My dad was born a Curry so I’m at least a wee bit Irish. They say everyone is a little bit Irish on St Patrick’s Day, which means today even that tiny bit of Irish blood is a reason to celebrate big.
I can’t share a beer over the internet; instead I’ll share some Irish songs from the Folk-BritIsles playlist on my iPod.
Bing Crosby: Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (Thats An Irish Lullaby)
John McCormack – When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
The Irish Rovers- The Orange and the Green
Dropkick Murphys – Finnegans Wake
The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem – Wild Colonial Boy
Jim McCann – Grace
The Pogues – Dirty Old Town
The Wolfe Tones – Let the People Sing
And lastly, I’ll leave you with my favourite movie kiss of all time. From The Quiet Man with the beautiful Maureen O’Hara and the handsome John Wayne.
What I love about the arts is how they inspire each other, borrow from each other, and learn from each other. No art form is unadulterated, no artist completely faithful to her own art form. There are arts for each of our senses, and muses are shared.
This blog is about music. Music frequently tips its collective hat to the other arts and other artists. I thought that would make an interesting blog series.
One of the things that I believe the arts do in common is to serve as a challenge to complacency and status quo. Paintings like Picasso’s Guernica, books like Machiavelli’s The Prince, plays like Václav Havel’s The Memo and songs like One Tin Soldier all elevate the challenge of injustice to an art. They all do it.
So to start out an ongoing, but occasional series of blogs about musical homages and references to the other arts, beginning here with the song Cultural Infidel (lyrics here) by Jimmy Buffet because it ties into my point above point.
2016 was a banner year for losses in music. Every genre lost a legend or two it seems. Country music lost Merle Haggard, funk lost Bernie Worrell, hip hop lost John Berry, Canada lost Leonard Cohen, jazz lost Mose Allison, the blues lost Ruby Wilson, and we all lost the great genre crossing artists Prince and David Bowie.
I’ve tried to round up some of the farewells below; it’s a long list. Omissions are not meant to offend, but do reflect my personal taste in music, and the paths I have both traveled and not yet discovered in music.
JANUARY
I got this just before I stopped buying records in high school.
In my Brit invasion playlist. And yes, I know the Boxtops were an American band. They’re here because that’s how I think of their sound. Creating playlists is an inexact science.
George Martin (Jan 3, 1926 – March 8, 2016)calledthe ‘fifth Beatle’, record producer.
Rudy Van Gelder (Nov 2, 1924 – August 25, 2016) important jazz recording engineer involved with John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, and Art Blakey.
Robert Stigwood (April 16, 1934 – Jan 4, 2016) managed Cream & Clapton and launched the Bee Gees.
Marni Nixon (Feb 22, 1930 – July 24, 2016) sang voices for actresses in The King and I, West Side Story and My Fair Lady.
Scotty Moore(December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016) played guitar with Elvis.
Bob Krasnow (July 20, 1934 – December 11, 2016) founded Blue Thumb Records, was chairman of Elektra Records, and co-founded of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sandy Pearlman (Aug 5, 1943 – July 26, 2016) involved with albums by Blue Öyster Cult, The Clash, The Dictators, Pavlov’s Dog, Space Team Electra, and Dream Syndicate; and was the founding Vice President of eMusic.com.
When I see a movie I come away with the story line and the dialogue stuck in my head. I am word focused. My son, on the other hand, comes away with the background music stuck in his head. It is because of him that I have developed an appreciation for music written for film, TV and other media.
As an autumnal musical treat, perhaps small consolation for the falling leaves and shorter days, I’ve pulled together some music by these modern media composers.
Hugo Mario Montenegro’s best known work is from Spaghetti Westerns. He composed the score for Charro! – and yes that’s Elvis singing.
My first date was with a boy named Derek. I was in grade 10, he was in grade 12. He took me to see the movie Purple Rain. During the movie he tried to put his arm around my shoulder and hit me in the cheek. I don’t think that was necessarily an omen but we didn’t last. Spooky.
We lost Prince this year. We have lost a lot of really exceptional artists in the past few years, but this one had significance because I mark that first date as the beginning of my struggle with being me versus being we. And honestly, in a lot of ways the lyrics of that song touch on how I’ve felt in many relationships, and how I have felt many times on my own.
Even now I might be the happiest happily married woman on the planet, but damn, this song gets me.
I am missing, and will continue to miss Prince.
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I only wanted to see you
Laughing in the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Bathing in the purple rain
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It’s such a shame our friendship had to end
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only wanted to see you
Underneath the purple rain
Honey, I know, I know
I know times are changing
It’s time we all reach out
For something new, that means you too
You say you want a leader
But you can’t seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
If you know what I’m singing about up here
C’mon, raise your hand
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you
Only want to see you
In the purple rain
Actually, I started out the day humming ‘I wanna be in the cavalry…’which is really catchy, but I’ve ended up playing ‘Hard on equipment’ about 15 times in row now, just because the song is so gosh darned good.
Listen for yourself:
HARD ON EQUIPMENT
(Corb Lund)
He’s been roundin’ off bolts since the age of fourteen
Was that a five eighths or a nine sixteenths?
He’s got a metric socket that don’t quite fit
Well it’ll wiggle just a little but it ain’t quite stripped
The safety guard’s gone from his grinding machine
He got a stiff paint brush he only sorta got clean
He’s the hired man, my neighbor and a cousin in law
He’s a jerry riggin’ fool, he got the tool for the job
Well it’s vise grips for pliers, and pliers for a wrench
A wrench for a hammer, hammers everything else
It just don’t seem to make much difference
I sure do like him but he’s hard on equipment
I sure like you son, but you’re hard on equipment
His corners ain’t square and his floor ain’t level
And he’s had a little trouble with the old tape measure
His doors don’t close ‘cause the jamb ain’t plumb
And he’s a Goddamn menace with an air nail gun
They love to see him comin’ at the lumberyard store
Fixed the leak in his roof with a two by four
Drilled holes in his boards with the wrong kinda bit
And when they don’t line up he blames the government
He got the whole front yard full of fix ‘em up cars
Three don’t run and the rest won’t start
Everything’s fine with his rebuilt motor
Except of course for the couple spare washers left over
Baler twine tie downs goin’ down the road
On two bald tires and an oversize load
He ain’t never read a manual ‘cause that’s like cheatin’
He don’t mind the grease on his hands while he’s eatin’
He’s got busted up knuckles, his thumb got bruised
Jesus Christ was a carpenter, too
That last line “Jesus Christ” reminds me of my dad.
Picture my sister and I sitting watching TV upstairs, my dad downstairs putting lights in the newly finished basement. All of a sudden we hear “gggggggaaaargh” – then silence. I look at my sis, she looks at me. We spend a moment in silence, then I say “You go down”, she says “No, you go down”. This goes on for another 30-40 seconds. Finally, much to our relief we hear “JEEESUS CHRIST” in my dad’s voice booming from the bowels of the house. So, we figure, if he can curse he’s OK, and went back to the Flintstones.
True story.
Don’t know what you about Corb Lund, but here are a few highlights about this Alberta music icon:
I am not a Ramblin’ Man, but I was married to one, when it came to leavin’ he thought I’d understand…now I am married to a doctor, we have a big house, I have a walk-in closet the size of my former kitchen, a library, an art studio and a BIG BIG smile on my face. No hard feelings and I still like the song.
Ramblin’ Man is an Allman Brothers song from their 1973 album Brothers and Sisters.
This southern rock standard has been featured in in several movies, including The Exorcist, Big Fish, and When Harry Met Sally.
The song was their only top ten single, climbing the charts to number 2 but edged out of number 1 by Gregg Allman’s future wife’s – Cher – Half Breed. There’s a kitchy song if you’re in the mood:
The Allman Brothers’ Ramblin’ Man is based on a classic Hank Williams song of the same name.
Take a listen to both versions below, and remember: it’s a song not life advice.
Allman Brothers Band Ramblin’ Man Lyrics:
Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man
Tryin’ to make a livin’ and doin’ the best I can
And when it’s time for leavin’
I hope you’ll understand
That I was born a ramblin’ man
My father was a gambler down in Georgia
He wound up on the wrong end of a gun
And I was born in the back seat of a Greyhound bus
Rollin’ down highway forty-one
Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man
Tryin’ to make a livin’ and doin’ the best I can
And when it’s time for leavin’
I hope you’ll understand
That I was born a ramblin’ man
I’m on my way to New Orleans this mornin’
I’m leavin’ out of Nashville, Tennessee
They’re always having a good time down on the bayou
Lord, them Delta women think the world of me
Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man
Tryin’ to make a livin’ and doin’ the best I can
And when it’s time for leavin’
I hope you’ll understand
That I was born a ramblin’ man
Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man
Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man
Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man
Hank Williams Ramblin’ Man lyrics:
I can settle dow-own and be doin’ just fine
Til I hear an old train rollin’ down the line
Then I hurry strai-aight home and pack
And if I didn’t go, I believe I’d blow my stack
I love you ba-aby, but you gotta understand
When the Lord made me
He made a Ramblin’ Man.
Some folks might sa-ay that I’m no good
That I wouldn’t settle down if I could
But when that open ro-oad starts to callin’ me
There’s somethin’ o’er the hill that I gotta see
Sometimes it’s har-rd but you gotta understand
When the Lord made me, He made a Ra-amblin’ Man.
I love to see the tow-owns a-passin’ by
And to ride these rails ‘neath God’s blue sky
Let me travel this la-and from the mountains to the sea
‘Cause that’s the life I believe He meant for me
And when I’m go-one and at my grave you stand
Just say God called home your Ra-amblin’ Man.
This one is thanks to a co-worker, as a result of a coffee break debate on whether love at first sight is possible. I think I lost the debate and this song was my punishment.
Gary Wrights’ official site has some fun sites fun facts (http://www.thedreamweaver.com/) like: the songs was inspired by a trip Gary took to India with George Harrison; is done with keyboards and drums, no guitar, very unusual for the 70’s. He has collaborated with/worked with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones.
I wake up EVERY morning with a song stuck in my head. A random song. A song that may have been long buried in my subconscious mind, or may have been playing while I stood in line to buy a vente latte on the way to work.
Why, you ask? What does that say about me, I don’t know. But I am sure that something that weird should not go to waste. So I am going to write the songs down, do I little research, and post my ramblings here. Shall we begin?
Good morning, singer. Make me some coffee…
I woke up this morning and thought, Peggy Sue; is that you?
BuddyHolly http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1875021_1837072,00.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Holly penned the song and named it for a band member’s girlfriend (obviously named Peggy Sue).
The song was followed by a song called Peggy Sue Got Married, which inspired the 1986 movie by the same name.
The movie starred Nicolas Cage (directed by his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola) and Kathleen Turner.
Jim Carrey played a supporting role, as one of the guys who sang in a quartet with her high school sweet-heart come husband (Nicolas Cage).
Really interesting to me, researching for this blog I discovered that Maureen O’Sullivan was also in this movie. She played Kitty in a 1935 version of Anna Karenina. Recently I have been ranting about the soon to be released version of the same, which will star Keira Knightly as Anna. And they are not friendly rants, I loathe Knightly, and Anna Karenina is among my favourite novels of all time. I have to find a source for this version of the book, because Greta Garbo plays Anna and that strike me as all wrong as well, though for a different reason.
If you knew, Peggy Sue
Then you’d know why I feel blue
About Peggy, my Peggy Sue
Oh well, I love you, gal
and I love you Peggy SuePeggy Sue, Peggy Sue
Oh how my heart yearns for you.
Oh P-e-ggy.. P-e-ggy Sue
Oh, well, I love you gal
Yes I love you Peggy SuePeggy Sue Peggy Sue
Pretty pretty pretty pretty Peggy Sue
Peggy oh Peggy Sue
Oh well I love you gal and I need you Peggy SueI love you Peggy Sue
With a love so rare and true
Oh, Peggy, my Peggy Sue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue
Oh, well, I love you gal
I want you, Peggy SuePeggy Sue, Peggy Sue
pretty pretty pretty pretty Peggy sue
oh Peggy, my Peggy Sue-ue-ue-ue
Oh, well, I love you gal
yes I need you, Peggy Sue
I love you Peggy Sue
With a love so rare and true
Oh, Peggy, my Peggy Sue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ue-ueOh, well, I love you gal
Yes, I want you, Peggy Sue
Oh, well, I love you gal
Yes, I want you, Peggy Sue
