Thursday, January 29, 2009

John Updike 1932-2009

It came to me the other day:
Were I to die, no one would say,
“Oh, what a shame! So young, so full
Of promise — depths unplumbable!”
Instead, a shrug and tearless eyes
Will greet my overdue demise;
The wide response will be, I know,
“I thought he died a while ago.”
For life’s a shabby subterfuge,
And death is real, and dark, and huge.
The shock of it will register
Nowhere but where it will occur.

~John Updike

An obituary at the NY Times

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Booking Through Thursday


Today's Booking Through Thursday:



But, enough about books … Other things have words, too, right? Like …songs!


If you’re anything like me, there are songs that you love because of their lyrics; writers you admire because their songs have depth, meaning, or just a sheer playfulness that has nothing to do with the tunes.


So, today’s question? What songs … either specific songs, or songs in general by a
specific group or writer … have words that you love? Why? And … do the tunes that go with the fantastic lyrics live up to them? You don’t have to restrict yourself to modern songsters, either … anyone who wants to pick Gilbert & Sullivan, for example, is just fine with me. Lerner & Loewe? Steven Sondheim? Barenaked Ladies? Fountains of Wayne? The Beatles? Anyone at all…


Ok...I LOVE music. I have always loved music. I mean, it's not just something I want to hear on the radio or whatever...I'm PASSIONATE about the music I like. I don't even know where to begin to start about lyrics I love. Thumbing through my mp3 player - which has 4,000 songs on it, I immediately had a list of like 50 songs I could put on here. So, maybe I'll just put them all on here...I'm not going to bother with reasons for the most part. Maybe a little. These aren't just songs that I like the lyrics...these are lyrics that mean something to me - they remind me of a person, a situation, a feeling, etc. These are important songs. Even though two are by Britney Spears.


  • I was born by the river.../and oh just like that river I've been running ever since


  • Gypsy, sitting looking pretty/A broken rose with laughing eyes/You're a mystery, always running wild/like a child without a home


  • Time, time time, see what's become of me


  • I used to be disgusted/Now I try to be amused


  • [Thanks dad for having this record around] To those of us who knew the pain/of valentines that never came/and those whose names were never called/when choosing sides for basketball/It was long ago and far away/The world was younger than today/when dreams were all they gave for free/to ugly duckling girls like me


  • One day I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me/where troubles melt like lemon drops a-way above the chimney tops/That's where you'll find me


  • Be brave little one/Make a wish for each sad little tear/Hold your head up though no one is near/Someone’s waiting for you


  • Well, I ain't gonna think about you/Cause it ain't no use no more/I'm gonna make it fine without you/Just like I did before/I'm on my way/Tomorrow's gonna be another day


  • Wanna die in Beat City/Run, run, run/Wanna hang with girls and shoot my gun.../Wanna die in Beat City/Go, go, go/You can't come with me 'cause you're just too slow/Inject the stars make them glow


  • I was central, I had control, I lost my head/I need this.../Crazy what you could've had...


  • Time it was oh what a time it was...It was a time of innocence, a time of confidences. Long ago it must be, I have a photograph, preserve your memory, they're all that's left...


  • Darling I'm killed/I'm in a puddle on the floor/Waiting for you to return


  • I must confess, that my loneliness is killing me now/Don't you know I still believe/That you will be here...


  • But these cuts I have/They need love to help them heal

  • I don’t know/Only god knows where the story ends for me/But I know where the story begins/It’s up to us to choose/Whether we win or lose/And I choose to win


  • [Cannot even THINK of this song without tearing up] Where have all the flowers gone?/Girls have picked them every one/When will they ever learn?


  • Animals strike curious poses/They feel the heat, the heat between me and you


  • Today there is no day or night/Today there is no dark or light/Today there is no black or white/Only shades of gray


  • Hear that lonesome whippoorwill/He sounds too blue to fly/The midnight train is whining low/I'm so lonesome I could cry


  • Out on the road today I saw a deadhead sticker on a cadillac/A little voice inside my head said/Don't look back/you can never look back.


  • I dream about magnolias in bloom and I'm wishing I was there


  • Is it my turn to wish you were lying here...


  • I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music do you?


  • My love must be a kind of blind love/I can't see anyone but you/Are the stars out tonight?


  • But touch my tears with your lips/Touch my world with your fingertips/And we can have forever


  • Why live life from dream to dream and dread the day when dreaming ends?


  • Has anybody seen a dog dyed dark green/about two inches tall with a strawberry blond fall/sunglasses and a bonnet/and designer jeans with appliques on it?


  • One day soon I´m gonna tell the moon about the crying game/and if he knows maybe he´ll explain/why there are heartaches/why there are tears/and what to do to stop feeling blue when love disappears


  • And everytime I try to fly/I fall without my wings/I feel so small/I guess I need you baby


  • Whenever I'm alone with you/You make me feel like I'm free again/whenever I'm alone with you/you make me feel like I'm clean again


  • Days may be cloudy or sunny/We're in or we're out of the money/But I'm with you always/I'm with you rain or shine


  • Oh thinking about all our younger years, there was only you and me...


  • Karma police, I've given all I can, its not enough/I've given all I can, but were still on the payroll


  • And where will she go and what shall she do when midnight comes around/She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown/And cry behind the door


  • [When my grandma used to sing me this song when I was a kid, I thought it was hilarious] I`ll go home and get my panties/You go home and get your scanties/And away we`ll go...To Niagara in a sleeper/There`s no honeymoon that`s cheaper/And the train goes slow...Someday, the stork may pay a visit/And leave a little souvenir/Just a little cute `what is it,'/But we`ll discuss that later, dear.


  • [I have two theme songs; this is from one of them] You're losing all your highs and lows/Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?


  • [This is the other] I'm a-walking in the rain/Tears are falling and I feel the pain/Wishing you were here by me/To end this misery/And I wonder...Why she ran away and I wonder where she will stay, my little runaway


  • [If I had a third theme song, this would be it] I wanna be free/Like the blue birds flying by me/like the waves out on the blue sea/If your love has to tie me/Don't try me/say goodbye...


  • Just hold onto your life down to the wire/Out from the dragon's jaws and into the fire
I'm sure tomorrow I'll think of 50 more to add. Props to anyone who can guess song and artist for these. I tried to pick more obscure parts of the songs, but some are pretty obvious.