Tag Archives: Songs

Story Songs for MVB, Dec 19, 2024

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 Story Songs

The Andrews Sisters, Les Brown and his Band of Renown, Spike Jones.  These are the only records I can remember from my parents’ collection.  When I got older, I listened to my 4 years older sister’s records: Pat Boone, Elvis–jitterbug music. When I got to record collecting age it was the era of the sad story:  Johnny Get Angry, girls killed in car wrecks, My Boyfriend’s Back (and he’s comin’ after you-ooo.,) Red Roses for a Blue Lady. The songs were narrative and told pretty basic stories of love, death and teenage angst.

I think they did have an effect because I still want a song with a strong narrative.  For this reason I like the Avett Brothers, Gillian Welch, Brett Dennen, Chris Smither, Joe Purdy, Townes Van Zandt, Rickie Lee Jones, Steve Earle, Tom Waits…oh, lots of others–who tell stories and interpret them in their own distinctive way.  I love harmony ala the Andrews Sisters–A modern equivalent is the Wailin’ Jennys. When I was small, in the days before TV, we had an big Victrola cabinet radio/record player that had a record changer so you could put a stack on.  I still associate those songs of the forties and fifties with my parents.

Today’s MVB prompt is song.

30 Country Singers–Amazing.

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If You Remember the Sixties, You Probably Weren’t Really Around at the Time

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Randy Rainbow on Impeachment Possibilities

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Thanks to forgottenman for sending this to me. HERE is another Randy Rainbow song on his blog.

New Skin for the Old Ceremony

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Couldn’t let this “Ceremony” prompt go by without posting a song from one of my favorite Leonard Cohen albums.  The entire album is available on YouTube. This song is a live version of “Chelsea Hotel #2.” If you haven’t read the poem I wrote for this prompt, you can find it HERE.

“I” Tunes (My week in song)

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“I” Tunes

Tuesday: I met old friends Jim and Ellen (who moved away a year ago) at Adelita’s for ribs and a year’s worth of talk.

Wednesday: I finally met up with the Mac computer repair guy who comes from Guadalajara to pick up sick Macs for repair.  I have my fingers crossed  that they’ll be able to save the Mac Air I spilled a full Coke on.  Later, I made it to my “Not Yet Dead Poets” meeting.

Thursday: It was a “gas” when my stove broke and I couldn’t get the pilot light clicker to go off.  The repairman had just been here, but I couldn’t find his number and panicked until eventually it just wore itself out. Still, please don’t use that back left burner.  Now it sets off the clicker on the burner in front of it!!  I certainly hope nothing bad happens.

An additional thrill for the day that many of you made your own was  “The Thing“ that appeared on my garden wall.

Friday: I met my friends Betty, Liz and Larry at Viva Mexico for one of their enchiladas and a naughty tiramisu and one of their killer margaritas.  Later, I felt . . .

Saturday: It’s been so long since I’ve seen my friend Audrey,  but we spent a few hours at the new quirky cafe named Chillin’ and talked about planning a summer camp for kids in San Juan Cosala and Chapala.

The highlight of the week, of course, was the revelation of just exactly what “The Thing” was.  Laura M. beat out a few close contenders for the prize by naming my newest addition to my home the “Lurkin’ Merkin.”  This is what it really was.

And that, my friends, concludes my week in song.  Please hit the links to hear the music.  —Judy

The Prompt:  Describe your past week by compiling a playlist of five songs.

Addendum to NaPoWriMo Day 9 Post: I’ll Leave the Light On

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For our day 9 post, we were to post a poem that incorporated at least 5 song titles.  I incorporated more and offered a prize for the person who could find the most and promised to publish the solution later.  Well, I failed to do that but I am remedying it today.  Below is the poem with song titles in boldface.  If you count them, you will see there are 50!!! 

The winner was “forgottenman,” who didn’t find all of them but found more than most.  He says no fair to use one-word titles, but I wrote the poem and I make the rules.  You won anyway, Forgottenman!  (See his blog at okcforgottenman.wordpress.com.)

I’ll Leave the Light On

This is a world for the knowing,
and everybody knows
that if we would try just a little bit harder
that we wouldn’t feel so trapped.
yet still we cry baby, cry.

You think he’s gonna carry you home
to China?
It’s not like that, darlin’.
It’s more likely
that you’re walkin’ blind.
You will be two marionettes
on the Twickeham Ferry.

Where can I go?
you ask,
trapped,
a woman left lonely
in winter.

What you gonna do––
let your wedding dress
carry you home
to the cold mountains?

Run, baby, run.
Let the black ladder
be your museum of flight.
At heart you were always
a circus girl,
anyway––
that woman on the tier
far above desolation row.

When were you happy?
I know you keep me in your heart,
the one who loves you the most.
I am in your mind,
in the wind.
The memory of me
is better than love.

This is a call—
a broken man’s lament.
I hope it will
carry you home.
Walk away, Renée.
Walk away

You’ll accompany me.
We can take the long way home

 

(There are 50 song titles.  If you came up one short,  Cry Baby and Cry are two separate titles)