There is a house in New Orleans
They call the "Rising Sun."
And it's been the ruin of many a poor girl,
And me, I know, for one.
My mother was a tailor.
She sewed my new blue jeans.
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans.
And the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and a trunk.
The only time a gambler is satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk.
Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun
Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain
Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor girl
And God I know I'm one.
--Traditional, though covered by a number of artists in all different ways. Also called *Rising Sun Blues.
I love this song. (And no, it's not just because of my southern adventure.) The line about having one foot on the platform and one foot on the train was borrowed for my own song, "Girl on a Platform," as it fit my song's indecisive and ambiguous nature. Regarding this particular song, no one knows exactly what the house is, or if it even existed. There are several explanations of what or where the house is, but nothing is really conclusive. Some say the house was a brothel and that the singer is a sex worker, but if you notice, there is nothing in the song that specifically mentions sex work. Some say it's a prison, since there's a line about a ball and chain, and others say it's a gambling hall. Another explanation is that the house is a facility where the sex workers were treated for STI's, and because the treatments were largely ineffective, the sex workers had to keep going back there. It's traditionally sung by women, so it could be any of the explanations. I kind of like the mysterious nature of its origins and its haunting tone. The most famous version is by the British band the Animals (with "girl" changed to "boy"), but I like Sinead O'Connor and Nina Simone's versions best. Maybe when I'm on my adventure, I'll see if I can figure out where and what the House is! Or maybe I'll find that sometimes, like Freud would say, sometimes lyrics are just lyrics.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
An open letter for the talented Ms. Ray
Dear Amy*,
Well, you will now always and forever be my favorite of the Indigo Girls (with all due respect to your bandmate). That "Lung of Love" contest with the notes hidden in the CD's was so cool!
And how fitting that I got the prize code in the same town where I saw you perform, too. Now all you need to do is come and play a show in the north burbs and I will be a very happy lady. Maybe that nice couple I was hanging out with at your '09 show and those local bands might be in attendance.
Thank you for being awesome! And please come to the north burbs. If you do, you can sign my "Didn't It Feel Kinder" shirt so both are autographed!
Feeling "Closer to Fine" now that the prize has arrived,
Revel
* I love contests and prizes, especially when a prize is for me! And how cool to win one of the prizes in this contest: http://www.thegavoice.com/aae/music/4266-amy-ray-shares-her-lung-of-love
Well, you will now always and forever be my favorite of the Indigo Girls (with all due respect to your bandmate). That "Lung of Love" contest with the notes hidden in the CD's was so cool!
And how fitting that I got the prize code in the same town where I saw you perform, too. Now all you need to do is come and play a show in the north burbs and I will be a very happy lady. Maybe that nice couple I was hanging out with at your '09 show and those local bands might be in attendance.
Thank you for being awesome! And please come to the north burbs. If you do, you can sign my "Didn't It Feel Kinder" shirt so both are autographed!
Feeling "Closer to Fine" now that the prize has arrived,
Revel
* I love contests and prizes, especially when a prize is for me! And how cool to win one of the prizes in this contest: http://www.thegavoice.com/aae/music/4266-amy-ray-shares-her-lung-of-love
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Doctor Could Fly
The Doctor
By David Hunt
I once had a minor case of African flu
So I sent for a doctor who would know what to do
A stranger came to see me and he said he had the cure
But he had no credentials so I wasn't too sure
He claimed he was a doctor and he knew how to fly!
But no one believed him until he took to the sky
He flew up and down for everybody to see
And that's how he proved he was a doctor to me
By David Hunt
I once had a minor case of African flu
So I sent for a doctor who would know what to do
A stranger came to see me and he said he had the cure
But he had no credentials so I wasn't too sure
He claimed he was a doctor and he knew how to fly!
But no one believed him until he took to the sky
He flew up and down for everybody to see
And that's how he proved he was a doctor to me
Oh, the doctor who knew how to fly!
Every one of his patients somehow managed to die!
I'm sure a lot of people would have seen through his lie
If they weren't so impressed because the doctor could fly!
He poked and he prodded me with pieces of straw
He depressed my tongue, and then he made me say "aah!"
He took my pulse, and then my temperature
He looked at it once and then again to be sure
He said I was only sixty-six degrees
And I needed some heat or else my blood would freeze
He reached in his bag, and then he drew forth a pill
He said if this one doesn't do it then another one ... might!
Oh, the doctor who knew how to fly!
Every one of his patients somehow managed to die!
I'm sure a lot of people would have seen through his lie
If they weren't so impressed because the doctor could fly!
I woke up feeling twice as bad the next day
"Relax!" he said, "that means it's going away!
I'll give you this pill, do you want purple or green?
They're all from the same supermarket vending machine!"
Oh, the doctor who knew how to fly!
Every one of his patients somehow managed to die!
I'm sure a lot of people would have seen through his lie
If they weren't so impressed because the doctor could fly!
Of course there's a moral, as you may have guessed
Every claim must be put to a legitimate test
Remember this when someone tries to prove theirs to you
The flying man who couldn't cure a case of the flu
Oh, the doctor who knew how to fly!
Every one of his patients somehow managed to die!
Remember this when someone tries to throw you a line
It doesn't really matter if he knows how to fly!
Friday, July 8, 2011
It Won't Take Long
They said some men would be warriors,
and some men would be kings.
And some men would be owners of land
and other man-made things.
And false love as the eternal flame
would move some to think in rings.
And gold would be our power
and other foolish things.
But you who dream of liberty
must not yourselves be fooled.
Before you get to plead for freedom,
you have agreed to being ruled.
If the body stays a shackle,
then the mind remains a chain
That'll link you to a destiny
whereby all good souls are slain.
And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all
It won't take long, and you may say
"What has that got to do with me?"
and I say "You mean to tell me that's all?"
Of three men in a desert wandering,
one is knowing and two are scared.
They say time is in the river,
but the river is not there.
Dry in spirit, dry in body
two will lend themselves to death
And in grief one weeps into his hands
and drinks his bitter tears
'Cause it don't take long,
it don't take too long at all
It don't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know what you're talking about,"
and I say "You mean to tell me that's all?"
And as I stand before you now,
I am hopeful in my rage
You know love has finally called for me,
I will not wilt upon its stage
But still smaller than my nightmare
do I print upon the page
Do we have to live inside its walls
to identify the cage?
'Cause it takes so long,
why does it take so long,
But it takes so long, and you may say,
"I don't really care what you're talking about,"
and I say, "Are you trying to say you don't belong?"
I am my mother's daughter,
but I have seen myself in you
It's this blessing that I follow now,
and so I must speak true
I dreamed of thousands dying,
it was you and you and you,
And while the city sleeps so quietly
there is something we must do
And it wont' take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know if I wanna know what you're getting at,"
and it makes me wanna say, "So long."
Because grief will come in measures,
only grief alone will know
And you'll see it on your family,
on your own face it will grow
And they'll try to keep you hungry,
then they'll tell you to eat snow
You know pride can be a moving thing
if we learn the strength of "NO!"
And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't think this has anything to do with me,"
"But did you ever think you could be wrong?"
At noon on one day coming,
human strength will fill the streets
Of every city on our planet,
hear the sound of angry feet
With business freezed up in the harbour,
the kings will pull upon their hair
And the banks will shudder to a halt,
and the artists will be there
'Cause it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't think I can be a part of that,"
and it makes me want to say,
"Don't you want to see yourself that strong?"
Division between the peoples
will disappear that honoured day
And though oceans lie between us,
lifted candles light the way
Half will join their hands by moonlight,
the rest under a rising sun
As underneath the sun and moon,
a ritual'd wailing has begun.
And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know how to be a part of what you're talking about,"
and it makes me want to say, "Come on! Come on!"
And beware you sagging diplomats,
for you will not hear one gun
And though our homes be torn
and ransacked we will not be undone
For as we let ourselves be bought,
we're gonna let ourselves be free
And if you think we stand alone,
look again and you will see:
We are children in the rafters,
We are babies in the park,
We are lovers at the movies,
We are candles in the dark,
We are changes in the weather,
We are snowflakes in July,
We are women grown together,
We are men who easily cry,
We are words not quickly spoken,
We're the deeper side of try,
We are dreamers in the making,
We are not afraid of "Why?
Performed by Ferron
Improved incredibly by the Indigo Girls
I love this poetical, powerful, nine minute song. It never fails to get me really inspired and pumped up, and on days when I'm feeling unsure, it gets me back to my kickass self. Consider it an acoustical form of audio caffeine. And my coloring of the words is intentional. Right now I'm kind of in need of some audio caffeine.
I need to move forward. In the end, that's really all I can do. And though we certainly don't have to live inside its walls to identify the cage, that doesn't mean we can't break the damn cage and move on.
and some men would be kings.
And some men would be owners of land
and other man-made things.
And false love as the eternal flame
would move some to think in rings.
And gold would be our power
and other foolish things.
But you who dream of liberty
must not yourselves be fooled.
Before you get to plead for freedom,
you have agreed to being ruled.
If the body stays a shackle,
then the mind remains a chain
That'll link you to a destiny
whereby all good souls are slain.
And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all
It won't take long, and you may say
"What has that got to do with me?"
and I say "You mean to tell me that's all?"
Of three men in a desert wandering,
one is knowing and two are scared.
They say time is in the river,
but the river is not there.
Dry in spirit, dry in body
two will lend themselves to death
And in grief one weeps into his hands
and drinks his bitter tears
'Cause it don't take long,
it don't take too long at all
It don't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know what you're talking about,"
and I say "You mean to tell me that's all?"
And as I stand before you now,
I am hopeful in my rage
You know love has finally called for me,
I will not wilt upon its stage
But still smaller than my nightmare
do I print upon the page
Do we have to live inside its walls
to identify the cage?
'Cause it takes so long,
why does it take so long,
But it takes so long, and you may say,
"I don't really care what you're talking about,"
and I say, "Are you trying to say you don't belong?"
I am my mother's daughter,
but I have seen myself in you
It's this blessing that I follow now,
and so I must speak true
I dreamed of thousands dying,
it was you and you and you,
And while the city sleeps so quietly
there is something we must do
And it wont' take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know if I wanna know what you're getting at,"
and it makes me wanna say, "So long."
Because grief will come in measures,
only grief alone will know
And you'll see it on your family,
on your own face it will grow
And they'll try to keep you hungry,
then they'll tell you to eat snow
You know pride can be a moving thing
if we learn the strength of "NO!"
And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't think this has anything to do with me,"
"But did you ever think you could be wrong?"
At noon on one day coming,
human strength will fill the streets
Of every city on our planet,
hear the sound of angry feet
With business freezed up in the harbour,
the kings will pull upon their hair
And the banks will shudder to a halt,
and the artists will be there
'Cause it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't think I can be a part of that,"
and it makes me want to say,
"Don't you want to see yourself that strong?"
Division between the peoples
will disappear that honoured day
And though oceans lie between us,
lifted candles light the way
Half will join their hands by moonlight,
the rest under a rising sun
As underneath the sun and moon,
a ritual'd wailing has begun.
And it won't take long,
it won't take too long at all,
It won't take long, and you may say,
"I don't know how to be a part of what you're talking about,"
and it makes me want to say, "Come on! Come on!"
And beware you sagging diplomats,
for you will not hear one gun
And though our homes be torn
and ransacked we will not be undone
For as we let ourselves be bought,
we're gonna let ourselves be free
And if you think we stand alone,
look again and you will see:
We are children in the rafters,
We are babies in the park,
We are lovers at the movies,
We are candles in the dark,
We are changes in the weather,
We are snowflakes in July,
We are women grown together,
We are men who easily cry,
We are words not quickly spoken,
We're the deeper side of try,
We are dreamers in the making,
We are not afraid of "Why?
Performed by Ferron
Improved incredibly by the Indigo Girls
I love this poetical, powerful, nine minute song. It never fails to get me really inspired and pumped up, and on days when I'm feeling unsure, it gets me back to my kickass self. Consider it an acoustical form of audio caffeine. And my coloring of the words is intentional. Right now I'm kind of in need of some audio caffeine.
I need to move forward. In the end, that's really all I can do. And though we certainly don't have to live inside its walls to identify the cage, that doesn't mean we can't break the damn cage and move on.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Shame on You
My friends, they wash the windows.
They shine in the sun.
They say, "Wake up early in the morning sometime.
See what a beautiful job we've done."
Let's go down to Chicano city park and do a little all day.
Go to the riverside, take off your shoes, and wash your blues away,
And the river said, la la la la la shame on you.
The river said, la la la la la shame on you.
I go down to Chicano city park cause it makes me feel so fine.
When the leaves are down, you can see up close in the dead of the wintertime.
But when the springtime's come, everything's in bloom,
And you wouldn't know it's there.
And all of the white folks like to pretend it's not, but their music's in the air.
And you can hear 'em singing la la la la la shame on you.
See 'em dancing la la la la la shame on you.
My friend Tanner says, "You know me and Jesus,
We're of the same heart,
The only thing that keeps us distant is I keep f**king up."
Let's go down to Chicano city park and wash your blues away.
All the beautiful ladies walk right by.
You know, I never know what to say.
And you can hear 'em singing ooh la la la la shame on you.
See 'em dancing ooh la la la la shame on you.
Let's go road block tripping in the middle of the night
Up in Gainesville town,
There'll be blue lights flashing when the cops pull up.
When they ask us to step out,
They'll say, "We're looking for illegal immigrants!
May we check your car?"
I say, "You know, that's funny, I think we were on the same boat back in 1694!"
And you can hear 'em singing la la la la la shame on you.
Hear 'em saying la la la la la shame on you.
Shame on you.
--Amy Ray
This is my favorite of the Indigo Girls songs! I swear, I still marvel over the fact that it was written in 1997 and unfortunately could've been written yesterday. I first heard it when I was in grade school and fell in love with the chorus and the snarky attitude, but now that I am older and wiser and far more radical I can appreciate it for what it is.
They shine in the sun.
They say, "Wake up early in the morning sometime.
See what a beautiful job we've done."
Let's go down to Chicano city park and do a little all day.
Go to the riverside, take off your shoes, and wash your blues away,
And the river said, la la la la la shame on you.
The river said, la la la la la shame on you.
I go down to Chicano city park cause it makes me feel so fine.
When the leaves are down, you can see up close in the dead of the wintertime.
But when the springtime's come, everything's in bloom,
And you wouldn't know it's there.
And all of the white folks like to pretend it's not, but their music's in the air.
And you can hear 'em singing la la la la la shame on you.
See 'em dancing la la la la la shame on you.
My friend Tanner says, "You know me and Jesus,
We're of the same heart,
The only thing that keeps us distant is I keep f**king up."
Let's go down to Chicano city park and wash your blues away.
All the beautiful ladies walk right by.
You know, I never know what to say.
And you can hear 'em singing ooh la la la la shame on you.
See 'em dancing ooh la la la la shame on you.
Let's go road block tripping in the middle of the night
Up in Gainesville town,
There'll be blue lights flashing when the cops pull up.
When they ask us to step out,
They'll say, "We're looking for illegal immigrants!
May we check your car?"
I say, "You know, that's funny, I think we were on the same boat back in 1694!"
And you can hear 'em singing la la la la la shame on you.
Hear 'em saying la la la la la shame on you.
Shame on you.
--Amy Ray
This is my favorite of the Indigo Girls songs! I swear, I still marvel over the fact that it was written in 1997 and unfortunately could've been written yesterday. I first heard it when I was in grade school and fell in love with the chorus and the snarky attitude, but now that I am older and wiser and far more radical I can appreciate it for what it is.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Born
I was born to laugh
I learned to laugh through my tears.
I was born to love.
I'm gonna learn to love without fear.
Pour me a glass of wine
Talk deep into the night.
Who knows what we'll find?
Intuition, deja vu
The Holy Ghost haunting you,
Whatever you got, I don't mind.
Put your elbows on the table.
I will listen long as I am able.
There is nowhere I'd rather be.
Secret fears, the supernatural,
Thank god for this new laughter.
Thank god the joke's on me.
We've seen the landfill rainbow,
We've seen the junkyard love.
Baby, that's no place for you and me.
I was born to laugh
I learned to laugh through my tears.
I was born to love.
I'm gonna learn to love without fear.
--Linford Detweiler and Karen Bergquist (Over the Rhine)
I learned to laugh through my tears.
I was born to love.
I'm gonna learn to love without fear.
Pour me a glass of wine
Talk deep into the night.
Who knows what we'll find?
Intuition, deja vu
The Holy Ghost haunting you,
Whatever you got, I don't mind.
Put your elbows on the table.
I will listen long as I am able.
There is nowhere I'd rather be.
Secret fears, the supernatural,
Thank god for this new laughter.
Thank god the joke's on me.
We've seen the landfill rainbow,
We've seen the junkyard love.
Baby, that's no place for you and me.
I was born to laugh
I learned to laugh through my tears.
I was born to love.
I'm gonna learn to love without fear.
--Linford Detweiler and Karen Bergquist (Over the Rhine)
Unforgiven
Always tried to clean up my catastrophe
Taking full responsibility
Living my life like every day's the last
Remodeling the wreckage of my past.
But when it comes to you, I know I said I do
BUT I DON'T!
No I don't!
You're unforgiven so go on livin
Knowing that I've unforgiven you.
And my thanksgiving came the day I saw it was okay to unforgive you.
Confessing every sin doesn't make me a saint.
Even though it's obvious I changed.
One time I forgave you, but I did not forget,
But now I'm taking back everything I said.
You're unforgiven so go on livin
Knowing that I've unforgiven you.
And my thanksgiving came the day I saw it was okay to unforgive you.
But when it comes to you, I know I said I do
But I DON'T!
No, I don't!
You're unforgiven so go on livin
Knowing that I've unforgiven you.
And my thanksgiving came the day I saw it was okay to unforgive you.
--Charlotte Caffey/Jane Wiedlin
Taking full responsibility
Living my life like every day's the last
Remodeling the wreckage of my past.
But when it comes to you, I know I said I do
BUT I DON'T!
No I don't!
You're unforgiven so go on livin
Knowing that I've unforgiven you.
And my thanksgiving came the day I saw it was okay to unforgive you.
Confessing every sin doesn't make me a saint.
Even though it's obvious I changed.
One time I forgave you, but I did not forget,
But now I'm taking back everything I said.
You're unforgiven so go on livin
Knowing that I've unforgiven you.
And my thanksgiving came the day I saw it was okay to unforgive you.
But when it comes to you, I know I said I do
But I DON'T!
No, I don't!
You're unforgiven so go on livin
Knowing that I've unforgiven you.
And my thanksgiving came the day I saw it was okay to unforgive you.
--Charlotte Caffey/Jane Wiedlin
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
viva mia (explicada)
Last week I was hanging out with one of my friends. Since we both have some similar tastes in music, we were dishing about the new CDs we'd gotten and new bands we were listening to. He proceeded to tell me, "Now I know you like Joan Jett, but have you heard this CD called Evil Stig?" That's what got me to write the previous post, but with further meaning behind it.
Evil Stig is an album put out by a band called The Gits, and it was recorded with Joan Jett on lead vocals. The Gits were a punk band from Seattle with a very feministic message and a uniquely bluesy sound to them. "Evil Stig" is "Gits Live" backwards. To many, The Gits are a forgotten band in music history. They only had 3 albums and didn't last particularly long. However, if you bring up the name of their singer, Mia Zapata, you might get people who are very familiar with her...or should I say familiar with what happened to her? Mia had a really distinctive voice and some strong lyrics, but she never made it to the age of thirty (she was 27). When walking home from a club one night, she was intercepted by a much older and stronger man and brutally beat and raped before he stabbed and mutilated her numerous times to kill her. If you think that's gross, you haven't heard the half of it. The woman who found her body was so shaken up to see this that she required assistance in walking to a phone and calling the police. It took over ten years to find Mia's assassin.
That's a terrible story, and one that is horrifyingly gruesome. I know that it grossed me out to hear it, even though she died before I discovered her band. What just really bothered me is that whenever you hear about that band, the only thing that comes to mind is the murder of the singer. As if her death is the most important thing about her. There's no mention of the feministic activism she partcipated in, or the anti-violence (ick, ironic, isn't it?) work she did. Not to mention the fact that the Gits were unique in introducing the blues to punk.
But then I got to thinking...how many other Mias are there? No, I don't mean other women with her name, but rather other women whose victimization was the only thing people remember about them. How many times do we hear about yet another crime victim whose story is told in TV-titillating detail and splayed out all over the national news and papers? We don't hear much about the person behind the statistic or the back story of the woman in the crime victim's body. Consider the femicides of Juarez, Mexico. Do we hear any of the names of the murdered women? Do we know what they did for a living, or what their lives were like? Most likely not. Think on the thousands of women who are attacked in times of war (and DON'T tell me that that's "normal" in war!) as a ways of destroying an enemy's "morale." Do we hear anything about them? No, unless you count the dehumanizing term "collateral damage."
"viva mia" is inspired by Mia Zapata, but it is actually about the thousands of "Mias" out there. It isn't my best poem but one that needed to be written. I write it for her and the thousands of the other women who never made it home alive. Something needs to be done so all of us can come home alive and home safe. To quote the late great Andrea Dworkin, "Not one of us is free unless all of us are free."
Evil Stig is an album put out by a band called The Gits, and it was recorded with Joan Jett on lead vocals. The Gits were a punk band from Seattle with a very feministic message and a uniquely bluesy sound to them. "Evil Stig" is "Gits Live" backwards. To many, The Gits are a forgotten band in music history. They only had 3 albums and didn't last particularly long. However, if you bring up the name of their singer, Mia Zapata, you might get people who are very familiar with her...or should I say familiar with what happened to her? Mia had a really distinctive voice and some strong lyrics, but she never made it to the age of thirty (she was 27). When walking home from a club one night, she was intercepted by a much older and stronger man and brutally beat and raped before he stabbed and mutilated her numerous times to kill her. If you think that's gross, you haven't heard the half of it. The woman who found her body was so shaken up to see this that she required assistance in walking to a phone and calling the police. It took over ten years to find Mia's assassin.
That's a terrible story, and one that is horrifyingly gruesome. I know that it grossed me out to hear it, even though she died before I discovered her band. What just really bothered me is that whenever you hear about that band, the only thing that comes to mind is the murder of the singer. As if her death is the most important thing about her. There's no mention of the feministic activism she partcipated in, or the anti-violence (ick, ironic, isn't it?) work she did. Not to mention the fact that the Gits were unique in introducing the blues to punk.
But then I got to thinking...how many other Mias are there? No, I don't mean other women with her name, but rather other women whose victimization was the only thing people remember about them. How many times do we hear about yet another crime victim whose story is told in TV-titillating detail and splayed out all over the national news and papers? We don't hear much about the person behind the statistic or the back story of the woman in the crime victim's body. Consider the femicides of Juarez, Mexico. Do we hear any of the names of the murdered women? Do we know what they did for a living, or what their lives were like? Most likely not. Think on the thousands of women who are attacked in times of war (and DON'T tell me that that's "normal" in war!) as a ways of destroying an enemy's "morale." Do we hear anything about them? No, unless you count the dehumanizing term "collateral damage."
"viva mia" is inspired by Mia Zapata, but it is actually about the thousands of "Mias" out there. It isn't my best poem but one that needed to be written. I write it for her and the thousands of the other women who never made it home alive. Something needs to be done so all of us can come home alive and home safe. To quote the late great Andrea Dworkin, "Not one of us is free unless all of us are free."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Town, It is a-Changin'
Come gather 'round sudents
It's almost time to go.
Your schooling's almost over,
Can you believe this is so?
This town looks similar,
But some things sure don't
If you've heard what some folks are sayin'.
Then you best pay attention,
In your last months to go
For this town, it is a changin'.
Come DI and Buzz,
Write this down with your pen,
You need some good subject matter,
It won't come again.
Le Shoppe changed owners,
And Impasta had to go,
For Champaign wasn't where it'd be stayin'.
And Luna expanded,
It's in a depot.
For this town, it is a changin'.
Now the feminist folk
Should be pacified
Cause they have a women's center
With new events inside.
Meanwhile the domestics
Learned they had to fight,
For their funding supply was decaying.
And Illini Orange was demolished,
It's now a construction site,
For this campus, it is a-changin'.
PAR has gone trayless,
And Lincoln has too,
And the luxury apartments
Are frighteningly huge.
The co-ops are wild,
And it's certain that you
Have many options of where you'll be staying!
And the South Quad is sporting
A bell tower that's new.
For the campus, it is a-changin'.
Come down, Alumni
Come and reminisce.
Your obnoxious reflections
Will get us all pissed.
Your good old days are over,
Though it's true they are missed,
But they're a time you won't be regaining.
So let's toast our grads,
And wish them all the best,
For without them, UI will be a-changin'!
It's almost time to go.
Your schooling's almost over,
Can you believe this is so?
This town looks similar,
But some things sure don't
If you've heard what some folks are sayin'.
Then you best pay attention,
In your last months to go
For this town, it is a changin'.
Come DI and Buzz,
Write this down with your pen,
You need some good subject matter,
It won't come again.
Le Shoppe changed owners,
And Impasta had to go,
For Champaign wasn't where it'd be stayin'.
And Luna expanded,
It's in a depot.
For this town, it is a changin'.
Now the feminist folk
Should be pacified
Cause they have a women's center
With new events inside.
Meanwhile the domestics
Learned they had to fight,
For their funding supply was decaying.
And Illini Orange was demolished,
It's now a construction site,
For this campus, it is a-changin'.
PAR has gone trayless,
And Lincoln has too,
And the luxury apartments
Are frighteningly huge.
The co-ops are wild,
And it's certain that you
Have many options of where you'll be staying!
And the South Quad is sporting
A bell tower that's new.
For the campus, it is a-changin'.
Come down, Alumni
Come and reminisce.
Your obnoxious reflections
Will get us all pissed.
Your good old days are over,
Though it's true they are missed,
But they're a time you won't be regaining.
So let's toast our grads,
And wish them all the best,
For without them, UI will be a-changin'!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Out of the blue (and into the black)
My, my, hey, hey
Rock and roll is here to stay.
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away.
My, my, hey, hey.
Out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that.
And once you're gone
You can never come back.
When you're out of the blue and into the black.
The king is gone, but he's not forgotten.
This is the story of Johnny Rotten.
It's better to burn out than it is to rust.
The king is gone, but he's not forgotten.
Hey, hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die.
There is more to a picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey, hey, my, my.
--Neil Young (early version)
Rock and roll is here to stay.
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away.
My, my, hey, hey.
Out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that.
And once you're gone
You can never come back.
When you're out of the blue and into the black.
The king is gone, but he's not forgotten.
This is the story of Johnny Rotten.
It's better to burn out than it is to rust.
The king is gone, but he's not forgotten.
Hey, hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die.
There is more to a picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey, hey, my, my.
--Neil Young (early version)
Monday, February 2, 2009
What's cookin at the Beat Kitchen?
Take some funky grooves, solid strong vocals, a ten-piece band, horns, and a seriously modern twist on classic R&B...
And you have the recipe for the perfect weekend band!
Meet the Beat Kitchen. They're ten folks from Champaign-Urbana (there is also a restaurant in Chytown with that name, but this article isn't about them), and can they play! They play some R&B/funk with some solid, danceable grooves, and their songs get everybody up and dancing. Most of the songs are originals, but they've been known to do a funkified cover or two (think an R&B cover of Radiohead's "Karma Police" for starters!). My friend DoMonique and I went to see them, and their worldbeat co-headliner Mhondoro, this Saturday. We were in for a fabulous double act, as both groups did not disappoint. They just kept us dancing and singing along, and the crowd in the whole bar, the Iron Post, was on its feet. I've liked R&B for a while now, but this only cemented my love for it. This band really knew how to work a crowd while also staying soulful and emotive. And that singer has a terrific set of pipes! He has a big deep voice, with a wide range for a guy.
The rhythm and blues crowd also knows how to behave, think the manners of the folk crowd mixed with the good exuberance of the rock one. Sure, the Iron Post was crowded and a small venue. But, there was no shoving, moshing, feeling-up when you don't want to be felt up, or creepies being creepy like I've seen at other shows. The fans behave, but that doesn't mean they can't get excited and energized. And their dancing is so much fun. You don't have to know any particular steps or anything, but rather to find your own groove. Some folks were doing West African style dancing to Mhondoro, since that group does have Zimbabwean and Guinea influences, but the rest of us were simply doing what we liked. Our friends Jane and Megan, who are more into social dances with lots of rules and steps (Megan's been known to ballroom and swing dance during punk shows--and pull it off), also could find their groove. It wasn't hard at all.
Only drawback is that the "comfortable" boots we both had on turned out to be not so comfortable after dancing for four hours straight! The bus ride we took to IHOP and then back home provided a welcome opportunity to sit down for once that night! Definitely a fantastic night and show, and one to hopefully be repeated!
And if you would like to cook up some grooves at the Beat Kitchen, hie thee hence to http://www.myspace.com/beatkitchenfunk, and find out when you can see them next!
And you have the recipe for the perfect weekend band!
Meet the Beat Kitchen. They're ten folks from Champaign-Urbana (there is also a restaurant in Chytown with that name, but this article isn't about them), and can they play! They play some R&B/funk with some solid, danceable grooves, and their songs get everybody up and dancing. Most of the songs are originals, but they've been known to do a funkified cover or two (think an R&B cover of Radiohead's "Karma Police" for starters!). My friend DoMonique and I went to see them, and their worldbeat co-headliner Mhondoro, this Saturday. We were in for a fabulous double act, as both groups did not disappoint. They just kept us dancing and singing along, and the crowd in the whole bar, the Iron Post, was on its feet. I've liked R&B for a while now, but this only cemented my love for it. This band really knew how to work a crowd while also staying soulful and emotive. And that singer has a terrific set of pipes! He has a big deep voice, with a wide range for a guy.
The rhythm and blues crowd also knows how to behave, think the manners of the folk crowd mixed with the good exuberance of the rock one. Sure, the Iron Post was crowded and a small venue. But, there was no shoving, moshing, feeling-up when you don't want to be felt up, or creepies being creepy like I've seen at other shows. The fans behave, but that doesn't mean they can't get excited and energized. And their dancing is so much fun. You don't have to know any particular steps or anything, but rather to find your own groove. Some folks were doing West African style dancing to Mhondoro, since that group does have Zimbabwean and Guinea influences, but the rest of us were simply doing what we liked. Our friends Jane and Megan, who are more into social dances with lots of rules and steps (Megan's been known to ballroom and swing dance during punk shows--and pull it off), also could find their groove. It wasn't hard at all.
Only drawback is that the "comfortable" boots we both had on turned out to be not so comfortable after dancing for four hours straight! The bus ride we took to IHOP and then back home provided a welcome opportunity to sit down for once that night! Definitely a fantastic night and show, and one to hopefully be repeated!
And if you would like to cook up some grooves at the Beat Kitchen, hie thee hence to http://www.myspace.com/beatkitchenfunk, and find out when you can see them next!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
One Thousand Sarahs*
*No offense to my fellow Feminist or panelist named Sarah...this song is not about you, I swear!*
Sarah's the kind of girl who's three feet tall, but she's built like an Amazon woman.
Sarah's the kind of girl who's three feet tall, but she's built like an Amazon woman.
And all the boys think she's sexy,
And all the girls think she dresses real well,
And all the teachers think she is the smartest one in class,
And I think...
SHE OUGHTA GO TO HELL!
Sarah's the kind of girl who pierced her ears years before anybody else.
Sarah's the kind of girl who pierced her ears years before anybody else.
And all the mothers say her mother was,
And all the mothers say her mother was a SLUT!
Cause we couldn't pierce our ears till we turned twelve, no matter what.
And I think...
Well, I think you know what I think.
One thousand Sarahs in my head!
One thousand Sarahs
Circling me in my bed.
I thought I got rid of her, but she multiplied instead!
One thousand Sarahs...
One thousand Sarahs...
I don't like her.
I don't like her.
I don't like her, and you can't make me!
I don't like her,
I don't like her,
I don't like her,
I don't like her, and YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!
One thousand Sarahs in my head!
One thousand Sarahs
Circling me in my bed.
I thought I got rid of her, but she multiplied instead!
One thousand Sarahs...
One thousand Sarahs...
Yeah!
--Michael Clem
Sarah's the kind of girl who's three feet tall, but she's built like an Amazon woman.
Sarah's the kind of girl who's three feet tall, but she's built like an Amazon woman.
And all the boys think she's sexy,
And all the girls think she dresses real well,
And all the teachers think she is the smartest one in class,
And I think...
SHE OUGHTA GO TO HELL!
Sarah's the kind of girl who pierced her ears years before anybody else.
Sarah's the kind of girl who pierced her ears years before anybody else.
And all the mothers say her mother was,
And all the mothers say her mother was a SLUT!
Cause we couldn't pierce our ears till we turned twelve, no matter what.
And I think...
Well, I think you know what I think.
One thousand Sarahs in my head!
One thousand Sarahs
Circling me in my bed.
I thought I got rid of her, but she multiplied instead!
One thousand Sarahs...
One thousand Sarahs...
I don't like her.
I don't like her.
I don't like her, and you can't make me!
I don't like her,
I don't like her,
I don't like her,
I don't like her, and YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!
One thousand Sarahs in my head!
One thousand Sarahs
Circling me in my bed.
I thought I got rid of her, but she multiplied instead!
One thousand Sarahs...
One thousand Sarahs...
Yeah!
--Michael Clem
Sunday, December 14, 2008
This wisdom is Wicked!
Listen up, all you metal heads and rock and rollers!!
Normally, when they start handing out recording contracts to actors, conventional wisdom dictates you head for the hills (think Jennifer Lopez, Jared Leto from 30 Seconds to Mars, Keanu Reeves and Dogstar, or Minnie Driver). Not in this case!
I have just discovered this excellent nu metal band, WICKED WISDOM! You can find them at www.wickedwisdom.net. They come from California and are considered nu metal (incorporating some rap and thrash elements into their music). Their lyrics are intelligent, the guitars and basses are thundering, and the vocals are melodic. They have all of the attitude with little posturing, and at times they sound a lot like Rage Against the Machine with a less whiney vocalist (I'm a Rage fan and have seen their farewell tour, I can criticize them if I want). The best part is that their lead singer is an actress I like, Jada Pinkett Smith. Wicked Wisdom gives her the spotlight as the lead singer as opposed to being merely defined as Will's wife (although Will is skilled at rapping, I think that with a little more press, his wife could easily overshadow him). Jada does not disappoint, as her vocals can shred your speakers and get you moshing but not destroy your hearing. Her band is tight and spot-on. Definitely worth a listen.
Normally, when they start handing out recording contracts to actors, conventional wisdom dictates you head for the hills (think Jennifer Lopez, Jared Leto from 30 Seconds to Mars, Keanu Reeves and Dogstar, or Minnie Driver). Not in this case!
I have just discovered this excellent nu metal band, WICKED WISDOM! You can find them at www.wickedwisdom.net. They come from California and are considered nu metal (incorporating some rap and thrash elements into their music). Their lyrics are intelligent, the guitars and basses are thundering, and the vocals are melodic. They have all of the attitude with little posturing, and at times they sound a lot like Rage Against the Machine with a less whiney vocalist (I'm a Rage fan and have seen their farewell tour, I can criticize them if I want). The best part is that their lead singer is an actress I like, Jada Pinkett Smith. Wicked Wisdom gives her the spotlight as the lead singer as opposed to being merely defined as Will's wife (although Will is skilled at rapping, I think that with a little more press, his wife could easily overshadow him). Jada does not disappoint, as her vocals can shred your speakers and get you moshing but not destroy your hearing. Her band is tight and spot-on. Definitely worth a listen.
My next-door neighbor has become my enemy.
My first thoughts upon hearing those lines were, "How DARE they change the original?"
Let me explain.
I grew up on a wide variety of music. While my first concert was James Taylor (love his music, to this day!), a lot of the music I remember hearing as a kid was contemporary folk stuff. Acoustical, Americana, folk-rock, alternative, whatever you choose to call it. Contemporary artists (mostly guitarists, but sometimes there was a bassist thrown in) like Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Laura Love, and Lucy Kaplansky were all on the mix tapes my dad made when driving me to school. I liked all of them just fine, but currently, the type of music associated with me is rock stuff. Which is fine, I certainly don't mind it, but it's important to remember my roots in my early audiophilia. Well, I was just recently reminded of those early days of musical development when I was listening to a podcast from NPR. A band called Domestic Science Club was playing on NPR. It's three girls who play and sing just about every kind of music. One of the songs they did was a cover of Nanci Griffith's "Time of Inconvenience." If you ever have the opportunity to hear it, I suggest taking it. It's so apropo for now, and it details the cruelty and ambivalence found in daily life. But I noticed they changed a phrase in it, and I was immediately reminded of those early days. I will post the changed stanza here, but you can find the full lyrics at http://www.actionext.com/names_n/nanci_griffith_lyrics/time_of_inconvenience.html.
Here is the original stanza, with the changed part in bold.
We're living in the age of communication
Where the only voices heard have money in their hands
Where greed has become a sophistication
And if you ain't got money
You ain't got nothin' in this land
And here I am one lonely woman
On these mean streets
Where the right to life man has become my enemy
Cuz I'm living in his time of inconvenience at an inconvenient time
Because the singer of Domestic Science Club is pro-life, she changed that line to:
Where my next-door neighbor has become my enemy.
These, of course, carry two different connotations but are equally scathing. Both totally fit with the message of the song, though I am a tyrannical purist who prefers the original. The whole song is most excellent, and it really reminded me of the early days. Of course, when you're a little kid in grade school, you probably don't know how deep the lyrics really are until you're older and can understand what their connotations are. Even though I went to a Catholic school, I didn't get the bolded line about the right to life man until I was in fourth grade or so. So this got me to thinking about all of those acoustical songs played during my grade school days. Now that I can appreciate them, I think I'll be getting the CDs or the MP3s. They still sound just as good as before.
Let me explain.
I grew up on a wide variety of music. While my first concert was James Taylor (love his music, to this day!), a lot of the music I remember hearing as a kid was contemporary folk stuff. Acoustical, Americana, folk-rock, alternative, whatever you choose to call it. Contemporary artists (mostly guitarists, but sometimes there was a bassist thrown in) like Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Laura Love, and Lucy Kaplansky were all on the mix tapes my dad made when driving me to school. I liked all of them just fine, but currently, the type of music associated with me is rock stuff. Which is fine, I certainly don't mind it, but it's important to remember my roots in my early audiophilia. Well, I was just recently reminded of those early days of musical development when I was listening to a podcast from NPR. A band called Domestic Science Club was playing on NPR. It's three girls who play and sing just about every kind of music. One of the songs they did was a cover of Nanci Griffith's "Time of Inconvenience." If you ever have the opportunity to hear it, I suggest taking it. It's so apropo for now, and it details the cruelty and ambivalence found in daily life. But I noticed they changed a phrase in it, and I was immediately reminded of those early days. I will post the changed stanza here, but you can find the full lyrics at http://www.actionext.com/names_n/nanci_griffith_lyrics/time_of_inconvenience.html.
Here is the original stanza, with the changed part in bold.
We're living in the age of communication
Where the only voices heard have money in their hands
Where greed has become a sophistication
And if you ain't got money
You ain't got nothin' in this land
And here I am one lonely woman
On these mean streets
Where the right to life man has become my enemy
Cuz I'm living in his time of inconvenience at an inconvenient time
Because the singer of Domestic Science Club is pro-life, she changed that line to:
Where my next-door neighbor has become my enemy.
These, of course, carry two different connotations but are equally scathing. Both totally fit with the message of the song, though I am a tyrannical purist who prefers the original. The whole song is most excellent, and it really reminded me of the early days. Of course, when you're a little kid in grade school, you probably don't know how deep the lyrics really are until you're older and can understand what their connotations are. Even though I went to a Catholic school, I didn't get the bolded line about the right to life man until I was in fourth grade or so. So this got me to thinking about all of those acoustical songs played during my grade school days. Now that I can appreciate them, I think I'll be getting the CDs or the MP3s. They still sound just as good as before.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Tom's Diner
I am waiting in the morning at the diner on the corner.
I am waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee,
And he fills it only halfway, and before I even argue,
He is looking out the window at somebody coming in.
"It is always nice to see you," says the man behind the counter
To the woman who has come in. She is shaking her umbrella,
And I look the other way as they are kissing their hellos,
And I pretend that I don't see them, and instead I pour the milk.
I open up the paper. There's the story of some actor
Who had died while he was drinking. It was no one I had heard of.
So I'm turning to the horoscopes, and looking for the funnies,
But I'm feeling someone watching me, and so I raise my head.
There's this woman on the outside looking inside.
Does she see me? No, she does not really see me.
She sees her own reflection. And I'm trying not to notice
That she's hitching up her skirt, and while she's straightening her stockings,
Her hair is getting wet.
Oh, this rain it will continue through the morning.
As I'm listening to the bells of the cathedral,
I am thinking of your voice...
--Suzanne Vega
I am waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee,
And he fills it only halfway, and before I even argue,
He is looking out the window at somebody coming in.
"It is always nice to see you," says the man behind the counter
To the woman who has come in. She is shaking her umbrella,
And I look the other way as they are kissing their hellos,
And I pretend that I don't see them, and instead I pour the milk.
I open up the paper. There's the story of some actor
Who had died while he was drinking. It was no one I had heard of.
So I'm turning to the horoscopes, and looking for the funnies,
But I'm feeling someone watching me, and so I raise my head.
There's this woman on the outside looking inside.
Does she see me? No, she does not really see me.
She sees her own reflection. And I'm trying not to notice
That she's hitching up her skirt, and while she's straightening her stockings,
Her hair is getting wet.
Oh, this rain it will continue through the morning.
As I'm listening to the bells of the cathedral,
I am thinking of your voice...
--Suzanne Vega
Monday, December 1, 2008
Walk this way! Walk this way! Just gimme a kiss!
Got your attention, didn't I?
One thing I love doing is taking some of my guilty pleasure songs and re-working them to fit my point of view. By guilty pleasure, I mean the ones that I could rarely, if ever, relate to. Take any testosterone-fueled sausagefest male-oriented rock number, be it AC/DC or Aerosmith or Nine Inch Nails or even some Led Zeppelin and you know what I mean. Then I rework them from my hetero female perspective, as a "let me do this to a man" sort of thing.
When I saw Heart back in 2006 at Summerfest (see them if you get the chance, they just keep getting better), their encores were a pair of Led Zeppelin songs. Now they sound a lot like Zep does already, but these two songs were something of a surprise. For they were ones clearly from a guy's point of view, "Black Dog" and "Whole Lotta Love." As I was wondering how they were going to pull it off, Ann Wilson (the lead singer) showed her creative side and added these lyrics to the former--"I don't know what you've been told-- you think a pretty woman ain't got no soul" and "Now all I ask for when I pray, that a lovin' little woman won't come your way. Don't you need a woman to hold your hand, tell you no lies, make you a happy man?" The audience roared, and I have to say I liked that as an encore. It paid homage and talked back, which I think is awesome. The three times I saw Joan Jett and her lovely Blackhearts, they took a lot of songs previously associated with guy singers and did them. Which totally worked, especially when sandwiched in with songs like "Androgynous" and "ACDC (She Got Some Other Lover As Well As Me)." Even the more raucous acts nowadays wouldn't have the nerve to cover "Do You Wanna Touch Me?" or "Star Star," let alone rework them from a female standpoint ("you know you're my man, I'm doin' all I can, my temperature is runnin' high") AND pull it off!
It is incredibly fun entertainment.
I like the whole gender-bending (or blending?) nature of it. It's only fair for a woman to take a song and make it her own, as opposed to imagining herself being the girl the male singer is talking about (and I'm sorry, but much as I like their songs, I would rather NOT be the female in NIN's "Closer," for starters!). Take some of the control and the artistic expression and make it one's own. Plus, it just makes it more fun for the female audiophile.
One thing I love doing is taking some of my guilty pleasure songs and re-working them to fit my point of view. By guilty pleasure, I mean the ones that I could rarely, if ever, relate to. Take any testosterone-fueled sausagefest male-oriented rock number, be it AC/DC or Aerosmith or Nine Inch Nails or even some Led Zeppelin and you know what I mean. Then I rework them from my hetero female perspective, as a "let me do this to a man" sort of thing.
When I saw Heart back in 2006 at Summerfest (see them if you get the chance, they just keep getting better), their encores were a pair of Led Zeppelin songs. Now they sound a lot like Zep does already, but these two songs were something of a surprise. For they were ones clearly from a guy's point of view, "Black Dog" and "Whole Lotta Love." As I was wondering how they were going to pull it off, Ann Wilson (the lead singer) showed her creative side and added these lyrics to the former--"I don't know what you've been told-- you think a pretty woman ain't got no soul" and "Now all I ask for when I pray, that a lovin' little woman won't come your way. Don't you need a woman to hold your hand, tell you no lies, make you a happy man?" The audience roared, and I have to say I liked that as an encore. It paid homage and talked back, which I think is awesome. The three times I saw Joan Jett and her lovely Blackhearts, they took a lot of songs previously associated with guy singers and did them. Which totally worked, especially when sandwiched in with songs like "Androgynous" and "ACDC (She Got Some Other Lover As Well As Me)." Even the more raucous acts nowadays wouldn't have the nerve to cover "Do You Wanna Touch Me?" or "Star Star," let alone rework them from a female standpoint ("you know you're my man, I'm doin' all I can, my temperature is runnin' high") AND pull it off!
It is incredibly fun entertainment.
I like the whole gender-bending (or blending?) nature of it. It's only fair for a woman to take a song and make it her own, as opposed to imagining herself being the girl the male singer is talking about (and I'm sorry, but much as I like their songs, I would rather NOT be the female in NIN's "Closer," for starters!). Take some of the control and the artistic expression and make it one's own. Plus, it just makes it more fun for the female audiophile.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Constant revelling: Of k. d. lang, the Amasong girls, and Sarah Palin
Okay, please forgive my pun on "Constant Craving." It's a good song that I don't do nearly enough justice to.
A conversation I had recently inspired this blog post. I was discussing all the concerts I had been to with two of my Feminists after we saw the divine Cherrie Moraga give a speech on campus. I was talking about how I saw k. d. lang last week and how I'm seeing Amy Ray next week. (If you can't see both Indigo Girls, then check out the harder-rocking of the two!) I love kathryn dawn and Amy. Their music is roots-rocking yet heartfelt, and they have beautiful voices and wicked guitar skillz. One of the girls, Danielle, said, "You know, I never really got into k.d. lang or the Indigo Girls. They're a little too influenced by country for my taste." I said, "Oh that's fine" since everyone's tastes are different. I don't expect everyone to like them (hell, if that were the case, I wouldn't have gotten my second row seats!). Then she continued, "But I like the fact that all three of them are out. Geez, I feel like such a bad lesbian--we're all supposed to like the Indigo Girls."
Now this was a little weird, seeing that every group is diverse enough to allow different tastes. (And I know some non-lesbians who like that group--heck, my dad owns all of their CDs and is constantly playing them. Although he's more of an Emily fan than an Amy one. Oh well.) I was going to say something, but then Christine spoke up. "Well, I consider myself a feminist and politically active," she responded, "but I've never gotten into Amasong. I think those girls have talent, but I don't really like world beat and think they could use their talents for something better." Amasong (http://www.amasong.org), for those of you who aren't from CU, is an all-girl chorus that does mostly international music, and they identify as some pretty hardcore feminists.
Now aren't we a little more varied than that? If our promotional phrase, "Feminists are the majority" is true, then we definitely have more diversity than one-size-fits-all tastes.So then I had to speak up. "Well, ladies, we're all women, right?" They agreed that this was so. And so I continued, "Well, one of the VP nominees is also a woman. But do any of us like Sarah Palin or want her in the White House?" Their responses were as expected--"Eeeeewww! No way!!" "Only as a visitor!" "How can you say that??!!" My response? "Well, in that case, I think we can agree that there is no one size fits all preference for any group!" Not every [insert category here] is alike. And who decides which group likes which things?
A conversation I had recently inspired this blog post. I was discussing all the concerts I had been to with two of my Feminists after we saw the divine Cherrie Moraga give a speech on campus. I was talking about how I saw k. d. lang last week and how I'm seeing Amy Ray next week. (If you can't see both Indigo Girls, then check out the harder-rocking of the two!) I love kathryn dawn and Amy. Their music is roots-rocking yet heartfelt, and they have beautiful voices and wicked guitar skillz. One of the girls, Danielle, said, "You know, I never really got into k.d. lang or the Indigo Girls. They're a little too influenced by country for my taste." I said, "Oh that's fine" since everyone's tastes are different. I don't expect everyone to like them (hell, if that were the case, I wouldn't have gotten my second row seats!). Then she continued, "But I like the fact that all three of them are out. Geez, I feel like such a bad lesbian--we're all supposed to like the Indigo Girls."
Now this was a little weird, seeing that every group is diverse enough to allow different tastes. (And I know some non-lesbians who like that group--heck, my dad owns all of their CDs and is constantly playing them. Although he's more of an Emily fan than an Amy one. Oh well.) I was going to say something, but then Christine spoke up. "Well, I consider myself a feminist and politically active," she responded, "but I've never gotten into Amasong. I think those girls have talent, but I don't really like world beat and think they could use their talents for something better." Amasong (http://www.amasong.org), for those of you who aren't from CU, is an all-girl chorus that does mostly international music, and they identify as some pretty hardcore feminists.
Now aren't we a little more varied than that? If our promotional phrase, "Feminists are the majority" is true, then we definitely have more diversity than one-size-fits-all tastes.So then I had to speak up. "Well, ladies, we're all women, right?" They agreed that this was so. And so I continued, "Well, one of the VP nominees is also a woman. But do any of us like Sarah Palin or want her in the White House?" Their responses were as expected--"Eeeeewww! No way!!" "Only as a visitor!" "How can you say that??!!" My response? "Well, in that case, I think we can agree that there is no one size fits all preference for any group!" Not every [insert category here] is alike. And who decides which group likes which things?
Friday, October 17, 2008
Please don't stop the music!
Well, looking back on it, I have a lot of songs/CDs referenced in here. I think I will make a list of all the ones I've done so far (with more to come as I add them). Most recent ones go first, older ones are last.
Act Naturally--song by the Beatles
I Don't Think I Know Me--written by Michael Clem, performed by Eddie From Ohio
Miracle Girl--song by the Lovemongers. Don't know the mongers? It's a side project of the girls in Heart during the 90s.
Barracuda--song by Heart, stolen by the Republican party
Let It Ride--song by Angie Heaton, a Chambana treasure
I am Woman--song by Helen Ready
Live Through This--album by Hole
Activity Grrrl--song by Joan Jett, may very well have been written about me
Alone--song by Heart
Feeling Good--song by Nina Simone, covered by Muse, butchered by Pussycat Dolls
I Fought the Law--song popularized by The Clash
Time of Inconvenience--song by Nanci Griffith
Sunny Came Home--song by Shawn Colvin, from album A Few Small Repairs
Summer Shudder--song by AFI
Summer Breeze--song by the ever-boring Seals and Crofts
Two Outta Three Ain't Bad--improved by Bonnie Tyler
Pieces of Me--song by Ashleigh Simpson
Fake Your Way to the Top--from the movie Dreamgirls
Oil to the World--parody of "Joy to the World"
Who says you can't go home?--song by Bon Jovi
Keep on rocking in the free world--song by Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse
Getting Better--song by the Beatles
Dancing Barefoot--song by Patti Smith
She's A Rebel--song by Green Day, revel-lutionized by me
Act Naturally--song by the Beatles
I Don't Think I Know Me--written by Michael Clem, performed by Eddie From Ohio
Miracle Girl--song by the Lovemongers. Don't know the mongers? It's a side project of the girls in Heart during the 90s.
Barracuda--song by Heart, stolen by the Republican party
Let It Ride--song by Angie Heaton, a Chambana treasure
I am Woman--song by Helen Ready
Live Through This--album by Hole
Activity Grrrl--song by Joan Jett, may very well have been written about me
Alone--song by Heart
Feeling Good--song by Nina Simone, covered by Muse, butchered by Pussycat Dolls
I Fought the Law--song popularized by The Clash
Time of Inconvenience--song by Nanci Griffith
Sunny Came Home--song by Shawn Colvin, from album A Few Small Repairs
Summer Shudder--song by AFI
Summer Breeze--song by the ever-boring Seals and Crofts
Two Outta Three Ain't Bad--improved by Bonnie Tyler
Pieces of Me--song by Ashleigh Simpson
Fake Your Way to the Top--from the movie Dreamgirls
Oil to the World--parody of "Joy to the World"
Who says you can't go home?--song by Bon Jovi
Keep on rocking in the free world--song by Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse
Getting Better--song by the Beatles
Dancing Barefoot--song by Patti Smith
She's A Rebel--song by Green Day, revel-lutionized by me
Monday, September 8, 2008
"Sell me, sell you," the porpoise said
They never seem to get it, do they?
My interest in music just collided with the upcoming election. Seems like every candidate's got a theme song or at least something to play when they come out on stage. When I saw Obama speak in Springfield a few years back, they played "Shout" and "Suddenly I See." (If I had the nerve and funding to run, they'd be blasting "Activity Grrrl" as loud as they can.) All fitting songs for said folks. However, I can't exactly say the same about the other side. I thought it was bad when that paragon of hatemongering and bile Rush Limbaugh used the Pretenders' "My City Was Gone" for his talk radio theme song (and without paying them or asking if he could!). That song is very anti-conservative and not exactly fitting with what he preaches, but he wound up using it for many years. It's scathing and sharp, as only Chrissie Hynde can do it.
Now I know I should be bi-partisan, but I haven't run into the same problem with the Democrats. This article is more about the music and the message. I thought the use of "My City Was Gone" was bad. But just today I discovered something just as bad, if not worse for an audiophile like me!! Apparantly, during the RNC, they played (the horror the horror) "Barracuda" before Palin came out!!! And it was the Heart version, the REAL version, not the rotten old Fergie version. Now this is unforgiveable!!! Yes, I know that was her nickname when she was playing basketball, but (1) she didn't have permission to use it and (2) the song is nothing like her. It's about the corporate and soulless nature of the music business, and how record execs will do anything to make a profit (there's a line in there that goes, "And if the real thing don't do the trick, you're gonna make up something quick"). Then again, politicians will do anything to get elected...but that is still BEYOND unforgiveable!!!
[I just found out that the girls in Heart issued a cease and desist order to the McCain campaign, saying that they didn't want him illegally using a their song to endorse a candidate they didn't support. You go girls! No word on what happened with "My City Was Gone."]
My interest in music just collided with the upcoming election. Seems like every candidate's got a theme song or at least something to play when they come out on stage. When I saw Obama speak in Springfield a few years back, they played "Shout" and "Suddenly I See." (If I had the nerve and funding to run, they'd be blasting "Activity Grrrl" as loud as they can.) All fitting songs for said folks. However, I can't exactly say the same about the other side. I thought it was bad when that paragon of hatemongering and bile Rush Limbaugh used the Pretenders' "My City Was Gone" for his talk radio theme song (and without paying them or asking if he could!). That song is very anti-conservative and not exactly fitting with what he preaches, but he wound up using it for many years. It's scathing and sharp, as only Chrissie Hynde can do it.
Now I know I should be bi-partisan, but I haven't run into the same problem with the Democrats. This article is more about the music and the message. I thought the use of "My City Was Gone" was bad. But just today I discovered something just as bad, if not worse for an audiophile like me!! Apparantly, during the RNC, they played (the horror the horror) "Barracuda" before Palin came out!!! And it was the Heart version, the REAL version, not the rotten old Fergie version. Now this is unforgiveable!!! Yes, I know that was her nickname when she was playing basketball, but (1) she didn't have permission to use it and (2) the song is nothing like her. It's about the corporate and soulless nature of the music business, and how record execs will do anything to make a profit (there's a line in there that goes, "And if the real thing don't do the trick, you're gonna make up something quick"). Then again, politicians will do anything to get elected...but that is still BEYOND unforgiveable!!!
[I just found out that the girls in Heart issued a cease and desist order to the McCain campaign, saying that they didn't want him illegally using a their song to endorse a candidate they didn't support. You go girls! No word on what happened with "My City Was Gone."]
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
You know you're a scenester if...
--You can remember more song lyrics than you can remember facts.
--You haven't the foggiest idea of what "Stockholm Syndrome" is when your professor talks about it, but you're almost certain that Blink-182 and Muse wrote a song about it.
--Napster named their kitty-logo-thing after you.
--You take off your eye makeup, look at the mirror in shock, and think, "Holy crap, that's what I look like??"
--You think a killer soundtrack saves even the crappiest film.
--When you refer to going clubbing, you need all your fingers and some toes to count the number of clubs you've gone to that night.
--You come back late from an outdoor show smelling like a noxious mix of smoke, booze, perfume, body odor, sweat, and who-knows-what-else, and your significant other sleepily greets you and tells you s/he's glad you're back (without noticing how bad you smell because s/he's used to it by now).
And yes, I made these all up while taking a break from my paper. And most of them are true for me, except for the Napster thingy. Booyah. Now all I need to do is go to some shows after finals. Maybe I'll see Zmick and Piano Man at Canopy next week before I leave, since I sure as heck won't be seeing them up in The LC. But fear not, scene, I will be older and wiser and battle-hardened from La Casa once I come back to grace you with my fabulous presence!
--You haven't the foggiest idea of what "Stockholm Syndrome" is when your professor talks about it, but you're almost certain that Blink-182 and Muse wrote a song about it.
--Napster named their kitty-logo-thing after you.
--You take off your eye makeup, look at the mirror in shock, and think, "Holy crap, that's what I look like??"
--You think a killer soundtrack saves even the crappiest film.
--When you refer to going clubbing, you need all your fingers and some toes to count the number of clubs you've gone to that night.
--You come back late from an outdoor show smelling like a noxious mix of smoke, booze, perfume, body odor, sweat, and who-knows-what-else, and your significant other sleepily greets you and tells you s/he's glad you're back (without noticing how bad you smell because s/he's used to it by now).
And yes, I made these all up while taking a break from my paper. And most of them are true for me, except for the Napster thingy. Booyah. Now all I need to do is go to some shows after finals. Maybe I'll see Zmick and Piano Man at Canopy next week before I leave, since I sure as heck won't be seeing them up in The LC. But fear not, scene, I will be older and wiser and battle-hardened from La Casa once I come back to grace you with my fabulous presence!
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