Week Thirty: iPod Picks - Stone Temple Pilots - "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" - Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop

For Week Thirty, I'm turning my iPod loose (in the form of putting it on shuffle) and letting it do the picking... so the seven songs for this week were chosen by my trusty little iPod who is now holding close to 5000 of my favorite songs and who is slowly but surely dying battery-wise; however, I am too attached to do an upgrade just yet...

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Back in 1996, when this song was released, I left “the deli” and began waiting tables at Applebee's. Applebee's had a subscription to some kind of satellite radio, and during the weekdays, the music was very mellow and family-friendly. However, on the weekends, especially during the evening shifts, which were the primary shifts that I worked, the managers and/or bartenders would try to “rock out”.

I despised almost everything about waiting tables - but it could have just been Applebee's!! It was a wonderful method for making money to help put myself through college - (I once got an $87 tip on a $13 food tab), but people are slobbishly disgusting when it comes to dining behaviors.

Really, the only thing that helped me make it through my weekend shifts, especially those crowds that flocked through the doors for ½ price appetizers, was the rocking tunes, like this STP song!

This song just got me so pumped, and even if I was bombarded by tables of trashy, low-class, minimal-tipping, ½ price appetizer-eating cretins, from 10 pm until midnight, the thought of them getting fat as a result of gorging themselves on baskets of buffalo wings and mugs of cheap beer was vindication enough!

Don't cut out my paper heart, I ain't dyin' anyway 
Take a look at eye full towers
Never trust them dirty liars 
Sippin' lemon yellow booze 'ole' leadbelly sings the blues
All dressed up on wedding day keep on trippin' anyway

I am I am I said I'm not myself, but I'm not dead and I'm not for sale
So keep your bankroll lottery eat your salad day deathbed motorcade

Fake the heat and scratch the itch
Skinned up knees and salty lips
I'll breathe your life vicks vapor life
And when you binge I purge alike
Let go it's harder holding on
One more trip and I'll be gone
So keep your head up
Keep it on, just a whisper I'll be gone
Take a breath and make it big
It's the last you'll ever get 
Break your neck with diamond noose
It's the last you'll ever choose

I am I am I said I'm not myself, but I'm not dead and I'm not for sale
Hold me closer, closer let me go let me be just let me be

Week Thirty: iPod Picks - The Creatures - "Standing There" - Boomerang

For Week Thirty, I'm turning my iPod loose (in the form of putting it on shuffle) and letting it do the picking... so the seven songs for this week were chosen by my trusty little iPod who is now holding close to 5000 of my favorite songs and who is slowly but surely dying battery-wise; however, I am too attached to do an upgrade just yet...

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The dorm that I lived in while I was completing my freshman year of college in Denton was called Bruce Hall, and in 1996, it was home to some of this state's finest drag queens. They were so sweet, so much fun to be around, and so intent on doing my hair, make-up, and nails...drag queen-style!

The Rose Room at The Village in Oaklawn announced that it was going to have its First Annual Ms. Budlight “Drag Queen” Competition, and Queenie (whose real name was Michael), my absolute favorite of the resident drag queens, insisted that he must compete.

He consulted my gay best friend and me on what he should do for the talent portion. At first, we tossed around the idea of a seductive number to “Face to Face” by Siouxsie and the Banshees because Queenie was a jewelry designer, and he had just created some of the claw-like rings similar to what Siouxsie wore in the video. Then we were inevitably forced to discuss the fact that it was going to be insanely difficult to hide his man parts in one of those tight cat-suits like Siouxsie wore in the video.

After a bit more thought, we collectively decided on “Standing There” instead. Queenie designed and executed an elaborate costume with a headpiece made out of Budlight bottle caps since part of the contest rules stated that the costumes must incorporate the brand somehow. He did a Salsa-style jig around the stage. Apparently, they required original versions of the CD for the performance; so since I knew how hard he had worked, I lent Queenie my original. Believe it or not, he did actually return it because those queens were terrible about keeping people's stuff.

For the rest of my time in Bruce Hall, Queenie credited me with helping him win runner-up, which was the equivalent of second place. I don't remember the stage name of the queen who won. His real name was Chase, and he sure was pretty!!!

The Creatures stopped by Deep Ellum Live in 1999, and being such a huge Siouxsie & the Banshees fan, there was no way in the world that I would have missed that show:

I'm also including my other favorite by The Creatures under the lyrics; it's called "Fury Eyes"...

Hey creepo's... I'm talking to you 
I've got a message to give to you 
You've got a problem... we know 
But there's something you ought to know 

Standing there across the thoroughfare 
They stand and stare with that gormless air 
So funny to see how dumb some grown men can be 

An unwanted weed, a dying reed 
Left to consider life as it passes by 
Ignoring your calling, ignoring your taunting, 
Ignoring your feelings of self hate and loathing 
How empty and pointless your life must seem 

See them standing 
See them staring 
See them wearing that same stupid face 

Sticks and stones may break bones 
But these taunting crones only cause inner groans 
We ignore all your calling, ignore all your taunting 
Ignore all your problems of self hate and loathing 
Somebody should show them where to go 

See them standing 
See them staring 
See them wearing that same creepy face 

Standing there in the thoroughfare 
They stand and stare with that gormless air 
Does what you won't understand scare and make you mad? 
Resentful and envious, don't you disgust yourself? 
So funny to see how pathetic some men can be 

See them standing 
See them staring 
See them wearing that same stupid face 
Ignore all their calling, ignore all their taunting, 
Ignore all their faking, their self hate and loathing 
Somebody should show them where to go.

Week Thirty: iPod Picks - Buzzcocks - "Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" - Love Bites

For Week Thirty, I'm turning my iPod loose (in the form of putting it on shuffle) and letting it do the picking... so the seven songs for this week were chosen by my trusty little iPod who is now holding close to 5000 of my favorite songs and who is slowly but surely dying battery-wise; however, I am too attached to do an upgrade just yet...

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Before my senior year of high school, I saved all of my money from “the deli” and sent myself to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. I had three primary goals for my trip: (a) to purchase a pair of Docs from the Doc Marten Factory; (b) to acquire as much music memorabilia as my budget would allow; (c) to drink as much ale as I could get my grubby little seventeen-year-old hands on. I accomplished all three of my tasks and even managed to fall in love with a Scottish lad while there – well, it was more like drunken infatuation, but it felt like love at the time.

Prior to my departure, I made myself at least five or so mixed tapes because I knew that the plane ride was going to be looooooooong! We landed in Ireland and hopped a tour bus to the tiny town of Killarney, which was actually the birthplace of many of the Irish Roman Catholic nuns who taught me in elementary school. We quickly made the acquaintance of some Irish teens, who were enjoying some ale in a local pub, who were right around our age, and who were fascinated by America and American bands. So you know what I did? I reached into my backpack and handed them all five or so of my mixed tapes.

The next day on the tour bus, while nursing a killer hangover, I deeply regretted my alcohol-induced decision – well, more so, the fact that I did not at least hang onto one cassette for myself. Eventually, we had to stop for petrol, and the fuel station where we stopped had an amazing music section. I picked up this double cassette of UK 80s hits in this awesomely packaged cover unlike anything I had ever seen in the States.

This Buzzcocks' tune was on the compilation. This song always reminds me of that Scottish lad because it was also playing on the jukebox in the pub we stopped by on the night before I had to return home, while we were roaming the streets of London, being young and carefree. **Sigh**

The Buzzcocks stopped by Deep Ellum Live for a show in 1999; so I am attaching my ticket stub:

You spurn my natural emotions
You make me feel like dirt
And I'm hurt
And if I start a commotion
I run the risk of losing you
And that's worse

Ever fallen in love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
You shouldn't've fallen in love with

I can't see much of a future
Unless we find out what's to blame
What a shame
And we won't be together much longer
Unless we realize that we are the same

Ever fallen in love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
You shouldn't've fallen in love with

You disturb my natural emotions
You make me feel like dirt
And I'm hurt
And if I start a commotion
I'll only end up losing you
And that's worse

Ever fallen in love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
You shouldn't've fallen in love with

Ever fallen in love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
Ever fallen in love
In love with someone
You shouldn't've fallen in love with
Fallen in love with
Ever fallen in love with someone
You shouldn't've fallen in love with