As has been discussed earlier, many of the songs in this blog have been featured in television shows or movies that make me smile with their intelligent writing, Scrubs is one of my favorites, and the topic of today's entry did in fact appear on that show. But that's not how I found it. I happened on this video on Facebook, and it is a very simple, yet very touching and poignant piece of footage. Witness how easy it is to make a wonderful music video with minimal expense in •I Will Follow You Into The Dark• by Death Cab for Cutie.
Love of mine
Some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light
Or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
In Catholic school
As vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised
By a lady in black
And I held my toungue
As she told me "Son
Fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back
If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
You and me
Have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes
Are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about
Cause we'll hold each other soon
In the blackest of rooms
If heaven and hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark
P.S.: (The official video is pretty cool too!)
I Don't Believe You
Pink is one angry chick. Don't get me wrong, I like her stuff tremendously. But some of her songs are pretty brash. That's probably why I like her stuff so much. Back when I was in college, my friend Bill and I were outside one day and the women's soccer game was at halftime. From across the campus we heard the strains of Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know" blaring from the loud speakers, and then spent a good twenty minutes riffing on the possibility of a wave of very angry women running over the hill at us like the Scottish army in Braveheart. Pink sings stuff that makes Alanis seem like June Cleaver. "So What" shows that she can hang with the old boys and party like a rock star.
Which is why it is such a pleasant surprise (and highly indicative of her vast talent) to hear •I Don't Believe You• show her softer, more vulnerable side. Even looking at the lyrics, at first blush, you see a lot of positive affirmations; "the passion's there, so it's got to be right" and "but I want more, no, I wont' stop, 'Cause I just know you'll come around." But in a very subtle interplay of words, she turns that confidence into vulnerability with a single, questioning word: "right?" She shows her voice wonderfully here, and this song is truly music to contemplate by.
I don't mind it, I don't mind at all
It's like you're the swing set, and I'm the kid that falls
It's like the way we fight, the times I've cried
We come to blows and every night
The passion's there, so it's got to be right, right?
No, I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No, I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all
I don't mind it, I still don't mind at all
It's like one of those bad dreams when you can't wake up
Looks like you've given up, you've had enough
But I want more, no, I wont' stop
'Cause I just know you'll come around, right?
No, I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No, I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all
Just don't stand there and watch me fall
'Cause I, 'cause I still don't mind at all
It's like the way we fight, the times I've cried
We come to blows and every night
The passion's there
So it's got to be right, right?
No, I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No, I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all
Oh, I don't believe
Which is why it is such a pleasant surprise (and highly indicative of her vast talent) to hear •I Don't Believe You• show her softer, more vulnerable side. Even looking at the lyrics, at first blush, you see a lot of positive affirmations; "the passion's there, so it's got to be right" and "but I want more, no, I wont' stop, 'Cause I just know you'll come around." But in a very subtle interplay of words, she turns that confidence into vulnerability with a single, questioning word: "right?" She shows her voice wonderfully here, and this song is truly music to contemplate by.
I don't mind it, I don't mind at all
It's like you're the swing set, and I'm the kid that falls
It's like the way we fight, the times I've cried
We come to blows and every night
The passion's there, so it's got to be right, right?
No, I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No, I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all
I don't mind it, I still don't mind at all
It's like one of those bad dreams when you can't wake up
Looks like you've given up, you've had enough
But I want more, no, I wont' stop
'Cause I just know you'll come around, right?
No, I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No, I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all
Just don't stand there and watch me fall
'Cause I, 'cause I still don't mind at all
It's like the way we fight, the times I've cried
We come to blows and every night
The passion's there
So it's got to be right, right?
No, I don't believe you
When you say don't come around here no more
I won't remind you
You said we wouldn't be apart
No, I don't believe you
When you say you don't need me anymore
So don't pretend to
Not love me at all
Oh, I don't believe
Goodbye My Lover
With the Window Lean, I'm trying to give you a variety of artists before I start repeating any. But it is inevitable, as some artists, like Peter Gabriel, Colin Hay, and Ray LaMontagne are too good to just nail down to one song. James Blunt is likely to have more than one spot in this list, and it won't take very long, either.
One of my favorites of his is •Goodbye My Lover•, a song about loss and memory. In it, we see a man broken by lost love, although the nature of the loss is not quite made clear. Did she leave? Did HE leave? Did she die? It doesn't matter. What matters is he is a shell of a man without her, and there is little int he world more powerful than the sorrow of a lost love.
Did I disappoint you or let you down
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won
So I took what's mine by eternal right
Took your soul out into the night
It may be over but it won't stop there
I am here for you if you'd only care
You touched my heart you touched my soul
You changed my life and all my goals
And love is blind and that I knew when
My heart was blinded by you
I've kissed your lips and held your hand
Shared your dreams and shared your bed
I know you well, I know your smell
I've been addicted to you
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
I am a dreamer and when I wake
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take
And as you move on, remember me
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile
I've watched you sleeping for a while
I'd be the father of your child
I'd spend a lifetime with you
I know your fears and you know mine
We've had our doubts but now we're fine
And I love you, I swear that's true
I cannot live without you
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
And I still hold your hand in mine
In mine when I'm asleep
And I will bare my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow
One of my favorites of his is •Goodbye My Lover•, a song about loss and memory. In it, we see a man broken by lost love, although the nature of the loss is not quite made clear. Did she leave? Did HE leave? Did she die? It doesn't matter. What matters is he is a shell of a man without her, and there is little int he world more powerful than the sorrow of a lost love.
Did I disappoint you or let you down
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won
So I took what's mine by eternal right
Took your soul out into the night
It may be over but it won't stop there
I am here for you if you'd only care
You touched my heart you touched my soul
You changed my life and all my goals
And love is blind and that I knew when
My heart was blinded by you
I've kissed your lips and held your hand
Shared your dreams and shared your bed
I know you well, I know your smell
I've been addicted to you
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
I am a dreamer and when I wake
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take
And as you move on, remember me
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile
I've watched you sleeping for a while
I'd be the father of your child
I'd spend a lifetime with you
I know your fears and you know mine
We've had our doubts but now we're fine
And I love you, I swear that's true
I cannot live without you
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
And I still hold your hand in mine
In mine when I'm asleep
And I will bare my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
Goodbye my lover
Goodbye my friend
You have been the one
You have been the one for me
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow
So Are You To Me
As a kid I was obsessed with television. Every show was appointment television. As I grew into my twenties, however, television almost completely disappeared from my life. Nothing could capture my attention anymore. The only show I watched with any kind of regularity was The Simpsons. I still don't go in for the big must watch shows. I have never seen more than one full episode of Seinfeld or the Sopranos. But when I know a show has decent writing and a premise I can get behind, I will give it a shot. I now usually have at least one show that is appointment television. Often times, the key to a good show becoming a great show in my eyes is the correct usage of music.
Alias was recommended to me by my best friend Stacey. It became a staple, appointment television. As this blog indicates, I am a sucker for emotional music. Alias had roots as an action show, with espionage and intrigue. But what kept me with the show especially was the growing relationship shared by this tough CIA double agent and her handler. You spend 45 minutes watching this woman kick ass and save the world, and then you get 5 minutes of her softer side. Those 5 minutes are the emotional anchor of that show that sets it aside from other action dramas, and a reason it is one of the few shows I own the entire run of on DVD.
One of the songs featured on that show is •So Are You To Me• by Eastmountainsouth. Enjoy.
As the music at the banquet
As the wine before the meal
As the firelight in the night
So are you to me
As the ruby in the setting
As the fruit upon the tree
As the wind blows over the plains
So are you to me
As the wind blows over the plains
So are you to me
So are you to me
Alias was recommended to me by my best friend Stacey. It became a staple, appointment television. As this blog indicates, I am a sucker for emotional music. Alias had roots as an action show, with espionage and intrigue. But what kept me with the show especially was the growing relationship shared by this tough CIA double agent and her handler. You spend 45 minutes watching this woman kick ass and save the world, and then you get 5 minutes of her softer side. Those 5 minutes are the emotional anchor of that show that sets it aside from other action dramas, and a reason it is one of the few shows I own the entire run of on DVD.
One of the songs featured on that show is •So Are You To Me• by Eastmountainsouth. Enjoy.
As the music at the banquet
As the wine before the meal
As the firelight in the night
So are you to me
As the ruby in the setting
As the fruit upon the tree
As the wind blows over the plains
So are you to me
As the wind blows over the plains
So are you to me
So are you to me
Cryin'
Sometimes, something happens, and no matter how hard you try, nothing you can say can improve the situation. That can be bad, like when you've just put your foot in your mouth, and hurt someone you love. It can also sometimes be good, like when you're watching a sunrise with your significant other and the moment just cannot get any better.
Sometimes in life, as is in music, there are no words. Joe Satriani is known for his screechingly fierce guitar licks and up tempo axe-wielding. But he also has a softer side, and •Cryin'• displays that side that's just made to listen to when the skies are falling and the rain is dancing on your windows.
Sometimes in life, as is in music, there are no words. Joe Satriani is known for his screechingly fierce guitar licks and up tempo axe-wielding. But he also has a softer side, and •Cryin'• displays that side that's just made to listen to when the skies are falling and the rain is dancing on your windows.
Hallelujah
I will freely admit to having never heard this song before it appeared in The Watchmen. The Leonard Cohen version seemed very clunky and comical to me. I read something about them thinking about using the Allison Crowe cover, but that it was too tender for what Zack Snyder wanted to be an ultimately silly moment (two people stripping off their rubber costumes to have sex in a giant mechanical owl). I was intrigued. I looked it up.
Here is Allison Crowe's version of •Hallelujah• and it is quite beautiful.
I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well, it goes like this the forth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well, your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew that hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Wel,l baby, I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But, love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well, there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do you?
But, remember when I moved in you
And the Holy ghost was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well, maybe there is a God above
But, all that I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
And it's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it is a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Here is Allison Crowe's version of •Hallelujah• and it is quite beautiful.
I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well, it goes like this the forth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well, your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew that hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Wel,l baby, I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But, love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well, there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do you?
But, remember when I moved in you
And the Holy ghost was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well, maybe there is a God above
But, all that I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
And it's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it is a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Let It Be Me
When it comes to music to contemplate by, Ray LaMontagne has nicely cornered that market, in my eyes. He could take something as chipper as Happy Birthday and turn it into something that will make you really sleepy. I would absolutely love to hear him cover AC/DC's Thunderstruck, JUST to hear what he could turn it into, except it would keep him from making more of the music that he truly excels at.
Like •Let It Be Me•. This track instantly calms me down, so much so that I will sometimes need to force myself to NOT listen to it if I have had a rough day and need to work through my anger rather than suppress it. My brain tends to view music as soundtrack material. This song is the scene where the hero, down on his luck and at the end of his rope, looks into the eyes of that one girl who has been there for him through thick and thin and realizes that the one he has been looking for has been next to him the whole time. What's better than that?
There comes a time
A time in everyone's life
When nothing seems to go their way
When nothing seems to turn out right
There may come a time
You just can't seem to find your place
For every door you open
Seems like you get two slammed in your face
That's when you need someone
Someone that you can call
When all your faith is gone
It feels like you can't go on
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me
Feels like you always coming up last
Pockets full of nothing
Ain't got no cash
Don't matter where you turn
You ain't got no place to stand
You reach out for something and they slap your hand
I remember all too well
Just how it feels to be all alone
You feel like you'd give anything
For just a little place you can call your own
That's when you need someone
Someone that you can call
When all your faith is gone
It feels like you can't go on
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me
Let it be me
Like •Let It Be Me•. This track instantly calms me down, so much so that I will sometimes need to force myself to NOT listen to it if I have had a rough day and need to work through my anger rather than suppress it. My brain tends to view music as soundtrack material. This song is the scene where the hero, down on his luck and at the end of his rope, looks into the eyes of that one girl who has been there for him through thick and thin and realizes that the one he has been looking for has been next to him the whole time. What's better than that?
There comes a time
A time in everyone's life
When nothing seems to go their way
When nothing seems to turn out right
There may come a time
You just can't seem to find your place
For every door you open
Seems like you get two slammed in your face
That's when you need someone
Someone that you can call
When all your faith is gone
It feels like you can't go on
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me
Feels like you always coming up last
Pockets full of nothing
Ain't got no cash
Don't matter where you turn
You ain't got no place to stand
You reach out for something and they slap your hand
I remember all too well
Just how it feels to be all alone
You feel like you'd give anything
For just a little place you can call your own
That's when you need someone
Someone that you can call
When all your faith is gone
It feels like you can't go on
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me
Let it be me
The Book Of Love
Many times, the images that appear in my head when listening to a powerful piece of music are far different that what the artist may have intended to evoke. I don't see that as a fault, just as I don't see what others interpret my art to mean as incorrect if it does not match up to what I had in mind. I will sometimes go YEARS interpreting a song one way only to find out that the artist meant something entirely different. Sometimes even if the lyrics spell it out for you, your interpretation of a given song, what the song means to you, can be vastly different than what it means to everyone else. Your "movie" may not match up to one that may already exist out there.
And then there's •The Book Of Love• by Peter Gabriel. While watching the series finale of Scrubs (which has brought me a vast number of my favorite songs) we see the main character JD imagining his future as home movies projected on a large sheet in front of the hospital. It is the perfect set of images for the song, and I present it thusly.
The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures
and instructions for dancing
But I
I love it when you read to me
And you
You can read me anything
The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb
But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
You can sing me anything
The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know
But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
You ought to give me wedding rings
And then there's •The Book Of Love• by Peter Gabriel. While watching the series finale of Scrubs (which has brought me a vast number of my favorite songs) we see the main character JD imagining his future as home movies projected on a large sheet in front of the hospital. It is the perfect set of images for the song, and I present it thusly.
The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures
and instructions for dancing
But I
I love it when you read to me
And you
You can read me anything
The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb
But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
You can sing me anything
The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know
But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
You ought to give me wedding rings
I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You
The name of this blog is inspired by a discussion that a friend of mine and I had. Neither of us were feeling particularly lucky in love, and we described our general depression as leaning against the window in the pouring rain watching life move by too fast. Music can often help stir up emotions that have been repressed, allowing them to be vented and released. I know the value of a good cry in therapeutic terms. Music is a powerful aid in that therapy.
Today's song is •I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You• by Colin Hay (a song that I discovered as a result of our conversation).
I drink good coffee every morning
Comes from a place that's far away
And when I'm done I feel like talking
Without you here there is less to say
I don't want you thinking I'm unhappy
What is closer to the truth
That if I lived till I was 102
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
I'm no longer moved to drink strong whisky
'Cause I shook the hand of time and I knew
That if I lived till I could no longer climb my stairs
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
Your face it dances and it haunts me
Your laughter's still ringing in my ears
I still find pieces of your presence here
Even after all these years
But I don't want you thinking I don't get asked to dinner
'Cause I'm here to say that I sometimes do
Even though I may soon feel the touch of love
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
If I lived till I was 102
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
Today's song is •I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You• by Colin Hay (a song that I discovered as a result of our conversation).
I drink good coffee every morning
Comes from a place that's far away
And when I'm done I feel like talking
Without you here there is less to say
I don't want you thinking I'm unhappy
What is closer to the truth
That if I lived till I was 102
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
I'm no longer moved to drink strong whisky
'Cause I shook the hand of time and I knew
That if I lived till I could no longer climb my stairs
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
Your face it dances and it haunts me
Your laughter's still ringing in my ears
I still find pieces of your presence here
Even after all these years
But I don't want you thinking I don't get asked to dinner
'Cause I'm here to say that I sometimes do
Even though I may soon feel the touch of love
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
If I lived till I was 102
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
Colorblind
Today's song is •Colorblind• by Counting Crows.
To me, the song evokes a powerful sense of loss and contemplation. I envision a man sitting on the edge of a bed, head hung low. Maybe the end of a relationship, maybe the end of a life. Either way, it's raining out, and the windows are beckoning.
I am color blind
Coffee black and egg white
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am ready
I am ready
I am
taffy stuck, tongue tied
Stuttered shook and uptight
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am ready
I am ready
I am fine
I am covered in skin
No one gets to come in
Pull me out from inside
I am folded, and unfolded, and unfolding
I am
color blind
Coffee black and egg white
Pull me out from inside
I am ready
I am ready
I am ready
I am fine
I am fine
I am fine
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)