Have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to run over onto itself? Not necessarily bad, just really busy. Today seems to be one of those days for me. It is the kind of day where you wonder if there is ANY way to get everything done. In fact, it is really appropriate with the way my S-I-T-Head started this morning.
My eyes opened this morning with about ten songs in my head. They were all playing over and on top of each other. It was really quite strange, and kind of annoying. I couldn’t figure out how I would come up with a S-I-T-Head if I couldn’t key in on one song. However, it was the layering itself that lead me down a different path and pulled in another song. That was the one stuck. At that point I was listening to the music from Jonathan Larson’s rock opera, Rent.
Rent is set in New York City’s Lower East Side. It is the story of several young artists and musicians and their struggle to live, love, and survive. One of the main themes of the shows deals with living with, and coping with having to live with, AIDS. Many of the elements in the show are drawn from Puccini’s La Bohème. I was fortunate to see Rent twice. Once in New York City, where it ran on Broadway for 12 years before closing last September, and once in Boston. I really enjoy this show and recommend it highly. But, how did it get me to where I ended up on my journey for today’s S-I-T-Head?
Larson uses an interesting overlap kind of effect in quite a few of the numbers in the show, including the title number, Rent. However, for me, the one that sticks out the most is Christmas Bells. It seems like there are points where almost every actor on stage is singing different lyrics, and in some cases in different times. But even with all of that the sound just melds. As you listen to it you can start to discern the different components. From there you can pull parts of the story out that you may have missed after seeing/hearing it only once. Really cool stuff.
I wanted to include in this S-I-T-Head report the lyrics for this song as noted on lyrics007.com (http://www.lyrics007.com/Rent%20Lyrics/Christmas%20Bells%20Lyrics.html), just because that is how I roll. However, there is a lot going on in this number and the lyrics are really long. It just won’t do it justice unless you hear it. (And it would make this entry 10 pages!) So, the best that I can do is to give you the link to look at them. I really have to urge you to find a way to listen to it to really appreciate what I’m getting at.
I guess the point of my S-I-T-Head today is that life gets hectic. We all have so many things that overlap over each other. Like this song, we have to drill into the noise to find the story so we don’t miss out on something. It is up to us to figure out what is important and what is there to make it sound pretty. Unlike this song, however, we have to do all of this real time while singing along and we don’t often get a second chance to listen again to find out what we missed the first time around.
Here’s to finding your one song when your mind is swelling with 100 others that all want the spot in your S-I-T-Head!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009: Shinedown- "Second Chance"
Happy April Fool’s Day! I’ve been trying to think of a really good prank, but have been stumped…well, at least stumped for something that isn’t going to get me arrested, fired, or kicked out on the street. I did find a website called museumofhoaxes.com which is “dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes”. They have a posting which includes their “Top 100 April Fool’s Day Hoaxes of All Time”. (http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/) There is some pretty funny stuff on there; you should give it a look.
April Fool’s Day is funny like that, though. There is a need to find a balance. A balance between what is funny and what is hurtful or dangerous. I’m a bit of a sick and twisted sod, so sometimes that line is blurred for me. I like to think that’s part of my charm though, that it is what keeps me interesting…maybe that’s just me though.
Balance is fitting when looking at my S-I-T-Head today. I actually half expected a different S-I-T-Head this morning because of what I had running through my head last night. That is the beauty of the S-I-T-Head, right? The music is in control. It tells us what it wants us to know…that’s creepy, right?
Even though today’s S-I-T-Head is off of their 3rd major release, I’ve only just started hearing Shinedown's work. That isn’t to say they aren’t a popular band, that’s just to say I don’t often recognize these things. Shinedown’s debut album, Leave a Whisper, was released in 2003 and has gone Platinum. Both of their subsequent studio releases, Us and Them (2005) and The Sound of Madness (2008), have gone Gold. By all the reviews I have seen, the experts are claiming that The Sound of Madness is their best album to date.
When I listened to some of the tracks on The Sound of Madness, especially in the album’s lead single Devour and its title track The Sound of Madness, I was reminded of a Metallica-style metal. However, the album has a well balanced mix of really strong rock ballads that make the tracks from this album appealing to a wide range of musical tastes. Second Chance is one of those ballads. Now, we’re not talking about a ballad that, to its core fan base, makes a band look like their soft and selling out to the mainstream (“Don’t Fear the Reaper”, anyone?). These are legit tracks that have a message true to the band’s base.
I seem to talk a lot lately about the “stickiness” of songs. For me, the chorus in Second Chance makes this one really sticky. The band’s lead singer, Brent Smith, really pours a lot of emotion into this one and the heavily stringed ballad really pulls you in. This morning I have had “Even the man in the moon disappeared…Somewhere in the stratosphere” running through my head over and over. As noted on lyricsmode.com (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/shinedown/second_chance.html), below are the lyrics for Shinedown’s Second Chance.
My eyes are open wide
By the way I made it through the day
I watch the world outside
By the way I'm leaving out today
Well I just saw Hailey's comet shooting,
Said "why you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere"
[Chorus]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today
Well I just saw Hailey's comet shooting,
Said "why you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere"
[Chorus]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Here is my chance
This is my chance
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance [x3]
That’s all I have for today. I hope everyone has a good April Fool’s Day. Keep your eyes open for good pranks (please let me know about them!) and make sure to keep looking for your balance…in life, (in pranks…) and in music.
April Fool’s Day is funny like that, though. There is a need to find a balance. A balance between what is funny and what is hurtful or dangerous. I’m a bit of a sick and twisted sod, so sometimes that line is blurred for me. I like to think that’s part of my charm though, that it is what keeps me interesting…maybe that’s just me though.
Balance is fitting when looking at my S-I-T-Head today. I actually half expected a different S-I-T-Head this morning because of what I had running through my head last night. That is the beauty of the S-I-T-Head, right? The music is in control. It tells us what it wants us to know…that’s creepy, right?
Even though today’s S-I-T-Head is off of their 3rd major release, I’ve only just started hearing Shinedown's work. That isn’t to say they aren’t a popular band, that’s just to say I don’t often recognize these things. Shinedown’s debut album, Leave a Whisper, was released in 2003 and has gone Platinum. Both of their subsequent studio releases, Us and Them (2005) and The Sound of Madness (2008), have gone Gold. By all the reviews I have seen, the experts are claiming that The Sound of Madness is their best album to date.
When I listened to some of the tracks on The Sound of Madness, especially in the album’s lead single Devour and its title track The Sound of Madness, I was reminded of a Metallica-style metal. However, the album has a well balanced mix of really strong rock ballads that make the tracks from this album appealing to a wide range of musical tastes. Second Chance is one of those ballads. Now, we’re not talking about a ballad that, to its core fan base, makes a band look like their soft and selling out to the mainstream (“Don’t Fear the Reaper”, anyone?). These are legit tracks that have a message true to the band’s base.
I seem to talk a lot lately about the “stickiness” of songs. For me, the chorus in Second Chance makes this one really sticky. The band’s lead singer, Brent Smith, really pours a lot of emotion into this one and the heavily stringed ballad really pulls you in. This morning I have had “Even the man in the moon disappeared…Somewhere in the stratosphere” running through my head over and over. As noted on lyricsmode.com (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/shinedown/second_chance.html), below are the lyrics for Shinedown’s Second Chance.
My eyes are open wide
By the way I made it through the day
I watch the world outside
By the way I'm leaving out today
Well I just saw Hailey's comet shooting,
Said "why you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere"
[Chorus]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today
Well I just saw Hailey's comet shooting,
Said "why you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere"
[Chorus]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Here is my chance
This is my chance
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance [x3]
That’s all I have for today. I hope everyone has a good April Fool’s Day. Keep your eyes open for good pranks (please let me know about them!) and make sure to keep looking for your balance…in life, (in pranks…) and in music.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009: "Weird Al" Yankovich and Kate Winslet - "I Need A Nap"
Whew…what a crazy couple of days. Getting up at 4:30 in the morning is not something I’m sure I can get used to. Yeah, sure…people do it every day, and some are very productive people. I’m just not sure I have the wiring for it. I would much rather be getting ready to go to bed around 4:30 AM…but those days are long gone. If you watch the show “How I Met Your Mother”, that would be something that is likely on my “Murtaugh List”. Maybe I am just getting to old for that…umm…”stuff”. It is that thought…and the fact that I’m just starting to hear birds and see light…that today’s S-I-T-Head is extremely appropriate.
I’ve mentioned before, having kids does expand your exposure to a whole new world of music. Some of it is really…really bad. I mean really bad. Some of it is actually pretty decent and you do find sticking in your head for good reasons. (Unlike the previous group which would stick in your head because it was written by Lucifer himself and contains notes that invoke the opening of the seven seals and the setting forth of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse…yeah…really, some is that bad.) One of the better CD’s out there is called Dog Train (2005). The book/CD contains songs written and produced by children’s author Sandra Boynton who did Barnyard Dance, Snuggle Puppy and Philadelphia Chickens (another musical collection) just to name a few. Boynton is a very clever author with some really “sticky” material. Snuggle Puppy is still one of my kid’s favorites, and my wife and I really enjoy reading it to them. Her song books typically contain an accompanying CD with music that she works on with composer and pianist, Michael Ford.
On Dog Train, Boynton and Ford bring together some current recording artists to create a collection of some really rocking songs. Artists like Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Hootie & The Blowfish, John Popper, and more. Heck, even the Bacon Brothers make an appearance on the album. But today’s S-I-T-Head is a lovely duet performed on the CD by “Weird Al” Yankovic and Kate Winslet. The song is titled “I Need A Nap”. A really clever song and Yankovic and Winslet are really very good together. My personal favorites on the album are Tantrum (Spin Doctors) and this one. If you have kids, or have ever been around a child in need of a nap, you will appreciate this song. There is one more thing to it…this song relates to adults as well, especially adults who behave like children. And it is this which leads up back to why it is an appropriate S-I-T-Head for me today.
Below are the lyrics as found on weirdal.wikia.com (http://weirdal.wikia.com/wiki/Lyrics:I_Need_A_Nap). (I know…I thought the same thing when researching this…”Weird Al has a wiki page??” Talk about signs of the apocalypse! We do have the book here, and I would go get it and re-type them, but the kids are still sleeping and these lyrics look correct, so it is just as good.)
Weird Al: Well, the sun is still high in the afternoon sky, but the morning seems so long ago. I was happy before and I'm not anymore, though why there's a change, I don't know.
Kate: I'm so tired of this day, and I don't want to play, and I don't want a story to read. But I look in your eyes, and at once realize, that I know what it is-
Weird Al: Yes I know what it is
Both: Now I know what it is that I need... I need a nap!
Kate: I just can't take anymore
Both: I need a nap!
Weird Al: Can't stay awake anymore
Both: No more running around I just need to lie down and sleep.
Weird Al: I don't know what to do, I just can’t make it through, I want something or nothing right now.
Kate: I am mad and upset. What I want I don't get. I don't know what I want, anyhow.
Weird Al: I've been doing my best, now I just want to rest. On the rug, on the floor, I don't care.
Kate: Now the feeling's so strong, but this song is too long, it's the wrong kind of song and it seems to be going nowhere.
Both: Nowhere!
Oh, I need a nap! ….. I just can't take anymore!
I need a nap! …. Can't stay awake anymore!
No more running around I just need to lie down and sleep. Let me sleep!
There are times in the day when the going gets tough. When you just have to say you've done more than enough.
Weird Al: I can't think of more stuff that will rhyme with enough.
Both: So enough is enough. Is enough is enough. Is enough is enough is enough is enough is enough is enough is-- I need a nap!
Weird Al: Why does this song go on?
Both: I need a nap!
Weird Al: When all my strength is gone?
Both: I need a nap!
Kate: Please let me close my eyes.
Both: I need a nap! I don't wanna-- harmonize-- with you-- with me--
Weird Al: Change key!!
(Kate: Make him stop!!)
Both: I need a nap! I just can't take anymore. I need a nap!
Weird Al: Can't stay awake anymore!! (Kate: Aaaugh!)
Both: You can follow my lead as this song loses speed, now I need an immediate nap!
Well…that’s it for today. I’ve got to go get ready for the day, but one thing is for sure…I need a nap! Who’s with me?!
I’ve mentioned before, having kids does expand your exposure to a whole new world of music. Some of it is really…really bad. I mean really bad. Some of it is actually pretty decent and you do find sticking in your head for good reasons. (Unlike the previous group which would stick in your head because it was written by Lucifer himself and contains notes that invoke the opening of the seven seals and the setting forth of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse…yeah…really, some is that bad.) One of the better CD’s out there is called Dog Train (2005). The book/CD contains songs written and produced by children’s author Sandra Boynton who did Barnyard Dance, Snuggle Puppy and Philadelphia Chickens (another musical collection) just to name a few. Boynton is a very clever author with some really “sticky” material. Snuggle Puppy is still one of my kid’s favorites, and my wife and I really enjoy reading it to them. Her song books typically contain an accompanying CD with music that she works on with composer and pianist, Michael Ford.
On Dog Train, Boynton and Ford bring together some current recording artists to create a collection of some really rocking songs. Artists like Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Hootie & The Blowfish, John Popper, and more. Heck, even the Bacon Brothers make an appearance on the album. But today’s S-I-T-Head is a lovely duet performed on the CD by “Weird Al” Yankovic and Kate Winslet. The song is titled “I Need A Nap”. A really clever song and Yankovic and Winslet are really very good together. My personal favorites on the album are Tantrum (Spin Doctors) and this one. If you have kids, or have ever been around a child in need of a nap, you will appreciate this song. There is one more thing to it…this song relates to adults as well, especially adults who behave like children. And it is this which leads up back to why it is an appropriate S-I-T-Head for me today.
Below are the lyrics as found on weirdal.wikia.com (http://weirdal.wikia.com/wiki/Lyrics:I_Need_A_Nap). (I know…I thought the same thing when researching this…”Weird Al has a wiki page??” Talk about signs of the apocalypse! We do have the book here, and I would go get it and re-type them, but the kids are still sleeping and these lyrics look correct, so it is just as good.)
Weird Al: Well, the sun is still high in the afternoon sky, but the morning seems so long ago. I was happy before and I'm not anymore, though why there's a change, I don't know.
Kate: I'm so tired of this day, and I don't want to play, and I don't want a story to read. But I look in your eyes, and at once realize, that I know what it is-
Weird Al: Yes I know what it is
Both: Now I know what it is that I need... I need a nap!
Kate: I just can't take anymore
Both: I need a nap!
Weird Al: Can't stay awake anymore
Both: No more running around I just need to lie down and sleep.
Weird Al: I don't know what to do, I just can’t make it through, I want something or nothing right now.
Kate: I am mad and upset. What I want I don't get. I don't know what I want, anyhow.
Weird Al: I've been doing my best, now I just want to rest. On the rug, on the floor, I don't care.
Kate: Now the feeling's so strong, but this song is too long, it's the wrong kind of song and it seems to be going nowhere.
Both: Nowhere!
Oh, I need a nap! ….. I just can't take anymore!
I need a nap! …. Can't stay awake anymore!
No more running around I just need to lie down and sleep. Let me sleep!
There are times in the day when the going gets tough. When you just have to say you've done more than enough.
Weird Al: I can't think of more stuff that will rhyme with enough.
Both: So enough is enough. Is enough is enough. Is enough is enough is enough is enough is enough is enough is-- I need a nap!
Weird Al: Why does this song go on?
Both: I need a nap!
Weird Al: When all my strength is gone?
Both: I need a nap!
Kate: Please let me close my eyes.
Both: I need a nap! I don't wanna-- harmonize-- with you-- with me--
Weird Al: Change key!!
(Kate: Make him stop!!)
Both: I need a nap! I just can't take anymore. I need a nap!
Weird Al: Can't stay awake anymore!! (Kate: Aaaugh!)
Both: You can follow my lead as this song loses speed, now I need an immediate nap!
Well…that’s it for today. I’ve got to go get ready for the day, but one thing is for sure…I need a nap! Who’s with me?!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009: The Black Crows - "She Talks to Angels"
First off, a bit of housekeeping. I think my original explanation for a S-I-T-Head was far too restrictive. Songs don’t only get stuck in your head when you first wake up. In many ways we are surrounded by music all day and can therefore be overtaken by a S-I-T-Head at any time. So in that sense I’ll now be looking at a S-I-T-Head as more than just a “return to consciousness” event, but more of a “whenever it hits” event. I think that is far more fitting. Now, on to today’s S-I-T-Head…
I have always been a firm believer that some of the strongest memory recalls that we can experience are the result of sensory reactions. Sometimes it isn’t a full recall, sometimes it isn’t a complete memory, sometimes it is just a flood of emotion. Today’s S-I-T-Head falls into this category.
When the The Black Crows released their debut album “Shake Your Moneymaker” in 1990 I was a sophomore at Somerville High School and still trying to find my niche and not be awkward (please keep comments regarding my past and current level of awkwardness to yourself :-P). Over the next couple of years I would find that niche and build some of the best friendships I have had through getting involved in drama and in running track. Many of these friendships continue today, and many new ones had been built when I was still involved in these activities. OK…maybe not so much the continued running, but when I was still doing shows at least. Right now I get winded running a temperature.
So you’re probably asking yourself, “What’s up with the trip down memory lane?” Well, there actually is a point. In 1991, the Crows “She Talks to Angels” reached the Top 40 and every time I hear that song I am transported back to one place. Although the situation may be different each time, where I am and what I’m doing are always the same. Every time I hear that song I find myself sitting the back of the balcony in the SHS auditorium at the old light board. Sometimes the scaffolding is up and people are setting lights and gels, sometimes people are cleaning the stage, sometimes the sound system is just getting set up, and sometimes it’s been set for awhile. Whatever the case, I’m sitting up in the back of the dark balcony watching everything going on and listening to that song play. I don’t know why it stuck that way, but that is where I am. This morning I woke up and found myself back in that balcony, and knew that “She Talks to Angels” was my S-I-T-Head for today. The following lyrics are as noted on lyricsmode.com (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/black_crowes/she_talks_to_angels.html).
She never mentions the word addiction
In certain company
Yes, she'll tell you she's an orphan
After you meet her family
She paints her eyes as black as night now
Pulls those shades down tight
Yeah she gives a smile when the pain comes
The pain gonna make everything alright
Chorus:
Says she talks to angels
They call her out by her name
Oh yeah, she talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name
She keeps a lock of hair in her pocket
She wears a cross around her neck
Yes the hair is from a little boy
And the cross from someone she has not met
Not yet
Chorus 2:
Says she talks to angels
Says they all know her name
Oh yeah, she talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name
She don't know no lover
None that I ever seen
And to her that ain't nothing
But to me it means, means everything
She paints her eyes as black as night now
She pulls those shades down tight
Oh yeah there's a smile when the pain comes
The pain gonna make everything alright
Alright yeah
She talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name
Oh yeah, yeah angels
Call her out by her name
Oh, oh, oh angels
They call her out by her name
Oh, she talks to angels
They call her out,
Yeah, yeah call her out
Don't you know that they call her out
By her name
So there we have it, a S-I-T-Head that produces a sensory response (or is it a sensual response…no, I think that is something different..). All of this talk about sensory recall makes me think of another experience I had a couple of years ago which first really got me to thinking about this. I caught a scent in the air that immediately painted a picture in my head. Again, not a firm memory and not of a place I had been, but of some series of different memories and feelings put together. It is kind of cool how that can take over us. So I leave you today with this thought. Let yourself experience those sensory recall moments, whether it is the sight of an interesting looking cloud or the sound of a familiar song. Maybe it is the smell of a freshly baked loaf of bread, the taste of long-time favorite breakfast cereal, or the feel of a soft blanket. Take a moment today to go back…just for a moment…to remind yourself of where you’ve been. Because it is where we’ve been that makes us who we are today.
Scent of a Dream
I think I smelled the sea today, in a place called Watertown
And though the coast was miles away and no ocean was around
I smelled the seaweed on the rocks, the mildew on the planks
Of moorings and wood upon the docks, the masts of ships that sank
I smelled the sand beneath my feet, the beach spread all around
I smelled myself from the grains unsheathe a large seashell I had found
I smelled the cold pierce of the breeze as it blew in off the waves
I smelled the salt come with the seas, the skies a cloudy haze
And through this haze and foggy air, I smelled a flashing light
A ringing bell with this bright glare led sailors through the night
Yet as I sat and smelled the songs that sailors sang before
I knew, as long as life was long, the sea would call me . . . forevermore
I have always been a firm believer that some of the strongest memory recalls that we can experience are the result of sensory reactions. Sometimes it isn’t a full recall, sometimes it isn’t a complete memory, sometimes it is just a flood of emotion. Today’s S-I-T-Head falls into this category.
When the The Black Crows released their debut album “Shake Your Moneymaker” in 1990 I was a sophomore at Somerville High School and still trying to find my niche and not be awkward (please keep comments regarding my past and current level of awkwardness to yourself :-P). Over the next couple of years I would find that niche and build some of the best friendships I have had through getting involved in drama and in running track. Many of these friendships continue today, and many new ones had been built when I was still involved in these activities. OK…maybe not so much the continued running, but when I was still doing shows at least. Right now I get winded running a temperature.
So you’re probably asking yourself, “What’s up with the trip down memory lane?” Well, there actually is a point. In 1991, the Crows “She Talks to Angels” reached the Top 40 and every time I hear that song I am transported back to one place. Although the situation may be different each time, where I am and what I’m doing are always the same. Every time I hear that song I find myself sitting the back of the balcony in the SHS auditorium at the old light board. Sometimes the scaffolding is up and people are setting lights and gels, sometimes people are cleaning the stage, sometimes the sound system is just getting set up, and sometimes it’s been set for awhile. Whatever the case, I’m sitting up in the back of the dark balcony watching everything going on and listening to that song play. I don’t know why it stuck that way, but that is where I am. This morning I woke up and found myself back in that balcony, and knew that “She Talks to Angels” was my S-I-T-Head for today. The following lyrics are as noted on lyricsmode.com (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/black_crowes/she_talks_to_angels.html).
She never mentions the word addiction
In certain company
Yes, she'll tell you she's an orphan
After you meet her family
She paints her eyes as black as night now
Pulls those shades down tight
Yeah she gives a smile when the pain comes
The pain gonna make everything alright
Chorus:
Says she talks to angels
They call her out by her name
Oh yeah, she talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name
She keeps a lock of hair in her pocket
She wears a cross around her neck
Yes the hair is from a little boy
And the cross from someone she has not met
Not yet
Chorus 2:
Says she talks to angels
Says they all know her name
Oh yeah, she talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name
She don't know no lover
None that I ever seen
And to her that ain't nothing
But to me it means, means everything
She paints her eyes as black as night now
She pulls those shades down tight
Oh yeah there's a smile when the pain comes
The pain gonna make everything alright
Alright yeah
She talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name
Oh yeah, yeah angels
Call her out by her name
Oh, oh, oh angels
They call her out by her name
Oh, she talks to angels
They call her out,
Yeah, yeah call her out
Don't you know that they call her out
By her name
So there we have it, a S-I-T-Head that produces a sensory response (or is it a sensual response…no, I think that is something different..). All of this talk about sensory recall makes me think of another experience I had a couple of years ago which first really got me to thinking about this. I caught a scent in the air that immediately painted a picture in my head. Again, not a firm memory and not of a place I had been, but of some series of different memories and feelings put together. It is kind of cool how that can take over us. So I leave you today with this thought. Let yourself experience those sensory recall moments, whether it is the sight of an interesting looking cloud or the sound of a familiar song. Maybe it is the smell of a freshly baked loaf of bread, the taste of long-time favorite breakfast cereal, or the feel of a soft blanket. Take a moment today to go back…just for a moment…to remind yourself of where you’ve been. Because it is where we’ve been that makes us who we are today.
Scent of a Dream
I think I smelled the sea today, in a place called Watertown
And though the coast was miles away and no ocean was around
I smelled the seaweed on the rocks, the mildew on the planks
Of moorings and wood upon the docks, the masts of ships that sank
I smelled the sand beneath my feet, the beach spread all around
I smelled myself from the grains unsheathe a large seashell I had found
I smelled the cold pierce of the breeze as it blew in off the waves
I smelled the salt come with the seas, the skies a cloudy haze
And through this haze and foggy air, I smelled a flashing light
A ringing bell with this bright glare led sailors through the night
Yet as I sat and smelled the songs that sailors sang before
I knew, as long as life was long, the sea would call me . . . forevermore
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009: Nellie McKay - "David"
This morning’s S-I-T-Head doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. I actually had a conversation with a friend at work recently about this artist and I kind of expected this as a S-I-T-Head at some point. I was first introduced to Nellie McKay (pronounced “McEye”) when using Rhapsody years ago. That application often suggests random artists on the home page. I really enjoy that feature because it gave me insight into music and artists that I might not normally come across. I strongly recommend you pulling up some of Nellie’s stuff. She has a very interesting range of style and her lyrics are clever. Not to mention some pretty smooth vocals and you’re doing okay.
My S-I-T-Head was really more than one song; it was more based on her 2004 release “Get Away from Me”. This was the album that got me hooked on her. I think one of my favorites from the album is the angry feeling tune “Sari”. However, I thought I would go with the lead track on the album for today, “David”. I did find a Wikipedia article on McKay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_McKay) that said that this song was about one of her teachers from Manhattan School of Music, David Eisenbach, who according to another Wikipedia article teaches Western Literature and Philosophy at the school (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Eisenbach). Yes, they are Wikipedia, so take that for what it’s worth, but I couldn’t find too much on Nellie that gave a lot of insight. Maybe I should start calling the artists for interviews…hmmm…
So, without further ado, I present the lyrics for Nellie McKay’s “David” as noted on lyricsmode.com (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/n/nellie_mckay/david.html).
Look at you you're young
Havin' so much fun
Gonna be a star
Blah blah blah
And click there goes the phone
I don't wanna know
What my
Horoscope's predicting
Just pour me a drink
'cause I need a kick
I don't wanna think
I just wanna sip
[chorus]
David don't you hear me at all
David won't you give me a call
Waitin' here not makin' a sound
David come around
Mister bushie says
I'm your president
I have lots to say
Hey hey hey
And click goes the remote
There you have my vote
Catchin' the next boat out of here
Just pour me a drink
'cause I need a lie
I don't wanna think
I just wanna die
[chorus]
David don't you hear me at all
David don't you hear through the wall
Waitin' here not makin' a sound
David come around
[bridge]
Chaos pervades the world outside
Days offer spades of hurled outcries
Gone is the fair and five and dime
But he is there
He's so fine
Listen to her play
Has somethin' to say
Even has a rap
Clap clap clap
But click there goes the lid
Sorry 'bout the fib
I ain't got a grip on nothin'
Just pour me a drink
Right outta the can
I don't wanna think
I just want my man
[chorus]
David don't you hear me at all
David dear I'm just down the hall
Waitin' here not makin' a sound
David come around
The moral of today’s S-I-T-Head Report is keep your eyes, ears, and mind open to all kinds of music. You’ll often be pleasantly surprised. Let me know your S-I-T-Head...I’ve been thinking I should get a t-shirt made up that says “Do you have a S-I-T-Head?”
My S-I-T-Head was really more than one song; it was more based on her 2004 release “Get Away from Me”. This was the album that got me hooked on her. I think one of my favorites from the album is the angry feeling tune “Sari”. However, I thought I would go with the lead track on the album for today, “David”. I did find a Wikipedia article on McKay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_McKay) that said that this song was about one of her teachers from Manhattan School of Music, David Eisenbach, who according to another Wikipedia article teaches Western Literature and Philosophy at the school (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Eisenbach). Yes, they are Wikipedia, so take that for what it’s worth, but I couldn’t find too much on Nellie that gave a lot of insight. Maybe I should start calling the artists for interviews…hmmm…
So, without further ado, I present the lyrics for Nellie McKay’s “David” as noted on lyricsmode.com (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/n/nellie_mckay/david.html).
Look at you you're young
Havin' so much fun
Gonna be a star
Blah blah blah
And click there goes the phone
I don't wanna know
What my
Horoscope's predicting
Just pour me a drink
'cause I need a kick
I don't wanna think
I just wanna sip
[chorus]
David don't you hear me at all
David won't you give me a call
Waitin' here not makin' a sound
David come around
Mister bushie says
I'm your president
I have lots to say
Hey hey hey
And click goes the remote
There you have my vote
Catchin' the next boat out of here
Just pour me a drink
'cause I need a lie
I don't wanna think
I just wanna die
[chorus]
David don't you hear me at all
David don't you hear through the wall
Waitin' here not makin' a sound
David come around
[bridge]
Chaos pervades the world outside
Days offer spades of hurled outcries
Gone is the fair and five and dime
But he is there
He's so fine
Listen to her play
Has somethin' to say
Even has a rap
Clap clap clap
But click there goes the lid
Sorry 'bout the fib
I ain't got a grip on nothin'
Just pour me a drink
Right outta the can
I don't wanna think
I just want my man
[chorus]
David don't you hear me at all
David dear I'm just down the hall
Waitin' here not makin' a sound
David come around
The moral of today’s S-I-T-Head Report is keep your eyes, ears, and mind open to all kinds of music. You’ll often be pleasantly surprised. Let me know your S-I-T-Head...I’ve been thinking I should get a t-shirt made up that says “Do you have a S-I-T-Head?”
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009: Presidents of the United States of America - "Peaches"
Have you ever started to drift back into consciousness from sleep in the morning and before you even open your eyes you have some random song running through your head? Maybe it’s a song you heard before you went to bed, or on the ride home from work, or is still burned in your ears from the club the night before. Well, that happens to me what seems about every morning. And typically I can’t even put my finger on where the heck it came from. It can be anything from some random children’s song (thanks to my little ones for making my musical interest that much more eclectic) to some hard screaming metal or punk song.
So yesterday I got the idea that I would start keeping a log, writing them down, figured why the heck not, right? So, here we are with the creation of my “Song-In-The-Head”, or S-I-T-Head Report (feel free to add whatever additional consonants you feel are appropriate, I’m sure there is one that is just SCREAMING out). Very likely I’ll have a pretty wide range here over time.
Today’s S-I-T-Head is from Presidents of the USA. Before I opened my eyes I had the lyrics “Movin’ to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches. I’m moving to the country I’m gonna eat me a lot of peaches.” Of course I started singing it which prompted my wife to ask “Is that a real song, I mean it sounds like a real song, but is it?” As you can probably imagine, my rendition of the song did it little to no justice. And it likely doesn’t help that most people who know me know that only about 5-9% of what comes out of my mouth is ever serious.
“Peaches” was on the band’s self-titled debut album released originally by PopLlama Records in 1995 (the band was actually signed by Columbia Records shortly after the release of the album and it was re-released by Columbia in July ’95). The following excerpt is from the website presidentsrock.com (http://www.presidentsrock.com/) regarding the inspiration for the lyrics:
So yesterday I got the idea that I would start keeping a log, writing them down, figured why the heck not, right? So, here we are with the creation of my “Song-In-The-Head”, or S-I-T-Head Report (feel free to add whatever additional consonants you feel are appropriate, I’m sure there is one that is just SCREAMING out). Very likely I’ll have a pretty wide range here over time.
Today’s S-I-T-Head is from Presidents of the USA. Before I opened my eyes I had the lyrics “Movin’ to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches. I’m moving to the country I’m gonna eat me a lot of peaches.” Of course I started singing it which prompted my wife to ask “Is that a real song, I mean it sounds like a real song, but is it?” As you can probably imagine, my rendition of the song did it little to no justice. And it likely doesn’t help that most people who know me know that only about 5-9% of what comes out of my mouth is ever serious.
“Peaches” was on the band’s self-titled debut album released originally by PopLlama Records in 1995 (the band was actually signed by Columbia Records shortly after the release of the album and it was re-released by Columbia in July ’95). The following excerpt is from the website presidentsrock.com (http://www.presidentsrock.com/) regarding the inspiration for the lyrics:
“The lyrics for “Peaches” were written about a crush (Chris) Ballew used to have
on a girl. According to him, she had a peach tree in the front yard, and
when he finally summoned the courage to go talk to her, he stood under the tree
and smashed peaches in his fist until he decided not to talk to her.”
So, for your viewing pleasure, below are the lyrics to the Presidents of the USA song “Peaches” as noted on lyricsmode.com (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/p/presidents_of_the_usa/peaches.html.
Movin' to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches
I'm movin' to the country I'm gonna eat me a lot of peaches
I'm movin' to the country I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches
Movin' to the country I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches
Peaches come from a can they were put there by a man
In a factory downtown
If I had my little way I'd eat peaches everyday
Sun soakin bulges in the shade
Movin' to the country I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches
Movin' to the country I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches
I'm movin to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches
Movin' to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches
I took a little nap where the roots all twist
Squished a rotten peach in my fist
And dreamed about you woman
I poked my finger down inside makin' a little room for a ant to hide
Nature's candy in my hand or can or a pie
Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free
Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free
Look out
Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free
Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free
Look out
Got a song that was stuck in your head this morning? Share it with me. I’d love to know I’m not alone!! (And prove to people that I’m not COMPLETELY crazy…only just a little. :) )
Stay tuned for more S-I-T-Head Reports coming soon…
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