East Tennessee.....

.... not too bad for a blind man, if you ask me......

..... and being from East Tennessee, I consider myself both hillbilly AND just a little bit cultured........

Waits.....

...... more music, but this time something a bit more poetic and a bit more out there...... I love the poetry of this song.......

... politics has been depressing me to the point of no return lately......... school has started back, and I am excited about that....... but, I am tired........

....... what an 18 months it has been.....

...More Prine....

..... it has been on of those evenings......

..... I'm smiling my backside off and listening to some Prine tonight.......

Past....

.... a bit of a blast from the past, but it was on my mind tonight........

.... I once described 1980s music videos and movies as the "best corndog on the rack....... it may be the best, but it is still just a corndog..."....... and as an example, I give you a music video that is most definitely not OSHA approved.....

Fire.....

..... and while the election rolls, here you go........ I heard this on the way to town today and it just struck me....... .

.... besides...... isn't it nice to take a break from the real for a bit?......

Lydia.....

... I switched out the CD that had been snuggled in Vivienne's CD player for the past few months and threw in some Prine....one of his Live albums, actually, and a true gem...... I'll give Tom Waits a rest for a few weeks at least before I sling him back towards cute Vivienne..... anyway, it occurred to me today that many people probably haven't heard one of the great poetic masterpieces by Mr. Prine....... so, I feel that I should share a few of his words...... and thus, we will all become just a wee bit more educated....... behold....

Donald and Lydia by John Prine

Small town, bright lights, Saturday night,
Pinballs and pool halls flashing their lights.
Making change behind the counter in a penny arcade
Sat the fat girl daughter of Virginia and Ray

Lydia
Lydia hid her thoughts like a cat
Behind her small eyes sunk deep in her fat.
She read romance magazines up in her room
And felt just like Sunday on Saturday afternoon.

But dreaming just comes natural
Like the first breath from a baby,
Like sunshine feeding daisies,
Like the love hidden deep in your heart.

Bunk beds, shaved heads, Saturday night,
A warehouse of strangers with sixty watt lights.
Staring through the ceiling, just wanting to be
Lay one of too many, a young PFC:

Donald
There were spaces between Donald and whatever he said.
Strangers had forced him to live in his head.
He envisioned the details of romantic scenes
After midnight in the stillness of the barracks latrine.

But dreaming just comes natural
Like the first breath from a baby,
Like sunshine feeding daisies,
Like the love hidden deep in your heart.

Hot love, cold love, no love at all.
A portrait of guilt is hung on the wall.
Nothing is wrong, nothing is right.
Donald and Lydia made love that night.

Love
They made love in the mountains, they made love in the streams,
They made love in the valleys, they made love in their dreams.
But when they were finished there was nothing to say,
'Cause mostly they made love from ten miles away.

But dreaming just comes natural
Like the first breath from a baby,
Like sunshine feeding daisies,
Like the love hidden deep in your heart.

.... like Waits, you may not like his voice....... but also like Waits, if you don't like Prine's words, then you have no soul........ music isn't always about the soothing voices and melodic musicianship...... music is simply a different form of poetry..... a poetry that Waits and Prine are Masters at creating......

Formative....

.... they say that the formative years are so very, very important...... and I suspect that my musical taste as an adult can be traced back to that long-ago evening when I was gifted this little gem about 1975....

... is it any wonder that I crave the soothing tones of Tom Waits and John Prine now?.....

Prine....

.... woke up humming this song and haven't been able to shake it all day long........

Soundtrack....

... the soundtrack for tonight.......... whoooo, boy....

Marie.....

.... found this today and it sure churned up some memories....... I'd bet just about anything that my Dad had this in his 74 Ford F-150's 8-track player back in the day......

... you couldn't make up my childhood if you had all damned day......

Home.....

..... what a trip, folks...... Aberdeen, Ballater, Banchory, Aboyne, Montrose, Perth, Crief, Crainlarich, Dunstaffnage, Oban, Mull, Iona, Inverary, Glasgow, and London.... and those were just the BIG towns....... I am beat...... I am home, but I am beat.....

.... time to listen to some music and relax.....for tomorrow, we begin it all again......

Moods.....

..... currently chiming out from my CD Player while I whip up dinner..... Sweet & Sour Chicken and Hard Hearted Hannah.....

..."I saw her by the seashore with a great big pan..... She was pouring water on a drowning man!".....

Waits....

.... just something to keep the spammers at bay and to keep this page teetering along..... as John Prine would say, "everything is cool."..... just channeling that one-legged guy in that asskicking contest, etc...... still, there is always enough time each day to dig on a little Tom Waits.......

... I'm up, they see me, I'm down...... rock on, rubberneckers.....

Music.....

.... it has been a very, very long few months, rubberneckers........ and tonight?..... well, tonight I am enjoying a night of being a batchelor and catching up on some of my old records that I haven't had a chance to play in a long, long time....... so here, if you dare, are the Blues in The Air........

.... hey, not a bad way to end an evening, if you ask me......

Songs....

... I awoke humming this song...... the poplar trees had just begun to drop the first of their September leaves in the front lawn, and I thought of long ago Helens and Blood Mountains....... and smoke filled cabins with guitars being played....... and many, many other nights.....

...... I do so love a set of blue eyes......

Chet....

..... long day, but it ended quite nicely...... I ended up having my brother drop by after dinner for a few games of pool....... and I won for a change.......

..... still, this was the song of the night....... it is too bad that Chet was so broken...... he reminds me a bit of Townes in his earlier years.....

..... the Gershwins were amazing......

Malibu....

... woke up humming this tune and just can't get it out of my head....... my goodness...

.... just look at the way those two look at each other......

Raining.....

..... it has been a bachelor day here on The Compound, and the storms rolling through have washed everything clean..... I was smoking outside under the eaves of the house - hiding from the warm rain a few minutes ago - and the smell of wet earth filled the air...... thunder was rolling off in the distance..... and the trees were chattering as the rain patted their leaves....... certainly nice to have a break from the mid-90s that we've been having.....

... anyway, since I am alone tonight - and it is nearly 8pm, I must venture off to scare up some dinner..... and perhaps a gin and tonic.......

.... so, I will leave you with a "rainy day" song that I recalled this evening in between raindrop-dodging Camels...

.... I do hope you enjoy it....

..... I do love me some Nanci from time to time....

Mood....

.... in the mood for some Donovan.....

.... that is all.....

Music....

...... been humming this song for most ofthe evening.......

...... and I cannot WAIT for the morning........

Thrashers.....

Softly......

..... good lord, this brings back memories........ the eve before I joined The Corps!.......

..... pay no attention to the naked drummer........ I hear that drummers are kinda like that by nature........

..... I am off........

Originals....

.... a friend of mine called me up the other day, and during the course of conversation he asked me a question, chiefly, "What the hell is up with your Tom Waits addiction?".....

... and really, it is a fair question...... after all, like Beefheart, Zevon, Zappa, etc., Mr. Waits can be a bit hard to swallow sometimes.... but really, it comes down to the poetry of his words - and not his voice - that causes my OCD mind to enjoy his art to the degree that I do.....

... anyway, my ole pal Bitterman recently posted a true treat as well.... and that, combined with the conversation I had with my friend, made me start thinking about Originals.... I touched on the subject a few years ago, actually, when waxing on about 'Pancho and Lefty'...... but now?..... well, after watching Darrel Scott's soulful performance of a song that HE WROTE and comparing it with the soulless Travis Tritt version that became famous, I just have to give the man some credit.... Darrel Scott sings that song as it was meant to be sung... he wrote it, he felt it, and he LIVED it......

.... and that kind of emotion cannot be faked..... and that is why - regardless of the clarity of voice, the expense of the back-up groups, and the light show - artists singing THEIR own songs are always the best...... because, in the end, they are the most honest rendition of the song in its purity...... and as a case in point, here are a few examples of what I mean.......

... here is Waits singing a song that he wrote.....



... and here is Sara McLachlan covering the same song....

... and here's Townes Van Zandt singing one of my favorites..... the "interview" beforehand is absolutely amazing.....

... and then here is a more commercial version.......

.... and just because I'm in the mood, here's another Townes original........ and, quite frankly, my favorite version.....

... and of course, Willie singing the same song.......

..... Originals, folks...... there really aren't that many around anymore........

Mind......

...... where my mind has been over the past few days.....

...... and this ain't HALF of it!.....

Home.....

.... scary, scary things here, rubberneckers......... but it is what it is......

..... in other news, I found an old song tonight that brought back some memories for me.....

.... and while I am not remotely from West Virginia, I do remember listening to this song on the radio as The Missus and I pulled up to the home of The Inlaws in Scotland........ and I cried....... I sat there in the car and cried......... if you listen to the song, you might understand just a bit about what it means to be "Home"....... we all miss our homes at one point or another.......

..... that was many, many years ago...... and now, well, the shoe is on the other foot, to use the eternal euphemism.......... but still, the song moves me.........

.... and yes, Fretkillr does a much better job than Mr. Denver............

...... enjoy the song, fellow travelers......... it is a beautiful piece of music......

Angie....

.... seriously..... I always loved this song....... but really?.... what the HELL was Jagger thinking?...

.... mercy.... this is a case where the song is best HEARD than SEEN......

Music....

.... tonight's earworm, gentle rubberneckers........ behold....



.. if you wish to sing along, here are the lyrics......

... this one actually comes from a Pittsburg fellow who I served with in the Corps..... The Clarks being from around there, I believe, once he was sent out to the rock that I was keeping warm in the Bering Sea, his girlfriend jilted him..... thoughts of him being so close to Siberia must have chilled her soul...... in any case, he introduced me - by his grief - to The Clarks..... and I always found this song a bit fascinating......

In a black and far off corner of my mind
There's a box of something I can't quite define
It houses circus freaks, temptation and bad trips
In an isolated corner of the box
There's a trap door covered up with dirt and rocks
It opens to the stairs that lead down to the crypt

Do you know where you're going when you've taken your last step
Do you know what you get?
Cigarette

On a dark and lonely road in my hometown
Stands a house that long ago should've been torn down
It reeks of love gone sour, suspicion and bad debt
On a weather beaten transom in the house
Walks a friend of mine that I call the old king mouse
He dances in the moonlight and sleeps out on the steps

Do you know where you're going when you've taken your last breath?
Do you know what you get?
Do you know where you're going when they've paid their last regrets?
Do you know what you get?
Cigarette

In a black and far off corner of my mind
There's a box of something I can't quite define
It houses circus freaks, temptation and the Fayette County Fair
And it reeks of love gone sour, suspicion and big hair

Do you know where you're going when you've taken your last breath?
Do you know what you get?
Do you know where you're going when the devil starts to sweat?
Do you know what you get?
A cigarette

... hey, I have no idea what the artists were thinking, but I always found their imagery quite interesting........

Eyes....

.... driving down to Chattanooga, I couldn't help having this song on my mind today....... odd, I know...... but tonight I've been singing it all the way home...... much to the chagrin of The Missus......

.... I hope that you enjoy......

Haydn.....

.... it has been a rough few weeks here, rubberneckers....... but, as things always are, we move on and keep on keepin' on...... tomorrow is The Day....... and so, since I don't have that much to say right now, I will leave you with my favorite piece of uplifting music....... a piece that I have loved since the very first moment that it passed by my ears........

.... I do hope that you enjoy, folks...... after all, if God exists, I would bet some serious cash that he plays a cello in his spare time....... or a violin....... or a French horn........ hell, at the VERY least, he is a great fan of Haydn, Vivaldi, and all that composed for strings..........

..... and with that, I am off......... wish us luck......

Blues....

.... when I was a senior in high school, I used to tune the tape deck to this song and then race to town (to pick up my little brother from school) and see if I could make it back home before the song ended....... it was an 8-mile round trip, and I usually made it....... just as long as the local copper was still managing the school traffic where it merged onto highway 411, that is......

.... enjoy.... hey, it is one of those songs that sounds all that much better the louder that you turn up the sound....... Ry Cooder at his best.......

.... funny, really..... I always imagined the ebb and flow of his notes almost like the sensation of "breathing"..... I can still close my eyes, listen to this, and feel my chest reacting to the changing notes......

Visits.....

...... a few days ago, Richard and Holder paid us a lovely visit..... and after a fine dinner a a local restaurant, we settled back here in the compound to watch their darling daughters beat the Hades out of their father on the pool table......it was epic.....

..... anyway, I was humbled by ole Holder..... see, she asked me about an old John Wayne quotation after seeing a poster or two of him in the living room, and I immediately made my way to the blogroom to fetch my old "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations"...... alas, the quote was not there..... and she, on her fancy cell phone, googled the quote and had it up on her screen within 30 seconds......

..... how sad is it that our telephones now are more capable than our fancy book shelves at finding information?...... fuck me, I have always prided myself on my collection of reference books!........ sheesh, just think of the thousands of dollars that I have wasted by buying books instead of blackberries!......

.... still, though, I drove into town today and had this song playing on the CD rack........ and it made me smile more than anything has in a long, long time..........

...... I love poetry with a passion..... and this song?...... it is both poetry.... and it is ALSO something that you want to turn up LOUD and lose yourself in........

.... as for the poetry........ the line "don't you know there ain't no Devil, that's just God when he's drunk" is absolutely epic.......

.... funny, though........ it isn't in the quotation book either....... perhaps that is saying something in and of itself.........

Outside.....

..... the other day, my brother asked me to play this song for the first time......... and I must say that I was (and am) hugely impressed...... I've always liked the hits that Staind poured out, but this song certainly makes me like their Front Man a whole lot better.......

.... who'd have thunk that there was someone from Massachusetts who was covered in tats that could have easily been one of my relatives...... or at LEAST a family member.......... hell, I could have written this song myself if I had his talent..........

... enjoy.....

You....

.... hey, who says that Tom Waits' voice can't soothe the soul?...... behold.... and pay homage to the Man....

.... now, THAT, gentle rubberneckers, is how The Master does a lovesong........

Pre-Disco....

.... when I was a little boy, there was a family that lived nearby..... a Mother, Father, two daughters, and two sons.......

... the Mother was a psychotic, manipulative lunatic....... the Father was a worker on a construction crew who drank a little bit too much... in retrospect, probably because he had to live with a woman like that.....

..... their children suffered, though.... half of them born with their Mother's head-troubles - and the other half born with their Father's insane ability to gravitate TOWARDS someone like their Mother..... hell, those kids were probably doomed from before they were even conceived......

..... the Mother left home when the youngest was about 4, and then proceeded to marry as many men as would be foolish enough say, "I do."..... and she went through more than I can even remember..... I think I heard someone say 14 a few years ago, but I can't really vouch for that....... but I wouldn't discount the number - having known her........

... it's funny...... I can't imagine that 14 able bodied Human Males would be capable of all wanting to marry her over the past 20 years or so.....

.... the Father ended up raising all of those kids by himself while the Mother whored across three states.......

.... that man taught me to play guitar when I was 14 years old...... I'd get dropped off at his house three times a week after school, and he'd strum his guitar and sing....... my Mom bought his guitar for me, and he'd lovingly stroke it each time I arrived with it each week...... I don't really think that he truly wanted to part with it, but he needed the money....... I imagine that raising four children on a joiner's salary would be tough work, so he sold it to make ends meet......

.... it was a Yamaha FG-340..... 1974 model, if my dust-covered memory serves.... and he could make it sound beautiful.....

... he taught me the basic chords, and a little bit of lead that he knew........ I can still play the intro lead to "Lyin' Eyes" by the Eagles...... he taught me the chords to "Hotel California" - which I later taught myself to fingerpick rather badly.......

..... he'd come home from the job site and find me sitting on his front porch with the rest of his kids - just waiting to be let inside - and he'd laugh and say, "you are back again!??.... are your fingers sore, boy?!"...... I'd grin and make my way to the couch while one of his kids fetched a beer for him from the kitchen...... he'd take the guitar from me, and he'd start to play....... he'd always play ten minutes before he asked me to show him what I had practiced.........

... his name was Mark, and his last name was Scottish...... as a matter of fact, when the kilts were picked out for my Scottish wedding, we had three to pick...... and since none of my family names were Scots, the choices were made by our love of friends and family..... I wore the Hollyrood tartan (that of the Princes of Scotland)... my Best Man wore ancient Macdonald of Sleat, my cousin wore Mackenzie, and my brother wore Stewart (in tribute to my uncle by marriage that we all love).....

... you know, I never told Mark that I ever honored him at my own wedding like that.... I think it would have made him happy..... looking back now, I understand why I never told him..... but really, that was a mistake on my part....

.... anyway, I am losing the point of this post, so I must adjust........ after all, this post is about guitars, playing, and music........

.... Mark was about 5'10" & stocky..... huge shoulders, ham-hands, and a face that had been weathered from working outdoors his whole life... he had a shock of wiry red hair & a full beard that was just as red..... he was gruff..... he was the kind of guy that you'd want to have your back in any bar fight from Englewood, TN to Singapore........ and do you know what he would sing first every time I handed him the guitar?.......

.... a Bee Gee's tune from before I was born...... check it out..... watching a man like HIM play and sing a song in such a falsetto is something that I will never forget.......

...... how can you mend a broken heart?........... fuck me........ at the time, all I could think was, "wow!... look at the way he is singing and playing at the same time!"..... but now?........

.... he still loved that woman who had shat all over him..... she was on his mind every second of every day.......

..... I can see it now - as an adult - but I still cannot understand it......... there he was laboring, toiling, failing, and all he could think of when I handed him that guitar was the woman that he still loved unconditionally.........

....... odd that he has been on my mind lately, I guess........ I heard that he had a stroke last year and lost the ability to play guitar....... he died last month of another stroke at the age of 64........ I suspect that the Bee Gee's never had a better pre-Disco fan than Mark......

.... I should have told him about the kilts.....

Music....

..... I swear...... I could listen to this guy all day long....

........ it soothes the soul....

Shave....

.... obsessing tonight, folks..... off to watch the football game and then fall into bed after a gin and tonic or two...... eh, maybe a scotch as well?........ perhaps......

..... this song has been in my head all day long..... which is funny since I haven't had the CD player on in the car in four months........

.... I guess I just woke up from an early morning dream of "her hair spilled out like root beer and she popped her gum, and arched her back"......

..... poetry, rubberneckers..... it comes in many, many, MANY forms....... and this is one of Waits' best....

..... love, life, loss, and promise....... THAT is life, right?.......

.... I'm off!...

Prine....

.... I spent some time this afternoon between various gigs to grouse through YouTube, and I found the most amazing comment left to one of my favorite John Prine songs...... I was, quite astonishingly, slackjawwed when I read it.....

... here's the video....

... and here's the comment - just in case you missed it...

John Prine has written some divine songs, this sure is one of them. You know when they tore down the Berlin wall, on the east side of the wall, someone had braved the landmines and guards and sprayed on the wall: Thank God for John Prine

.... hey, I'm a fan...... and I LOVE the guy..... but I don't imagine that I'd brave a minefield for him..... then again, maybe I just might.......

Edges....

.... it has been a weird couple of days, folks..... the Porsche has been snowed in - as have I - and I think I'm coming down with something....... still, I survive...... I write, I read, I live, and I grow........ such is Life.......

.... I did find this tonight, though..... and it made me quite happy..... I've never been a huge U2 fan, but I did - once upon a time - learn to sing and play this song on guitar....... actually, it is The Only U2 song that I can play.......

..... I hope you enjoy!.... and hey, Merry Christmas.....

..... The Edge is The Bomb......

Wine....

...... found this and it just plain hit the proverbial spot.......

.....two minutes and forthy seconds of pure something....... but I love it anyway....

Donald.....

.... no post tonight, rubberneckers...... however, I do love the words that Mr Prine starts using around the 6 minute mark in this video......

.... I've always loved "Donald and Lydia" for a hundred different reasons....... and if you've never heard John Prine, give him a listen...... he's one of the true poet-song writers.......regardless of his politics, he writes beautiful words......

Carolina.....

..... I'm not 100% sure how this works, but I do believe that we live in cycles........ and today, this song has been on my mind all day without end........

...... James Taylor at his best, I suspect.....

.... three years ago, I wrote about this song again in regards to my two friend's son........ how short those three years have felt?.......

...... anyway, it has been a hectic and sumptuous Thanksgiving here, and I am completely worn out........ I hope that you all had an equally fulfilling holiday!......

Buffett..........

.... I've been humming this one all day long for reasons that absolutely escape me.....

..... heh.... sounds like something Acidman could have written if he'd been a Floridian instead of a Georgite.........

Poets....

... if you've ever sat and wondered who might the greatest unsung American poet/songwriter that you've never heard of, well, let me introduce you to him..... Mr. Townes Van Zandt.....

..... brilliant, tragic, flawed, broken, and talented as hell........ I just wish I could have heard him play live in some dive with sawdust on the floor....

Pretty.....

..... well, boys & girls, the blogmeet is nearly upon us........ a week from tomorrow The Gathering will begin...... as for me?.... I am completely stoked......

..... I've been burning leaves for the past two days, and tomorrow promises much more preparation for everyone's arrival....... sure, it's November instead of October, but really?.... It'll be fun......

.....anyway, I woke up humming this song today and it has followed me all day long....... and it ALMOST made raking leaves bearable.......

... enjoy!....

.... oh, and I will be sending out the customary email tomorrow giving everyone the final details - and directions - to the compound here...... as it stands right now, it looks like we'll have about 17 folks...... if anyone else wants to come, just drop me an email.......

... apologies for the scary Jagger lips there on the first few frames of the video though........ hey, not my fault.....

.... what a great song........

Hunks....

.... as you tend to do when autumn arrives after a long, hot summer, I broke into song yesterday evening while manning the grill...... being rather secluded on three sides, my garage does offer me the occasional chance to indulge my sillier side.... and so, as the meat sizzled I broke into an old Elvis song.....

.... The Missus wandered out to retrieve the steaks that I'd been cooking and was quite aghast..... but, hey, that is understandable..... I get it, honestly...... BUT what was totally unacceptable was that she had no idea WHAT I was singing......

... good god, folks...... this song brings back memories of dusty roads, 8-track tapes, and having the window down in my Father's old Ford pick-up truck because air conditioning wasn't standard on anything back then.....

.... can you believe that there are grown people wandering the earth who have never heard this song?...

.... yeah, me neither.... but it is true, sadly......

Horror.....

... in a slight break from the norm, I give you a small slice of what my evening has been like....... Transvestites, Transylvanians, and Meatloaf........ can you imagine an more surreal evening?.....

..... honestly, though, I think that "like a Masai in the rain" is one of the best lines ever written..... anywhere........ at any time......... especially when sung by some guy in drag sporting tights........... I mean, c'mon...... art is art, but Art can take many different forms.........

...... and I will never forget how it freaked my poor Father out on his deathbed when I played him the video of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" for the first time......... had he been able to write at that point, I feel most assured that he would have had his will re-written........ but, alas, he couldn't.... and he didn't.......

.....anyway, it was a very evocative tune to listen to tonight before heading for bed........

Ireland....

...... spent the later part of the afternoon cooking dinner and watching "The Commitments" again..... AND absolutely loving the music as it came.......... here's one that I had forgotten about......

... and he is one of the actual cast working it over hardcore.......

.... not bad tunes, no?........ I've certainly spent worse afternoons.....

Context....

.... you know, the fact that marketers are taking classic songs and editing them beyond all recognition to suit their devious purposes really harshes my mellow.....

.... I mentioned a few months ago at how enthralled I had become by Mr. Cohen's "Hallelujah" as performed by John Cale.... a song, which if you follow the link, read the lyrics, and listen to Mr. Cale sing, you will realize is a hardcore, adult, sexy, romantic, tragic, and incredibly complex song about all of humanity..... and most definitely NOT intended for children....and yet most of you will have only heard that song - albeit a hugely sanitized version - in the movie Shrek.....

... the song questions love, it questions the drives that spur us on in life, it shows the frailty that we all know lurks inside us, and it also shows a questioning of God, his love, and just what we mortals mean when we utter the word hallelujah for a myriad of reasons...... and yet, it is in Shrek......

... I agree with it being in the movie for only one reason, I suppose... and that is that it exposes more people to the art of Mr. Cohen.... and much as a youngster discovering any soulful artist is a good thing, the exposure that Shrek provided is a very, very good thing...... even if they did cut ALL of his adult lyrics from the song in the movie.... if it creates curiosity for more of an artist's work, then so be it.....

... however, Dell Computers has tried to sneak one over on us as well recently.... did anyone notice?.....

.... their latest commercial uses the old WW I marching song "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag"..... and it then goes on to show various young kiddies toppling over as the head to school from carrying around huge laptop computers in their school backpacks.... and it is thusly that the market their newest, lightweight notebook computers...... presumably so that parents will wander out and buy new notebooks to keep their kids from being crushed under the weight of their school work and embarrassed in front of their little pubescent peers..... and hey, that's cool... it's a catchy tune, after all...... but it IS a WW I marching song.....

.... we're all likely knowledgeable of the first verse, yes?....

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile!

... this is the part that Dell uses..... it then cuts the rest of the lyrics and simply does an instrumental while the kiddies alternately fall about their backpacks, or grin with glee as they open up their new notebooks....... but what really is interesting is the line in the song that directly follows - deleted by Dell's marketers.....

While you've a lucifer to light your fag, smile, boys, that's the style!

...... a lucifer?.... British slang for a match, folks...... and a fag?.... that's a cigarette........ sure, I can understand Dell not wanting to foster children to light up a cigarette whilst waiting for the school bus, but c'mon..... that song is NOT a children's song.... it is a song from a different time, place, and culture.... and as such, it is a part of history..... and now it is a part of history that will forever be misconstrued by thousands of children who'll think that it was written by some Manhattan Marketing Jingler, instead of it being a song meant to cheer-up hundreds of thousands of men who were marching off to battle......

..... I don't know, perhaps I'm just in a ornery mood tonight, but that just pisses me off......

.... there are icons of our history and our culture that are debased every day, I guess, so why is this any different?..... I don't know.... it just strikes me as the dumbing down of art, history, and in the end, thought....

.... we shouldn't allow political correctness to damage our art..... that song, like Cohen's song, has a place, a context, and a history..... jingle writers should get off their asses and write some damned jingles instead of robbing the archives of our collective cultures......

... and don't even get me started on the Windows 7 commercial where the dorky college freshman is sitting in the hallway outside of his room watching DVR on his computer while his senior roommate is boning his "special tutor" inside...... personally, I can't believe that Microsoft hasn't been asked to pull that commercial yet.... I'd imagine that every parent that has a daughter who tutors, a freshman son, OR has a kid who is a complete geek is frothing at the mouth every time that one airs.... and yet, it plays and plays.......

.... I'd have NEVER made it in the marketing world..... I simply cannot imagine a world where the "troubles" of a WW I combat vet - with the shelling, poision gas, shell shock, and trench warfare - remotely compares with the "troubles" of a toddler with a heavy laptop.......

Time....

.... I'm in a bad mood tonight, so I thought I would share one of my favorite Tom Waits tunes......... enjoy.....

... and by the way, the fish are still alive...... tomorrow I am off to search for supplies.......

..... so far?.... wow..... koi must be able to crap their bodyweight every 12 hours........ and they also must like the seafood buffet bar in town........ they'll eat shrimp like it's cotton candy............ amazing.......

Donovan....

.... I spent the day down in Chattanooga touring the aquarium, hitting the pubs, and craning my neck towards the summit of Lookout Mountain........ it has been a wistful kind of day, really.... brutally hot.... with rain that began as high, cool drops in the clouds hitting the pavement as warm mist after a very, very long fall...... the humidity was crushing, but it was good to see the old city alive in the downtown area....

.... but venture a few streets over?..... and Chattanooga is a ghost town for block after block..... derelict warehouses, closed businesses, weedy sidewalks trailing alongside the abandoned parking lots of old manufacturing buildings.... it's an economic cemetery that rivals the one north of the city for the Civil War dead....... but down at the river?...at the Imax, the aquarium, the restaurants, and the museums?.... you'd think that you were in the very cradle of civilization...... accompanied by sno-cones, gourmet pizzas, and ice-cold imported beer & live entertainment.........

.... I love Chattanooga..... it is a city that holds many, many wonderful memories for me....... but today, I found it heartbreaking to see what a difference three streets over can make for a city.......

..... the song that at the top of this post has been in my head all day, and that is why I posted it..... perhaps it put me in the mood for seeing the heavier side of Chattanooga today...... then again, the song is about hope...... so maybe that is what I am supposed to glean from today's tour of the urban backroads........

...... there is always hope, I believe....... always..... even if we're not sure how to change things, there must always be hope.....

Behind......

..... I woke up humming this song while preparing to "hunt" the skunk who has been sneaking into the garage these past four days.......

... odd, I know, but hey, what better of a tune could you hope to have running through your head whilst stalking something that you must so strategically kill to keep the collateral damage down?.....

... besides, REM just kicks ass.... you know?.....

Singapore.....

..... you know, I do love Tom Waits' music..... especially his early stuff from the 70s.... however, as with every addiction, there are always drawbacks....... today, for instance, when I could not get this song out of my head all morning while I was trying to write......

..... the whole 'Raindogs' album teeters between genius and insanity, actually.... and this song in particular?.... I have no clue what many of the poetic lines mean....... but hey, that's what happens when you pitch in with Mr. Waits..... if you dig poetry and riddles, Tom's your man, folks.... trust me.....

... and don't even get me started on Cemetery Polka..... good god....

Amateurs.....

.... I staggered in from the African heat today to find the end of "The Amatuers" rolling away on HBO...... and you know, I just love that little movie....... there's something about a whole community banding together to make a porno that just warms every little corner of my heart just a little bit..... and Jeff Bridges is perfectly cast as the bumbler....... and hey, it truly is a pretty good flick if you find yourself with a couple of hours to kill......

.... anyway, as the credits rolled, I sat myself down on the couch and listened to the lyrics of this song... and I enjoyed them very much.....so, since it is always nice to share when you find a little nugget of goodness somewhere, here you go....... I do hope that you enjoy.....

..... if you haven't seen "The Amateurs", well, then you're missing out....... it's like a modern day version of "Old Yeller".... except with a happier ending...... and nearly naked Tasty Freeze attendants........

You....

.... this song has been buzzing around my head all day long...... and now, it's your turn.....

...... what a song, eh?....... good god, bring back the 1950s, please.... I wasn't born yet, but I still want'em back..........

Jockey......

..... woke up humming this tune, and have continued to do so throughout the day for no apparent reason.......

.... I suspect it's still a touch of jetlag, but hey, you just never know.....

...... I'm off to dig up "Raindogs" and see if I can find "Tango Till They're Sore" to sing myself to sleep to tonight......

.... I'm definitely in a Tom Waits mood......

Leaving....

...... strolled through Glasgow today in the rain, and loved it as always.......

.... and was reminded of a song that I hadn't heard in years, but will be acquiring the CD again very, very soon......

..... and so, I give you Chet Baker.......

..... with luck, I should be landing in Knoxville tomorrow evening at around 10:30 pm.......

..... big cities have their own way of doing things, I guess.... and Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland...... I spent most of the evening being amazed by how many young lasses were walking up and down the rain-swept streets wearing mini-skirts, knee-boots, and patterned panty hose......

..... after having spent the past two weeks embedded in the countryside, it was a shock to see so many high heels clicking away all in one small place.....

.... in any case, I shall be back in the land of the soft-soled sneaker very, very shortly..... with any luck, that is.....

Shutters....

.... woke up this morning humming Buffett's "Trying to Reason with the Hurricane Season" ...

.... my back was sore and tight from yesterday's chores, and I wandered into the kitchen for coffee and a handful of ibuprofen..... standing at the kitchen window looking out at the springtime fog rolling in from the jungle behind the house, I suddenly remembered a line from the song....

.... "well, the wind is blowing harder now - fifty knots, or there abouts..... there's whitecaps on the ocean, and I'm watching for water spouts....... it's time to close the shutters.... it's time go go inside...... in a week I'll be in gay Paris, and that's a mighty long airplane ride..".....

.... man, back in the day I was a Parrothead of the highest order....... I remember when the compilation Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads came out back in 1992..... I played those cassettes until they literally fell apart, and I knew the lyrics to every single song by heart...... even now, some snippets still find their way back into my life from time to time....

.... anyway, I'm off to get the day started and just thought I'd share....... after all, in a week I certainly won't be in gay Paris..... but I will most definitely be Out Of The Country......

.... believe it or not, there was a lot of good poetry in some of those early Buffett tunes......

Aurora....

.... reading Elisson's post today, I was reminded of one of my old party tricks from back in the day before I discovered the poetry of R.W. Service........

... and yes, as cheesy as it sounds, I used to entertain bore the hell out of my fellow Marines by reciting this song as a poem while we camped in Alaska.... of course, I think it is actually better without the music - and just the voice of someone pretending to remember........

..... still, I do enjoy it...... even after all of these years....

.... "memories are like starlight.... they go on forever...".... you gotta love that....

Mandolins....

..... rainy day here yesterday, but today has been absolutely glorious...... I took the time to hit a few country roads and drive down to Cleveland to retrieve my trusty boots from the cobbler, and the ride was amazing..... of course, the bastard actually shined my boots after he re-soled them, so I'll have to fix that..... they're meant to be understated cowboy boots, and definitely not shiny.....

... anyhoo, I have spent the last few days listening to the lead-up to the latest season of the "Deadliest Catch" advert on the television....... and after a bit of research, I was very surprised to learn that it was actually an Eddie Vedder song........

...... I'm a bit sad, I guess, that I missed the song when I watched the movie Into the Wild....... hell, I never was much of a Pearl Jam fan back in the day..... and really?..... I read Into the Wild ten years ago and thought that The Man in the story was an absolute idiot....... BUT..... and it is a big but........ I also found part of me wishing that he had survived...... don't we all wish The Romantics to bounce out of their problems and somehow show us The Way?.......

....... part of me - when I read the book - was horrified by his story....... and another part thought that he was living the dream that me and a few of my buddies had dreamt years and years ago during those long Alaskan nights........

..... but really?..... I just don't know....... I'm confused, I guess......... but I WILL say that the Vedder song that they play is very, very moving....... and after doing the research and realizing that he actually wrote it, I am even more impressed....... for, after all, I am a lyrics kind of guy....... I love the poetry of language....... I love how we speak...... and I love hearing passionate people express themselves regarding subjects that they love......

..... but, whether you enjoy it or not, I give you "Rise"........ it is beautiful....

.... "burning black holes in dark memories... turning mistakes into gold.... "

.... man, you just gotta love that......

Jane....

.... an amazing springtime day here, boys and girls, and I've been working like an army mule in a failing effort to pretty-up the flower beds in the front and back yard..... all those snowstorms that found us this winter have certainly done a number on them.....

.... anyhoo, I did manage to take a break from my backbreaking toil to drop the top on Blanche and zip into town for a burger at lunchtime...... and in turning on the radio, I was treated to some vintage Tom Petty that I hadn't heard in a long, long time...... man, I love this song..... and since I enjoyed it so much, I suppose it would be just plain wrong of me not to share..... so, here.....

.... and with that, I'm off to feed the rose bushes and azaleas..... and hum the hell out of that song......

Basketball.....

.... continuing my self-education in the "Appreciation of The Arts", I humbly offer you these two shiny gems that I have re-discovered over the past few days whilst cleaning my gutters and listening to the only radio station that my antique Walkman can still pick up after being stowed for the past ten years in a box in my old closeted seabag....

... firstly, "Ole Iz".... Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole..... a man with the voice of an angel.....

... and secondly, Basia Bulat with "Before I Knew".... I do believe it was used in a commercial recently...... but still, I loved the lyrics......

.... the funny thing is, with my eyes closed?.... the two singers remind me so much of each other..... beautiful voices, sure.....

... and with that, I'm off to see if Mr. Pearl can finally drag the Volunteers into the Elite 8 for the first time in Tennessee history.......

Spider.....

.... sing along....... it's a beauty that I love well......

Paddy.....

.... Happy St. Patrick's Day, children...... I'm not of Irish descent, but hey, a holiday is a holiday, right?...... anyway, here's a llittle clip that I took last September of Ireland at her most enigmatic...... I hope that you enjoy...

.... not a bad place to play some fiddlede-dee music, eh?....... and really?.... he looked pretty damned content with his lot in life.....

... and you know?.... may we all be so lucky!.....

Flying......

...... more Townes Van Zandt as played by Steve Earle......... beautiful stuff, if you ask me......and I've been humming it all afternoon.....

..... to live is to fly, folks..... low AND high..........

....... "think of all the poetry and picking down the line..".........

.... good god, I love this song..... .

.... in other news, I have a horrible cold........ my nose is running like a faucet, my sneezes rattle the walls with an incredibly punctual regularity, and my forehead is currently protruding at least six inches out past my nose.......

.... and listen, rubberneckers, that just ain't right........ trust me.....

Songs.....

..... I only play/sing one Willie Nelson song on guitar, folks...... and after being reminded by a fellow blogger this evening, I offer you Willie's version of one of my most heinous and severe bastardizations....

... it's that high G that gets me every time, you know?.....

Colonial.....

..... lightning is flashing off in the distance tonight, and the sound of rolling thunder is mixing with the cheers and commentary of the Australian Open blasting forth from the comfort of the living room..... it's been a nice, quiet day...... and I am so looking forward to this weekend.......

.... but, wow, can you believe that there is a thunderstorm here in January?..... hell, just last week it was 15 degrees!....... and we had nearly 10 days where the temperature never rose above freezing..... and now it is lightning outside?....... the world has turned upside down, if you ask me...... then again, we ARE watching the Australian Open.......

.... hmm..... could that be the connection?......

..... anyway, I read once that "The World Turned Upside Down" was the song that Cornwallis' men played as they marched out to surrender after the Battle of Yorktown....... anyone else heard that rumor?..... here's a demo of the tune to jog your memory........

.... the original folk song from which this march came also has an interesting story behind it if you care to research........

..... anyway, I'm beat, folks...... and with that, I am off to enjoy the lightning and rain......... it almost seems like springtime is here!.....

Aces......

..... for those of you who had no idea what song The Jawja bloggers were playing in the previous entry, here is the full - and authentic - version of the song........

.... hey, who knew that The Amazing Rhythm Aces were local boys from Knoxville?....

.... enjoy, folks........ it is truly a helluva song...... and the lead guitar is pretty damned good......

Flying......

.... happy New Year, folks.... personally, I think that this year has been fairly stable with a fair share of the ups and downs......... more ups than downs, sure, but still, there is always Townes........

.... and in this case, Steve Earle's version of one of Townes' songs.......

...... if you have read my blog for more than four of the past six years that it has been alive, then this will mean something to you all..........

..... sweet dreams, and a very happy New Year to you all......

Shuffle....

.... today has been a day of ups and downs....... but it has still been a good day, and I am thankful........

... anyway, I will leave you with a short clip of a Youtuber called "Fretkiller" playing a little ditty regarding my tiny hometown........ it is called "The Etowah Shuffle"...... check it out....

.... embedding is disabled, so you'll have to click here instead.....

...... and with that, children, I'm off to bed......... tomorrow is going to be one helluva day....... two dozen deviled eggs await creation for Friday's dinner......

.... anyone know any secret ingredients I might add to cause un-Santa like effects to my relatives after they've eaten one or two handfuls of deviled eggs?.......

.... not that I actually would, mind you, but I'm just asking for future reference.....

Music.....

... I sorely hate to post tonight - especially since I am still majorly digging on that Haydn concerto that I posted a few days ago - but hey....... perhaps it is time for the musical pendulum to swing a different way......

.... behold, gentle rubberneckers, and sit listen in awe.....

.... "Time", folks....... much like Haydn's notes, I am still trying to untangle Waits' lyrics....... but that is the way that it goes with poets....... what it means to them, and what it means to us, well, they are most likely two completely different things......

... still, though...... I do love both songs........ even though I don't really understand either one of them........ but they are still beautiful........

Cellos....

.... when I die, I want someone to pull some strings and arrange for this to be played at my wake before all the Christians, Bloggers, and Relatives take over the ceremony and end up playing something by Lynyrd Skynyrd or Grandma Carter instead, ok?..... promise me?......

... besides, if God ever played an instrument, it would have been a cello........ or a kazoo, maybe....... I suspect that God may play a kazoo when he is by himself and not attending to our mortal needs........

....... anyhoo, I hope you enjoy the song!...... it is my absolute favorite.........

Tom...

...... one of my many interesting talents is that I can sing Tom Waits' "Step Right Up" without cue cards OR music....... it's a bit of a curse.......... if you have no idea what I am talking about, feel free to play this little video to enjoy "Step Right Up"....... my goodness, talk about an ear worm......

..... and this is, of course, why I am not allowed to listen to Tom Waits when driving around with people in the car with me..... well, that and my love for "Tango Till They're Sore".....

...... happy Thanksgiving, folks........ I'm deep into the music tonight..... "just get me to New Orleans and paint shadows on the pews"...... what a great lyricist he is......

Sneaky.....

.... you know?....... until just recently I always imagined that I had a wholesome, drug-free, good ole Southern Biblethumper upbringing......... being born in 1972 near the buckle of the "bible belt", I grew up on left-over Elvis smattered with the occasional indiscretion of listening to Hank Williams Jr........ but after tonight's youtubing?........ I am flummoxed........

.... I mean, what in the hell had Tom T. Hall been smoking when he had a hit with "Sneaky Snake"?...... don't believe me?.... well, here is the evidence, rubberneckers........ behold....

.... and really, just how stoned must my parents must have been to have flicked on the car stereo back then and grooved to this as we made our way to the local summertime lake for a swim?.........

....... actually, I'm quite horrified now about my childhood......... youtube, much like facebook, is absolutely evil.......

Long......

..... it has been a long, long day here today, folks...... and I have hummed an old Townes song the entire day....... I first heard it up on Adak Island....... and I later found a more tuneful version by the Cowboy Junkies as I strolled the streets of Scotland........ and nowadays?........ I search for the original versions....... those done by Townes.........

...... there is just something about searching out the truest versions of songs that move you that make me feel alive....... and this one does....... I hope you all enjoy!.....

....... Townes was a true original...... good god, what a voice.... and what a song!..... I still get lost in his music from time to time.......

Baby.....

...... well, I just finished watching a Clint Eastwood production celebrating the life of Mr. Johnny Mercer - who, had he been alive today, would have turned 100 years old this month........

...... and since I've always been a fan of Mr. Mercer (and since I can't think of anything else to post about tonight and am quite tired), I figure that this is as good a time as any to re-introduce you guys to one of my favorite Mercer songs as done by an interesting British fellow........

.... I do hope that you enjoy........ oh, and be sure to charge your glasses with your favorite tipple before clicking...... this one is worth the wait.......

...... here's Robbie Williams using Sinatra's old piano player to sing a Mercer classic........

..... god, how I love it.....

Lorrie....

.... I woke up this morning feeling the tendrils of The Past resting just beneath the surface....... I'd dreamt all night long of running with my old mates from Alaska..... with LCpl Smith singing cadence...... and me second in 2nd squad following the back of LCpl Wells' head as we bobbed and sang all the way around Clam Lagoon......

... it was evasive at first, as I only remembered the rhythm of the cadence..... I knew that it had been a country song...... and I knew that I actually owned it here among my hundreds of old audio cassettes, but it still never came to me........

... it was noon before I finally remembered what we'd been screaming as our lungs burned for more oxygen all those many moons ago........ "TELL LORRIE I LOVE HER!".....

.... good god, we certainly had some creative cadence callers up on Adak..... and I've scoured youtube for the past while to see if anyone had posted a cadence version of the old Keith Whitley song, but no, no one has.......

... but still, if you are interested, the lyrics to his original version are well worth your time and effort...... actually, I like this version a helluva lot more than the version that we ran to....... enjoy...

...... in the original youtube entry for this song, a commenter said the following... "I play this on guitar. This was on a cassette in Keith's personal effects, recorded in his bedroom, listen close, you can hear the television in the background."......

...... what a treasure, eh?...... the version of this song that appears on his "Greatest Hits" is THIS version...... recorded in his home while Lorrie was out on concert and he was home alone.....with the television playing in the background....... wow......

..... I think that I was already in Scotland when he died....... I wonder if he ever imagined that there would be US Marines off the coast of Siberia singing his love song to Lorrie as a cadence while they ran in the sleet and snow..... somehow, I think not...... and yet, we did...

... anyway, I woke up humming this tune, folks..... and as always with earworms, they are best to share, yes?......

Update.... no, I was not already in Scotland by the time he died....... he died in 1989..... I was a senior in high school....

Wicked.....

.... today's earworm?...... mercy, folks...... I've spent most of the day toiling in the yard and riding around on the lawnmower humming this one........... and even tonight, well, I just can't completely get it out of my head..... good god, the mulched leaves in my back yard are more than tired of hearing me hum this tune today, trust me!....

.... it reeks of angst, sure, I know....... but trust me, back in the day?..... I was THERE........ but it has been on my mind today..... I think that the steady diet of old Judy Garland films that I have been fed lately by The Missus has jaded my vision!....... Judy Garland?.... Chris Isaac?........ there is just something inherently Not Right there, if you ask me......

.... anyway, feel free to sing along, folks.........

....here are the lyrics if you feel so inclined......

If the world was on fire and
No one could save me but you.
Strange what desire will make foolish lovers do
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you

No, I don't want to fall in love
[This love is only gonna break your heart]
No, I don't want to fall in love
[This love is only gonna break your heart]
With you
With you

What a wicked game you play
To make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do
To let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say
You never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do
To make me dream of you
And I don't wanna fall in love
[This love is only gonna break your heart]
And I don't want to fall in love
[This love is only gonna break your heart]

World was on fire
No one could save me but you
Strange what desire will make foolish lovers do
I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you
I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you

No I don't wanna fall in love
[This love is only gonna break your heart
No I don't wanna fall in love
[This love is only gonna break your heart]
With you
With you

Nobody loves no one

.... the really crazy thing?...... I always thought that any given Airman could beat the snot out of Mr. Isaac with one hand tied behind their back........ even if the Airman had just chugged two pints of amaretto at the seedy gay bar next door to where Chris was gigging, Isaac would have been doomed.........

.... and as a former Marine, I find it gloriously juxtaposed that I find this Chris Isaac song remotely pleasing..... but hey, there you go......... who knows what tweaks the strings of men's hearts?.......

Dolly.....

.... what a way to kick off my 37th year on this beautiful planet, eh?...... torrential rain, mist, wind, and mud for the past three days...... my poor convertible, Blanche, is certainly hating life right now.....

.... however, I will say that there is something amazing about swishing a car around the back roads around here.... especially one that was designed and engineered to originally be driven on the autobahn...... I swear, that baby has some lines...... AND she corners like she's on rails.......

..... Audis are just plain fun....... and she's a true treat.......

... in other news, The Missus found herself possessed by some cleaning demon this afternoon and has managed to throw a thorough cleaning on the old refrigerator..... and she only broke one glass shelf in the process!..... and since there were originally FIVE glass shelves, I'm quite proud of her!...... besides, who needs a fridge with five shelves??..... exactly.....

..... anyway, out of guilt for not buying me a birthday present, great wafts of homemade lasagna smell are billowing from stem to stern here at The Compound........ and so, I am off...... lasagna beats a birthday present any day anyways.......

...... give this a listen, though, as I woke up humming it and it has driven nuts all day long.........

... I'm off!...

..... you know?.... I think Fiona is starting to get a bit pissed off by me saying "This is LOUIS, DOLLY!" so much.......

.... so if I end up poisoned tomorrow, it was the lasagna..... and it is partially Louis Armstrong's fault........

More....

.... woke up singing this song.........

..... too bad they broke up, really........

Young....

.. no posting tonight, folks....... been burning the candle at both ends for a long, long time... at least it certainly seems that way....... but I WILL leave you with this morning's earworm...... hell, I sang most of it out on the deck this morning as the sun came up with a cup of coffee in hand..... wet socks & flannel pajama bottoms & cold air....... and steaming coffee...... and changing leaves.......

.... I think I'm getting moody.......

.... oh, and I think that I frightened the squirrels......

Art.....

..... I happened to see Mr. Hiatt at The Tennessee Theatre in way back in 2002 and loved every minute of him.........

.... unfortunately he never played this song........ which in itself is quite a tragedy........ but hey, I am glad that I found it now!.......

....... give it a listen!....... and as he is wont to say on occasion?..... "the tiki bar is now open!".......

.... songwriters absolutely amaze me on every level............ and did you notice that John Prine was sitting there on his right?........

...... magicians and artists have more in common than we mere plodders can imagine........ good god..... what a funny song!.....

.... and it reminds me so much of one of Prine's classics...... I mean, check this out... and listen closely.....

...... what charisma and language.......... wow......... I saw Mr. Prine at The Tennessee Theatre in 2006......... and he was magical..... and I just loved it..... but you know?....... good god, I miss Acidman....... he was an ass, sure..... but he was OUR ass..... and I miss his words very, very much........

.... here's another one that absolutely amazes me........ and makes me sad at the same time......

....... I wish that I knew how they wrote such lyrics......... I truly do......

Flying......

.... I renewed my domain name today so that it'd be available for the next four years..... my goodness.......

.... I guess that means that I am now officially committed to keeping this limper staggering along for a good while yet....... hey, who knows what might happen in the future?......

.... this time next week I will be halfway across the Atlantic....... and you guys know that I'll be missing you!......

....anyhoo, I found this tonight on YouTube and enjoyed it very, very much........ sure, I love The Cowboy Junkie's version, but it is really just a homage....... the real art is when the writer takes the plunge and sings it himself....... and that was very true when it came to Townes........

.... I hope that you all enjoy!....

...... the delivery may be lacking a bit, sure....... but the lyrics are just as advertised..... and absolutely beautiful.......... I hum this song at least three times a week......... I swear.....

Small......

..... after last night's post?...... perhaps it is time for some renewal.......... and so, well, here you go.......

....... perhaps we should all live in smaller towns?......

.... but the real question?..... when did Zonker start making music videos?...... and why did he start climbing trees?....... and when will he finally learn to properly lip-sync?.........

.. Ice, Ice, Baby......

Django....

.... Friday again?....... earworm time...... and I swear, I woke up humming this song.........

...... it was only broken a few times by "Sweet Georgia Brown" busting loose...... thank goodness it is nearly bedtime!....... my feet are tired of tapping.......

Dreams....

.... another reason why I adore The Internet...... things such as this......

..... apart from all that ghetto talk at the beginning?...... I thought this was absolutely great.....

... g'night all!... I hope that you all dream a little dream!......

Mailbag.....

.... you know, I just LOVE waking up early in the morning, pouring myself a nice cup of coffee, and checking the old mailbag...... it cheers my cold, black, bloggity heart.....

... I mean, just check out this thoughtful note from one of my favorite rubberneckers....

I listened to The Clarks and I have to say.....They suck!!! I’ve heard cats mating that sounded better. Just listening for a few seconds made me want to fill my ears with chunky peanut butter so I wouldn’t hear it. The sad part is, that nauseating song will forever be imprinted on my mind and I will never get it out. How about that song you used to sing about the drip-dried critters and the space cadet?…You remember, “Beats the hell outta me Roy.” THAT is a song worth posting.

..... nice, eh?..... and as they say, since it is the squeaky wheel that gets the proverbial grease, I can only assume that many of you also wished to jam your ears full of chunky peanut butter after listening to The Clarks.....

.... terribly, terribly sorry, folks..... and yes, in case you are wondering, I CAN sing the entire song "Crispy Critters" at the drop of a hat AND completely from memory....

... hey, it ain't easy being me..... and that's a fact.....

... anyhoo, for those of you who wish to have The Clarks scrubbed thoroughly from your tender noggins this morning?.... I give you the infamous song about "drip-dried critters and the space cadet."..... I do hope that you enjoy....

..... and the line at the end of the song that was cut out?...... "And the mayor was a space cadet."....

..... no need to thank me, folks...... you guys know that you're already "welcome".....

Pennies....

...... I woke up this morning humming a song that I hadn't heard in years....... I hummed and hummed - trying to remember the lyrics - until suddenly they came to me.......

... I was a bit shocked, I suppose, once the lyrics finally came to me.....I'd always like the song, but I never could really relate to it back when it came out......

.... I remember being away from home for the first time - truly away from home - and how much my roommate loved The Clarks.....

..... I woke up humming it today, and I don't know why..... it's a bit obscure - at least when it comes to the types of music that I normally listen to...... but the lyrics are amazing no matter if you can identify with them or not........ although I suspect that most folks can - on one level or another........

..... and since I have nothing else to write about tonight?...... well, welcome to the earworm that has been buzzing in my head all day long......

.... Warnick, this one is for you, buddy......

.... and tomorrow?.... Shakespeare in the park!.....

Ed....

..... when I was up in the Bering Sea back in the early 1990s, this song always seemed to cheer me up when I was feeling blue.... "blue" being an operative word, of course..... as it was usually sleeting sideways........ and being blue on the inside is one thing.... while being actually blue on the outside is something altogether different entirely....

.... still, I found it online tonight and felt like sharing........

..... the lyrics are pure genius.....

..... and with that said, here's some Ed Haynes, boys & girls....... and "Talking Cat Blues".....

...... not that I would ever beat a cat myself, no...... but, I'm just saying..... it's a helluva catchy tune.....

Buffett.....

..... this is just too cool..... the internet is so small sometimes....... and that is a GREAT song, if you haven't heard it before.... take the time to give it a listen..... and feel free to sing along!.....

Moon....

..... forty years today......... good god......... congratulations to all of the astronauts, engineers, designers, and Americans who made The Moon Landing such an amazing thing of awe........... and as a bit of celebration, here's a tune that I have always admired.......

..... did you catch that?...... "fill my heart with song and let me sing forevermore... you are all I long for, all I worship, and adore..."......

... damn, what a song........ keep on rocking, Apollo 11......... and thank you for your service.... you have made us all proud - even these many years later.......

Singing....

.... today's earworm...... my goodness....... woke up singing this and it's driven me nuts all day......

..."after changes upon changes we are more or less the same.." ......

...... la la laaaa... la la la....... laaaaaa......... good god....

Conspiracy...

.... mowed the lawn, and then re-watched 'Conspiracy Theory' starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts this afternoon....... pretty good flick, if I do say so myself........ AND, there was a beautiful earworm embedded in at least five scenes in the movie....... and honestly, it was one that I had seriously overlooked in the lyrics department before.......

.... but as of tonight?...... no more, boys and girls..... this song is a definite keeper...... check it out.......

.... and Andy Williams?..... damnation...... I am so getting a string tie and dinner jacket next week when I visit my tailor....... no reason, really... just BECAUSE.......

Lyrics....

..... no posting tonight, folks..... too.damn.tired.......

.... but this song has been rattling around in my head all day..... the lyrics just blow my mind...

.... enjoy...... Townes was a one of a kind....

Music.....

...... a strange thing happened last night, I suppose........ The Missus arrived home late after a trying day at work, and I began playing music files from the computer for her to try to calm her down a bit....

... at first it was the "name the song or band" game... (as I have some VERY odd selections on the computer, it can be quite challenging, I assure you.... ever heard "Werecow"?) ..... anyway, after she became bored with that, I then played a few of her generation's songs and that I knew she would like....... and it seemed to cheer her up a bit....

.... Kate Bush, The Pretenders, The Smiths, some Skaa stuff (... think Madness....)....... and then I wandered, once again, into Tom Waits......

.... I played her 'I Can't Wait To Get Off Work And See My Baby"...... and then, "Invitation To The Blues"...... the latter song, good lord, I had not heard for nearly four years...... but as it played, I began to sing...... and I knew every word.......... every single word after four years.........

...... tonight when she arrived home and had dinner, she told me that she had woken up with that song in her head this morning.......... "Invitation To The Blues"........

.... I told her that I loved the story that the song told..... how that the idea of a poor man with a "worn out pair of shoes" and a "ticket getting out of here" would somehow change his mind because of a waitress at a greasy spoon diner was absolutely enthralling..... and that there were phrasings in it that were true works of art..... she nodded her head in agreement..........

..... lives are such strange things sometimes..... good lord........

..... Prine, Hiatt, Waits..... Buffett, and Zevon..... Taylor, Lightfoot, and Croce........ she hates them all, but she somehow puts up with my taste for them and their music.......

..... but you know, music is poetry when it is really done right...... it's not for dancing to necessarily...... it's not for slamming shots of tequila to..... or for running to...... or lifting weights until you puke...... music - the storytelling kind - is something to sit back and savor like your favorite lines from a good book.....

...... when I listen to music, I listen to music...... the beat does not matter to me....... all that matters are the words.... the message, story, or idea that the writer is trying to convey........ the clanging of the gongs or the thumping of the base are secondary to me........ I give the beat a wide berth when I listen to music........

...... the rhythm is secondary........ it has always been the words that I craved........

.... while I love the song, I still think that it is odd that she awoke dreaming of a Tom Waits song that I'd forced her to listen to the night before..... especially when all she was really craving was old 80s songs that reminded her of Big Hair.........

..... if she starts taking my Waits CDs from the Audi and sneaking them into her Cadillac, I sense a serious upcoming disturbance in The Force, boys and girls........

.... serious.....

Eggs.......

.... it has been an interesting day here around the compound, campers....... and I am awfully tuckered out...... so I shall simply offer you a little something to help you get to sleep tonight........ I'll certainly have it down low on the stereo tonight as I fall asleep...... it is one from my private collection.... and it has always done me right.......

.... enjoy, I hope, some Tom Waits....

...... he's just a click away......

.... everyone on Earth should own an album that contains this song...........

Music....

.... nothing tonight, folks...... instead, a tune that I have been playing today whilst watching old WWII documentaries & eating locally harvested cheeseburgers........

.... the recording is from a few years ago....... but rest assured, not much has changed!......so here is a couchside version of "Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out".......

.... what a day here on the compound........ I sweated BUCKETS today roaming Hell's Half-Acre........ I need a vacation!....

Springsteen......

..... no quotes tonight, folks....... too damn tired from roaming around all day dressed as a Sandanista........ but still, I wanted to hear this.......

..... I am not a fan of Springsteen..... but there is just something about this song that makes me look to the heavens as the thunder rolls here......

Riverbend....

.....well, The Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga was a blast...... and the B-52's were absolutely true to form.... plaid shirts, big hair, flailing shawls, high-heeled women, and a wicked electric guitar wailing across the baselines.......... dancing fans, the jostling overflows from bottles as dancers accidentally bumped together, the yachts out on the Tennessee River, the lights, the beer.......

..... honestly, I was amazed most by the crowd...... the volume of young people was out of this world...... they weren't necessarily there to watch one band or another, but they strolled the streets - bottles of beer in hand - in massive, trance-like lines....... one hand on a girlfriend's shoulder, neck, or back pocket..... and the other cradling a Budweiser as they plodded along the boulevards from performance stage to stage....... some drunk, some sober....... some were drugged out of their gourds........ big hair, wild-haired, dreadlocks, delicately manicured coiffures & collared polo shirts, dyed hair, crew cuts, Mohawks, and ear rings..... attitudes, glances, jumbled conversations...... the vast anonymity of being in a moving crowd filled with short, tall, slim, fat, tattooed, pierced, or tie-dyed...... elderly, elegant, and ragtag....... dark, light, henna, Hispanic, white, and tan....... and even one fellow who had painted himself fluorescent red... and dyed his ZZ Top style beard neon blue....... not to mention the flashing flags that he had strapped to his stove-pipe hat..........

.... and the shoes?..... at one point I sequestered myself away for a cigarette.... and I had found this great, shady spot beneath a small covey of trees....... and as I squatted there smoking, watching the jumbotron, and sipping my beer..... the parade of painted toes in sandals was enthralling...... who knew that every UTC student in Chattanooga wore sandals?...... the girls wore sandals with their Daisy Duke shorts.... or their saris..... or their cocktail dresses.... or their jogging pants....... and the boys wore them with jeans five inches too long so that the heel of their foot rested firmly on three inches of uncuffed jean that had somehow made the circuit to their flip-flop's heel..... a weird sort of connective-cushioning..... but college towns are always Alive like that, aren't they?...... good god, I was amazed.......

..... everything was alive...... alive..... like the lightning off in the distance as the concert ended - highlighting the Cumberland Plateau off to the west....... silent, it was, but electric....... and as their encore played and the lights flashed, the clouds exploding 30 miles away reflected in the river behind the stage.......... it was just so beautiful......

..... in short?..... last night was gorgeous...... the music was good....... the fans were fantastic......... and the food was tasty - but expensive...... and the beer - well, the GOOD beer was a damn long walk from Center Stage........ but...... but there is nothing like sitting on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga and watching the world go by in June.......

.... everyone should visit Riverbend....... no matter who is playing......

B-52.....

...... I'm off to Chattanooga's Riverbend Music Festival to watch a herd of 80's Children jump around to "Planet Claire", "Love Shack", and something called "Rock Lobster"...... evidently the B-52's are in town and a big-haired celebration is in order.... too bad, really, because "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is just coming on TCM..... and all things considered, I'd rather watch Walter Huston do his happy dance once he finds the gold.....

.... of course, I shall be using the opportunity to take lots and lots of photographs..... heh heh heh.......

Ukulele.....

....... I absolutely adore The Internet....... no, really...... really....... and after watching these two videos tonight, I feel somehow renewed........ who knew that I'd find hope in humanity with a PBR, a ukulele, and some strangers john?.......

.... The Internet, quite frankly, is just plain awesome....

...... the beer break in the middle was the gilding of the lily, if you ask me.........

Friday Random Ten - Straight White Guy Edition

Those of you who visit my site on any kind of regular basis are familiar with my Friday Random Ten posts, in which I slap up a randomly-generated list of Choons from my Little White Choon-Box, i.e., my iPod.

Eric, despite the fact that he is a Blogger to the core (and thus is at least a little bit self-indulgent), is not quite so self-indulgent as to want to post his own Friday Random Ten. The fact that he lacks an iPod also may have something to do with it.

But we can fix that. Following is my own take on what a Straight White Guy version of a Random Ten might be, packed with an appropriate assortment of Tennessee Tunage... selected Strictly at Random! Let's listen:

1. Chocolate Jesus - Tom Waits

2. Big in Japan - Tom Waits

3. Illegal Smile - John Prine

4. Donald and Lydia - John Prine

5. Hold On - Tom Waits

6. Jabberwocky - Tom Waits

7. Sabu Visits the Twin Cities - John Prine

8. Get Behind the Mule - Tom Waits

9. My Shit's Fucked Up - Warren Zevon

10. Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner - Warren Zevon

Orbison.....

.... no posting tonight - been veddy, veddy busy....... but I DO have an earworm for you....... check it out...

.... see, wasn't that nice?...... I'm off to begin the preliminary packing for the latest overseas adventure.........

Breeze.....

..... I am tired.... deep, deep, deeply bone-tired...... and I worked like a proverbial Army Mule this evening..... well, for most of it..........

...... sweat, mosquito bites, wasp stings, poison ivy, drought, famine, various pestilence, hey, you name it.......... the whole nine yards, my friends......... good god, I need a nap......... although there was something very, very satisfying about man-handling a shovel while the sweat rolled around from off of my neck and slaked my lips as I toiled......blisters are good for the soul, are they not?..... and sweat can spark a thirst towards its goal, yes?........

.... it's funny....... I can remember how my own Father used to tell me the stories of how his Bosses would hand out salt tablets when he first started working for the railroad in the late 60s......... and how, after a 16 hour day on the line, they'd say, "hey!..... we don't want a perfectly good White Man to white-eye on the job, now do we?"....... 100 degrees and they were handing out salt tablets.......... to this day, it still amazes me......

...... ahhhh..... how the times have changed.....

...anyway, I'm off to the kitchen.... chili has been requested, and who am I to deny such a tasty request?....... speaking of chewing, y'all chew on this one for a while....... personally, I found it quite entertaining.....

Art....

.... my friend Elisson gets Zappa....... and my dear friend Dax gets Captain Beefheart........ I, on the other hand, get Waits.......

..... we three have met many times...... and while they are both nuts, they are my kind of nuts....... and yet, they both get Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, AND Captain Beefheart..... and I - no matter how hard I try - cannot fathom Beefheart OR Zappa.......

..... what the hell am I missing?.... was it that whole late 70s early 80s PCP/LSD thing that I missed out on because I was a mere toddler at the time?..... or is it something much more poetically deeper?.....

.... trust me, folks, I want to see the art... hear the art........ but for the life of me, it just fails me......... and honestly, I just don't understand...... so, what gives?.... where is it that I fail?......

.... Song....

..... today's little earworm has been with me since daybreak......... and I do love it so........ fast forward to about the 3 minute mark if you want you to get to the singing...... otherwise, just listen to the whole thing...... it's probably worth your time....

....... to live is to fly........ I just love that........

.... right.down.to.the.ground.......

Around....

.... woke up this morning with an earworm that I haven't been able to shake all day long......

.... sure, it's a beautiful song.... and yes, the singer's voice is enthralling..... and yes, I'll even concede that the musicians are masterful with their interpretations & more than efficient in their delivery.....

... but honestly?..... having Harry Connick Jr. in your head for an entire day begins to get you a bit rattled about three hours in......

.... besides, we are talking about MY head..... so I imagine it wasn't all that great of an experience for him either.......

... but still, though.... I hope you enjoy what I've been whistling all morning.......

.... oh, and before I forget, this right here??...... ohhhh, there will be payback...... oh yes..... most definitely.....

Daughters........

..... well, all is fine here........the storm passed without any great damage...... a few downed limbs and a few cuddly bird corpses scattered around the garden, but other than that, everything weathered our little bit of storm rather nicely..... but hey, that is always the way it goes, yes?..

..... tomorrow, on the other hand, should be quite interesting.......

... indeed, tomorrow The Missus and I are off to The Opera in Knoxville...... Verdi's 'Rigoletto', nonetheless......... My First Opera.....

..... nothing like watching a butt-of-every-joke mistakenly find the murdered corpse of his only daughter by accident on a Friday evening, eh?........... ahhh, I'm just being pessimistic, I know...... but still, the singing should be quite good....... and I'm actually quite stoked...... I mean, just check this out.....

..... so....... suit & tie?..... jeans & boots?..... Punjabi & sandals?..... or khakis, a button-down, and saddle shoes?....... cammies?....... ...... I mean, what does one wear to such a tragedy?.......

.... la donna e mobile?............ la blogger e mobile, evidently........

Leroy.....

.... you know, I've always wondered......

.... and now I know!...

Buzzing.....

..... hola, hammerheads!........ I trust you are all well, happy and properly fed?..... as for me?..... well, I woke up humming this.......

..... you're welcome........ misery loves company, right?..... heh......

Tango.....

...... for the record, I'm a huge Tom Waits fan...... and I truly do enjoy his music..... sure, his voice is an acquired taste - but getting past that facade to sink your teeth into the amazing lyrics is worth it in my view....... besides, his voice isn't all THAT scary once you've waded through a few of his albums......

... having said that, though, I did find this today..... a Tom Waits cover that I am still reeling from.....

.... beautiful, no?..... hell, I have always loved "Tango Till They're Sore" as Tom sang it....... but those Israelis?.... that was just too damn pretty....... here's Mr. Waits' version....... which do you prefer?.... and why?......

.... as for me, I like'em both....... but I'm leaning towards Tom..... hey, I'm a purist.......

Calico.....

..... I woke up early this morning and instantly began humming a tune.... hours passed, and the tune remained.... after four hours, I finally remembered a snippet of the lyrics...... the problem was, I couldn't remember the rest of the song..... so I was left with "I worked ten hours on a John Deere tractor...." rattling around in my head all day long... finally, my Sainted Mother called to inquire about dinner tonight and I ran that line by her.....

.... she knew it immediately..... and now?.... ahhhh.... peace, at last......

... here is the culprit of my near-insanity today...... behold, fear & tremble....

.... I'm off to grill some pork chops and mix up a tonic & gin...... mercy....

Hank....

..... I'm off to whip up some Mexican food.....

.... damn, but I do love that song......

Rubberneckin'.....

.... a term that I have used for nearly six years now.......... "rubbernecking".....

.... nice lyrics, though........ quite snappy if you listen closely enough.....

.... I am off to bed...... with visions of Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart dancing in my head.....

Doc

.... it's raining here, boys and girls......... raining, indeed.......

.... time for some Doc Watson..... a master if there ever was one......... I'm off to pick up my old acoustic Fender and practice......

... wish me luck..... I think I need to work on my finger nails......

Mountains.....

.... wonderful, wonderful weekend, but I sure am tired!....... more tomorrow..... but right now, I just need a nap!........

.... hummed this song to myself whilst driving around northern Georgia today..... and still can't get it out of my head.....

..... I am definitely going to bed early tonight.... I must be getting old or something.....

Lyrics.....

.... believe it or not, things very similar to this happen at my house every October....... no, it's true.....

..... well, except that there is a kazoo instead of a flute........ and slightly less dancing.....

.... but feel free to sing along anyway!...

A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore

If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al

A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl
All along along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations

If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al

A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen! and Hallelujah!

If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al

Ambition....

.... spent the day reworking some stuff while music played in the background....... and here's one that I had on repeat for most of the day..... enjoy..... and sing along!..... trust me, it will do you good to sing along...... just trust me...... vintage Jimmy Buffett, boys and girls.......

Cowboy in the Jungle

There’s a cowboy in the jungle
And he looks so out of place
With his shrimp skin boots and his cheap Cheroots
And his skin as white as paste

Headin’ south to Paraguay
Where the gauchos sing and shout
Now he’s stuck in Porto Bello
Since his money all ran out
So he hangs out with the sailors
Night and day they’re raisin’ hell
And his original destination’s just another
Story that he loves to tell.

With no plans for the future
He still seems in control
From a bronco ride to a ten foot tide
He just had to learn to roll.

Roll with the punches
Play all of his hunches
Made the best of whatever came his way
What he lacked in ambition
He made up with intuition
Plowing straight ahead come what may.

Steel band in the distance
And their music floats across the bay
While American women in muumuus
Talk about all the things they did today
And their husbands quack about fishing
As they slug those rum drinks down
Discussing who caught what
and who sat on his butt
But it’s the only show in town.

They’re tryin’ to drink all the punches
They all may lose their lunches
Tryin’ to cram lost years into five or six says
Seems that blind ambition erased their intuition
Plowin’ straight ahead come what may.

I don’t want to live on that kind of island
No, I don’t want to swim in a roped off sea.
Too much for me, too much for me
I’ve got to be where the wind and the water are free.

Alone on a midnight passage
I can count the falling stars
While the Southern Cross and the satellites
They remind me of where we are
Spinning around in circles
Living it day to day
And still twenty four hours, maybe sixty good years
It’s still not that long a stay.

We’ve gotta roll with the punches
Learn to play all of our hunches
Makin’ the best of whatever comes your way
Forget that blind ambition
And learn to trust your intuition
Plowin’ straight ahead come what may.
And there’s a cowboy in the jungle.

..... beautiful stuff, folks....... and wonderful to help disengage the brain from the subconscious.....

More....

.... no posting tonight, hammerheads...... I spent the day shopping, cooking, listening to the Vols on AM radio, and attending birthday parties........

..... so chew on this puppy for a while........

..... that's right, folks.... more Zevon..... this song absolutely inspires me.......

Ashamed.....

..... to do my best to combat this horrible thing, I give you something to scrub your head out with.........

..... those unfortunate readers of The Glorious Reader who do not also read MY site, woe betide....... I cast out my arms to assist, but you do not listen......... so, be it upon your own souls, folks......

..... Jihad Gene, you are a helluva man...... but for posting that song?...... you should be completely ashamed of yourself........ or selves.......

Cleaning.....

..... spent the day with my buddy cleaning out the gunsafe and getting all of the weapons ready for their long winter nap........ I've washed me hands ten times and they STILL smell like gun oil and spent cordite......... but the firearms are all fresh and ready for bed..... so it was a productive day......

...... had some Zevon on in the garage whilst we toiled...... and then later, some Townes Van Zandt.......

...... so, once again, since I have little inclination to actually blog today, I'll leave you with two different versions of one of his tunes....... and a quote that I just love....... I'm off to wash my hands AGAIN.......

.... here's the first version...... a gorgeous song, sure..... and I love the clip of Townes at the very end of this clip.....

.... and after having surfed YouTube for a few minutes, I find a nice lip-sync to the Cowboy Junkies' version of the same song....... enjoy....

.... as a writer of songs, Townes was a one of a kind.......

"Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that."
- Steve Earle

"I've met Bob Dylan and his bodyguards, and I don't think Steve could get anywhere near his coffee table."
— Townes Van Zandt.

... you just gotta love a guy with a sense of humor like that......

Ramparts.....

.... twas an amazingly mild day here today..... so much so that The Missus even crept out to the hammock for a few hours of vegetating this afternoon.... but those days are numbered, I'm afraid.... after Thanksgiving the weather'll change and it'll not be fit for man nor beast until April....... so in the spirit of Enjoying The Day, I did manage to rouse myself enough for a quick walk around the neighborhood in celebration.....

.... simple pleasures, I suppose...... they're like chocolate covered cherries at Christmastime.... from the outside they look like, well, you know.... but once you pop one into your mouth and give it a chew, well, there you are.... tingling all over from the chocolately, fruity sweetness that had been hidden in the most mundane of carriages.....

..... then again, I'm a huge fan of this time of year..... so my perspective is probably skewed quite a bit (ref that weird chocolate covered cherry thing above.) ...... but watching the leaves change with each increasingly cold night just absolutely floats my boat......

... anyway, that reminds me...... stand by for a Public Service Announcement.... the official candy of this blog is chocolate covered cherries....

... and with that, I'm off to whip up some burritos.....

... but before I go, I give you "Winter's Song" by the Cowboy Junkies..... behold a work of art....

She says, 'it's cold where you brought me'
He says, 'Darling, don't worry
you can stay in my arms
until the springtime comes
We'll let the snow drift around us
and wait for the robin and the crocus
to tell us that our love has again found the sun'

Lone oak stands tall,
bare arms scratch the sky,
dry leaves cracking beneath our feet
Hand in hand we've watched
the autumn fires burn -
Summer's dreams collapsing,
chestnuts in need of gathering,
the whole world lies rotting in the street

Soon we will walk with collars high
like ramparts raised for the siege
We'll bow to her beauty,
cower from her fury
sent as a judgment for a slight
long past forgotten
Winter's love once again unrequited
Winter's love once again unrequited

She says, 'Babe are you sleeping?'
He says, 'No, wide awake and thinking
of a dream I just had about the two of us
He takes his hand to her cheek now,
his lips to her brow,
their whispers pile softly
by the foot of the bed

.... I love the line "like ramparts raised for the siege"...... Autumn is the BEST time of year.......

Done......

.... tonight's conversation around these parts has settled again on music...... and it is a strange, strange thing, I suppose....... apart from the odd Elvis, Hank Snow, Johnny Horton, or Marty Robbins' song eeking out from an old Magnavox cabinet unit in the living room, the first song that I really remember hearing was a jukebox favorite of my old babysitter.......

...... see, she'd arrange for my Mom and Dad to have an evening out..... and then she, her beau, myself and my little bro would find ourselves skating around the local rink in Madisonville...... until, of course, they found a way to distract us long enough so that they could slip back out to the van for some hanky panky......

..... I don't know - as I was much too young to figure with such things - but I've heard tell that the middle and late 80s were absolutely RIFE with such goings-on........ especially when the guys drove those vans with the velour-covered mattresses inside and those heart shaped windows in the rear 3/4 panel........

..... still, though, to this very day Queen's "We Will Rock You" always reminds me of those crazy days...... it is a bit of a stretch to watch those wild Cameo songs, though........ but yes, they WERE played...... good god, I remember nearly breaking my freckled, uncoordinated ass at least TWICE while twitching across that slab of asphalt when he screeched "WORD UP!".......

...... but hey, I am tired...... and I have one helluva weekend creeping up on me......... so I will leave you with a clip of some Queen..........

...... I swear, you really can't make this stuff up......... instead of a teddy bear, I had a big, blue Gonzo....... and instead of sweet aunts who took me to knitting lessons?...... I have roller-skating memories of brown vans with heart-shaped windows and Queen music.........

..... it's a wonder that I am still able to, well....... make up your own euphemism....... I'm tired.......

More.....

....... I cooked up a batch of stuffed chicken breasts this evening and they were out of this world...... that Betty Crocker stuffing is an absolute godsend....... add a little Campbell's condensed soup to the baking process...... and, well, your sodium levels may skyrocket........ but the rest of your body will be loving some goodness........ I also added a bunch of butter-seared pecans to add to the stuffing....... and that worked out quite well.........

..... anyway, after having worked in the yard, burned leaves, shopped, and then cooked dinner, I am feeling a little bit goofy.......

...... and since I am off to bed very, very soon, I thought I would leave you with a little John Prine number that I have posted before........ sure, it is a bit cheesy, but it is STILL a great tune....... and I hope that you enjoy it.....

...... I'm off to bed....... time is short around these parts lately........ but tomorrow IS another day....

..... that said, I hope that you are all well...... it is bedtime around these parts!....... and I have to buy firewood in the morning to keep next week's guest from freezing to death!....... busy, busy, busy!.....

Change

.... time for some change, folks....... and no, I'm not talking about politics...... I'm talking about a fellow named "Small Change"....... pure poetry, ladies & gentlemen........ and language used beautifully......... check it out......who knows, it might actually be "change" that you like.........

.... look out for these two beauties........

.... "as the siren tears the night in half - and someone's lost his wallet..... well, it's surveillance of assailants if that's what you wanna call it...."

... and later?......

.... "and the tuberculosis old men at The Nelson wheeze and cough, and someone will head South until this whole thing cools off..."

.... everyone should own at least ONE Tom Waits album..... and that is a fact.......

Sisters....

....... I've been under the weather for most of the day today....... fall allergies, or a cold..... or perhaps a Big Case of Bad Karma for having laid so many stinging insects low over the last day or so?....... who knows?..... but hey, what can I say?...... most of us feel bulletproof from time time..... don't we?...... whether we are or not..... but, in the end, we are not bulletproof..... and life invades........ but still, we do the best that we can........

....... so, I am off in search of a youtube video to take the place of actual content around here for today......... I'll let you guys know how it all turns out..... but right now?...... hey, I'm thinking something from the Pointer Sisters is in order......... not that I'm bent that way, per se, but I do think that they launched some catchy tunes back in their 1980s heyday.......

... stay tuned...... I feel like shit.....

Update.....

.... as much as it makes me want to go forth and do something that I would be ashamed of, here is the fruit of my proverbial labour.........

..... I hope that y'all forgive me.... and that at least SOME part of your body is jibbling (if even slightly) as you groove to this funky tune.......

.... after all, I do want you guys satisfied.........

Blues.....

..... pretty good for a blind man, eh?......

...... I am in awe..... and hell, Doc is from just across the mountain from here.........

..... and then, of course, there is this little one........

...... "got in a fight over Tennessee"........ damn, that is just inspiring.........

.... especially with the SEC games kicking off shortly......

Burana.....

..... did you ever get one of those earworms where you don't even know the lyrics?....... or the lyrics are in a language that you don't even speak?...... them's the worst, I tell ya....... my torture today has been whistling and humming this little ditty as I've gone about my labors...... check it out.....

.... finally working up the courage a few minutes ago to find out exactly what I was humming, I happened upon these lyrics....... I knew it was from Carmen, but I never knew exactly what she was wiggling and prancing on about.......

.... so for a bit of an education, give these a read while the video plays.....

When will I love you?
Good lord, I don't know,
Maybe never, maybe tomorrow.
But not today, that's for sure.

Love is a rebellious bird
that nobody can tame,
and you call him quite in vain
if it suits him not to come.
Nothing helps, neither threat nor prayer.
One man talks well, the other keeps silent;
it's the other one that I prefer.
He never said anything, but I like his looks.
Love! Love! Love! Love!

Love is a Bohemian child,
it has never, ever, known law;
if you love me not, then I love you;
if I love you, you'd best beware! etc.
if you love me not,
if you love me not, then I love you;
but if I love you,
if I love you, you'd best beware!
if you love me not,
if you love me not, then I love you;
but if I love you,
if I love you, you'd best beware!

The bird you thought you had caught
beat its wings and flew away ...
love stays away, you wait and wait;
when least expected, there it is!
All around you, swift, so swift,
it comes, it goes, and then returns ...
you think you hold it fast, it flees
you think you're free, it holds you fast.
Love! Love! Love! Love!

Love is a Bohemian child,
it has never, ever, known law;
if you love me not, then I love you;
if I love you, you'd best beware!

..... mercy.....

.... could have been worse though, I guess.... I suppose that I could have been stuck whistling around with some of Orff's Carmina Burana instead of a saucy tune from Carmen....... Carmen, Carmina?..... preeeetty close there...... indeed, the Lord works in mysterious ways..... and seriously, Oh Fortuna would have kicked my ass...... see?...

O Fortune,
like the moon
you are constantly changing,
ever growing
and waning;
hateful life
now oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.

Fate - monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
you are malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game
I bring my bare back
to your villainy.

Fate, in health
and virtue,
is against me
driven on
and weighted down,
always enslaved.
So at this hour
without delay
pluck the vibrating strings;
since Fate
strikes down the strong man,
everyone weep with me!

.... good lord.... just reading that makes my hair hurt...... Carmen was a blessing, I think..... even though it drove me nuts all day long.....

floods.....

..... I'm sorry for all of those folks out in Texas this week who are getting flooded, but hey......

.. I suggest a motivated breast stroke..... or possibly a modified back stroke...... but, whatever you choose.... hey, this song still rocks..... so swim, folks...... and swim HARD........

.... SRV's memorial is in Austin... and it is well remembered.....

.... bloody hell... that is artistry....

Okay.....

.... since I spent the better part of this evening picking okra with my Sainted Mother, I feel a great need to get back to my 'roots', so to speak....... and well, nothing really gets to the core of my soul like this cover version of an old C.W. McCall song....... and yes, there are times when I still randomly sing it whilst absentmindedly fiddling with something........ I've always been cursed blessed with a gift for memorization........

....but, wow...... isn't music just great?...

.... and by the way..... this live song is pretty damn awesome as well....... it ranks right up there with Bobby's rendition of "Dropkick Me, Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)"......

... both of them are nail-biters, folks....... trust me....

Smooth....

.... enjoy this fine, fine tune, folks..... as for me, I'm off to man the grill and try to coax a few Butch Thompson ragtime numbers into scrubbing this earworm out from under my sweaty brow......

..... 'tis just a grilling kind of evening.....

Odd....

.... good morning, fellow travelers...... I hope that all of you are well and fine...... as for me, I'm just great..... with the exception of having had the same earworm for the past 16 hours courtesy of some BBC television show, that is...... and since I hate to be tortured alone, I shall share.....

... so here you go..... y'all can thank me later.....

..... I think I'll stay right here......

Wonderful....

..... playing in my garage tonight as the sun dips low, folks....... two of Mr. Prine's masterpieces......

..... I hope you enjoy them just HALF as much as I have tonight.....

...... and of course, Sabu's song......

... feel free to sing along!....

The movie wasn't really doing so hot said the new producer to the old big shot its dying on the edge of the great Midwest Sabu must tour or forever rest.

Hey look ma
here comes the elephant boy
bundled all up in his corduroy
headed down south towards Illinois
from the jungles of East St. Paul.

His manager sat in the office alone
staring at the numbers on the telephone
wondering how a man could send a child actor
to visit in the land of the wind chill factor.

Hey look ma
here comes the elephant boy
bundled all up in his corduroy
headed down south towards Illinois
from the jungles of East St. Paul.

Sabu was sad the whole tour stunk
the airlines lost the elephant's trunk
the roadie got the rabies and the scabies and the flu
they was low on morale but they was high on .........

Hey look ma
here comes the elephant boy
bundled all up in his corduroy
headed down south towards Illinois
from the jungles of East St. Paul.

..... you know, my life is filled with odd moments of absolute wonderfulness.......

More....

.... just for Cappy, ladies and gentlemen, because he asked for it...... it is one of my favorites..... and I am sure it'll suit ol' Cap as well......

... and yes, for the record, I DO happen to wish that I had a pencil-thin mustache........ it'd certainly be quite useful at times - if only for its magical deducing powers......

.... and my all-time favorite....

..... just beautiful...... I'm off to sit on the patio!....

... oh, and sadly I could not find a good version of "Coast of Marseilles".... it is one of the few Buffett songs that I actually sing and play on my old guitar when no one is around......

Tom.....

..... since I have spent most of the day pondering great things and pulling weeds from flower beds, I have no Great Adventure to pass on to you fine, flowery, fresh-smelling folks...... so, as I do in dire times like these when I have nothing to talk about, I shall leave you with the song that I have been humming for most of the day due to it being on WIVK whilst I broke from pulling crabgrass and struck out in search of nachos around noon.....

..... enjoy, and goodnight.......

.... I'm off to re-watch "Fight Club" and wonder where I somehow jumped the proverbial tracks.... those Japanese beetles are kicking my ass...... but, damn, I do love some Tom Waits.....

Music....

..... this guy rocks.....

..... word.....

Waits....

....... poetry, folks..... check it....

... beautiful, beautiful stuff...... I wish that I could write like that!.....

.... "I guess I'm going that-a-way..... just as long as its paved"......

Road....

... this was on TCM today while I prepared for the family dinner....... I tell you, one day you are pithless and the next day?.... surrounded by pith helmeted explorers and crazy-haired African natives...... it is either feast or famine, I guess....

..... pretty good clip, no?...... then again, perhaps pith isn't the way to go..... and I should pretend to be Stewart Granger ala Allan Quatermain and find myself some sort of slouchy fedoraesque thing with a leopard skin hatband..... although with my freckles, I doubt I could pull it off very well.......

..... but still, you do have to admit that Deborah Kerr wears a pith helmet pretty damn well.....

... but, ahhhh, it's all good.... I suspect that my Cubs baseball cap will have to suffice for the time being.......

... oh, and speaking of driving around topless with a Cubs cap, here's a little clip of me heading to town earlier today for a sandwich...... the Waits tune?... "Wrong Side of The Road", of course..... enjoy.....

Jersey.....

.... it has been an interesting day..... full of lots and lots of jabbing at the figurative and literal anthills of life.... it appears that this whole "jabbing" thing will be a test of endurance, patience, and calmness....... but hey, I am still hopeful........ eternally hopeful......

..... but tonight, well, I have been immersed in Tom Waits music........ so far I have enjoyed "Martha", "Ice Cream Man", and "Ol' 55", and many, many others..... but before I sign off tonight, I'll share the last song that I listened to..... check it out... 'Jersy Girl' as it was intended to have been sung....

..... enjoy your evening, rubberneckers........ I hope that you are all well and that each and every one of you is getting exactly what you deserve this fine, fine evening!.....

...... I am off to commune with the mosquitoes on the back deck and watch the stars!...

Town.....

..... Sinatra was a one of a kind..... everyone knows that..... and I am not about to disparage his beloved memory.... but I swear, right now the sounds of "On The Town" are beaming in here from the living room and he is 'singing' with that whacked out taxi/bus driver chick...... good god..... it is horrendous....

.... I swear, were she to sing to a block of well-aged Italian parmesan, it would leap into the air, spin a few times, discard its rind, and miraculously self-grate itself into a useful pile of parmesan dust fit for anyone's spaghetti sprinklin'.....

.... Ethel Merman on her very WORST day would sound like English church bells when compared to that screechy, scrawny, hat-wearing bellower...... and really, Frankie was nearly as out of tune during that song as she was..... so no, I'm not talking glass houses here.......

.... and before you start thinking that I am some Neanderthal who is anti-musical, back up..... I can enjoy a good musical as well as ANY straight guy...... but in "On The Town", many of the songs are just plain dire..... hair-pulling, eye-gouging, ear-mufflingly bad........."we could be swabbing the deeeeck!"..... good grief....... "My Fair Lady" pushes my buttons too, but that is another matter all together.....

.... Audrey is a doll, sure.... but hearing her eek out "just you wait, 'enry 'iggins! Just you WAIT!" is enough to completely crush any man's horndoggedness......

... but I digress, as usual.......

.... today was truly a stellar day here on the compound..... The Missus was up bright and early and we drove down to Cleveland for a wee bout of shopping and lunch....... I bought some fresh jeans, she purchased a fairly large stack of fiction, and then we leisurely enjoyed a meal at Outback... and afterwards, a slide back home with the top down on Sylvia.......

...so, bitching about having to listen to "On The Town" playing in the background while I try to compose this cheesy post really isn't that big of a complaint......

... in the great scheme of things, I reckon today was a pretty damn good day..... even if the evening IS dotted here and there with freaky Sinatra tunes.......

Tunes!....

.... as strange as it may sound, I have often heard people say that there always exists - somewhere - the perfect soundtrack to everyone's lives......

.... funny, I never put much thought into the idea before, but after today, I have begun to imagine that they might just be right...... and what's more, I had mine pegged completely wrong...... all this time I had imagined my theme tune being something like this......

..... then again, I often imagined that it was this.....

.... at other times, well, it was 'Thrasher'...... the only Young song that I can actually play on guitar.......

...... little did I know that my tune had been written long ago - just undiscovered by me until now!..... check this out!... Etowah, indeed!.... now all I need to do is learn to 'shuffle'!...

Waits....

.... tonight I've been listening to Tom Waits while I've worked on a few projects around the house..... and since I plan to not post tonight, I will simply leave you with one my favorites of his....... one that has been on the player here......

.... how absolutely marvelous....... I just love it........ so enjoy your evenings, rubberneckers....... you guys all know that I love ya...... let us see what the morning brings.... I am off to ponder great things.....

John.....

..... I mentioned earlier that "Spider John" was one of my favorite songs from the Early Buffett Era........ but thanks to this absolutely wonderful rendition, I have found that it was just a Jimmy Buffett cover of another man's beautiful song........

...... this gentleman's version definitely does the sober song justice....... I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do...... (although, I seriously doubt that any of you have heard Buffett's version of this song, and hey, that is ok.)

..... "If you see my Lily, won't you give her my regards...."....... word, ladies and gentlemen......... what an amazing song......

Monday....

..... this song has been on my mind all afternoon........ no idea why, really....... but hey, here it is...... y'all have a good night and give it a listen......

..... I love singing this song when no one is around...... it and "Spider John" are two of my closet-favorites........ and sure, Jimmy is a bit flat at times during the performance, but that doesn't mean we have to hold it against him!..... hell, it's all good if you're a parrothead...... shhhh, just a second.... "we can go hiking on Tuesday..... with you, I'd walk anywhere....."

...... I tell ya, Jimmy may be a hammerhead, but he is a poet regardless.....

Magnetism.....

.... you know, as much as I groused and groaned prior to last night's concert, it actually was a wonderful, wonderful show..... The Mystique that is Tom Jones is a treasure to behold & it is a piece of history- whether you are a fan or not.... and at 67 years old, he jumped, slid, wiggled, winked, sang, and sniffed panties like I can only wish to be able to do once I hit 67.... in short, the man is a Force....

.... he crooned to us all with equal abandon.... elderly, middle-aged, and the few younger folks who were there..... and by the time he came on for his encore, every seat in The Tennessee Theatre was empty as each of us stood, clapped, and screamed like rabid, lust-laden cheerleaders for a well-hung quarterback... (with the exception of myself and a few other husbands, of course.... we merely stood politely - grinning at the sheer magnetism of The Man - and clapped our hands)..... I saw one 60-ish man mouth the words, "you magnificent, cheesy, wild-dancin' Welsh bastard... thank you!.... I am SO getting laid tonight.." ....

... hey, I'll be the first to admit that I was completely blown away by watching how the crowd reacted as Mr. Jones performed.... it was like nothing I have ever seen, folks... you had grown women nearly fainting when he sang "She's A Lady".... you had 3,000 people screaming "WHY, WHY, WHY, DELILAH?" because those were the only lyrics they knew.... you had women with a walking stick in one hand & their panties in their other teetering slowly towards the stage and attempting to do dance like Tom..... and yes, yes.... there were lots and lots of panties.... black thongs, little white cotton bikini ones, and even a pair of granny-panties that you could have built a tent out of..... to him though, it really didn't matter all that much.....

.... but see, therein lies The Great Key Of Tom Jones, rubberneckers...... trust me, I watched it unfold all night long, and it truly was a thing of beauty.... AND it is why Tom Jones is still packing theatres after 40+ years in The Business..... his message is so wonderful in its simplicity that it is perfect beyond words....... in short, "love me and I will love you back..... want me and I will want you"...... those simple ideas are so seldom truly and wholeheartedly felt, but he gives that to his audience..... isn't that theme one of the greatest desires of everyone on the planet?.......

..... actually I digress a bit, that previous bit is only half-true.... his message isn't trying to convey 'love', really..... what he's really saying is a much more boiled-down version of that general concept..... basically, "if you want to have sex with me, I will make sure that you believe before this night is over that I want to have sex with you regardless of what you look like, smell like, how much you weigh, how old you are, or even if your husband wants to watch.." .... and hey, to pull something like that off?.... well, he's one helluva presence when he gets on stage.....

.... he closed his three-song encore with a Prince song called "Kiss"..... I've written here before about witnessing the magical effect that song had on people, but watching Jones sing it took it to a whole new level..... somewhere deeply embedded in the song are lyrics to this effect..... check it out....

You don't have to be beautiful to turn me on I just need your body, baby, from dusk till dawn You don't need experience to turn me out You just leave it all up to me, I'm gonna show you what it's all about

You don't have to be rich to be my girl
You don't have to be cool to rule my world
Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with
I just want your extra time and your kiss

You got to not talk dirty, baby, if you wanna impress me
You can't be too flirty, mama, I know how to undress me, yeah
I want to be your fantasy, maybe you could be mine
You just leave it all up to me, and we could have a good time

.... gentle people, that song may have been co-written by Prince, but it was MADE for Tom Jones.....

..... I don't know what else to say about the concert other than if he visits your town, you should go and watch him...... his brass section was incredible.... and the rest of the band too, for that matter...... and regardless of the size of the venue, you will spend most of the show imagining that you are in Las Vegas..... it was a great night...... and while I am still not a fan, per se, I have a completely newfound respect for Mr. Tom Jones..... and may he continue to have panties lobbed in his general direction for the next fifty years........

Dancing.....

.... the day has dawned, gentle hammerheads..... and in a scant few hours I'll be safely tucked away somewhere near the back of the historic Tennessee Theatre while a jiggling mass of breathless 40 & 50-somethings worship at the feet of Tom Jones..... not sure if y'all recall, but I mentioned the trepidation I felt when I purchased the tickets a while back..... and tonight is the night......

..... with any luck, he'll boogie woogie like he does in this little clip..... I sure hope that he does..... hell, I've never seen a Welshman move like that in real life.....part of me thinks that it just plain can't happen..... but witnessing that dance with my own two beady eyes would be worth the 70 bucks for admission - even if he didn't sing a note....

..... besides, if he really does dance like that, it'll be pretty entertaining when the paramedics arrive to haul off all the heart attack victims..... Knoxville may be hip, but it isn't exactly known for its hipshaking..... I have a feeling that Tom Jones is gonna rock the house.....

.... anyway, I'm off to the Big City..... you guys enjoy what's left of your Sunday..... I'm outta here....

Tucker....

.... I head this song today on my way back from the grocer........ and wow, I must not have heard it in years....... but what a great tune......

.... there is just something about the guitar that drives the whole thing...... the lyrics?..... nah....... they lack a bit........ but the music just sticks in my head........ as a guitarist, I think that I was born to play rhythm.......

..... enjoy.....

...... music is amazing....... all of it..... I wonder why more rock bands don't have wind instruments these days?.......

Glenn....

..... you know, I never realized it before, but Glenn Miller looks like one helluva sneaky fella with those puckered lips and those wire-rimmed glasses.....

.... anyway, I've been up to lots of things offline today and don't feel like posting.... and since I am off to cook some fabulously stuffed chicken breasts in a few minutes, I figure that the very least I can do is to share with you hammerheads what I have had on repeat here in the blogroom for the last little while as I sewed up some proverbial loose ends.....

.... enjoy......God knows that I certainly have.....

... the bit at 3:16 is the best part, if you ask me......

.... you guys have a nice night..... I'm off to bake chicken and mash potatoes.....

Jonesin'.....

.... it appears that I'll be attending another concert at the Tennessee Theatre next month..... and it should prove to be quite a bit different from all of the previous concerts I've seen there...

.... so far I've been blessed to have seen John Prine, John Hiatt, Nanci Griffith, Doc Watson, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Gordon Lightfoot, Hal Holbrook pretend to be Mark Twain, and various and sundry comedians...... but next month?.... lets just say that the concert isn't until the 9th of March and The Missus is already straightening out her unmentionable drawer in a frantic search for a suitable pair of panties to lob lustily towards the stage.....

.... that's right, folks..... in a couple of weeks I will be sitting in an audience - mild-manneredly sipping my Scotch and water - while hordes of middle-aged women fling their knickers over my head towards one Mr. Tom Jones... oh, I cannot even begin to imagine the sheer amount of pre-menopausal booty-shaking that I am going to be forced to witness.....

.... it promises to be quite a traumatic experience..... but it should make some most excellent blogfodder... good god, see how downright selfless I am for y'all?.....

.... I mean, just check this shit out, rubberneckers.....

..... mercy...... and hey, let us not forget this one.....

...... "come back here... stand on that chair.... oh, baby, that's right.... "

..... whoaaa.......

.... I'll be sure and try to sit near the back of the theater so that if there is a stampede towards the stage, I'll be safe.....

Shook.....

...... you know, there are moments that we witness that just plain lift one's soul....... some see these portents in the changing of the seasons or in the inimitable way that the morning dawns..... others, of course, may focus upon political discourse or debate.... and still others are enlightened by signs from the heavens..... equinoxes, wanings, waxings, solstices, comets, etc....... but tonight?...... well, I saw this........

..... and in the course of handling the vast turmoil surrounding us all lately, it just cheered my stony heart to see such a young man diving into a ribald song with such enthusiastic passion........ hell, it gave me hope....... and that, as we all know, is in short supply these days..... behold....

.... 12 years old, ladies and gentlemen....... I - as I am sure his Father is - am quite proud of the little guy...... he's holding aloft a banner that should be waved at every single opportunity........ and that, folks, is a fact.....

.... here's the original........ .

.... amazing, no?...... lookit, folks..... in these troubled days that we live in, the fact that a little boy is practicing his guitar (and doing incredibly well) to such a tune?..... well, if you ask me, that just renews my faith in humanity...... it truly does.......

Growing Up.....

..... I don't really know what to say about this, but I do agree with it........ it reminds me so much of blogging...... and hey, you just gotta love Tom Waits.....

..... I think I should probably write him another song...... something gritty....... I suspect he's getting soft lately and probably needs a change of focus....

.... whoa.... nevermind...... he's still preeeeeety far out there....

... weird, sure... but his lyrics are actually pretty amazing........ if you can get past the high heels........ here, feel free to sing along...

Well, when I'm lyin' in my bed at night, I don't wanna grow up Nothin' ever seems to turn out right, I don't wanna grow up How do you move in a world of fog, that's always changing things Makes me wish that I could be a dog

Well, when I see the price that you pay, I don't wanna grow up
I don't ever wanna be that way, I don't wanna grow up
Seems like folks turn into things that they'd never want
The only thing to live for is today

I'm gonna put a hole in my TV set, I don't wanna grow up
Open up the medicine chest, and I don't wanna grow up
I don't wanna have to shout it out
I don't want my hair to fall out
I don't wanna be filled with doubt
I don't wanna be a good boy scout
I don't wanna have to learn to count
I don't wanna have the biggest amount
And I don't wanna grow up

Well, when I see my parents fight, I don't wanna grow up
They all go out and drinking all night, and I don't wanna grow up
I'd rather stay here in my room, nothin' out there but sad and gloom
I don't wanna live in a big old tomb on Grand Street, ooh!

When I see the 5 o'clock news, I don't wanna grow up
Comb their hair and shine their shoes, I don't wanna grow up
Stay around in my old hometown
I don't wanna put no money down
I don't wanna get me a big old loan
Work them fingers to the bone
I don't wanna float a broom
Fall in love and get married, then boom
How the hell did we get here so soon
Well, I don't wanna grow up

..... perhaps I'll not try to write another song for him after all....... it isn't necessary.....

Lessons.....

.... the concert went off without too much of a hitch..... and it was very uplifting to see Mr. Lightfoot still filling theatres and coaxing applause out of audiences at the tender age of 69 years.... his sets were simple, his voice was unique, and he arranged his 'hit songs' perfectly between new releases and unknown 'oldies'......

... having said all that, however, the night was a bit tainted for my family and I..... not by the music, of course, but by four upper-class, middle-aged, & slightly drunken rude couples who happened to be sitting in the row directly behind us.....they arrived just before the curtain went up... and two of the wives talked incessantly during both the introduction and the first two songs using their 'outside' voices.... their conversation was quite varied.... covering everything from how much they had enjoyed their pre-concert meal, how much they 'simply adored' the service at The Regas, and how disappointed they were that Mr. Lightfoot didn't start off his first set with the songs that they had wanted to hear....

.... herein lies the difference between my little brother and myself...

.... neither of us are very mean people.... and we're both quite respectful, really..... however, I learned last night that his fuse is quite a bit shorter than mine.... and he, like myself, will not abide rude behavior..... we will address such behavior in an adult manner - face to face.... being both respectful and to the point.... and should you somehow take offense at being asked to "please be quiet, I can't hear what he's singing." and proceed to act like a posturing, pimply sixteen-year old out on his first date who is trying to impress his girlfriend by flexing his testosterone, then you are in for a very, very rude awakening.......

.... like I said, I am not a mean guy.... hell, I'm not even really that aggressive.... but if I'm quietly watching a mild-mannered Canadian - totally & beautifully enraptured while singing "If You Could Read My Mind" - and I hear you slosh your drink and mouth to your date "who the hell does he think he is? I ought to ask him to step outside.." .... don't be the least bit surprised if either myself or my little brother turn around, rise, look you in the eye, and call you on your words right then and there for being such a pompous ass..... and then ask you to make sure that you bring your wife along so that she can watch you get your ass beat as we want her to be sure that she doesn't miss out on your total humiliation......

.... you know, you'd honestly think that in these civilized times that we live in, shit like this would never, EVER be necessary.........

..... on one level, it absolutely breaks my heart to know that grown-up human beings would buy tickets to see an incredible musician perform in a breathtaking venue and then act like drunken teenagers in suits with dates sporting too much mascara..... equally childish, disrespectful, arrogant, and boorish..... and just mouthy-drunk enough that they'd like to try to pick a fight at a cultured event just so their shitfaced girlfriends/wives would want to hump them later for their Pure, Alpha-Manliness.....

.... I tell you, it is almost enough to make one stay home and watch television rather than venture out into the seething mass of humanity.....

... luckily, I suppose, I was able to be the voice of reason and harmony..... bringing an almost supernatural calm to the Waters of Life that crashed and splashed around our huddled group of concert-goers........ and after my brother was re-seated (and I had said "leave.... leave now.... before you get hurt.. go back to your bar, we're here to listen to music..), the evening was enjoyed by all.....

..... but still, I am continually amazed & absolutely disheartened by the number of complete assholes there are in this tiny little world of ours..... why can't we all just get along??...... heh.... because there are givers and takers..... and never the twain shall meet.......

.... in the end, some people just need to be beaten.... beaten severely...... and for lots and lots of reasons, really..... but mainly, simply because they have never been beaten once in their entire lives like they truly should have been...... and that gross oversight has left them hovering and poised above The Great Bowl of Humanity as assholes who assume that they can get away with anything simply because of who they are, who they know, how much cash they have in their sheep-skin wallets, where they work, where they went to school, who they might be fucking, or where they go to church hung-over on Sunday morning......

.... in short, they have never learned to respect their fellow human beings...... and for a select few, that lesson can't be taught with books, speeches, religious orchestrations, or television programs..... or even sober logic....

..... and while it makes me sad to say it, it is an absolute fact...... there are those out there walking this world who just need a good punch in the noggin and a kick in the ribs.......... it'd make them a much better person in the long run.......

.... God knows that I've had my share in the course of 35 years...... and there has been a life-lesson attached to each and every one.......

Sundown...

.... we're off shortly to catch Gordon Lightfoot on stage at the Tennessee Theatre..... and along with The Missus, I am also dragging along my little Brother & my Ma... it should be a nice night out full of food and good music... I love folk music... and hey, if he is just half as entertaining as James Taylor was when I saw him in Edinburgh, I will be greatly pleased.....

... the only downer is that it's just plain cold outside..... clear sky - baby blue - but still cold and breezy.....

.... I read somewhere that Mr. Lightfoot has a clause hidden away deep, deep down in his entertainment contract that requires venues to provide temperatures 'not to exceed' 32 degrees Fahrenheit.... this, of course, was verified by events at daybreak..... indeed, just as he jetted into Knoxville this morning, the Great State of Tennessee whimpered and knelt to his vile Canadian demands, folks...... hell, it was downright frigid this morning..... (well, comparatively speaking, that is...... I know that a lot of you Yankees have been frozen fairly solid this February, but for down here?.... below freezing is COLD).....

.... anyway, there you have it..... it is cold.... and I am off to enjoy dinner & a show in Knoxville..... y'all have a nice evening...

Wrists......

.....have you ever had one of those days where you just wished that you were Dean Martin's xylophone player back in the early 1960s?... well, check this out......

..... I bet that guy bagged ALL of the chicks...... I mean, just look at his wrist discipline!.....

Around....

..... whilst surfing as the roasted potatoes and pork loin roasted this evening, I happened upon this..... and I was mesmerized......

..... the roommate making the gin and tonics just completely cracks me up..... and on some level, I identify with the guitarist...... and on another level, most of the time I am more like the roommate....

.... still, it is a wonderful video.... and a GREAT song...... it makes me want to sit barefoot, drink gin, and put on some old Harry Connick albums......

... Thyme.....

.... I always loved this song...... I hope that you do too....

...... I wake up humming it every other day as I make the morning's coffee..........

Distraction....

...... I've spent the last few hours going through my gigantic collection of old music cassette tapes that are currently taking up residence in my maple gun cabinet here in the blogroom...... collected from the years 1986 onwards, it is quite a varied collection.....

.... everything from Bread (WTF was I thinking?) to Dr. Hook, Don Williams, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd....

.... so in a vain attempt at inspiration tonight, I tossed a few choice cassettes into the stereo and sat back to listen.......

.... I think that my ears are bleeding..... I can feel wetness, but I am afraid to actually go and check in the mirror......

... needless to say, I did find an old favorite by Don Williams just a few minutes ago.... and it seemed to make the bleeding subside.... or at least clot

.... so, without further commentary, I give you "Good Ole Boys Like Me", by Don Williams......

.... and while I absolutely love the lyrics, it does appear that Mr. Williams may have studied 'entertainment' at the Mt. Rushmore school of Song Singing..... and judging by this video, I suspect that he was an A-student....

..... still, though, I do love the song..... and it certainly beats the hell out of 'Bread'..... if I never hear "Baby I'm A Want You" again, it'll be too damned soon.......

Lightfoot.....

..... bought the tickets, folks....... February 11th, 2008..... Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville...... 7pm-ish......

.... I am so there....

.... "and if you read between the lines you'll know that I'm just trying to understand..... " ..... good lord, I lived my young adulthood pining for women to that song...... mostly, of course, to women who didn't even know that I existed...... but still, there it is......

.... I can hardly wait..... I am stoked.....

.... bloody hell....

.... and this one?...... it will be something that I have always dreamed of hearing.......

..... there are song writers, and then there are songwriters........ He is in the latter category...... just as Prine, Waits, Townes, and Zevon are/were....... he knows it, I am sure...... and I know it too.....

Vivaldi.....

..... back in 1991, I was stationed on Adak Island in the Bering Sea..... a mere smidgen of a boy, and a barely an 18 year old Marine, I was pretty far away from my Tennessee home....... (actually, I believe that I arrived in January of 1991, so I was probably closing in on 18 and one-half by then)...... but anyway, I found myself ensconced one evening in a Catholic chaplain's house accompanied by a few other Marines while we recorded music, ate pasta, and baked eggplant parmesan in an attempt to forget just where we were.........

....but now, of course - after nearly 18 years - that cassette that I recorded directly from the record is fading fast...... and I have searched for years and years to find a digital replacement, but have always failed......

... perhaps it was the eggplant parmesan that night, who knows, but I must have jotted down the wrong track from the album's cover when trying to identify the music that I had just recorded...... for over the course of the past 17-to-18 years, I have not been able to find a CD of my favorite classical song.....

..... don't let that catch you too hard, though.... hell, I am not that much of a classical music aficionado..... and up until I recorded that concerto that night, well, the closest that I had come to "classical music" was from watching Saturday morning cartoons........

..... but still, I do miss hearing this tune..... and what is more, I have not been able to find it anywhere..... and in reality, well, I just don't want to lose it once the tape finally breaks........

.... and so, I am asking all of your for your assistance...... I have been to Tower Records in Cambridge, Mass.... I have been to their website..... I have even scoured Youtube.com to find out the actual name of my song, and I have failed..... hell, I even piped up the stereo, turned on the computer, and recorded it for Mr. Debonair to give me his advice, and I have still fell short.......

..... so, I am asking you all now..... if you have any idea what piece this might be, please let me know...... back in 1991, I simply noted it as "Vivaldi's cello concerto in E-minor"......

.... this piece of music means the world to me..... and I would be eternally thankful for your help in properly identifying it...... for a listen, please click here.....

..... Vivaldi....... Il Prete Rosso......... thank you for your help...... but be warned, she is one BIG file...... but hey, I thank you for your help.......