Week One Hundred and Seventeen: Beborn Beton - "Another World" - Truth

Oh my goodness...will the sad news ever cease?!?! Over the course of this past month, I received word of one devastating tale after another about people, whom I'd known, passing away unexpectedly. Last night's news was, by far, the most devastating!!!

One of my favorite students, from the very first year that I ever taught, is no longer with us. Although it has not been confirmed, I feel that it is safe to assume that his passing was drug and/or alcohol-related.

If you ever read my post, The Clash - "White Riot", you may remember me mentioning a group of boys, from my first year of teaching, who would often enter my classroom singing "White Riot" and "London Calling"...he was the ringleader of this group...the forward-thinker who introduced his classmates to The Clash and many other note-worthy bands!

When I was studying to be a Substance Abuse Counselor, his father approached me to see if I would be willing to offer his son some counseling and guidance. Although I was obviously not licensed to counsel him at that time, I gave his dad my phone number and email address, told him that I would help in any way that I could, and waited for a call or a message.

About a year later, I saw his dad again and asked about his progress. His dad told me that although his son had seriously considered contacting me, his shame took over, and he was too afraid that I would be disappointed in him. His dad assured me that it meant so much to him that his son had even considered speaking with me, since he refused to let anyone else offer him help.

So Justin, honey, I hope you have "found peace in another world"... and I hope you know that even though teachers are not supposed to have favorites, you were always one of my favorites!!!

There is no use in dying

When still I seem to be undone 

There is no use in trying to find again 

The love of someone 

Where have I gone and come so far

Well, I've been headed nowhere

I have been walking quite a while along

Feeling lonesome 

(chorus)

Don't you worry, 

They won't find my body 

I want you to know 

I found peace in another world 

Don't keep digging, 

I want you to leave back 

Away from the place 

Where my ashes are buried

I still can hear you breathing 

As if you'd never gone away 

I still can feel your touch, 

Your tenderness 

As if you were still there 

There is no sense in crying 

Only liquid running from my eyes 

And all the feelings I restrain 

Are the remainders that survived

Week One Hundred and Sixteen: Blur - "Bang" - Leisure

"Bang goes another year, in and out of one ear"... indeed! In fact, it seems that so many years have passed by so quickly that I celebrated the 10-year anniversary of my sobriety date yesterday!

That's right, my dearest blogland readers. Not an ounce of alcohol has entered my body since July 19, 2004... not even church wine!!!

I will assure you that it was not easy at first, but it doesn't even phase me anymore. I don't even miss it one bit. In fact, I have fully adopted that clever idea that "any liquid that can be set on fire probably should not be entering my body"!!!

I will share with you, however, that Blur was one of the beloved Britpop bands that I spent many an evening listening to whilst drinking my troubles away...and they just so happened to be the first band that showed up on my iPod yesterday while I was getting ready to treat myself to a trip to the Dallas Museum of Art to see the exhibit, Mind's Eye: Masterworks on Paper from David to Cezanne. If you're in Dallas, or if you'll be stopping by Dallas before October 26th, you should go. It's well worth the $8 admission fee.

Blur had a handful of other hits that I really enjoy, as well, so I also will include the following: "There's No Other Way", "Girls and Boys", and "Song 2"...WOOHOO.. just listen to "Song 2", and you'll understand!!!

Sitting in a SDT, 

Waiting for an underground train to rumble underneath my feet. 

Bang goes another day, where it went I could not say. 

Now I'll have to wait another week.

When all is said and all is done, what was said was never done. 

Don't panic, it's not really worth your while. 

Bang goes another year, in and out of one ear. 

Everybody's doing it, so do it too. 

I don't need anyone. 

But a little love would make things better.

Sitting on the early bus, passing through the morning rush.

It makes no difference that I'm not with you. 

Bang goes another year, in and out of one ear. 

Everybody is doing it, do it too. 

 I don't need anyone.

But a little love will make things better.

I don't need anyone.

But a little love will make things better.

Ahhhhhh...

Ahhhhhh...

I don't need anyone.

But a little love will make things better.

I don't need anyone.

But a little love will make things better.

I don't need anyone.

But a little love will make things better.

I don't need anyone.

But a little of your love will make things better.

Week One Hundred and Fifteen: My So-Called Life - Buffalo Tom - "Sodajerk" - Soundtrack

Back in 1994, when the very first episode of My So-Called Life was released, it was truly a life-altering experience for me. I was in complete awe that someone was able to so purely capture my feelings regarding life and love at a time in my development that so closely mirrored the lead character's same developmental phase.

I actually finally learned how to program a VCR to record a show from the television just so that I would never have to miss an episode of this program. I eventually got rid of all those boot-legged copies and purchased the DVD set on eBay. I'll include the front and back cover below:

Surprisingly, Wikipedia actually has a fairly decent description of this show; so I will include it below:

"My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the fictional Liberty High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it follows the emotional travails of several teenagers who are all in the social circle of main character Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes. The critically acclaimed but short-lived show ended in a cliffhanger with the expectation that it would be picked up for an additional season, but it was officially canceled on May 15, 1995.

The show was praised for its portrayal of adolescence and the commentary of its astute central character, Angela. My So-Called Life was named the second Best School Show of All Time by AOL TV. It placed No. 33 on Entertainment Weekly's 'New Classics TV' list of shows from 1983 to 2008, and then, in 2012, at No. 9 in that magazine's '25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years,' with the praise,

'It was the first teen drama that didn't feel like an after-school special. No one ever learned a very important lesson or uttered the phrase 'I love you, Dad.' Angela acted like a real 15-year-old, with all the crying jags and Buffalo Tom concerts that implies. What's even more impressive is that anyone who watched the show back in the '90s, when angst and Manic Panic felt totally of the moment, can now enjoy it on a very different level. Suddenly, Angela's parents are relatable.'"

Since they mentioned Buffalo Tom in the above write-up, I am going to include the song, "Sodajerk", for you today (which is the one on the soundtrack). Another Buffalo Tom song that ended up in an episode (but not on the soundtrack) is "Late at Night"; someone on YouTube added this track to some scenes from the episode, and you'll be treated to that one too!

Sadly, I found the official soundtrack for the show to be rather disappointing, but there was one other track on it that I really liked called "Drop a Bomb" by Madder Rose; so I will include that one for you, as well. Lastly, the opening tune for every episode was so epic that I'll include that for you also...

Watch an eyeball 

Take a free fall 

At the mention of a name 

In its socket 

And like a rocket 

Rises just the same 

But could my eyelids 

Cover what I did 

The shuttin' of the door 

And could these ceilings 

Contain my feelings 

Me down on the floor 

Jerked my fountain 

Ice cream mountains 

I suppose I'm just too late 

Form a line here 

I think I'll die here 

These people nauseate me 

But if my patience 

Were a spaceship 

High up in orbit 

Then I would rise here 

Hypnotized here 

Risen from where I sit 

A solid angle 

My legs do dangle 

Off the counter's edge 

Soft words spoken 

Promises broken 

Close my eyes instead 

But could my eyelids 

Cover what I did 

The shuttin' of the door 

And could these ceilings 

Contain my feelings 

Me down on the floor 

Me down on the floor 

Me down on the floor 

Me down on the floor

Week One Hundred and Fourteen: The Soup Dragons - "I'm Free" - Lovegod

In light of the celebration of our most recent holiday (Independence Day), I figured it would be quite fitting to cover "I'm Free". However, it is important to point out that this is not originally by The Soup Dragons. It is actually a cover of a song by The Rolling Stones.

The Soup Dragons showed up in my world around 1992. I'm not sure if I heard them first at Xenon, the teen club that I would frequent, or on 94.5 The EDGE, the radio station to which I was perpetually glued. Regardless, I loved this band! 

Another band that showed up in my world around the same time was Candy Flip, with their cover of the Beatles' song, "Strawberry Fields Forever". I will include that one for you, as well as two others by The Soup Dragons called "Pleasure" and "Divine Thing"...

Don't be afraid of your freedom

Freedom

I'm free to do what I want any old time

I said, I'm free to do what I want any old time

I say, love me, hold me, love me, hold me

'Cause I'm free to do what I want any old time

And I'm free to be who I choose any old time

I say love me, hold me, love me, hold me

'Cause I'm free

I say love me, hold me, love me, hold me

'Cause I'm free to do what I want

To be what I want any old time

And I'm free to be who I choose

To get my booze any old time

I say love me

(Love me forever)

Hold me

(And love will never die)

Love me, hold me

'Cause I'm free

Do you hear what I say

These are the words me hear from my granddaddy, come on

These are the words me hear from my granddaddy

Who say nothing in this world like when a man know he free

Free from the lackamissa, free from the dee

Free like a butterfly, free like a bee

These are the words me hear from my granddaddy

Said, it's nice to be free, nice to be free

Free from the lackamissa, free from the dee

Don't be afraid of your freedom

'Cause I'm free to do what I want any old time

(I'm a new creation)

'Cause I'm free to do what I want any old time

(Don't be afraid of your freedom)

I said, I'm I'm free to do what I want

To be what I want any old time

I said, I'm free to be who I choose

To get my booze any old time

'Cause I'm free to do what I want

Any old time

'Cause I'm free to do what I want

Any old time

'Cause I'm free to do what I want

Any old time

'Cause I'm free to do what I want

Any old time

'Cause I'm free to do what I want

Any old time