Week One Hundred and Thirty-Five: Petula Clark - "Downtown" - Girl, Interrupted Soundtrack

For the second year in a row now, my family has decided to postpone our Thanksgiving celebration until Friday, instead of Thursday, and for the second year in a row now, the person whom we were most accommodating chose not to show up.

So while everyone else was enjoying their turkey meal on Thursday (i.e., "Thanksgiving Day"), I had a VCR-fest instead. Before I get into the details of VCR-fest, I will take this opportunity to say that I miss the stability that I had growing up when I always knew that Thanksgiving would be on Thanksgiving and that Christmas would be on either December 24th or 25th (and if you made it to these celebrations, well fantastic, and if you didn't make it, then you missed out; it seems that everyone eventually figured out a way to make it when they realized that plans were not going to be switched around for them). However, since I don't have a spouse and/or child, I suppose that I don't get much of a say in the matter.

Anyhow, I dusted off my VHS tapes and embarked on some film watching. I started off with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, followed by Reality Bites, followed by Say Anything, and wrapped up things with Girl, Interrupted. 

I guess I never realized what a decent soundtrack Girl, Interrupted actually had. If you recall, at the time the film was released, I was still in my uber-goth phase. However, as I watched the film last Thursday, I realized that a lot of the tunes aren't half bad. 

If you get a chance to read the book, I strongly suggest that you do so. It was from the book that I learned that Sylvia Plath was at the very same psychiatric hospital as Susanna Kaysen. I'll include the back cover for you:

In addition to "Downtown" by Petula Clark, I am also including "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts... I always thought that was a Juice Newton song.

When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know, downtown

Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares

So go downtown
Things will be great when you're downtown
No finer place for sure, downtown
Everything's waiting for you

Don't hang around and let your problems surround you
There are movie shows downtown
Maybe you know some little places to go to
Where they never close downtown

Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle Bossa Nova
You'll be dancing with 'em too before the night is over
Happy again
The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares

So go downtown
Where all the lights are bright, downtown
Waiting for you tonight, downtown
You're gonna be alright now, downtown

Downtown
Downtown

And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to
Guide them along
So maybe I'll see you there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares

So go downtown
Things will be great when you're downtown
Don't wait a minute more, downtown
Everything is waiting for you, downtown

Downtown (downtown)
Downtown (downtown)
Downtown (downtown)
  Downtown (downtown)  

 

Week One Hundred and Thirty-Four: Social Distortion - "Don't Drag Me Down" - White Light, White Heat, White Trash

Even though Social Distortion has been around forever, it wasn't really until much later that I actually decided to check out their tunes. However, when I finally fell for them, I fell for them hardcore! Yummy... Mike Ness!!!

So, when I was teaching, seeing as though it was a Catholic school, the principal made a feeble attempt, at one point, to get the staff to wear uniform shirts. Every time I put on that lame uniform shirt with the school's logo embroidered on, I could not help but think about how awesome it would look if I could just sew a band patch over it. Upon quitting, I did just that... I sewed my beloved Social Distortion patch on...

 

Social Distortion recently stopped by the Gas Monkey Bar N Grill in Dallas, but sadly, I did not make it out. In fact, for as many times as they have been through Dallas, I have yet to see them play live.

Today, I will include a few of my favorites (that are not necessarily considered their hits) called "Don't Drag Me Down" and "Under My Thumb" (Rolling Stones cover).  I will also include "Making Believe" and "Cold Feelings", but make sure you also check out the rest of their stuff because they are amazing!!!

 Children are taught to hate

Parents just couldn't wait
Some are rich and some are poor
Others will just suffer more
Have you ever been ashamed
And felt society try to keep you down, I begin to watch things change
And see them turn around
Turn around
They'll try to keep you down
Turn around [x2]
Don't drag me down
Ignorance is like a gun in hand
Reach out to the promised land
Your history books are full of lies
Media-blitz gonna dry your eyes
Have you ever been afraid
And felt society try to keep you down, I begin to watch things change
And see them turn around
Turn around
They'll try to keep you down
Turn around [x2]
Don't drag me down
Ignorance is like a gun in hand, reach out to the promised land
Your history books
Are full of lies, media-blitz gonna dry your eyes
You're eighteen
Wanna be a man
Your granddaddy's in
The Klu Klux Klan
Taking two steps forward
And four steps back
Gonna go to the White House
And paint it black
[x2] Turn around
They'll try to keep you down
Turn around [x2]
Don't drag me
Down 

Week One Hundred and Thirty-Three: Matchbox Twenty - "Unwell" - More Than You Think You Are

So I have been making a conscious effort to get myself out of the house on the weekends. I don't want to look back on my life one day and regret that I did not take full advantage of opportunities to be a part of the human race, even if I can honestly say that I absolutely despise at least 75% (possibly more) of the human race.

Therefore, I planned a little trip out to Grapevine Mills Mall, an outlet mall that housed a coffee shop where I worked for a few years in college. I have mentioned it in other posts. It was called Torrefazione Italia, and it was inside the Virgin Megastore.

I bundled up tightly since it is ridiculously cold in Dallas right now, and I made my way out to Grapevine. Everything was going well until traffic came to a complete stop. Then I realized that everyone in the lane in which I was traveling was also headed to Grapevine Mills Mall (or at least the general vicinity of said mall).

Since I drove to that mall almost daily for approximately two years, I knew that we were at least a mile or more away in standstill traffic.  I also knew that I had to make a snap decision because there was only one more exit before I was stuck in that nonsense of a mess for good.

Needless to say, I did not make it to Grapevine Mills Mall, but I did enjoy a delicious bowl of Tomato Basil Soup and a Chocolate Eclair from a nearby La Madeleine on my way back to Dallas. I was also inspired to try my hand at making some of my very own Tomato Basil Soup from a mock recipe that I found online.

While cooking and listening to Pandora, this very song came on, and I realized that Matchbox Twenty was yet another phenomenal band that I did not appreciate near enough while in my "I'm-so-goth-and-sad" days. Therefore, I will share not only "Unwell" but also a few of their other tunes that I like called "If You're Gone", "3AM", and "How Far We've Come". Oh, and the soup is still not quite ready, so I'll have to tell you how it turns out some other time...

All day staring at the ceiling
Making friends with shadows on my wall
All night hearing voices telling me
That I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something

Hold on
Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown
And I don't know why

[Chorus]

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be...me

I'm talking to myself in public
Dodging glances on the train
And I know, I know they've all been talking about me
I can hear them whisper
And it makes me think there must be something wrong with me
Out of all the hours thinking
Somehow I've lost my mind

[Chorus]

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

I've been talking in my sleep
Pretty soon they'll come to get me
Yeah, they're taking me away

[Chorus]

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

Yeah, how I used to be
How I used to be
Well, I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be
I'm just a little unwell

 

 

Week One Hundred and Thirty-Two: Missing Persons - "Words" - Spring Session M

So, I just returned from the Kimbell Art Museum, where the latest exhibit is Faces of Impressionism: Portraits from the Musee d'Orsay:

And although I am nearly brought to tears by the overwhelming beauty and vibrant colors of the large pieces at any Impressionist exhibit, it is always a smaller piece that seems to strike me the most. 

The piece to which I kept returning this time was by Pierre-Auguste Renoir called The Reader:

(Yes, that is an over-priced $5.00 magnet that I purchased from the gift shop.)

I just can't understand why most of society despises reading, and Renoir found such beauty in the exact same activity to the point that he captured it using oil on canvas and such breathtaking brushstrokes.

And no joke, as a side note, as I turned the corner, I came face-to-face with the client who not too long ago had the nerve to ask me in a meeting why I wasn't married. I responded: "Well, ma'am, I just haven't found anyone with whom I'd like to establish community property." This time, she asked me if I had ever had the pleasure of going to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. I just responded,"No"...(because I did not think it would be appropriate to remind her that not everyone has $7 million in the bank.)

So, on my drive home from Fort Worth, as I was listening to 1st Wave, I thought that it would be a fabulous time to post "Words" by Missing Persons.

You might recall from my post about A Flock of Seagulls that I had the opportunity to see Missing Persons at Eden 2000 in Dallas back in the '90s. Today, I will also include another one of my favorites called "Destination Unknown"...

Do you hear me?

Do you care?

Do you hear me?

Do you care?

My lips are moving and the sound's coming out

The words are audible but I have my doubts

That you realize what has been said

You look at me as if you're in a daze

It's like the feeling at the end of the page

When you realize you don't know what you just read

What are words for

When no one listens anymore

What are words for

When no one listens

What are words for

When no one listens

There's no use talking at all

I might as well go up and talk to a wall

'Cause all the words are having no effect at all

It's a funny thing, am I all alone?

Something has to happen to change the direction

What little filters though is giving you the wrong impression

It's a sorry state, I say to myself

What are words for

When no one listens anymore

What are words for

When no one listens

What are words for

When no one listens

There's no use talking at all

Do you hear me?

Do you care?

Do you hear me?

Do you care?

Let me get by over your dead body

Hope to see you soon, when will I know?

Doors three feet wide with no locks open

Walking always backwards in the faces of strangers

Time could be my friend

But it's less than nowhere now, it's less than nowhere now

It's less than nowhere now, nowhere now

Pursue it any further and another thing you'll find

Not only are they deaf and dumb they could be going blind

No one notices, I think I'll dye my hair blue

Media overload bombarding you with action

It's getting near impossible to cause distraction

Someone answer me before I pull the plug

What are words for

When no one listens anymore

What are words for

When no one listens

What are words for

When no one listens

There's no use talking at all

What are words for

When no one listens anymore

What are words for

When no one listens

What are words for

When no one listens

There's no use talking at all

Do you hear me?

Do you care?

Do you hear me?

Do you care?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you hear me?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you care?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you hear me?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you care?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you hear me?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you care?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you hear me?

(Tell me what are words for)

Do you care?

(Tell me what are words for)

Week One-Hundred and Thirty-One: The Psychedelic Furs - "Run and Run" - Forever Now

Dearest Psychedelic Furs:

I would like to apologize on behalf of Dallas, Texas, for their incredibly lame behavior at your amazing concert on Friday, October 31st. Please know that I attempted, on numerous occasions, to stand up in the balcony and dance to your splendid tunes, only to be completely horrified as I turned around to death glares from the people still seated on their fat asses in the rows behind me. 

I was pleased to see that I made it into your Facebook photo (pictured below), and you can even tell that I am literally on the edge of my seat, attempting to show my appreciation for your influence on my formative years, as I am up against the railing and not even aligned with the people next to me.

I did finally get to dance to your encore songs, "Pretty in Pink" and "India", but that was only because most of the haters behind me left before you came back out for the encore.

If you ever come to House of Blues again, I will make sure to get a general admission ticket and not a balcony seat, so that I can fully express my deepest adoration for you!!!

Sincerely,

Anastasia M.




Ummmmmm, so yes, the concert was phenomenal, but the crowd was embarrassing. I have seen more lively behaviors from attendees at geriatric festivities!!! I even heard a couple, while we were leaving the show, state the following: "I don't understand why anyone would purchase a seat if they want to get up and move around during the show." Really??? Really?!?! Because the last time I checked, it's not unheard of to stand up and move around at a concert, you sadly oblivious and mis-informed concert-goers!!!

Anyhow, today, I am going to share with you one of the tunes they played called "Run and Run".  I am also including a clip that I found on Youtube of their opening number, "President Gas", and you can even see for yourself how completely dead the crowd was that evening. And check out who is on the synthesizers... that's Amanda Kramer from
Information Society (I posted about them a few weeks ago)!

(From The Psychedelic Furs Facebook page: My mom and I are circled in red in the photo.)

Go on get Tarzan, go on get Jane

Go on get Superman, get Lois Lane

Hamburger Mary, she's got a gun

Nothing goes on all the time and she thinks it's fun

Come on run run run run away

Come on run away

Come on run run run run away

Come on run away

Doorbell plays Beethoven, I open the door

Yesterday's there and I fall on the floor

Practicing makeup, she laughs at us all

Hey look at you, she's seen it all before

Come on run run run run away

Come on run away

Come on run run run run away

Come on run away

Come on run run run run away

Come on run away

Come on run run run run away

Come on run away

I'm having this party, so come now, please

It's an open house girl but no games with keys

No jokes in blank humor, lines in blank verse

It couldn't get much worse

There's heroes and villains, Ma B and her boys

Doing the twist, dancing with toys

I've been waiting all night for someone like you

But you'll have to do, I've been waiting all night