Song for Day 72 - "Joy Will Find A Way" by Bruce Cockburn

Songwriter Bruce Cockburn.

Day 72 - "Joy Will Find A Way" by Bruce Cockburn

      "Joy Will Find a Way" captures the paradoxical "New Orleans" spirit of this series:  optimistically funereal.  It is the second in a three-part series of Cockburn creations concerning our current predicament...and how we might hope to recover.

Lyrics:

Make me a bed of fond memories
Make me to lie down with a smile
Everything that rises afterward falls
But all that dies has first to live.
As longing becomes love
As night turns to day
Everything changes
Joy will find a way

     Speaking of optimism under bleak circumstances, let's ponder America's future.  Of course, with 2018 looming we should be talking about Congress and the states but let’s consider a more conventional tack.  With our General Manager (Tom Perez) and Head Coach (Keith Ellison) in place the successful franchise turns to its next quarterback.

      We have many worthy candidates who could win, especially with RepTealians setting the bar so low an arthritic centipede could clear it in street shoes, but why go with anyone less than our best?  Above the competence and integrity we expect from all Democratic candidates, let's say the ideal nominee would exhibit these characteristics:

1. Universal recognition;
2. no baggage;
3. professional grade speaking skills; and,
4. passion/strength.

     The first two are almost mutually exclusive.  How can someone in the political arena be a household name and iconic figure without having attracted millions of enemies?  Where can one develop and demonstrate rhetorical skills outside of politics and law?  How does one balance passion and strength without seeming flighty or threatening?  Who would score highest in trust, favorability and recognition among centrists and  left-leaners?  Who is the next Barack Obama?  Who has the dignity, equanimity, grace and humor to unite the Democratic Party as it has never been before? 

     Need any more hints?

     Guesses?

Links:

Resistance Song for Day 71 - "Fascist Architecture" by Bruce Cockburn

Resistance Song for Day 72 - "Joy Will Find A Way" by Bruce Cockburn

Song for Day 71 - "Fascist Architecture" by Bruce Cockburn

Songwriter Bruce Cockburn.

Day 71 - "Fascist Architecture" by Bruce Cockburn

I will fight the fascist here.
I will fight the fascist in Spain.
I will fight the fascist in China
and I will fight the fascist in me.
 - Dr. William Norman Bethune (1890-1939) 

    The title, "Fascist Architecture", makes us think of an anthem, full of cliché, bombast and pride.  In fact, Bruce Cockburn speaks of a far more personal power structure, one that each of us must overcome.  Its many manifestations include an urge to avoid conversation with those who don't entirely agree with our world view.  This "koan of silence" gave us 24/7 Red Don which, in turn, gave us Hair Backpfeifengesicht.  We have nothing to lose and everything to gain from engagement.

(If the sound on the video is poor, try this version instead.)

 

 Lyrics:

Fascist architecture of my own design
Too long been keeping my love confined
You tore me out of myself alive
Those fingers drawing out blood like sweat
While the magnificent facades crumble and burn
The billion facets of brilliant love
The billion facets of freedom turning in the light


Bloody nose and burning eyes
Raised in laughter to the skies
I've been in trouble but I'm ok
Been through the wringer but I'm ok
Walls are falling and I'm ok
Under the mercy and I'm ok
Gonna tell my old lady
Gonna tell my little girl
There isn't anything in the world
That can lock up my love again

 

 

 

Song for Day 70 - "Superman's Song" by the Crash Test Dummies

Singer Brad Roberts.

Day 70 - "Superman's Song" by the Crash Test Dummies

     "Superman's Song" came from the Crash Test Dummies' 1991 debut album "The Ghosts that Haunt Me".  Some might be more familiar with the band's 1993 hit  "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".   Their songs can be recognized by lead singer Brad Roberts' distinctive bass-baritone.

           The group's core lineup included the Roberts brothers (vocalist Brad and bassist Dan), keyboardist Ellen Reid, percussionist Mitch Dorge, and Benjamin Darvill on harmonica and mandolin. 

     There are some strange taboos in our political discourse.  We can listen to news shows for months without hearing the words "honor", "integrity", "fairness", "grace", "passion" or "compassion".

     Barack Obama showed all of these virtues.  And many more.

     We are unlikely to see his ilk again.

Lyrics: 

Tarzan wasn't a ladies man
He'd just come along and scoop 'em
Up under his arm like that
Quick as a cat, in the jungle
Clark Kent, now there was a real gent
He would not be caught sittin' around in no jungle scape
Dumb as an ape, doin' nothing

"...but what fate can take from us was never ours."

Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him

Hey Bob, Supe had a straight job
Even though he coulda smashed through
Any bank in the United States
He had the strength but he would not
Folks said his family were all dead
Planet crumbled, but Superman he forced himself
To carry on, forget Krypton, and keep goin'

Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him

Tarzan was king of the jungle
And lord over all the apes
But he could hardly string together
Four words, I Tarzan you Jane

The Crash Test Dummies.

Sometimes when Supe was stoppin' crimes
I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit
And turn his back on man
Join Tarzan in the forest
But he stayed in the city
Kept on changin' clothes
In dirty old phone booths 'til his work was through
Had nothin' to do but go on home

Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him

And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him

Song for Day 69 - "Angie" by The Rolling Stones

Day 69 - "Angie" by The Rolling Stones

     People ask:  "Exactly how old is Keith?"

     When Keith Richards was born cells were produced by a division of DNA (i.e. deoxyribonucleic acid), not a division of Samsung.  The Ottoman Empire wasn't yet a chain of furniture stores.  Not only were the Virgin Islands British but some still had virgins on them!

     And here's the really scary part:  of the six original Stones (i.e. Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ian Stewart) , Keith is the youngest!

    In 2005 this Rolling Stones hit song from their 1973 Goats Head Soup album was used on Angela Merkel's campaign.

    Feel free to try your hand at captioning her historic "WTF?" moment with Douche à l'Orange:

Angela, checking for lobotomy scars.

Lyrics:

Angie, Angie
When will those dark clouds all disappear

Angie, Angie
Where will it lead us from here
With no lovin' in our souls
And no money in our coats
You can't say we're satisfied
Angie, Angie
You can't say we never tried
Angie, you're beautiful
But ain't it time we say goodbye
Angie, I still love you
Remember all those nights we cried
All the dreams were held so close

Seemed to all go up in smoke
Let me whisper in your ear
Angie, Angie
Where will it lead us from here

Oh, Angie, don't you wish
Oh your kisses still taste sweet
I hate that sadness in your eyes
But Angie
Angie
Ain't it time we said goodbye
With no lovin' in our souls
And no money in our coats
You can't say we're satisfied
Angie, I still love you baby
Everywhere I look I see your eyes
There ain't a woman that comes close to you
Come on baby dry your eyes
Angie, Angie ain't good to be alive
Angie, Angie, we can't say we never tried

Song for Day 68 - "One Night In Bangkok" by Murray Head

Singer Louise Robey.

Day 68 - "One Night In Bangkok" by Murray Head

     Let's face it.  So far, to no one's surprise, Hair Gropenführer has been a Harold Lloyd film.  Is there any hope on the horizon?

     "One Night in Bangkok" was a hit as part of the 1985 album and musical "Chess".  It featured the adventures of an American grandmaster, Frederick "Freddie" Trumper (no relation to anyone we know).

     Some prefer Louise Robey's version.

Songwriter Murray Head.

     While the song doesn't rank among my favorites, it segues nicely into a discussion of chess strategy and tactics featured lately in the political arena.  The first of these is zugzwang (or "move compulsion"), where the side would be fine if it had the luxury of doing nothing but, unlike bridge, one cannot pass in chess.  It seems the RepTealians, with no help from Democrats, have painted themselves into a Sophie's choice on health care. Thanks to their obsession for the last seven years, they can't leave well enough alone but they're simply too lazy and/or incompetent to improve it.

     A month ago it was the Democrats demonstrating a classic technique--and, this time, far more deftly.  Seconds after Tom Perez was elected as the DNC Chair, the Left braced itself for a repeat of 2016.  In the next instant, prior to the denouement, we saw a brilliant zwischenzug  (or "unexpected in-between move"):  Perez and Keith Ellison locked arms in a power-sharing move that united the party as we've not seen recently.  (See also Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer.)

 Lyrics:

Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don't know that the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the chess world in a
Show with everything but Yul Brynner

Time flies doesn't seem a minute
Since the Tirolean spa had the chess boys in it
All change don't you know that when you
Play at this level there's no ordinary venue

It's Iceland or the Philippines or Hastings or
or this place!

One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

One town's very like another
When your head's down over your pieces, brother

It's a drag, it's a bore, it's really such a pity
To be looking at the board, not looking at the city

Whaddya mean? Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town

Tea, girls, warm, sweet
Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham suite

Get Thai'd! You're talking to a tourist
Whose every move's among the purest
I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

Siam's gonna be the witness
To the ultimate test of cerebral fitness
This grips me more than would a
Muddy old river or reclining Buddha

And thank God I'm only watching the game controlling it

I don't see you guys rating
The kind of mate I'm contemplating
I'd let you watch, I would invite you
But the queens we use would not excite you

So you better go back to your bars, your temples, your massage
parlours

One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
A little flesh, a little history
I can feel an angel sliding up to me

One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble
Can't be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

Song for Day 67 - "Shadows On A Dime" by Ferron

Day 67 - "Shadows On A Dime" by Ferron

Songwriter Ferron.

      A generation ago, especially in the Great Northwest, Deborah Foisy, "Ferron", was an icon in the folk and LGBTQ communities.  She remains the single finest confessionalist songwriter in recent history.  "Shadows On A Dime", from the 1984 album by the same name, is the third Ferron such contribution (after the eponymous "Testimony", sung by Marcelle Davies Lashley on Day 2, and "Cactus" on Day 12) to this series.

      "Shadows on a Dime" was released while centrists ("Reagan Democrats") were helping Ronald Reagan humiliate Walter Mondale by 58.8% to 40.6%.  This song is a panoply of perspectives, including many featured in both elections, 1984 and 2016 (and many since):  moving forward, labor, losing options, complicit crime, health, feeding dreams, and "selfhood" (i.e. duty, identity and destiny:  "Who would I be if I didn't sing?").  The more romantic second half can inspire some to think fondly of a recent Democratic candidate, especially at the end of the campaign.

     The New York train stops here.

Lyrics:

This window makes a perfect frame
For New England leaves like painted rain
They hold me as I hold this train
All shadows on a dime.
You move forward fast by holding back
You gauge your steps and you don't look slack
Me I'm looking backward down the track
To see us dreamers in our prime.

I poured my soul in Santa Cruz
I ached all night,
Next day I lost my shoes
It's so optional what you may or may not lose
in this pattern we call time.

Fifteen years ago I worked the line
With a thousand more all doing time
While a foreman smiled complicit crime
We were strangers to the plan.
An old old woman ran the gears
She couldn't move
They said she'd been there forty years
...I think that's rude...
'Cause forty years is forty years
And I was only fifteen then.
And the work waged war upon our backs
But we gauged our steps and we didn't look slack
One day the old woman didn't come back
I couldn't work so well and they let me go.

But I don't forget about the factory
I don't expect this ride to always be
Can I give you what you want to see?
Can we do it one more time?

Ten years have worn this guitar down
Its ivory whites are now mustard brown
Its face bears cracks from every town
Still it resonates with age.
Where would I be without its ring?
Who would I be if I didn't sing?
For half a chance you spare nothing --
A tethered bird to a tethered cage.

I sing to you to feed the dream
I call to you 'though it's a muted scream
We're one on one projected beams
Translucent future be our sage.

Five years have blazed since she warmed my side
She is my gift I've loved and cried
With her level look she is my guide
A spirit on the wing
Our love has jostled like this train
Or like the moon to wax and wane
But to know somebody worth the strain --
Me I have one gift to bring

I cried for her then I let her down
She let me go and then we came around
I felt us new and I felt the ground
And I felt myself believing.

And now a tired conductor passes by
He takes my ticket with a sigh
I don't think he meant to catch my eye
But he doesn't turn away.
He says "I have a daughter as old as you
And there's really nothing anyone else can do
Do you play guitar...well good for you
Me I play the violin"
I imagine him with his hair jet black
Does he hide his fiddle in the back?
He gauged his words as the train went slack:
The New York train stops here

But I don't forget the factory
I don't expect this ride to always be
Can I give them what they want to see
Let me do it twice --
The second time for me.

'Cause these windows make a perfect frame
For New York buildings like upright trains
They hold me as I hold the rain
All shadows on a dime.

Song for Day 66 - "All the Desperate Men" by John Stewart

Singer Buffy Ford Stewart and songwriter husband, John.

Day 66 - "All the Desperate Men" by John Stewart

     "All the Desperate Men" was written in 1982 and released on the Swedish remix of "Blondes"  later that year.  It was re-released in 2000 on "Wires from the Bunker".  As such, it straddles John's career before retirement and the addendum where he had to make a comeback to pay for his wife's medical bills before his own death in 2008. 

      Clearly, no singer was closer to the American political scene and, in my view, no one captured it on vinyl better.

      It is too late to ask what happens when all these desperate men (and a few desperate women) stumble into power.

Lyrics and Chords:


(Dm) (Bb) (Dm) (Bb) (Dm) (Bb)

(Dm)Out there on the (Bb)street

(Dm)You can hear ´em mumble, (Bb)stumble on their feet.

They are(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men.


Out there on the (Bb)road

You (Dm)see them on the highway, (Bb)ev´rywhere you go.

They are(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men,

(Bb)All the (C)desperate (F)men,

(Bb)Singin´,"Will I (C)ever, will I (F)ever (Am7)love a(Bb)gain?"

(Bb6)All the (C)desperate (F)men. (Dm) (Bb) (Dm) (Bb)


(Dm)Right there in your (Bb)bed

(Dm)Tossin´ and a turnin´ on the (Bb)pillow by your head,

Yes,(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men.


Right there in your (Bb)arm

(Dm)You can hear ´em crying, (Bb)sounding the alarm.

Yes,(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men,

(Bb)All the (C)desperate (F)men,

(Bb)Singin´, "Will I (C)ever, will I (F)ever (Am7)love a(Bb)gain?"

(Bb6)All the (C)desperate (F)men.


(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

Yes, (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

Yes, (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men. (Dm) (Bb) (Dm)


(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

(Dm)All the (C)desperate (F)men.

Song for Day 65 - "Spanish Train" by Chris de Burgh

Songwriter Chris de Burgh.

Day 65 - "Spanish Train" by Chris de Burgh

     Born in 1948, Christopher John Davison began his music career singing for guests at his parents' renovated 12th century castle hotel in Ireland.  He played professionally under his maternal name, "de Burgh".  In 1986 he had his third and greatest hit with "The Lady in Red",  about what his wife, Diane, was wearing when the first met her.  The tune did not escape criticism. 

From Wikipedia:  "The less emotionally impressionable, meanwhile, adopt Oscar Wilde's view on the death of Little Nell – that it would take a heart of stone to listen to 'Lady in Red' and not laugh."

      In 1975 "Spanish Train" from his second album was a minor success during an era when narratives were in vogue.

    Cover artists have taken liberties with the lyrics.  In one obscure alternative ending, Jesus stops Satan as he tries to rake in his gains.

    The Lord says "You cheat...while I perform miracles" and directs Lucifer's attention to His cards, which have all turned to diamonds.

    Of course, none of this suggests that there was any cheating in 2016.  Heaven forfend!

Lyrics: 

There's a Spanish train that runs between
Guadalquivir and old Saville
And at dead of night the whistle blows
And people hear she's running still

And then they hush their children back to sleep
Lock the doors, upstairs they creep
For it is said that the souls of the dead
Fill that train ten thousand deep

Well a railwayman lay dying with his people by his side
His family were crying, knelt in prayer before he died
But above his bed just a waiting for the dead
Was the Devil with a twinkle in his eye
Well God's not around and look what I've found, this one's mine

Just then the Lord himself appeared in a blinding flash of light
And shouted at the Devil, get thee hence to endless night
But the Devil just grinned and said I may have sinned
But there's no need to push me around
I got him first so you can do your worst
He's going underground

But I think I'll give you one more chance
Said the Devil with a smile
So throw away that stupid lance
It's really not your style
Joker is the name, poker is the game
We'll play right here on this bed
And then we'll bet for the biggest stakes yet
The souls of the dead

And I said look out, Lord, He's going to win
The sun is down and the night is riding in
That train is dead on time, many souls are on the line
Oh Lord, He's going to win

Well the railwayman he cut the cards
And he dealt them each a hand of five
And for the Lord, he was praying hard
Or that train he'd have to drive
Well the Devil he had three aces and a king
And the Lord, he was running for a straight
He had the queen and the knave and nine and ten of spades
All he needed was the eight

And then the Lord he called for one more card
But he drew the diamond eight
And the Devil said to the son of God
I believe you've got it straight
So deal me one for the time has come
To see who'll be the king of this place
But as he spoke, from beneath his cloak
He slipped another ace

Ten thousand souls was the opening bid
And it soon went up to fifty nine
But the Lord didn't see what the Devil did
And he said that suits me fine
I'll raise you high to a hundred and five
And forever put an end to your sins
But the Devil let out a mighty shout, my hand wins

And I said Lord, oh Lord, you let him win
The sun is down and the night is riding in
That train is dead on time, many souls are on the line
Oh Lord, don't let him win

Well that Spanish train still runs between
Guadalquivir and old Saville
And at dead of night the whistle blows
And people fear she's running still

And far away in some recess
The Lord and the Devil are now playing chess
The Devil still cheats and wins more souls
And as for the Lord, well, he's just doing his best

And I said Lord, oh Lord, you've got to win
The sun is down and the night is riding in
That train is still on time, oh my soul is on the line
Oh Lord, you've got to win

Song for Day 64 - "The Rose" sung by Bette Midler

Singer Bette Midler.

Day 64 - "The Rose" sung by Bette Midler

       The song, written by Amanda McBroom a year or two earlier, first appeared in the closing credits of the 1979 movie (starring Bette Midler) by the same name, originally entitled "Pearl", based loosely on the life of Janis Joplin.

     "Campaigner" is a term of reverence, not mere reference.

Singer Janis Joplin.

     What distinguishes a campaigner from a candidate or, for that matter, a great spokesperson?

     The 2016 sci-fi film "Arrival" uses the appearance of 12 alien space ships and a non-linear view of cause and effect to pose a question:   "How would you feel about entering a relationship knowing beforehand that it will end when your child becomes terminally ill?"

     Most people would dread the experience.  A campaigner embraces it, cherishing every moment, seeing beyond the campaign itself, always hoping that this tragedy will be the last before a cure is found, that buried beneath the bitterness and the detritus of disunity lies the seed that becomes the rose.

Lyrics:

Songwriter Amanda McBroom.

Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed

Its the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance
Its the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance
Its the one who won't be taking, who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose

Song for Day 63 - "Imagine" by John Lennon

From top to bottom:  John Lennon, Yoko Ono.

Day 63 - "Imagine" by John Lennon

In Yoko Ono's 1963 book "Grapefruit", she wrote a poem entitled "Cloud Piece":

Imagine the clouds dripping.
Dig a hole in your garden to
put them in.

This inspired Lennon to write the atheist anthem, "Imagine", which was his take on world peace and harmony.

This performance comes from Emmanuel Kelly:

Lyrics:

Singer Emmanuel Kelly.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Song for Day 62 - "I Have the Touch" by Peter Gabriel

Songwriter Peter Gabriel.

Day 62 - "I Have the Touch" by Peter Gabriel

     The difference between "the common touch", defined as "the ability of a rich or important person to communicate well with and understand ordinary people," and "the touch" is the difference between Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

     That is why these two form such a winning combination. Can these talents be developed?  Sure. Just look at Bill Clinton in the 1988 Democratic Convention versus him after entering office in 1992  or 1996

     Whether common or not, we need candidates who have this mojo.

Lyrics:

The time I like is the rush hour, 'cause I like the rush
The pushing of the people, I like it all so much
Such a mass of motion, do not know where it goes
I move with the movement and, I have the touch
I'm waiting for ignition, I'm looking for a spark
Any chance collision and I light up in the dark
There you stand before me, all that fur and all that hair
Oh, do I dare, I have the touch
Wanting contact
I'm wanting contact
I'm wanting contact with you
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Give me the thing I understand
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Any social occasion, it's hello, how do you do
All those introductions, I never miss my cue
So before a question, so before a doubt
My hand moves out and, I have the touch
Wanting contact
I'm wanting contact
I'm wanting contact with you
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Give me the thing I understand
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Pull my chin, stroke my hair, scratch my nose, hug my knees
Try drink, food, cigarette, tension will not ease
I tap my fingers, fold my arms, breathe in deep, cross my legs
Shrug my shoulders, stretch my back - but nothing seems to please
I need contact
I need contact
Nothing seems to please
I need contact

Song for Day 61 - "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who

Day 61 - "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who

      I suspect we'll always love this Peter Townsend song from the 1971 "Who's Next" album.

     That said, have we noticed that its lyrics read like Donald Trump's autobiography?

Lyrics:

The Who.

No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes

No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies
 

Singer Roger Daltry.

But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free

No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you

No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
 

Songwriter Peter Townsend.

But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free

When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
 

Drummer Keith Moon (1946-1978).

And if I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
And if I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat

No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes

Song for Day 60 - "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen

Songwriter Leonard Cohen.

Day 60 - "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen

      This song can be heard everywhere, including Father Ray Kelly's use of the music at a wedding , Stephen Page's elegy  at the funeral for Canadian NDP leader Jack Layton in 2011, on X-Factor, this oddly transcendent Russian-English-Arabic performance,  enlivening subway stations, the Shrek version with Espen Lind, Askil Holm, Alejandro Fuentes, Kurt Nilsen  or with Rufus Wainwright.

     If you've been looking for an excuse to buy better speakers for your computer, this instrumental version should do the trick:

     How does the greatest poet of our time produce music this lovely?  This time, it's not a chicken-and-egg scenario.  Leonard began with these two lines:

   C                   F           G
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth,
    Am              F
The minor fall, the major lift,

     The actual chord progression, C-F-G Am-F, follows the text exactly:  in the key of “C”, “F” is the fourth, “G” the fifth, “Am” the minor fall, “F” the major lift.  The melody arose from that.  (Remember:  Alan and Marilyn Bergman created "The Windmills of Your Mind" from 8 notes!)

    Among the scores of artists who have had success covering "Hallelujah" are Susan Boyle, Jeff Buckley,  K.D. Lang,  Bon Jovi,  Bob Dylan,  Willie Nelson.  The Pentatonix have a startling acapella version:

 

Actress, singer and comedienne Kate McKinnon.

      Among many other things, the lyrics are a recipe/blueprint for how to win elections.  In order of appearance we hear:  tap into private souls, add a touch of old time religion, don't sweat small differences, modulate, dignity, faith, intimacy (Would a little sex appeal in the entourage hurt?), a scintilla of vulnerability, secularity, critical analysis, fire, the common touch, truth, responsibility, and focus.

      There may be far more beautiful renditions, but my favorite remains this Kate McKinnon SNL cold open, days after the death of Leonard Cohen on November 7th and of so many dreams on November 8th, 2016:

      Of Kate McKinnon I will say only this:  "Gods may not exist, but we know goddesses do."

Lyrics and Chords: 

[Intro]

C  Am  C  Am

[Verse]

      C                 Am
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
     C                   Am
That David played and it pleased the Lord
    F                G               C     G
But you don't really care for music, do you?
   C                   F           G
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth,
    Am              F
The minor fall, the major lift,
    G                E           Am
The baffled king composing, Hallelujah.


[Chorus]

     F           Am          F
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
     C  G C     Am C Am
Hallelu - jah.


[Verse]

     C                        Am
Your faith was strong but you needed proof,
    C               Am
You saw her bathing on the roof:
    F              G                C    G
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya.
    C             F       G
She tied you to a kitchen chair,
    Am                         F
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair,
    G                  E             Am
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah.


[Chorus]

     F           Am          F
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
     C  G C     Am C Am
Hallelu - jah.


[Verse]

    C              Am
You say I took the name in vain,
       C            Am
Though I don't even know the name,
    F              G                 C    G
But if I did, well really, what's it to ya?
          C                 F     G
There's a blaze of light in every word,
   Am             F
It doesn't matter which you heard:
    G           E           Am
The holy or the broken Hallelujah.


[Chorus]

     F           Am          F
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
     C  G C     Am C Am
Hallelu - jah.


[Verse]

  C               Am
I did my best, it wasn't much,
  C                  Am
I couldn't feel so I tried to touch.
     F                 G              C      G
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool ya.
    C              F        G
And even though it all went wrong
     Am               F
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
     G             E               Am
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.


[Chorus]

     F           Am          F
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
     C  G C     Am C Am
Hallelu - jah.

Song for Day 59 - "After the Gold Rush" by Neil Young

Songwriter Neil Young.

Day 59 - "After the Gold Rush" by Neil Young

"No one understands infinity."

      Imagine if humankind were idiots.  I know that is a stretch, given our technology, but we did just elect Hair Backpfeifengesicht as Planet President so humor me.  Now imagine the species has a challenge--a destiny--to master science, becoming immortal and all-powerful.  As gods, our role becomes that of lifeguards, letting humans determine their own fate until they've destroyed Earth, at which point we find ourselves "flying mother nature's silver seed to a new home in the sun."

"Only ignorance is fatal."

      Now let's insert a complication.  Imagine some dissident gods rejecting isolationism.  These interventionalists, individually and collectively, abandon immortality and knowledge in order to join the cretins, hoping to subtly accelerate their evolution.  This completes a grand circle, from weak morons to omnipotent, omniscient gods and back to feeble imbeciles. Around and around we go, without beginning or end.

      Let's connect the last dot in this analogy.  The remote, self-absorbed, heartless Prime Directive isolationists?  Those are Republicans.  The self-destructive, disorganized meddlers who can't leave well enough alone?  Those are Democrats.

Lyrics to "After the Gold Rush" (1970):

Well, I dreamed I saw the knights
In armor coming,
Saying something about a queen.
There were peasants singing and
Drummers drumming
And the archer split the tree.
There was a fanfare blowing
To the sun
That was floating on the breeze.
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the nineteen seventies.
Look at Mother Nature on the run
In the nineteen seventies.

I was lying in a burned out basement
With the full moon in my eyes.
I was hoping for replacement
When the sun burst thru the sky.
There was a band playing in my head
And I felt like getting high.
I was thinking about what a
Friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie.
Thinking about what a
Friend had said
I was hoping it was a lie.

Well, I dreamed I saw the silver
Space ships flying
In the yellow haze of the sun,
There were children crying
And colors flying
All around the chosen ones.
All in a dream, all in a dream
The loading had begun.
They were flying Mother Nature's
Silver seed to a new home in the sun.
Flying Mother Nature's
Silver seed to a new home.

Song for Day 58 - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan

Songwriter Bob Dylan as "Alias".

Day 58 - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan

"Simplicity is the seal of the truth."

      Part of the beauty of Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" is its facility.  An hour after picking up a guitar for the first time you can play this song, with its unending G-D-C, G-D-Am chord progression.  Aesthetically, Rachel Rabin's (aka RAIGN's) cover  may be the most stunning.

 "Who knows what words mean better than the one who spoke them?"

"Authorial intent is to art what creationism is to science."

"Art is the property of the producer and province of the public."

Songwriter Kris Kristofferson.

     Obviously, some people put great stock in the singer's original meaning.  Others?  Not so much.  The former speak of interpretation (i.e. knowing or trying to discern the writer's viewpoint), the latter about applications or "personal spins".  To wit, some artists have associated various motifs, moods or contexts with "Knocking on Heaven's Door", including romance and adventure (Bellamy & Clarke),   emo and fatalism (Nazareth), poverty and violence (Wyclef Jean)  narration (Roger Waters), child soldiers (Avril Lavigne),  introspection (Sons of Anarchy, Antony and the Johnsons),  light musing (Eric Clapton),  energy or stances (Guns N' Roses),  mortality and morality (Bruce Springsteen), and religion (U2).   These slants are accepted much more readily by those who don't know the tune's provenance than by those who do.  Nevertheless, the song succeeded not despite these varying views but because of them.
    

Songwriter and actress Rita Coolidge.

     The song came from the 1973 movie, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid". Its original theme was not about fighting an enemy.  The truth of the matter was quite the opposite, and far more poignant.  "Knocking on Heaven's Door" plays after Pat Garrett kills a number of ex-companions, and later when Billy has to gun down his lawman step-father.  In a world of shifting roles, the violence is against those we have loved.  It wasn't about all war;  it was about small-c civil war.  Were we to draw analogies to politics, "Knocking on Heaven's Door" would be more about primaries than general elections.  It would remind us that Republicans remain our neighbors and compatriots. 

     This gorgeous music almost didn't get written.  Amazingly, producer and director Sam Peckingpah objected when his studio foisted Bob Dylan on him!  In addition to the haunting soundtrack, this film set was where Kris Kristofferson  met one of the three great women of his life, Rita Coolidge. 

Lyrics:

Mama take this badge from me
'Cause I can't use it anymore
It's getting dark, too dark to see
Feels like I'm knocking on heaven's door

Chorus:
 
Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door

Mama put those guns to the ground
'Cause I can't shoot them anymore
That cold black cloud is comin' down
Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door  

Additional Verse:

Mama, wipe the blood from my face
I'm sick and tired of the war
Got a lonely hard feeling and it's hard to trace
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Song for Day 57 - "The Windmills of Your Mind" sung by Noel Harrison

Singer Noel Harrison.

Day 57 - "The Windmills of Your Mind" sung by Noel Harrison

   IMHO, "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968)  may have been the most underrated movie ever made, in no small part because of its theme song, "Windmills of Your Mind".  What makes the whole project even more amazing were the circumstances of its completion.  The story may have been embellished over time but the gist remains:      The film having been shot and edited, Producer/Director Norman Jewison  announced that, with two days before the shipping date, all they needed now was the score for the glider scene.

     Blink.

     Crickets.

     Blank looks all around.  French composer Michel Legrand had written everything asked of him;  no one had mentioned anything about such a scene.  Suddenly uncomfortable, he said in an accent that sounded like a cross between Yogi Bear  and Pepe Le Pew:  "Eh?  Why is everybody staring at me?"

Lyricists Marilyn and Alen Bergman.

     Each person in the room turned a whiter shade of pale as they realized they didn't have a complete score and wouldn't make their deadline.  Just as they were about to hit the panic button, Alan Bergman jumped up and said "No problem.  Marilyn and I  will take care of it."  This shouldn't have provided much reassurance;  the Bergmans were lyricists who hadn't composed much, if any, music yet.

     Quipped one skeptic:  "For all we knew, Alan couldn't carry a tune in a basket and Marilyn couldn't hold a note in an envelope."

Composer Michel Legrand in 2015.

     Legrand was able to contribute 8 notes of a baroque melody.  8 notes and 48 hours is all they had.  The next day, the Bergmans and Legrand hammered out lyrics.  When the latter insisted on trying to rhyme "shone" with "own" in English, Alan claimed "It's my language!", to which Legrand riposted:  "It's my tune!"  In a hurried recording session the late  Noel Harrison, whose London birthplace gave him the notion that he knew something about native English speech, settled the issue by enunciating "shone" correctly.  The rest, as they say, is history: this makeshift gem became the movie’s award winning theme song, eclipsing all the tunes Legrand and the Bergman’s had labored so long and hard to create.

      The song itself is more romantic, psychological and philosophical than political, but its birthing process was a lesson in composure, unity and teamwork overcoming sloppy planning and communication.

     Democrats take note!

      Almost everyone has recorded a cover of this song, among them Barbra Streisand,  Dusty Springfield, Eva Mendes, Neil Diamond, Sting, and Jose Feliciano.

Lyrics:

Round,
Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain
Or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning
Running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind
Like a tunnel that you follow
To a tunnel of its own
Down a hollow to a cavern
Where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving
In a half-forgotten dream
Like the ripples from a pebble
Someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind
Keys that jingle in your pocket
Words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly?
Was it something that you said?
Lovers walk along a shore
And leave their footprints in the sand
Is the sound of distant drumming
Just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway
And the fragment of a song
Half-remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over
You were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color of his hair?
Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel
As the images unwind
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind