
[1175] Really?
[1176] Well, you know, when you hear yourself speaking recorded is the most annoying thing on the planet to most people and I'm no different.
[1177] So when I hear myself sing, I can get with that.
[1178] I'm used to that.
[1179] But when I hear myself talk, sometimes I'm just like, ugh.
[1180] I think that's healthy.
[1181] I think it's normal too.
[1182] I think when if you're someone who, when you hear yourself, says, yeah, more of this.
[1183] More of this.
[1184] More of this.
[1185] Something's wrong.
[1186] I am horrified when I hear myself speaking.
[1187] But then I just say, yeah, that's just self -hate and it's probably done you some good.
[1188] Yeah, it's done good.
[1189] And also one thing I did notice listening back and approving stuff is I have a weird cackle.
[1190] Because when Sarah and I get to laughing sometimes, my co -host or whenever me and one of the guests laugh, after the song is done, there's always like this crazy laughter because we were trying a song for the first.
[1191] time and then we just bust out laughing when it's done.
[1192] But I have the, my laugh surprised the hell out of me. I didn't know I had a cackle.
[1193] Right.
[1194] You know.
[1195] Occasionally you discover things about yourself.
[1196] Yeah.
[1197] Sona, have you enjoyed listening to yourself?
[1198] I don't really listen to the podcast.
[1199] I'm sorry.
[1200] Well, you've got these twins.
[1201] You're busy now.
[1202] Well, if I didn't, I mean, I didn't always have the twins even before.
[1203] I didn't, like, it's not like I. You don't have to go overboard and say, even when I had nothing to do in the podcast.
[1204] Even when I literally had.
[1205] Nothing to do.
[1206] If someone press play and put, like, headphones on me, I would just take them.
[1207] No, I really, I don't.
[1208] You're not a consumer of, you know, the dealer shouldn't consume his own, you know.
[1209] That's old saying.
[1210] It would be called podcast rebating.
[1211] If you did, if you did, you listen to the podcast.
[1212] God, we've got to clean up this Nora Jones podcast.
[1213] Yeah.
[1214] I never thought I'd be saying that.
[1215] I love it.
[1216] I wish I could take credit.
[1217] Sarah came up with that when she was listening.
[1218] It's really, I like it.
[1219] I like it.
[1220] I mean, I don't have any problem.
[1221] You mentioned earlier like, well, I wouldn't have, never have a chance to have a meal with you.
[1222] I'd be delighted to any time if you're going to be in town and you need someone to grab, you know, breakfast, whatever, I will.
[1223] You'll pick it up and bring it to my hotel.
[1224] We're not quite a dinnering at.
[1225] I know.
[1226] Well, I'm sorry.
[1227] We can't be forward.
[1228] Not even brunch.
[1229] You're like 9 a .m. No, no, 9 a .m. 5 a .m. is when I get up.
[1230] when I come to L .A. because I'm on the East Coast.
[1231] That doesn't, that's not bad.
[1232] I will take you up from you'll between 7 a .m. and 8 .30 a. Oh, man. Yeah.
[1233] And we split it.
[1234] It's got to be an international house of pancakes.
[1235] No, seriously, I, any time.
[1236] I would just be delighted.
[1237] I would be ecstatic.
[1238] Oh, thank you.
[1239] Oh, thank you so much.
[1240] We brought it full circle.
[1241] You are a podcaster and I a pod masturbator.
[1242] Pod masturbator.
[1243] I think Nora Jones is an honorary child.
[1244] I just said pod masturbator.
[1245] Yeah.
[1246] you really just went for it.
[1247] I think what I'm talking about is different than what you're talking about.
[1248] Well, it's been another filthy show with Nora Jones.
[1249] Nora, thank you.
[1250] Thank you for having me. That was amazing.
[1251] It was great to see you all.
[1252] We haven't done voicemails in a while.
[1253] Okay.
[1254] You know, I'm always a little on edge because I feel I'll be criticized.
[1255] You always say that, and then I never give you any that are critical.
[1256] So you're saying there are ones.
[1257] I'm not saying that.
[1258] You just did.
[1259] I'm saying I never give you any that are critical.
[1260] I was going to maybe go on to say there are no critical ones.
[1261] I don't think you were, but it's okay.
[1262] There's got to be, this is America where 50 % of people hate the other 50%.
[1263] They can't all agree on.
[1264] This is a voluntary thing where people call in and they're already fans of yours.
[1265] This is not going to be the place where there's craziness in there for sure.
[1266] Good.
[1267] Well, that's how you know they're my people.
[1268] Okay, well, let's, I'm ready.
[1269] I've prepared myself.
[1270] Okay, Eduardo, punch it.
[1271] Hey, Conan.
[1272] This is State Senator Kathy Breen.
[1273] I'm calling from Maine.
[1274] And I'm calling to see if you are familiar with the retired presidential yacht, which is called the USS Sequoia.
[1275] Given that you are such a history buff, I wanted you to know that the ship is being restored here in Maine at a shipyard in Belfast.
[1276] And I wanted to invite you to come and see the ship sometime during.
[1277] its restoration, which will be over the next few years.
[1278] It's an amazing vessel, literally, of America history that will just blow your mind when you realize all the many events and historic figures who spent time on the yacht.
[1279] It was in service from the time of President Wilson until President Carter, and it's really just an amazing gem of U .S. history, and it's here in Maine for a few years getting restored.
[1280] So I wanted to invite you to that and find out if you're familiar with it and see if you might want to come to Maine and see it.
[1281] Wow, that was State Senator Kathy Breen.
[1282] I am aware of the Sequoia.
[1283] I didn't know about this.
[1284] Well, I could be wrong, but I think this was the presidential yacht that is featured in the movie Nixon.
[1285] Remember the movie Nixon that was made, by Oliver Stone.
[1286] With Anthony Hopkins.
[1287] With Anthony Hopkins as Nixon.
[1288] Nixon used to love to, I think, get in the sequoia.
[1289] If I'm thinking of the right ship, and he used to like to sail up the Potomac, that was like his idea of fun, which actually does sound fun, but he'd bring like Haldeman and Ehrlichman and Kissinger, which sounds less fun.
[1290] And they would sit around and go like, I think we're going to get away with it.
[1291] You're going to get away with it, sir.
[1292] Yeah, yeah, boss, you're going to get away with it.
[1293] I really do.
[1294] Hey, hey, hey.
[1295] Let's take it up to 20 knots.
[1296] What do you say, guys?
[1297] And so I think it was that kind of deal on the Sequoia, but it's portrayed in Oliver Stone's movie.
[1298] They're all on the Sequoia.
[1299] And I have to say, I've enjoyed some of Oliver Stone's work, but sometimes he has a heavy touch.
[1300] I'll say.
[1301] And so there's one scene in here, which really was like, oh, that's too much, where Anthony Hopkins as Nixon is on the Sequoia.
[1302] They're saying, you know, Mr. President, what should we do about the Cambodia?
[1303] And he's like, bomb, bomb them all.
[1304] And then someone says, oh, but Mr. President, there could be loss of life.
[1305] I don't care.
[1306] Bomb, bomb, bomb.
[1307] And then just then the chef says, Mr. President, your steak.
[1308] And he puts a steak in front of him.
[1309] And Nixon just then goes to cut into the steak and it's all red and juicy.
[1310] And he goes, blood, blood.
[1311] Too much blood.
[1312] Dracula.
[1313] Oh, my God.
[1314] Well, he then did turn into a bat and flutter away.
[1315] But you know what I mean?
[1316] just the I was like come on Oliver Stone I don't care bomb them all here's some steak blood I can't I must go back to my ancestral Transylania but I believe that that is a moment in film that depicts the president on the Sequoia well we should get you on that yacht and you can recreate that scene with some I will but you know what we have to act quickly because the sequoia is being restored state Senator Kathy Breen over a four -year period we've got no time to waste I would like to see it though sure you like that stuff any piece of any sort of history you're like oh this is a plate that you know Reagan used you're like what a plate oh my god can I hold it?
[1317] I don't I don't know I think it's a plate especially that era late Cold War era yes I'm with you I find that when someone, well, you famously, yeah, I mean, you have Eisenhower's phone.
[1318] We talked about this once and you brought it in and I thought that was cool.
[1319] And I think I'm fascinated by that stuff.
[1320] So I would love to take a quick tour of the Sequoia.
[1321] And I think it's a very nice invitation.
[1322] Because, Sona, did you ever have to do like duck and cover drills in school for nuclear war?
[1323] Was it just earthquakes?
[1324] Not for nuclear war, but for earthquakes.
[1325] Yeah.
[1326] See, that's, I think, something that shapes a child that.
[1327] when you have that existential fear of dying from the Cold War at no warning.
[1328] Today at my kid's school they do the same thing duck and cover, but it's for a nut allergy.
[1329] Oh God.
[1330] I can't even.
[1331] That's a solid joke.
[1332] I know.
[1333] That's how things have changed.
[1334] Wasn't a little cheesy?
[1335] Come on.
[1336] Come on.
[1337] We're having a man. Hello.
[1338] We're having fun.
[1339] Come on.
[1340] We're a family.
[1341] We're having fun.
[1342] Hey, it's time to duck and cover.
[1343] Someone used the wrong pronoun.
[1344] Boi -I -I -O -Y -I -I -I -I -ing.
[1345] I'm just saying times have changed.
[1346] Times have changed.
[1347] Anyway, welcome to our Joe Rogan moment.
[1348] Yeah, I know.
[1349] I hope you enjoyed it.
[1350] I know.
[1351] Yeah, I would check it out.
[1352] I would check out his ship.
[1353] Well, you, first of all, first of all, check out our mic.
[1354] Yeah.
[1355] You just lay down.
[1356] The mic is seven feet.
[1357] from you.
[1358] I'll check out a ship.
[1359] Yeah, well, first of all, you're not invited.
[1360] She didn't say Sona.
[1361] She said, Conan.
[1362] And by implication, Matt.
[1363] She called the podcast.
[1364] She called the podcast.
[1365] You know what?
[1366] You're right.
[1367] And I don't often admit I'm wrong, but you're right.
[1368] You never admit you're wrong.
[1369] I just did.
[1370] I know.
[1371] I...
[1372] The gummy just hit.
[1373] Yeah.
[1374] Look at this one.
[1375] What is with you?
[1376] I don't know.
[1377] It's one thing that you're reclining, but your hand is on your belly.
[1378] I know.
[1379] Because.
[1380] I don't know.
[1381] Okay.
[1382] But also, can I say, no, stay there, Sona.
[1383] This is nice.
[1384] I like the way you are right now.
[1385] I'm very comfortable right now.
[1386] You know what I love?
[1387] How entitled are you that you're in that position and you had your hand on your bell and you went, I'd check out the presidential yacht.
[1388] That's a lot of entitlement.
[1389] That is so your generation.
[1390] You millennials.
[1391] How dare you?
[1392] You millennials.
[1393] What is your deal with nut allergies and pronouns of my generation, bruh?
[1394] I think that's why I think that's why I'm like this right now.
[1395] You're aging yourself and I'm getting younger.
[1396] Yeah, and more Jamaican.
[1397] I'm repping, I'm repping the millennials.
[1398] Okay, okay, no, I...
[1399] The mills.
[1400] You grew up in a very different world where, okay, you had an earthquake drill, but we grew up under a constant existential threat of nuclear war, and that shaped Gorley and I and made us the cold warriors we are today.
[1401] I'm a walking ball of anxiety because of that.
[1402] That's not true.
[1403] It's true.
[1404] It's totally true.
[1405] You know what?
[1406] Every generation has their own existential fears.
[1407] Yes.
[1408] Every generation.
[1409] No one gets out Scott free.
[1410] We all are as we always will be and always have been.
[1411] I'm a wise man who can see things that others can't see.
[1412] You belong on a presidential yacht.
[1413] I do.
[1414] I've got to get on the sequoia.
[1415] Of course you will.
[1416] Well, anyway, it's a very kind invitation, Kathy.
[1417] And I will try to make this happen because I would love to see this Sequoia.
[1418] And I hope I'm right about my Nixon reference.
[1419] I believe that's the ship that he used to take up.
[1420] And his favorite thing to do was sail up to Mount Vernon.
[1421] This is what I recall from, oh, I read this somewhere.
[1422] I think he used to like to sail up to Mount Vernon, Washington's home.
[1423] And I think by this point, they were all loaded.
[1424] They were drinking the whole way.
[1425] And when they got to Mount Vernon, they would fire off a military salute, probably taking the chimney off of Mount Vernon and then turn around and come back.
[1426] So those are good times.
[1427] I wish I had a yacht with a cannon on it.
[1428] That's what I wish I had.
[1429] Have I mentioned this?
[1430] I was driving through Missouri.
[1431] I was in a car.
[1432] I was by myself.
[1433] And I pulled into, my car was overheating.
[1434] So I pulled into the Truman Presidential Library parking lot.
[1435] And my radiator overheated and green goo went all over their parking lot.
[1436] And a docent from the Truman Library came out and started yelling at me. And I put my car back into drive.
[1437] and grinding cylinders the whole way tore out of there.
[1438] Straight to the Eisenhower.
[1439] Yeah, leaving a bunch of muck behind, steaming muck behind me and a furious docent.
[1440] So my apologies to the Truman Presidential Library.
[1441] So, no, what's your presidential library story?
[1442] I have a car story.
[1443] I mean, you were in a Lincoln?
[1444] Oh.
[1445] Huh?
[1446] I know.
[1447] I've been to the Reagan Library.
[1448] I went to the Carter Library with you.
[1449] I met President Carter.
[1450] Yeah.
[1451] That's right.
[1452] That's right.
[1453] That's really nice.
[1454] Yeah.
[1455] I introduced you to not just the president, but the first lady, Rosalind Carter, was there as well.
[1456] I started crying.
[1457] You did start crying.
[1458] Yeah.
[1459] And then when we took a photo, he said I could stand next to him in the photo, which was really nice.
[1460] And yeah.
[1461] It's a great photo.
[1462] It's the four of us.
[1463] It's a wonderful photo.
[1464] Yeah.
[1465] I'm jealous.
[1466] Yeah.
[1467] It was a really nice thing.
[1468] I mean, they like were talking.
[1469] And then his assistants were like, you know, you can go in there if you want after they're done meeting.
[1470] Yeah.
[1471] I was like, I can't.
[1472] Yeah.
[1473] I was like, me?
[1474] Yeah.
[1475] And you know what?
[1476] Carter didn't have?
[1477] A nut allergy.
[1478] Peace out.
[1479] Mike drop.
[1480] Conan O 'Brien needs a friend.
[1481] With Conan O 'Brien, Sonam of Sessian, and Matt Gourley.
[1482] Produced by me, Matt Gourley.
[1483] Executive produced by Adam Sacks, Joanna Solitareff, and Jeff Ross at Team Coco, and Colin Anderson and Cody Fisher at Earwolf.
[1484] Theme song by The White Stripes.
[1485] Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino.
[1486] Take it away, Jimmy.
[1487] Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples.
[1488] Engineering by Eduardo Perez, additional production support by Mars Melnick, talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Batista, and Britt Kahn.
[1489] You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, and you might find your review read on a future episode.
[1490] Got a question for Conan?
[1491] Call the Team Coco hotline at 323 -451 -2821 and leave a message.
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[1495] This has been a team Coco production in association with Earwolf.