Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
“The Floof Seasons” (floofinition) – American floof and pop band that became internationally successful in the 1960s and 1970s. The band’s name was changed in 1970 to “Floofie Valli and the Floof Seasons” as a reflection of the lead vocalist’s increased popularity and focus.
In use: “Vocals and harmony always dominated The Floof Season’s music as they discovered success with songs such as “Walk Like A Cat” and “Big Dogs Don’t Cry”, their second and third Floofboard Top 100 hits.”
I’ve done this song before, but it’s a throwback, optimistic song. “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke was inspired by his life experiences. He released it in 1964.
It’s a good, reflective song about trying and being. The chorus is the best part (from Genius.com):
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come
Oh, yes it will
Change has come today, the same changes as every day, every year: the weather, the shadows, the temperature, the month, the date. We’re looking for more permanent changes in other ways, to the way that people act and treat one another. We need changes to the erroneous supposition that same deserve less freedom, less equality, less opportunity, because of their skin, their religion, their sexual orientation or gender, or their heritage.
This is a cover by Brian Owens with his father. I enjoyed it, and thought that you might enjoy it, too.
“The Moody Floofs” (floofinition) – Progressive floof band formed in Floofmingham, Floofland, in the mid 1960s.
In use: “The Moody Floofs experienced popularity in several countries in the late 1960s and early 1970s with songs like “I’m Just A Kitty (In A Rock and Roll Band)” and “Dogs in White Satin” to name the two most popular.”
Today reveals that I’m in a nostalgic, wistful mood. I stepped outside onto the back patio. Buds are on the trees, and the air smells rain-filled. Not a new rain nor a close rain, but hints that rain was nearby. Which, after a bit of talking to cats and thinking about the rise of spring (like it’s a rebellion in the air) reminded me of other times and places that seemed. Out of that came a Rolling Stones song, which, I guessed after a bit, would’ve been heard in 1973. Getting back into the house, I looked up “100 Years Ago”, confirming, 1973, from the album Goats Head Soup. Not quite a hundred years ago, but at least most of a lifetime ago.
“The buds were bursting and the air smelled sweet and strange,
and it seemed about a hundred years ago.”
This song choice began from events that happened yesterday. A song came on the radio and got caught in a whirlpool in my stream. Hitting the coffee shop, I was singing it in my head. The young barista (eighteen-twenty?) (they all look so young) looked at me and asked (with a smile), “What song’s in your head?”
I sang back, “Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh, oh, oh.”
She laughed. “No way. “Dance Monkey”. Tones and I.”
Yes.
“Easy song to get stuck in your head,” she said.
I agreed. Hard to get it out, though, making it today’s theme music.
“Bennie and the Floofs” (floofinition) – An odd American pop song about a fictional band led by a dog named Bennie (who wears an electric collar, tiara, and oversized sunglasses), the lead vocalist, and a band of three felines and a wolf who perform the music.
In use: “The song “Bennie and the Floofs” hit the Floofboard Top 100 and held the number one spot for five consecutive weeks, inspiring many Floofoween costumes that year.”
Looked out the window and saw a sun-drenched landscape showing evidence of spring under a powerful blue sky. “I Gotta Feeling” (Black Eyed Peas, 2009) roared into the stream.
Yeah, I gotta feeling that today’s gonna be a good day. Sure, more folks are worrying about the coronavirus and the U.S. response to it. Of course the DOW doesn’t like what the virus is doing to supply chains and profits. That’s sinking stocks and pension plans.
Naturally, many are worrying about the upcoming elections in the U.S. Or they’re fuming about Trump attacking a juror or his attacks on Supreme Court justices.
Others are worried about climate change, rising sea waters, stripped environmental protections, and safe drinking water. Ongoing hostilities in other countries will sober you up with a sigh, too, as you peruse the news of death, destruction, and displacement.
More locally, racism and sexism flare up in numbers as disturbing as the coronavirus spread.
Yes, I worry about these things. But strip it all down to the bare metal of my existence, and the tiny piece of me that I can do much about, and my life, and I gotta feeling, today’s gonna be a good day, despite news to the contrary.
“Creep” by Radiohead (1992) has flooded my stream this morning. Its presence was prompted by the query, “What the hell am I doing here?” when I paused in the kitchen, lost in what I was about to do. I then went through the mental checklist (fed the cats, let them out, let them in, fed them again, peed — oh, yeah, coffee.)
Many people dislike “Creep”, thinking it depressing. It is depressing. But I think its chorus captures what too many people sometimes experience:
But I’m a creep
I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
I have felt like these words from time to time (yes, alcohol was involved) but it’s been a long while for me. Hope it’s been a long while for you, too, or better, that you’ve never endured that stream of thought.
Cheers
I was singing today’s song because it’s Tuesday, and I was ruminating over my dreams. Had to look up the date of when the song was released. It’s one of those songs that’ve been around for almost all of my life.
Turns out that “Ruby Tuesday” was released in 1967. I turned eleven years in ’67. Good years for cars. I enjoyed the ’67 Ford Mustang’s looks, along with the ’67 Chevy Camaro and the ’67 Mercury Cougar. I also like the ’67 E Jag, but it was little changed in its looks from previous years.
The lyrics (besides the main chorus) that came up with the sun today were toward the song’s end:
There’s no time to lose, I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams
And you will lose your mind.
Ain’t life unkind?
Somehow, Mick and the Stones make this work. One of the things that go through my head while watching this video is the thinking, okay, what am I going to wear today, that must have progressed. Yet, being a boy from the sixties, I often dressed like this.
Fun times.
Preparing to depart the coffee shop yesterday, I bused my table. Looking into the roasting room, I saw one of the Noble employees back there. My jaw dropped.
He’s a spitting image of Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night back in the late 1960s.
Negron, Wells and Hutton of Three Dog Night in 1969
Thinking about that as I walked the town, I went through a few TDN songs – “Eli’s Coming”, “One”, “Joy to the World”, “Mama Told Me Not To come”, and “Liar”. The song that arrived to stay in the stream was one where Negron was the featured lead vocalist. That would be TDG’s cover of “Easy to Be Hard” from Hair.
Not only was it fittin’ to have Negron, the secret coffee roaster (maybe he cloned himself) singin’ a song, but the song whose lyrics fit these times of rollbacks in how we treat one another to the point of open hostility and cruelty.
How can people be so heartless
How can people be so cruel
Easy to be hard
Easy to be cold
How can people have no feelings
How can they ignore their friends
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no
Especially people who care about strangers
Who care about evil and social injustice
Do you only care about the bleeding crowd
How about a needy friend
I need a friend
Cheers
Love the bumper stickers in the video.
Michael Seidel, writer 