Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs.
This week the title or lyrics of the song must contain a colour. (For my American friends that is one of the many words where you took out the U for some reason!)
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
The video for this is really rather clever. It is other worldly, dreamlike, with a generous smattering of childhood magic. The lyrics include a bit of Latin so I hope that you paid attention at school.
Eurus Afer Ventus – South African Wind
Boreus Zephyrus Africus – Northern West and Southwest
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs. This week the title or lyrics of the song must contain one of the words Even, or Odd.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
I’ve chosen a song this week off the album Dark Sky Island, by Enya. I used a song off this album in October 2020, when Jim gave us a free choice. “The Humming” can be found here.
Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, known professionally as Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and musician. Born into a musical family and raised in an Irish speaking area in County Donegal, Enya began her music career when she joined her family’s Celtic folk band Clannad in 1980 on keyboards and backing vocals. She left in 1982 with their manager and producer Nicky Ryan to pursue a solo career, with Ryan’s wife Roma Ryan as her lyricist. She has sung in ten languages.
In 2008 Enya took a three-year break from music and spent time travelling, including visits to Ireland, Australia, and France, where she bought a new home, on its southern coast, and renovated it. Eventually, she caught up with her long-time collaborators, Nicky and Roma Ryan, to discuss ideas on the next album and when to start work. At one meeting, Roma presented Enya with a collection of poems she had written about islands, one of which was about Sark in the English Channel, and they spoke about its designation as the first island to become a dark-sky preserve in 2011.
I’ve chosen to offer you “Even in the Shadows”. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Even in the shadows I turn around To find you walk away And even when I whisper The winds will come To steal the words I say
I could fall and keep on falling I could call and keep on calling Wonder why this love is over Wonder why it’s not forever more
Even in the silence I hear my heart It’s still a part of you And even in the morning When light has come I don’t know what to do
I could fall and keep on falling I could call and keep on calling (Love may come…) Wonder why this love is over (…and love may go) Wonder why it’s not forever
I could fall and keep on falling I could call and keep on calling (Love may come…) Wonder why this love is over (…and love may go) Wonder why it’s not forever more
I could fall and keep on falling I could call and keep on calling (Love may come…) Wonder why this love is over (…and love may go) Wonder why it’s not forever
I could fall and keep on falling I could call and keep on calling (Love may come…) Wonder why this love is over (…and love may go) Wonder why it’s not forever more
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs. This week the title or lyrics of the song must contain one of the words Chat, Laugh, Rant, Scream, or Talk.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
Last week I had a Smokie link to my thoughts and I’m going the same way this week.
The song I’ve chosen is one that I have in my music collection – by Smokie. It’s a song that that I always believed was written by Rod Stewart, but I find was actually written by Danny Whitten.
Danny was best known for his work with Neil Young’s backing band Crazy Horse and is sadly one of the many musicians who died tragically young, in Danny’s case at the age of 29, reportedly “engulfed” by Mandrax.
The song he’s best remembered for is “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” and the featured version is by Rod Stewart with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded in 2019. The video has some tremendous flashbacks which I think are a marvellous tribute to Rod’s history with this great song. I hope you agree.
I can tell by your eyes that you’ve probably been cryin’ forever And the stars in the sky don’t mean nothin’ to you, they’re a mirror I don’t want to talk about it, how you broke my heart If I stay here just a little bit longer If I stay here, won’t you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?
If I stand all alone, will the shadow hide the color of my heart Blue for the tears, black for the night’s fears The star in the sky don’t mean nothin’ to you, they’re a mirror I don’t want to talk about it, how you broke my heart If I stay here just a little bit longer If I stay here, won’t you listen to my heart, whoa, heart? I don’t want to talk about it, how you broke this old heart
If I stay here just a little bit longer If I stay here, won’t you listen to my heart, whoa, heart? My heart, whoa, heart
But that’s not strictly true. Some people are mute, they never ever speak audibly.
Ah yes, there is a point there, but did you note the subtle nicety that, although someone cannot speak, they can still be ‘heard’.
That can only be a good thing. Everyone should be able to have their voice heard, but we all know that all voices are not equal.
But what can we do about that?
We can carry on speaking, making our voices heard, even when we think our voice is inaudible.
We have to speak the truth. We have to speak the love. We have to speak the beauty. We have to speak the peace. We have to speak the forgiveness. We have to speak the reconciliation.
I have never before watched a Presidential Inauguration all the way through, as it happened. Yesterday I did, and I am glad that I did. There was much common sense, much compassion, and great reason for hope.
Did you hear Amanda Gorman’s poem? Amanda, America’s Youth Poet Laureate, gave a stunning oration and, at the age of only 22, spoke better than the majority of politicians do nowadays. Her words embody the hopes and dreams of all right-thinking people. She is smart, bright, articulate. A lady to watch, learn from, and encourage to do wondrous things in the future.
Her final words spoke volumes, and should speak to all the world, not just to America. Her voice, and ours are voices to be heard.
When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it.
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs. This week the title of the song must start with D or J.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
I have this song amongst my collection, recorded by Smokie, and I had no idea who had written it or recorded it. That version can be found down at the bottom.
The original was written and recorded by Randy VanWarmer, an American singer-songwriter who was inspired to write “Just When I Needed You Most” by two events: his old car, that
he loved and used for years, broke down on his way to work in Denver, Colorado, and he experienced a “devastating” breakup with a girlfriend. He wrote the song six months after that breakup, co-writing it with Tony Wilson of the group Hot Chocolate two years before it became a hit.
It was released as a single in February 1979 and reached No, 8 in the UK charts in September after peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.1 on Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks earlier that year
Sadly, Randy died on 12th January 2004, from leukemia, at the aged of 48.
I’ve included the studio recording, a “live” version, the Smokie version, and, finally Dolly Parton singing the song live. I hope you enjoy at least one of them!
You packed in the morning, I stared out the window And I struggled for something to say You left in the rain without closing the door I didn’t stand in your way Now I miss you more than I missed you before And now where I’ll find comfort, God knows ‘Cause you left me just when I needed you most Left me just when I needed you most Now most every morning, I stare out the window And I think about where you might be I’ve written you letters that I’d like to send If you would just send one to me ‘Cause I need you more than I needed before And now where I’ll find comfort, God knows ‘Cause you left me just when I needed you most Left me just when I needed you most You packed in the morning, I stared out the window And I struggled for something to say You left in the rain without closing the door I didn’t stand in your way Now I love you more than I loved you before And now where I’ll find comfort, God knows ‘Cause you left me just when I needed you most Oh yeah, you left me just when I needed you most You left me just when I needed you most
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs. This week the title of the song must start with M or A.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
The video I’ve chosen is a recording of two very good friends who have known each other from way back and are very comfortable together. They first got together in January 1967 when The Jeff Beck Group was formed and went on to help set up The Faces in 1969. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood are plainly great mates. They are happy to be together and they enjoy playing music together.
Rod Stewart has stated that his goal in life is to play ‘Mandolin Wind’ and make it sound like the record. I think this, despite using the banjo in place of the mandolin for parts of the song, is a pretty good effort!
When the rain came, I thought you’d leave ‘Cause I knew how much you loved the sun But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm Through the darkest nights, I’ve ever known If the mandolin wind, couldn’t change a thing Then I know I love ya Oh the snow fell, without a break Buffalo died, in the frozen fields you know Through the coldest winter, in almost fourteen years I couldn’t believe you kept your smile Now I can rest assured, knowing that we’ve seen the worst And I know I love ya Oh I never was good, with romantic words So the next few lines, come really hard Don’t have much, but what I’ve got is yours Except of course, my steel guitar Ha, ’cause I know you don’t play But I’ll teach you one day Because I love ya
I recall the night, we knelt and prayed Noticing, your face was thin and pale I found it hard, to hide my tears I felt ashamed, I felt I’d let you down No mandolin wind, couldn’t change a thing Couldn’t change a thing, no no Ooh-hoo-hoo
Lada-dada, la-da, lada-dada Lada-dada, da-n-dada
The coldest winter, in almost fourteen years Could never, never change your mind, yeah Ooh-hoo-ooh And I love ya Yes indeed, and I love ya And I love ya Lordy I love ya Ooh-hoo And I love ya Lord, I love ya
I was recently honoured to be featured, for the second time, on Sammi Cox’s Whispers and Echoes, an online journal of short writing where Sammi invites bloggers to submit Flash fiction and poems. It is just one of Sammi’s various offerings and the more you look the more you will be delighted by her work. Please do follow the links below and explore the world of Sammi Cox, and those that she features. You are bound to find something you love.
I wrote this as a social commentary on the modern phenomenon of X feeling that their opinion is the only one that matters. It seems that no-one has the right to disagree, debate, discuss, or do anything other than accept that X is right and has the absolute right to have everyone else accept that opinion.You can choose your own X!
Colleen’s post today, on The Chatter Blog, entitled Until You Can’t prompted me to write a Rapid Rhyme which I have decided to call (surprise, surprise)……….
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs. This week the title of the song must start with P or G.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
Music is a personal choice and, like any form of art, I know that some may not be to everyone’s liking. The song I’ve chosen this week probably fits that statement more than most.
“Paranoid Android” is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead. It was released as the lead single from their album OK Computer in May 1997.
The song was originally over 14 minutes long but was reduced to just over six minutes. It has four distinct sections and was written by singer Thom Yorke following an unpleasant experience in a Los Angeles bar during which he was surrounded by strangers who were high on cocaine.
In particular, Yorke was frightened by a woman who became violent after someone spilled a drink on her. Yorke characterised the woman as “inhuman” and said “There was a look in this woman’s eyes that I’d never seen before anywhere…. Couldn’t sleep that night because of it.” The woman inspired the line “kicking squealing Gucci little piggy” in the song’s second section. Yorke, referring to the line “With your opinions, which are of no consequence at all”, said that “That’s just a joke. It’s actually the other way around – it’s actually my opinion that is of no consequence at all.”
The original release came in the form of an animated video and this appears at the bottom of the post, but I’m offering a live performance from 1997 on “Later with Jules Holland”, a BBC production that I never miss. I do hope that you enjoy it.
The group obviously get on tremendously well, having met at school. I love how they almost show disinterest in sections where they are not actively playing, yet they remain professional throughout. Jonathan Greenwood, the very talented lead guitarist who has written several film scores, wanders off to the back to play keyboards. His brother, Colin, beavers away, almost unnoticed, playing bass, with Philip Selway, equally busy, playing the drums. Edward O’Brien on the left, meanwhile sorts out a minor technical problem at 2.37(not shown here but, believe me, it happened), then takes a well-earned rest at 3.30 before taking over the refrain “Rain Down” from Thom Yorke at 5.00. So brilliantly done that you never even noticed it!
You may have surmised that I’ve watched this particular recording a few times. I have, and I love it. I hope that you do too!
Please could you stop the noise? I’m trying to get some rest
From all the unborn chicken Voices in my head
What’s there? (I may be paranoid, but not an android) What’s there? (I may be paranoid, but not an android)
When I am king You will be first against the wall
With your opinion Which is of no consequence at all
What’s there? (I may be paranoid, but no android) What’s there? (I may be paranoid, but no android)
Ambition makes you look pretty ugly Kicking and squealing Gucci little piggy
You don’t remember, you don’t remember Why don’t you remember my name? Off with his head, man Off with his head, man Why don’t you remember my name? I guess he does
Rain down, rain down Come on rain down on me From a great height From a great height Height Rain down, rain down Come on rain down on me From a great height From a great height Height Rain down, rain down Come on rain down on me That’s it, sir You’re leaving The crackle of pigskin The dust and the screaming The yuppies networking The panic, the vomit The panic, the vomit God loves his children God loves his children, yeah
Let’s hope that 2021 is the start of we humans getting things right, allowing nature to heal herself, realising that to move forward we have to co-operate rather than argue, compromise rather than stick rigidly to our preconceived ideas, love rather than hate, and help those less fortunate than ourselves.
Happy New Year to everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, even those I disagree with, even those who are bigoted, even those who hate.
"If only half of the history that has happened in Nottingham had happened in some other place, that place would be famous; but because it did happen here no one knows".
