Tag: 2017

Wednesday’s Theme Music

Today began with a great force shifting the world as we hurtled through space. Then, like other days, another rotation was completed (although it was just a little slower than yesterday’s) and we moved a little further from the sun. All things are relative.

Today is the only ‘w’ day in the week, Wednesday, named for another god, Woden. It’s 47 in the valley. Bright sunshine strains the eyes and heats the skin. Sunrise came at a proper 6:45 AM, and our planet’s dynamics will move the sun out of our valley at 7:42 PM. In between, we’ll hit 76 degrees F, maybe higher. There are mixed feelings about that. The heat feels good, the sunshine is engaging and energizing, but we need water falling from the sky and filling the basins, lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, streams, and cisterns.

For the record, this is April 6, 2022.

The only dream of note was about clawing out of something. It didn’t move the neurons toward any music. Instead, they’re channeling Hall & Oates and van Halen into the morning mental music stream. “She’s Gone” from 1974 is one of those break-up songs that torches the skin and screams through the bones in sympathy with what you’re going through. I was going through a lot when it came out, so it’s memorable to me.

But it’s not today’s song. That honor falls to “Young, Dumb and Broke” by Khalid (2017). As I was pursuing memories and thoughts that the neurons churned up this morning, I remembered when my wife and I were young and broke. The neurons, being the critters they are, immediately loaded “Young, Dumb and Broke”. It’s an entertaining song, though.

Stay positive, and so on. You know the pandemic mantra by now. I’m up for coffee; can I get you anything? No. Alright. Here’s the tune. Enjoy.

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Saturday’s Theme Music

Good day, Saturheads. Today is December 4, 2021. Happy birthday to you, if it’s your birthday. Hope it’s the best one yet.

Day broke with a foggy layer. Appears to be yesterday’s fog, as the day decided not to change its weather, but to just use yesterday’s weather. “It was barely used yesterday,” the day was quoted on the net (so you know it must be true). “It just hung in the sky all day. Still looked brand new. So, what the cloud? I figured I’d economize, use it again. You have any idea how much it costs to put up that much new fog every day?”

Yesterday’s highs were never achieved as fog shut down the sun’s heat. We mustered 50, I think. Expect the same today. Currently 41 F six hours after starting at 39 when the sun stumbled in at 7:23 AM. I bout it will be much warmer by the time the sun bids adieu at 4:39 later this afternoon, just three hours from now.

Been out shopping. Visited Scoffco as Costco is now labeled for the preponderance of mask scoffers. They’re not worried about catching nor spreading no stinkin’ COVID. That location was the worse of the seven stores we visited this morning. Seven? Yes. My wife has begun collecting the props for her book club’s annual holiday party. (They are the Ladies #1 Book Club.) We were on a quest for napkins, marshmallows, and specific hot chocolate, but also did personal grocery shopping. I am the official driver and part-time advisor. “Will this work, do you think?” she asks, holding something up. “Maybe,” I sagely reply, peering at it.

Being with my wife on her shopping project, my mind adopted Lauv’s song, “I Like Me Better” (2017). She no doubt makes me a better person. Her presence helps me consider issues from the female side, and she likes challenging norms and sexism. My thinking has grudgingly expanded under her tutelage. It’s only taken five decades. That’s how long we’ve been together as friends, steadies, lovers, and spouses.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed — don’t be a Scoffco’er — and get the vax and booster when you can. Time for a coffee with a muffin, so excuse me. Back later.

Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Song

Came across this song last night as I drifted the net. I’m a Nirvana, Grohl, Foo Fighters, AC/DC fan. This Foo Fighters cover of “Let There Be Rock” by AC/DC fills those squares.

The song itself, released back in 1977, with lyrics about the birth of rock, is sillier than I enjoy, but works well for nostalgia and thoughts of back in the day. The Foo Fighters (like always, it seems) does a fine cover. Lovely heavy bass line. I could use more of Chris on lead but the band’s intensity is mesmerizing.

While I’m on about nostalgia, we had a short net outage yesterday, reminding me of what it’s like without the web to offer news, opinion, entertainment, and diversion.

Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music Twofer

An old favorite Jethro Tull song came to mind this morning as I thought of self-isolation and the coronavirus social-distance shuffle. “Only Solitaire” is a short ‘un.

Brain-storming habit-forming battle-warning weary
winsome actor spewing spineless chilling lines —
the critics falling over to tell themselves he’s boring
and really not an awful lot of fun.
Well who the hell can he be when he’s never had V.D.,
and he doesn’t even sit on toilet seats?
Court-jesting, never-resting — he must be very cunning
to assume an air of dignity
and bless us all with his oratory prowess,
his lame-brained antics and his jumping in the air.
And every night his act’s the same
and so it must be all a game of chess he’s playing —
“But you’re wrong, Steve: you see, it’s only solitaire.”

h/t AZLyrics.com

As it’s so short, my mind jumped to a 1966 Neil Diamond song, “Solitary Man”. (BTW, Johnny Cash did an interesting cover of this song in 2000.)

The song has that pop sound of transition during those days (mid sixties). Featuring a horn section that was often used as pop went electric, becoming rock and more mainstream, the song has a sound that I associate more with adult contemporary. Interesting though, that this sound is being used by several groups now as a retro sound. Think, for example, of Portugal! the Man. WTH, I’ll include that, too. You don’t get a twofer, but a threefer.

That is all. Good day.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Today’s theme music is “Havana” by Camila Cabello (2017).

A lovely song about a brief love affair, it’s in my music stream this morning, background to routines, but I don’t know why. I had a smattering of dreams that felt inchoate. Little is clearly remembered except for an instance of awakening in alarm with the urgent question, “What was I supposed to do?” occupying me. Leaping up, I hunted for clues in a blended zone of sleep and consciousness. Anxiety ebbed back as I realized it was a dream, but I wondered about its roots.

So how does the salsa-influenced, bouncy “Havana” figure into this? Call me clueless in the morning.

As I enjoy the song, I played the video after Cabello’s SNL appearance a few weeks ago, chuckling at the reality send-up that bracketed the song.

 

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Heard this on the radio this morning in the car. After parking, I listened through to the end. Nothing was in English, so I didn’t understand it, but I enjoyed many elements. After heading out to write and walking a few miles, I reached the coffee shop, powered up the ‘puting machine, and found the song.

“Sastanàqqàm” by Tinariwen was released in 2017. Wikipedia tells me that Tinariwen is a band of Tuareg refugees playing desert blues. The song’s lyrics fascinate me.

I Question You

Ténéré,can you tell me
of anything better
Than to have your friends
and your mount,
And a brand new goatskin,
watertight,
To find your way
by the light
Of the four bright stars
of heaven,
To know how
to find water in
The unlikeliest of places,
And enlist the momentum
of the wind
To help you move forward.
Tell me, Ténéré,
how you and I
Can remain united,
with no hate for each other.
Ténéré, I can now admit that
I have travelled far through this wide world.
Ténéré, I give you my oath
That as long as I’m alive,
I will always come back to you.

https://lyricstranslate.com

  • Ténéré means desert in Tuareg

Hope you give it a listen and enjoy it as much as I did. Cheers

 

 

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Sunday’s Theme Music

I like this song, “New Rules”, by Dua Lipa. I like the beat, the embedded humor, relationship observations, and the overall message. It’s a good streaming song when for when I’m out and about walking. (Though, in a mental pause, I think, isn’t that redundant? Can I be in walking? So trite.)

One, don’t pick up the phone
You know he’s only calling ’cause he’s drunk and alone
Two, don’t let him in
You’ll have to kick him out again
Three, don’t be his friend
You know you’re gonna wake up in his bed in the morning
And if you’re under him, you ain’t gettin’ over him

h/t Azlyrics.com

I think they’re damn fine, common sense rules. Not really new, except to her. In a touch of cosmic serendipity, the song was released one year ago today.

 

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

This song has been creeping in on my consciousness like volunteer weeds taking root. Then my wife started singing parts of it and playing it.

I had a problem, though. I thought they were singing, “Ooh ooh, I’m a rebel with a kick stand.” My musical instincts told me that probably wasn’t what was being sung.

I asked my wife, and she provided the right words: “I’m a rebel just for kicks, now.”

Ah, kicks now. That makes more sense than kick stand.

I enjoy this song, with its cool rhythm, back beat, and muted brass inflections. The lyrics are awesome, too:

I been feeling it since 1966, now
Might be over now, but I feel it still
Ooh woo, I’m a rebel just for kicks, now
Let me kick it like it’s 1986, now
Might be over now, but I feel it still

Here’s Portugal. The Man, and “Feel It Still” from 2017.

 

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Saturday’s Theme Music

A song is trapped in my stream. I’m sharing it to dislodge it from my consciousness.

Imagine Dragons seem skilled at hooking me. I like several of their songs. I shared “Believer” before. I’ve heard “Thunder” a few times this week; it’s the song that’s gotten stuck. So here it is, for you, Imagine Dragons with “Thunder.”

Sing along with it:

Thunder, thunder
Thunder, thun-, thunder
Thun-thun-thunder, thunder, thunder
Thunder, thun-, thunder
Thun-thun-thunder, thunder

Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning then the thunder
Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning then the thunder
Thunder, thunder
Thunder

You ever notice how thunder starts looking weird as a word after typing it several times?

No, me, neither.

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Here we are, start of another month, again. And you think, wow, November, what happened to twenty seventeen and all my plans? Or you’ve leaped full into that November novel writing thing, and now you’re suffering paralysis of the goal —

Or what-the-hell weariness from living through another shooting or two, another terrorist act, another day of revelations and accusations –

Or you’re facing Wednesday. Hump day, yo? Day after Halloween. Maybe you suffer from a Halloween hangover from sugar or drinks.

Whatever your pain or metaphorical bullets causing you to bleed, you need an uplifting song, one that will strengthen your determination. I streamed “Believer,” by Imagine Dragons to lift me. I mean, think of these words:

First things first
I’mma say all the words inside my head
I’m fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh ooh
The way that things have been, oh ooh

h/t azlyrics.com

Come on, believer. Take the pain, fear, and weariness and move yourself out of the mundane moribund morass. Believe.

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