Out Of My Railway Reality

Day 13: A song that is a guilty pleasure

(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone - The Monkees

I know they were a completely manufactured phenomenon devised to cash in on the Beatles’ success.  But I fucking loved the Monkees.  Around 6 or 7, my sister and I used to put on our go-go boots, take this record out of its hideous green cover, put it on our little record player which folded up into a suitcase, crank that mofo, (heh) and do the Pony or the Swim while crushing on Mickie and Davy. They were our first band loves.  Oh, ♡♥♡♥♡!

ANYway *ahem*, I outgrew most of that stuff. But somehow about 6 Monkees songs, including this gem, made it onto my iPod.

Day 11 – A song from your favorite band

I Did It For You - David Cook & the Anthemic

Okay, no one would buy it if I claimed my favorite band was anyone but DC & TA; but the fact that 3 of those guys didn’t play on DCTR is kind of problematic.  So I’m going to follow through on an idea Janus_DC considered and pick I Did It For You; because, as she said, “it’s an album track that has become more than the sum of it’s parts because of the band dynamic.”  The first night they did that extended outro/NFT solo on the edge of the stage, I was front and near-center, Andy and Monty were jamming right in front of me, and the 5 of them took a song that to me had seemed  plodding and lugubrious *waves to the wordnerds!* and brought it to soaring, vibrant life.   My feelings on this song went from meh to mahhhhvelous!<3<3!! in about 3 minutes flat.  It’s one of my favorite memories from the tour and I think a great choice as a song by my favorite band.

Day 10: A song I can fall asleep to - I’m declaring a tie.  Because I can.  First:

Into the West - Annie Lennox (from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King)
Annie’s understated vocals, those lush strings, the low brass, dreamlike lyrics: it’s gorgeous.  And second:

Lie - David Cook (Soundcheck version)
Even after all the great live versions, I still love this Lie the most, and it’s still the one on my sleeptime playlist. Sorry, I chose to embed Annie’s video because I’m guessing most of you have this one.  For my sisters reading this, and anyone else who may not have it, you can watch it here.

And some runners-up:

• Selections from the Kira Knightley Pride & Prejudice soundtrack (*fistbumps KarenLE*)
• Mozart’s Serenade for Winds, K.361
• I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You - Colin Hay
• Warm Whispers-Missy Higgins
• City - Sara Bareilles
• Usher Me Down - Jennifer Knapp

Day 9 - A song I can dance to
The Bird - Morris Day & The Time

I danced to this just like Morris, back in the Day.  Just like him.  And it’s a complicated dance, The Bird. *flap flap flap flap*

Day 8: A song I know all the words to -
Friend Like Me, from Disney’s Aladdin

This was a pretty broad category - who doesn’t know the words to a whole bunch of songs? - so I picked this just because I’d be willing to bet nobody else who reads this knows this one, and because I love Menken-Ashman’s terrific score. I listened to this a lot with my kids, and spent many hours struggling to master it on piano (I’m not that good) just because it’s so fun to play.

Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves
Scheherezad-ie had a thousand tales
But master you in luck ‘cause up your sleeve
You got a brand of magic never fails
You got some power in your corner now
Some heavy ammunition in your camp
You got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo and how
See all you gotta do is rub that lamp
And I’ll say

Mister Aladdin, sir
What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order
Jot it down
You ain’t never had a friend like me
No no no

Life is your restaurant
And I’m your maitre d’
C’mon whisper what it is you want
You ain’t never had a friend like me

Yes sir, we pride ourselves on service
You’re the boss
The king, the shah
Say what you wish
It’s yours! True dish
How about a little more Baklava?

Have some of column “A”
Try all of column “B”
I’m in the mood to help you dude
You ain’t never had a friend like me

Can your friends do this?
Do your friends do that?
Do your friends pull this out their little hat?
Can your friends go, poof?
Well, looky here
Can your friends go, Abracadabra, let ‘er rip
And then make the sucker disappear?

So doncha sit there slack jawed, buggy eyed
I’m here to answer all your midday prayers
You got me bona fide, certified
You got a genie for your charge d’affaires
I got a powerful urge to help you out
So what-cha wish? I really wanna know
You got a list that’s three miles long, no doubt
Well, all you gotta do is rub like so - and oh

Mister Aladdin, sir, have a wish or two or three
I’m on the job, you big nabob
You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend
You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend
You ain’t never had a friend like me
You ain’t never had a friend like me, hah!

Day 7: a song that reminds me of an event:
Stay Up Late - Talking Heads

In the spring of 2005, I spent a ridiculous amount of time reviewing old home movies and photos, painstakingly selecting the best parts and pics, converting them to digital, then editing it all and putting it to music. The occasion was my son’s graduation party, and the video, of course, was a look back at the first 18 years of his life.

Stay Up Late is one of the songs I used - perfect because Little Creatures came out the year Alex was born, and I had played that album over and over in his first months. “See him drink from a bottle! see him eat from a plate!” - it was that time when nothing about this kid was mundane - every gesture and sound he made either fascinated or amused the hell out of me, and a smile was a miracle you had to tell the family about, and random sounds were obviously the first words of a prodigy.

And then suddenly  - FLASH! - 18 years had gone by; and they had gone by so fast, and did I do a good job, and had I made the most of that time with him, and was he really equipped to go out and lead his life?

Ha! I was a blubbering wreck watching all those videos, let me tell ya.  But this song always lightened things up a little. :)  And the the video turned out great, if I do say so, and was a hit at Alex’s party, which was also a lot of fun.  

[Well, damn, I was going to link my actual video, but it’s being blocked by YT because of the song content and I’m too lazy and too far behind to do a workaround. So this will have to do]

Mommy had a little baby
There he is fast asleep

He’s just a little play thing
Why not wake him up?

Cute, cute, little baby
Little pee-pee, little toes
Now he’s comin’ to me
Crawl across the kitchen floor

Baby, baby, please let me hold him
I wanna make him stay up all night
Sister, sister, he’s just a play thing
We wanna make him stay up all night, yeah we do

See him drink from a bottle
See him eat from a plate
Cute, cute as a button
Don’t you wanna make him stay up late

Are we having fun with no money?
Little smile on his face
Don’t you love the little baby
Don’t you want to make him stay up late

Baby, baby, please let me hold him
I wanna make him stay up all night
Sister, sister, he’s just a play thing
We wanna make him stay up all night

Here we go (All night long)
Sister, sister (All night long)
In the playpen (All night long)
Little baby goes (All night long)
I know you wanna leave me

Why don’t we pretend?
There you go, little man
Cute, cute, why not?
Late at night, wake him up

Baby, baby, please let me hold him
I wanna make him stay up all night
Sister, sister, he’s just a play thing
We wanna make him stay up all night

Why don’t. We pretend.
There you go. Little man.
Cute. Cute. Why not?
Late at night. Wake him up.

Here we go (all night long)
Sister, sister…woo…
(with the television on)
Little baby goes…woo! (all night long)
Hey, hey, baby! (all night long)
And he looks so cute (all night long)
In his little red suit

Day 6: – A song that reminds me of somewhere

Jamie Cullum - Get Your Way

It was on vacation, on Isle of Palms, on our first night there, that my sister Nicki introduced me to Jamie Cullum and this sexy little jazz-pop number.  Spirits were flowing freely, as they are wont to do every single ni on the first night of vacation, and by the time the sun rose Get Your Way had become absolutely my Favorite! Song!! Ever!!!! Hee.  We had so much fun that night, and whenever this song shuffles its way around I’m back there: swaying, snapping my fingers and singing with my sisters, in the ocean breeze, on the deck of our borrowed beach house. 

Bonus:  I still really, really liked the song the morning after.  :)

PS: The official video for this song is very creative and cool - think “Jamie and the Purple Crayon” - but embedding is disabled for it.  You can check it out here if you’re interested.

day 5 - a song that reminds me of someone
Seven Years - Norah Jones

When she was little, Katie wanted to be outside all the time - hot or cold, windy or calm, sunny or cloudy…she didn’t care.  There were no neighborhood kids her age, so she would swing or ride the little glider or play in the sandbox for as long as I’d let her. On days when I was busy and couldn’t (or wouldn’t) go out, I’d keep an eye on her from the kitchen window.  There she’d be, lost in imagination, singing or babbling to herself or whatever invisible friends were out there with her, jumping, twirling, climbing, with not a care in the world.  

Telling a tale of grace that was all her own.  

Those times, watching her, my heart would fill up with so, so much love I don’t know how I contained it.  And sometimes - because I was a young working mom of two with an hour commute, not enough money, and too many responsibilities - I watched and mostly envied.  Sometimes I wished I was her. 

Sometimes, I still do.

——————————-

Spinning, laughing, dancing to
her favorite song
A little girl with nothing wrong
Is all alone

Eyes wide open
Always hoping for the sun
And she’ll sing her song to anyone
that comes along

Fragile as a leaf in autumn
Just fallin’ to the ground
Without a sound

Crooked little smile on her face
Tells a tale of grace
That’s all her own

Spinning, laughing, dancing to her favorite song
A little girl with nothing wrong
And she’s all alone

Q4: song that makes me sad - Where You Are - Bebo Norman

I don’t think Bebo sings this song live much, so the only online source I could find was this Supernatural fan vid. :)

Take another look at me
Oh breaker of my heart
Take a look and you will see
How beautiful you are
Even when I walk away
I could not go very far
Before the child in me would say
Home is where you are

My sisters and brothers played and sang this song as a tribute at my mother’s funeral. It was sad and it was difficult and it was also one of the most beautiful moments of my life, as all of us paid final tribute with one voice to the wise, funny, caring woman who raised and loved us.  I’m blessed to have had her, and to have all of them still.