Tag Archives: song

by | November 5, 2019 · 2:22 am

LYRICAL BEAUTY or HOW’D I END UP HERE

Was in a conversation about 2020 and politics and someone said “this is going nowhere” and in my head I said “one last time let’s go there” because somehow, Paolo Nutini’s magical song from 2006 jumped into my head.

#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the connections our mind makes for us, bringing me all the way back here. To this song.

He was 19 when he created this. When I was 19 I had barely created memories, let alone anything memorable.

How did politics get me to Paolo Nutini?

The beauty of words phrases and stories I guess?

What he did with those two sentences dances on my mind, my tongue, and depending on the moment, my heart. “Sure I can accept that we’re going nowhere

But one last time, let’s go there”

Applies to so many things? Like in this case the spark that was politics in the US but wow, so many things.

https://youtu.be/Dq3ZxMAZBXkAs for Last Requests … maybe let’s have less of them. Let’s not give up on things we think are going nowhere. Sometimes, we just have to give them one last chance to go and get there.

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by | October 31, 2019 · 8:20 am

LISTEN TO THIS, GO ‘HEAD or WUTD TO DA RESCUE

Wow. I haven’t felt addicted to a song like this maybe since MGMT Electric Feel which took me back to all good things Prince (kind of excited to read the memoir that ain’t a memoir that’s all good). Or maybe, Childish Gambino and Redbone?

#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for poetic, rhythmic, rhyming flow. I needed this especially after guiltily listening to Kanye’s new stuff (and ok, his flow is beautiful, as beautiful as he is offensively bad … but musically, there’s some beauty there).

This takes me back to DeLa Soul which is … you know, amazing, but especially on a Saturday in roller skates. Yessir.

https://youtu.be/213Z173FhME

Heard where? On a Bose headset commercial. All good. I’m good.

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by | October 20, 2019 · 9:25 am

HALL OF FAME or AMERICAN BABY

I was able to catch up on the Rock and Roll HoF nominees while at the airport yesterday. Janet Jackson’s plea last year to increase diversity seems to have been heard, a little. While working through a podcast covering the nominees and projections for who’s in, who’s in first ballot (Biggie), I found few surprises. But I was surprised when the conversation turned to Dave Matthews Band.

How could their be any doubt?

You may not like them. But that’s music. This is the Hall of Fame and they are one of the oat consistently successful and famous bands of my lifetime. Sales. Tours. Memorable songs.

And then they played this. And I haven’t stopped singing it for what’s now 27 hours. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the list below. But tonight, I’m singing American Baby until my eyelids droop to close.

https://youtu.be/wU8SbHTVavA

Why?

Do you remember when this song was written? Why it was written?

Feels kinda relevant today in the US to me.

“Matthews wrote this song the day after George W. Bush won re-election for US president in 2004. Matthews did not support Bush, and was encouraging others with his views not to give up hope. He told Rolling Stone: “The inspiration to that song, in part, is that we shouldn’t lose sight of ourselves or of what makes this country great while we’re fighting over how to defend it.”

“I’m very much in love with this country,” Matthews, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, added. “I certainly consider myself liberal, which to me just means that I want to embrace the differences between people, as well as the similarities, because I think that’s what makes us spectacular. America has a lot of bitter past and a lot of suffering in a short period of time. It’s got a lot of young ghosts and still-open wounds, but there’s a magic in America that I love, and that’s one of the reasons I feel so strongly about speaking my mind. I’ll fight in my way for America.”

The video is gold.

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by | October 17, 2019 · 10:49 am

1990 or CHUBB-y ROCK

Wow. I love what Ambrosia For Heads has done for my days. It’s the only place to turn for hip hop scoop. And even within that magic #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for moments like this. That bring a forgotten voice back into a noisy scene and bring a clear smile to a gray-flecked face. Leggo Chubb Rock. Treat ‘Em Right still hangs as a mantra and a method for livin’. This joint is ’nuff said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIB6YNfZ4Y8

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by | July 8, 2018 · 8:15 pm

“CLARENCE DOESN”T LEAVE THE E STREET BAND…” or ON LOVED ONES

I’m not the biggest Bruce Springsteen fan. I’m a fan. But for someone who’s 43 and was born and raised in NJ, I’m probably a disappointment to expectations. I mean, I’ve only seen him in concert once (and his haunting, all acoustic, single spotlight version of Born in the USA is the best of what great songs are about, about what they stand up to when played and presented).

A long and hurried series of events and travels between locations during the past 48 hours somehow, pushed Bruce into my head. And from Bruce, I remembered this article (https://www.rollingstone.com/…/bruce-springsteens…/) and I remembered this line …”Clarence doesn’t leave the E Street Band when he dies. He leaves when we die.”

And I loved that line. Because sometimes, we need to feel like life happens as a result of our actions. Like life is deliberate. I’m fine actively pursuing humble, but it’s not a lot of fun to be co constantly and consistently humbled. Also, Clarence Clemons was larger than life.

I played the saxophone in 5th grade because of him (and then broke my hand, and then stepped back altogether because I’m better as a fan of music than a producer of it).

Thanks for the reminder, Boss and The Big Man. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for having the choice.

Bruce Springsteen’s Eulogy for Clarence Clemons

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by | June 29, 2018 · 12:37 am

AFRICA

Sometimes I just need to close my eyes; it’s raining outside, it made me think of this song for some reason, and a search on “Africa + Toto” + “Covers” led me here. And I couldn’t be happier. I’ve got it on (manual) loop and I couldn’t be happier.

#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for serendipity.

https://youtu.be/_SywaUbg5wU

In a time where everything needs a little more purpose, meaning, and just grace, it’s not a bad song to have in your head. Bless everything and everyone. Let’s go.

If you’re tagged here, I thought of you at a very precise moment.

cc Disha Sharma Modi (HBD, will miss your face); Stephen Kelly (bless everything) Anu Kiran and Sapna Bhuta McCarthy (because of course) Andy Fox and Peter Pirsch because if Michael Hedges played the piano, he’d have done something like this don’t you think?

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by | December 23, 2017 · 3:13 am

FRESH EYES

Happy holidays folks. Hope you appreciate all you have that’s under your nose, with the freshest of eyes. Appreciation is infinite, no matter how high you raise the bar … there simply isn’t a ceiling. Give it a shot?

#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the holidays, fam time, friend time, and my soundtrack for the next 10 days (at least). Thanks for the intro, NPR.

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by | October 28, 2017 · 12:47 am

FOR WHAT IT”S WORTH

Thanks to an old friend, effectively a distant but still an older brother by deep familial ties, Sumeet Goel for sharing this song and this post. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for what music can do when we stop to listen to what we’re listening to. His comment was that it is supremely relevant to our time, whatever side we’re on.

Lyrics. They’re why I’ve always found myself moved to and gravitating toward great folk, great hip hop, great music where the lyrics carry the song regardless of format and version (if a song can stand up to a single voice on an acoustic guitar, it is worth paying attention to in any form … thank you Andy Fox for that eternal lesson.)

No need to search for the lyrics, I’ve put ’em right here for you.

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down


What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side


It’s s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down


Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away


We better stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, now, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down

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by | September 24, 2017 · 11:37 pm

25 – FRENCH

Bring me … bring me a 25 … that hits you on all senses like this song. Go beat. Go lyrics. Go flow. Go … vid? Yes. The past few months, I’ve felt like i”m 21 again when it comes to music. Old enough to appreciate, but, young enough to not get caught up in the arrogance of opinion and taste and expectation. I mean, Unforgettable is Unforgettable for a reason.

#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for cadences like “I want your mind and your body / Don’t mind nobody / So as long you don’t never hurt nobody” <<<all that kills my favorite stuff from the late 80’s/early 90’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTFtOOh47oo

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by | August 25, 2017 · 5:06 pm

WHAT ARE YOUR 25’s?

I have about 12-15 minutes everyday where I am solo in the car. I mostly use that time for NPR. I have been crushing NPR since I started driving actually. But the news is all the same these days so I have started diving in on specific songs that I can turn up to 25 in our CRV. Perfect sound level. Because the speakers and my ears can handle it, and because it’s loud enough that I can’t hear myself sing. Which makes me sound great, like I am nailing every note. (Not happening.) What was my 25 today? Arguably my favorite song of all time for all reasons, and also, what Priya and I used for our first dance. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for The Gap Band. Do you have a 25?

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