Week One Hundred and Sixty-One: Hellogoodbye - "Call N' Return (Say That You're Into Me)" - Hellogoodbye (EP)

So I had the unfortunate displeasure of waking up to no electricity this morning as a result of this moron taking out a power line around the corner from me:

And of course, I failed to charge my phone last night, but I had at least taken the time yesterday to juice up my trusty little iPod (the same one [pictured below] that I was sure was on its last leg a few years ago... well, it's still alive & kicking, believe it or not...):

And that astrophysicist that I dated a few years back gave me some speakers, for some occasion or other, that do not require any type of power source (so I'll also take this opportunity to say "thank you" to all of the mega-nerds of the world who think up these useful little contraptions):

Therefore, I at least had my music and a good book and the sunshine (praise the Lord!!!) to be able to wait it out the four (4) estimated hours that it was going to take for my power to be restored. Now, as you may recall, my trusty little iPod currently holds almost 4,500 songs; so, it is always a great joy, as well as a trip down memory lane, when I place it on *shuffle* mode.

I was entertained by many blasts from the past, including today's selection. Actually, I was introduced to this tune by one of my students the very first year I taught junior high... way back in 2004. She just came up to me out of the blue one day and told me that she thought I would really like this song and that I should check it out. I never became as completely enamored by it as she was, but I did not dislike it either, as I did with some of the musical suggestions they would often make.

I sometimes wonder how my former students are doing and what they have made of their lives. I am fortunate enough to still keep in touch with many of them, but there are some that cross my mind off and on...and I hope that life is bringing them nothing but goodness and ample blessings!

You promised me starry night skies

They just remind me of your shining bright eyes

I'm missing your voice at night time

This sepa-separation seem-seems a sad crime

But don't don't don't think think think I forgot you you you

Are are are oh so sweet I I I - I knew

If only you were here

Things would be more magical

If I was there

Right now would be more radical

You're so not near

I'm wishing I could place a call

And feel closer to you ooo-ooo

The miles of air and road and land

That separate me from all my plans

Were havin' havin' havin' havin' fun

But something something tells me I miss someone

But I hope hope hope you didn't forget me I couldn't

Forget you the whole time I always knew I knew

If only you were here

Things would be more magical

If I was there

Right now would be more radical

You're so not near

I'm wishing I could place a call

And feel closer to you ooo-ooo

Say that you're into me, let me know how it will be

If you don't know just say so

I'll wait till the perfect time think of all the perfect lines

I'll make sure if I let you know

We've got movies on our list to see

Things to do just you and me

Calls to make from here to there and back

We've got fun to have and days to spend

Stars to see or just pretend

At least for now just keep things right on track

Say that you're into me, let me know how it will be

If you don't know just say so

I'll wait till the perfect time think of all the perfect lines

I'll make sure if I let you know...

Week One Hundred and Sixty: Eleven Hundred Springs - "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?" - Single

So my friend, Darlington, contacted me a few weeks ago to advise that he was starting a magazine called Sunglasses&Sugar, and he wanted to know if I would like to submit an advertisement for my blog. Seeing as though I have attempted no previous advertising, I thought, "Why the heck not?!?!"

After multiple failed efforts, I finally submitted the following:

I didn't hear anything more about the magazine until a few days ago when Darlington contacted me again to tell me that he was kindly going to send me a copy via post (cover pictured below), and you should all know by now that I am one of the few remaining souls who loves, loves, loves receiving actual mail, especially handwritten letters!!!

The magazine is jam-packed with interviews from Simon Tam of The Slants, Phanie D of FEA and Girl in a Coma, Boz Boorer of The Polecats and Morrissey's solo work, and Steve Berg of Eleven Hundred Springs, Lone Star Trio, and Matt The Cat Trio. Here's a little teaser of what's inside (but feel free to contact me if you would like to know how to acquire your very own copy):

In late 2013, Darlington invited me to a performance by Matt The Cat Trio at the Double Wide in Dallas. I happily accepted the invite, and I must say that I was completely blown away by their cover of Charley Pride's tune, "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?" You might recall that I included Charley Pride in my "Honorary Valentine" Playlist for my 2013 Valentine's Day post during Week Forty-One: Classic Country. They also covered "Poison Ivy", which I mentioned during Week Forty-Six: Doo-Wop. That's the song I did my tap dance to the previous year.

I couldn't find a Matt The Cat Trio version of "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone?"; therefore, I'll have to offer you the version by Eleven Hundred Springs that is featured on YouTube. I'm also going to include Charley Pride's version since you should know by now how important I feel it is to credit the original artist. In addition, I'm going to include another tune by Matt The Cat Trio called "When I Try to be Cool". Enjoy!!

Rain dripping off the brim of my hat

It sure is cold today

Here I am'a walking down sixty-six

Wish she hadn't done me this way

Sleeping under a table at the road side park

You know a man could wake up dead

But it sure feels warmer than it did

Sleepin' in our king size bed

Is anybody goin' to San Antone

Or Phoenix, Arizona

Anyplace is alright as long as I 

Can forget I've ever known her

Wind whipping down the neck of my shirt

Like I ain't got nothing on

Oh I'd rather fight all the wind and rain

Than what I've been fighting at home

Yonder comes a truck with the US mail

All the folks writing letters back home

Tomorrow she'll probably want me back

But I'll still be just as gone

Is anybody goin' to San Antone

Or Phoenix, Arizona

Anyplace is alright as long as I 

Can forget I've ever known her

You know that anyplace is alright as long as I 

Can forget I've ever known her

Week One Hundred and Fifty-Nine: Feist - "Secret Heart" - Let It Die

I'm feeling less than inspired today, and I realize that I have already covered some of Feist's tunes in Week Forty-Eight; however, I heard this one on Pandora the other day, and it made me recall this beautiful little quote that I once read by Stephen King that I will share with you today:

“The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them -- words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out. But it's more than that, isn't it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.”

I could not agree with Stephen King more. I often feel like I am completely surrounded by people who do not understand me and whom I do not understand either... Oh well, such is life, I suppose. I guess that is why I spend such copious amounts of time alone.

I found out through Wikipedia that "Secret Heart" is actually a cover of a tune by Ron Sexsmith, so I will include his original for you, as well as another Feist song called "I Feel It All". I doubt that I will ever mention Feist again, and I really like that song too and want to share it with you all!

I am including the original Ron Sexsmith lyrics because there are so many variations of the Feist lyrics that I got tired of trying to compare them all...

Secret heart, what are you made of?

What are you so afraid of?

Could it be three simple words

Or the fear of being overheard? What's wrong?

Let her in on your secret, heart

Secret heart, why so mysterious?

Why so sacred, why so serious?

Maybe you're just acting tough

Maybe you're just not man enough, what's wrong?

Let her in on your secret, heart

This very secret you're trying to conceal

Is the very same one you're dying to reveal

Go tell her, how you feel

Secret heart, come out and share it

This loneliness, few can bear it

Could it have something to do with

Admitting that you just can't go through it alone?

Let her in on your secret, what's wrong?

Let her in on your secret, heart

Week One Hundred and Fifty-Eight: The Shirelles - "Mama Said" - The Best of The Shirelles

In honor of Mother's Day, today I am covering "Mama Said" by The Shirelles. You may recall from previous posts that I have mentioned that there is something about Spring that screams "Golden Oldies" to me. I love driving around town with the windows down, taking in the fresh air, and listening to the Fifties on 5 and the Sixties on 6 on Sirius.

Growing up, my mama said a lot of things to me and imparted many words of wisdom, but one thing that she definitely reinforced over and over and over again was how important it was for me to get my education. She was always my biggest advocate when it came to my educational pursuits.

I believe that it was her constant reminder that education equals freedom that led me to where I am today. My mother obviously grew up in a different time and a different place with fewer choices available to her, but it's almost as if she could foresee my future. It's as if she sensed from the time of my earliest childhood that I had an incredibly independent spirit and that married life with a family was not what I would ever want or need. Through the use of her incredibly accurate mother's intuition, she could not have advised me any better if she had tried.

As with any other mother, my mama also said some funny things, some crazy things, and some not so nice things, but most of what she said was very loving and very supportive... and I want to wish her and everyone else a lovely Mother's Day!

Ha and just like the lyrics said: "[She] met a little boy named Billy Joe and then [she] almost lost [her] mind..." Love ya, mom!!! :-D

Mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

(Mama said, mama said)

Mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

I went walkin' the other day, yeah

Everything was goin' fine

And then I met a little boy named BillyJoe

And then I almost lost my mind

Come on, mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

(Mama said, mama said)

Oh, mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

My eyes were wide open

All that I could see, yeah

The chapel bells were tollin'

For everybody but me

But I don't worry 'cause

Mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

(Mama said, mama said)

Mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

And then she said

Someone would look at me

Like I'm lookin' at you

One day

Then I might find

I don't want you any old way

So, don't worry, 'cause

Mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

(Mama said, mama said)

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Mama said there'll be days like this

There'll be days like this, my mama said

Oh, yeah

(Mama said, mama said)

Don't worry, yeah, don't worry, now, yeah, eah, eah, eah

Don't worry, worry, now, now, now

Don't you worry

Week One Hundred and Fifty-Seven: Everclear - "Everything to Everyone" - So Much for the Afterglow

Anyone who is actually close to me knows that I am struggling a bit in life at the moment. I suppose it would be the equivalent of an existential crisis. You see, from all outward appearances, my life is ideal. I drive a brand new car. I have a nice place to live. I have money in the bank and 3 months of bills stashed away in savings, just in case. I even have some retirement money invested in a 403(b) plan. However, I'm not sure I completely understand for what it is I am doing all of this exactly. As I was telling my mother the other day, if nothing else, the job that I currently possess has taught me that it doesn't matter if you die with $1 to your name or $100,000,000 to your name, the size of the hole in the ground that everyone is placed in is exactly the same...and nobody gets to take anything with them.

I suppose that the reason that I feel so incredibly stuck at the moment is that I am so close to getting out of the debts that I created for myself when I decided to get my multiple degrees and certificates (and let's be honest here, when I also made seriously stupid life decisions). I feel like I just need to hold out for a bit longer to see what it feels like to finally be out of debt once and for all.

It's kind of funny to me, though, because if you had asked my 15-year-old goth/punk self if she would have ever seen the 37-year-old me in the position that I currently hold, she would have laughed in your face!!! I'm not saying that I'm going to "jump ship" just because things have gotten difficult and demanding.

What I am saying, though, is that instead of continuing to "try to be everything to everyone", I am going to strive for a greater work-life balance. Otherwise, this behavior is going to continue to follow me from career to career to career. I will never escape my workaholic nature. I simply need to reel it in on my own terms.

Until then, I guess I will just continue to "stumble" and "fall down" until I finally "learn"... Oh, and something kind of funny about the video... the uniform skirt that the school girls are wearing is the exact uniform skirt that I wore my freshman year of high school...

You put yourself in stupid places

Yes, I think you know it's true

Situations where it's easy to look down on you

I think you like to be the victim

I think you like to be in pain

I think you make yourself a victim

Almost every single day

You do what you do

You say what you say

You try to be everything to everyone

You know all the right people

You play all the right games

You always try to be everything to everyone

Yeah, you do it again

You always do it again

You say they taught you how to read and write

Yeah, they taught you how to count

I say they taught you how to buy and sell

Your own body by the pound

I think you like to be their simple toy

I think you love to play the clown

I think you are blind to the fact

That the hand you hold is the hand that holds you down

You do what you do

Yeah, you say what you say

You always try to be everything to everyone

You know all the right people

You play all the right games

You always try to be everything to everyone

Spin around and fall down

Do it again

You stumble and you fall

Yeah, why won't you ever learn

Spin around and fall down

Do it again

Yeah, you stumble and you fall

I wonder if you will ever learn

Yeah, why won't you ever learn

Come on now

Do that stupid dance for me

Oh yeah, you do what they tell you to do

You say what they say

You try to be everything to everyone

Yeah, you jump through the big hoop

You play all the right games

You try to be everything to everyone

Spin around and fall down

Do it again

You stumble and you fall

Yeah, you do it again

Spin around and fall down

Do it again

You stumble and you fall