Week One Hundred and Seventy-Four: Nate Heller - "Run to the Mountain" - The Diary of a Teenage Girl

So I treated myself to the early showing of The Diary of a Teenage Girl at The Angelika.  I had seen previews for it when I recently went to the very same theater to watch the film, Amy, and it piqued my interest and seemed right up my alley.  I'll include the trailer for you now:

I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from the film, but it wasn't that... and by that, I mean a coming of age tale of pedophilia!  It wasn't a bad film.  There were some very touching moments (ha! and I don't mean that in a gross way!), but it was a little, ummmmm, different... I guess.

The soundtrack was fairly decent, but what really caught my attention was the tune that closed out the film and which also appears in the trailer.  I have recently been introduced to Bluegrass music, at the suggestion of a dear friend, and I've even added it to my Pandora mix.  So I've been listening to quite a few banjos lately, which is probably why today's tune caught my ear in such a manner.  Regardless, it's a sweet little song... so enjoy!

One, two, three

We can run to the mountains

We can sail the emerald sea

Drop a coin in every fountain

It comes true when I wake up

And I see you next to me

I gotta girl she's sweet as can be

All the other boys wanna be like me

And oh, isn't life sweet

Danny, isn't life sweet

Well I chased that girl around the Frisco Bay

Don't believe everything your mama say

And oh, isn't life weird

Danny, oh Danny

 We can run to the mountains

We can sail the emerald sea

Drop a coin in every fountain

It comes true when I wake up

And I see you next to me

 It comes true when I wake up

And I see you next to me

And I gotta girl she's sweet as can be

Sings like a bird, stings like a bee

And oh, isn't life sweet 

Danny, isn't life sweet

Well that girl chased me

And I ran away

Shoulda believed what your mama say

And oh, isn't life weird

Danny, isn't life weird, Danny

We can run to the mountains

We can sail the emerald sea

Drop a coin in every fountain

It comes true when I wake up

And I see you next to me

 It comes true when I wake up

And I see you next to me

It comes true when I wake up

And I see you next to me

Week One Hundred and Seventy-Three: Foo Fighters - "Big Me" - Foo Fighters

I always seem to find it a bit bizarre when clients insist on bringing their children with them to the meetings where they are signing their estate planning documents. I fully understand that babysitters are not cheap nor are they easy to come by these days; however, we do have a lovely little lobby with nice, comfy couches and an even nicer receptionist who would be more than happy to keep an eye on the kiddos.  Surely they know that the main topic of conversation is death - namely their own death; still some clients insist on having their children in the room with them.

Case in point, this past week, some clients brought their 15-year-old son.  It was fascinating to watch this kid's facial expressions throughout the course of the explanation of the documents.  The best one was the sly little smile when he realized how much he stood to inherit after both of his parents passed.  It kind of made me want to warn the parents that they might need to start sleeping with one eye open.

So how does the band, Foo Fighters, fit into this tale? Well, he just so happened to be wearing a Foo Fighters shirt.  Now, the best look on the kid's face was when I asked him if he was a fan of Nirvana too.  I thought he was going to fall out of the over-stuffed conference chair in which he was rocking back and forth.  

Okay, I get it though. I'm not sure that, at his age, I would have expected an older person decked out in a business suit to ask me about my favorite bands either; however, he humored me with small talk about the Foo Fighters, and I humored him with small talk about Nirvana. Plus, my boss loves it when I keep the clients (and their kid, in this instance) entertained while he gives everything a final once over, and I'd much rather converse about music than, oh say, their latest doctor's appointment results or their ungrateful grandchildren or whatever other topics I'm often forced to endure.  So it was quite refreshing, much like Mentos --- if you haven't seen the video for "Big Me", you'll understand that reference in a minute.

I realized that I had not yet made a post about the Foo Fighters; so today, I have selected my two favorites by them, "Big Me" and "Everlong"... enjoy!    

When I talk about it
Carries on
Reasons only knew
When I talk about it
Aries or
Treasons all renew

Big me to talk about it
I could stand to prove
If we can get around it
I know that it's true

When I talked about it
Carried on
Reasons only knew
But it's you
I fell into

When I talked about it
Carries on
Reasons only knew
When I talk about it
Aries or
Treasons all renew

Big me to talk about it
I could stand to prove
If we can get around it
I know that it's true

Well I talked about it
Put it on
Never was it true
But it's you
I fell into

Well I talked about it
Put it on
Never was it true
But it's you
I fell into
I fell into
I fell into  

 

Week One Hundred and Seventy-Two: Collective Soul - "The World I Know" - Collective Soul

This song has been showing up quite frequently on my Pandora mix lately, and I really have taken a liking to it. I was not particularly fond of Collective Soul when they first hit the scene in the early '90s with their single, "Shine". However, it seems like as I get older, some of the bands and songs that I snubbed in my youth have become some of my new found favorites.

I read about the video concept on Wikipedia, and I felt that it was worth sharing with you:
 
"The music video depicts a businessman who begins to go about his day, reading The New York Times on the way to his office. As he reads about death and sees the homelessness and sadness on the street, he becomes disillusioned with his life and prepares to commit suicide. As he climbs to the roof of a nearby building, he takes off his shoes and looks at the ground crying. He stretches out his arms and readies himself to fall.

However, just as he is about to fall, a pigeon lands on his arm. He feeds it with the bagel in his pocket, and the crumbs attract ants, which makes the man notice the similarities of them to the people walking below. He laughs throwing all his money at the people and pulls himself out of his state.

During the entire video, periodic cuts to singer Ed Roland looking on at the man while singing the song are shown.

The video also shows sadness and happiness in the form of color hues for the video. While the man is disillusioned with his life and is thinking about suicide, the video is in a blue and purple tint, giving a dark feeling to the video. When the pigeon lands on the man's arm, the video's hue changes to show the normal colors of the city, also revealing the sun shining over the city, showing of the sudden change to happiness and relief."

I think we all become disillusioned with life at times... I know that I sure do. However, when times get a little dark and a little more trying than others, it always seems like something happens to remind me that there is still good in the world.

This weekend, I got to be a part of many inspiring events. To start off, on Friday, I got to watch a group of people from all different walks of life and backgrounds come together to meet one another and offer support to one another as they all begin a new journey and a major undertaking in their lives. Then to end the weekend, I got to attend a ceremony to celebrate their official start tomorrow. At the ceremony, as I was listening to the speakers, one, in particular, really struck a chord with me.

You see, when I was teaching, I really felt like I was making a difference and leaving an impact on the world. I felt assured that I was working towards a greater good. In my new career, I haven't ever really felt that same warm, fuzzy feeling about the work I am doing. However, as I listened to this particular individual speak about his experiences in the field in which I work, I realized that I am helping people more than I realized. I suppose that I have been looking at things in more of a "blue and purple tint" like the beginning of today's video. Listening to him made me see my work in more "normal colors". I still think I was contributing more to the world as a teacher, but I was given the gift of a different perspective on my current career this evening.

I'll quit rambling now, and I'll let you get to the video and lyrics. I'll also include two other favorites called "Run" and "Heavy"...

Has our conscience shown?
Has the sweet breeze blown?
Has all kindness gone?
Hope still lingers on

I drink myself a new found pity
Sittin' alone in New York City
And I don't know why

Are we listening
To hymns of offering
Have we eyes to see?
Love is gathering

All the words that I've been reading
Have started the act of bleeding
Into one
Into one

So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below
And I laugh at myself
As the tears roll down
'Cause it's the world I know
Oh, it's the world I know

I drink myself a new found pity
Sittin' alone in New York City
And I don't know why
I don't know why

So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below
And I laugh at myself
As the tears roll down
'Cause it's the world I know
Oh, it's the world I know

Yeah I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below
And I laugh at myself
While the tears roll down
'Cause it's the world I know
Oh, it's the world I know 

 

Week One Hundred and Seventy-One: Tal Bachman - "She's So High" - Tal Bachman

So I met my little niece, Sophia Juliet, for the first time this evening. She's such a sweet, little girl. I held her for two hours straight, and she didn't make a peep! The most she did was make a few funny faces while she was dreaming and stretch her long, slender legs a few times.

As I was finishing up some laundry when I got home, this song came on my Pandora station. Although my niece is not yet in the ranks of Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite (she's only a week old), you have to admit that Sophia Juliet is a pretty epic name that kind of fits in with the aforementioned bunch!

Here is a picture for your viewing pleasure:

 

 She's blood, flesh and bone
No tucks or silicone
She's touch, smell, sight, taste and sound

But somehow I can't believe
That anything should happen
I know where I belong
And nothing's gonna happen
Yeah, yeah

'Cause she's so high
High above me, she's so lovely
She's so high
Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite
She's so high, high above me

First class and fancy free
She's high society
She's got the best of everything

What could a guy like me
Ever really offer?
She's perfect as she can be
Why should I even bother?

'Cause she's so high
High above me, she's so lovely
She's so high
Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite
She's so high, high above me

She comes to speak to me
I freeze immediately
'Cause what she says sounds so unreal

But somehow I can't believe
That anything should happen
I know where I belong
And nothing's gonna happen
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

'Cause she's so high
High above me, she's so lovely
She's so high
Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite
She's so high, high above me 

 

Week One Hundred and Seventy: Landon Pigg - "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" - Single

I decided to take a Sunday drive to the lake to hang out with my family, which always leaves me ample time to browse my Sirius stations on the way there and back. Today's selection was obviously played on The Coffee House station. However, today was not the first time I heard it. Many years ago, it was used in a commercial for a jewelry store right around Christmas time.

It is quite a lovely little tune, and it always leaves me feeling a bit better about the world in general when it is over.

Before I leave you for today, here's a bit of trivia about Landon Pigg. If you have ever seen the film, Whip It, with Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page, then you might remember a character named Oliver. Oliver is actually played by none other than Landon Pigg.

 I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you
Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you.
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down
I want to come too

I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you

No one understands me quite like you do
Through all of the shadowy corners of me

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop
I love so much
All of the while I never knew
I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop
I love so much
All of the while I never knew

I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you
Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you.
I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine
Now I'm shining too

Because oh because
I've fallen quite hard over you

If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know
If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop
I love so much
All of the while I never knew
I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop
I love so much
All of the while, I never knew

All of the while, all of the while,
it was you