Archive for March 2012
Go away closer
This picture is taken from Dayanita Singh’s novel without words of the same name
And we continue with this morning’s theme, with a confusing answer to my question “Should I stay or should I go?”
Yesterday I got so old
I felt like I could die
Yesterday I got so old
It made me want to cry
Go on go on
Just walk away
Go on go on
Your choice is made
Go on go on
And disappear
Go on go on
Away from here
And know I was wrong
When I said it was true
That couldn’t be me
and be her in between
without you
Without you
Yesterday I got so scared
I shivered like a child
Yesterday away from you
It froze me deep inside
Come back come back
Don’t walk away
Come back come back
Come back today
Come back come back
Why can’t you see?
Come back come back
Come back to me
And I know I was wrong
When i said it was true
That it couldn’t be me
and be her in between
without you
Without you
Those Inbetween days are slightly disturbing.
Green light, seven eleven
You stop in for a pack of cigarettes
You don’t smoke, don’t even want to
Hey now, i see you check your change
Dressed up like a car crash
The wheels are turning but you’re upside down
You say when he hits you, you don’t mind
Because when he hurts you, you feel alive
Oh, now, Is that what it is?
Red lights, gray morning
You stumble out of a hole in the ground
A vampire or a victim
It depends on who’s around
You used to stay in to watch the adverts
You could lip sync with the talk show hosts
And if you look, you look through me
And if you talk it’s not to me
And when I touch you, you don’t feel a thing
If I could stay.. then the night would give you up
Stay, and the day would keep it’s trust
Stay, and the night would be enough
Faraway, so close
Up with the static and the radio waves
With satellite television
You can go anywhere
Miami, New Orleans, London, Belfast and Beirut(??? not… just checking if you actually read the lyrics)
And if you listen I can’t call
And if you jump, you just might fall
And if you shout I’ll only hear you
If I could stay.. then the night would give you up
Stay then the day would keep it’s trust
Stay with the demons you drown
Stay with the spirit I found
Stay and the night would be enough
Three o’clock in the morning
It’s quiet and there’s no one around
Just the bang and the clatter
As an angel runs to the ground
Just the bang and the clatter
As an angel hits the ground
The teenager in me… ufff! I know, I know.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
It’s not warm when she’s away.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
She’s always gone too long
Anytime she goes away.
I don’t know why this track came to me as an afterthought…
Moving up slowly
Inertia keeps
Moving up slowly
She comes
Moving up slowly
Moving up slowly
She comes moving up slowly
Inertia creeps moving up slowly
Stay/Go
If I should stay
Well, I would only be in your way
And so I’ll go, and yet I know
That I’ll think of you each step of my way
And I will always love you
I will always love you
Bitter-sweet memories
That’s all I have, and all I’m taking with me
Good-bye, oh, please don’t cry
‘Cause we both know that I’m not
What you need
But I will always love you
I will always love you
And I hope life, will treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh, I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
So you all know Whitney’s cover from the Bodyguard soundtrack. But had you heard Dolly’s original version or even Chris Cornell’s cover? It turns out we owe the Whitney version to Kevin Costner who’s a big country fan and really insisted she sing it…
It’s one of those posts again… you know the ones? Slightly bittersweet and heartwrenching for no clear or immediate reason. Just for the theme and the beauty of the music!
I apologize; but it’s gonna be good. In that “hurts so good” kinda way.
And right now I’m going in for the kill
This time you asked where I rested my head last night
Last time you left I got my drunk ass whupped in a fight
My whole life’s been one cliched country unfinished line after line after line after line
It’s been the curse of my crazy koo-kooed up clocks most all of my lifes time after time after time
From the start I told you of my dark colourful chequered past, ya had to ask and how I ruined the lives of those I loved without so much as a bass ackwards glance
And the long winding roads buried down and blacked out towards recovery
And how it took the great god Jehovah His self to re-uncover me
I said sometimes it’s better just not to ask
But your love stood strong and pressed hard-on through that
Maybe I should’ve lied but my two wrongs wouldn’t a made it right.
And however pathetic it sounds upon it’s hearing it’s true I have been tried
and have tried, and god knows I’ve asked him why
So do you want me back or to back pack up all of my things
Maybe If I had not drank
All of my money behind the bars I just coulda bought you a ring
And from the last doin’ time I got those walkin’ papers bailed up and outta your jail I’d barely been unpacked and that makes twice now in four to six months that I’ve had to ask your ass back
Sweetheart you just gotta let me know
Should I stay and if not, where the hell you reckon I oughta go?
I know it’s backass thinkin’ but please forgive what I do when I’ve been drinkin’ when I’m down and out so lost, lonesome and alone
You know I ain’t the letter writin’ kind print or type but then back when we started this romancingly stoned little adventure bitch I done told your ass now twice
And I know, that I know, that I know, no one knows more that than I, that I was wrong and still I can barely say I’m sorry with the fuckin’ song
And If you don’t want it that I should stay, just say
I’ll understand your needs either way, come what may
I know it’s all my fault and the bloody marriage to the deep alco-hole
I know it’s sad to say but right now these shots keep me sane, sober and alive
I love you more humanly possible than mere earthly words could describe and if I tried even in the heavenly tongues it’s purity mere language would still simply just pervert
And what little I am able to know of love I know that it hurts, it’s sick, it’s sick, it’s sick
It’s a sickness unto death and it’s a hell and at it’s best well hell there just ain’t nothin’ worse
I ain’t strung out or playing games stringin that lovely sass along and I’ve tried and I’ve tried and I’ve tried to explain myself, my sins, my heart, and my oh so very wrongs
Believe me babe it ain’t you hell knows why I do the dumb shit I do-do or think but dammit, heaven knows my heart It has been tried and has tried and god knows I’ve asked him why
And I know it don’t make it right singin’ a simple lullaby
But please accept my humble song.
It ain’t got shit to do with you and by god that’s god’s honest truth
There’s more in a man than the liquor and the lust that can make him anything but strong
And your the guiding light for which I live and I have nothing else that I could give and so I sing to you my song
And no, it’s not an excuse when I confess my love to you
And say I’m sorry with a song.
And woman when you know that I’m still runnin’, but your love if it keeps on comin’
I’m bound to circle round, line up, staring straight back into you.
And I know it don’t make it right singing a simple lullaby
But please accept my sorry with a song
Now that’s a gorgeous monster of a track, sprawling and country-tinged. Beautiful lyrics. The only guy who could follow it is Bob
It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don’t matter, anyhow
An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don’t know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I’ll be gone
You’re the reason I’m trav’lin’ on
Don’t think twice, it’s all right
It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An’ it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
I’m on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin’ you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin’ anyway
So don’t think twice, it’s all right
It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
I can’t hear you anymore
I’m a-thinkin’ and a-wond’rin’ all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I’m told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don’t think twice, it’s all right
I’m walkin’ down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I’m bound, I can’t tell
But goodbye’s too good a word, gal
So I’ll just say fare thee well
I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don’t mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don’t think twice, it’s all right
This is the Whitmark Demo and it’s even better!
Now let’s use Dylan as a smooth transition towards the next track.
Chelsea Girl is a fantastic album by Nico that you might know from the Velvet Underground’s first album, the famous banana one…
So anyway, she gathered all the best songwriters on her solo debut: Bob Dylan, Tim Hardin, The Velvet Underground boys and a young prodigy called Jackson Browne. He wrote the amazing These Days and The Fairest of the seasons which is more relevant for today’s theme
Now that it’s time
Now that the hour hand has landed at the end
Now that it’s real
Now that the dreams have given all they had to lend
I want to know
Do I stay or do I go
And maybe try another time
And do I really have a hand in my forgetting
Now that I’ve tried
Now that I’ve finally found that this is not the way
Now that I turn
Now that I feel it’s time to spend the night away
I want to know
Do I stay or do I go
And maybe finally spit the rind
And do I really understand the undernetting
Yes and the morning has me looking in your eyes and seeing mine
Warning me to read the signs carefully
Now that it’s love
Now that the candle’s falling smaller in my mind
Now that it’s here
Now that I’m almost not so very far behind
I want to know
Do I stay or do I go
And maybe fall another side
And do I really have a sound that I can ride on
Now that I can
Now that it’s easy ever easy all around
Now that I’m near
Now that I’m falling to the sunlights and to song
I want to know
Do I stay or do I go
And do I have to do just one
And can I choose again if I should lose the reason
Yes and the morning has me looking in your eyes and seeing mine
Warning me to read the signs oh carefully
Now that I smile
Now that I’m laughing even deeper in the side
Now that I see
Now that I finally found the one thing I denied
Its now I know
Do I stay or do I go
And it is finally I decide
That I’ll be leaving in the fairest of the seasons
And I leave you with something upbeat. Same question / different rhythm:
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Oh yeeeeeaaaaah
Wooh!
Darling you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ’til the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
Always tease tease tease
You’re happy when I’m on my knees
One day is fine, next day is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An’ if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know!
This indecision’s bugging me
Esta indecision me molesta
If you don’t want me, set me free
Si no me quieres, librame
Exactly whom I’m supposed to be
Dime que tengo que ser
Don’t you know which clothes even fit me?
¿sabes que ropas me quedan?
Come on and let me know
Me tienes que decir
Should I cool it or should I blow?
¿me debo ir o quedarme?
Split!
Yo me enfrio o lo sufro
Should I stay or should I go now?
yo me enfrio o lo sufro
Should I stay or should I go now?
yo me enfrio o lo sufro
If I go there will be trouble
Si me voy – va a haber peligro
And if I stay it will be double
Si me quedo es doble
So you gotta let me know
Pero me tienes que decir
Should I cool it or should I go?
yo me enfrio o lo sufro
Should I stay or should I go now?
yo me enfrio o lo sufro
If I go there will be trouble
Si me voy – va a haber peligro
And if I stay it will be double
Si me quedo es doble
So you gotta let me know
Pero me tienes que decir
Should I stay or should I go?
Cheb
I recently discovered an amazing track. It’s the official anthem of a beautiful group of people. For a while I thought it was their little secret but since they are very giving, they’ll probably be happy that I’m going to upload it here.
The only thing we knew was that it was a guy called Cheb Abid (Obeid?) / الشاب عبيد
Anyway, so I got a copy and started playing it in my DJ sets. It felt like that moment in High Fidelity when Jack Black decides to sell a few copies of the Beta Band’s Dry The Rain and clients in the record store start tapping their feet to the music and asking what it is.
People go crazy when I play it (no, it’s not a club banger) and ask me who/what it is. Plus it’s not only a catchy song, it’s a heartbreakingly beautiful one.
Everybody’s been asking me to give it to them. They never have a USB flash drive and they’ve been trying desperately to find it online. So I’ve decided to post it here it is in all it’s glory!
And here’s my take on the lyrics (I’m sure there are some mistakes, so if you have corrections, please send them)
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
بندهلك مرة و ثنين
ليه عصوتي ما تردي؟
بندهلك مرة و ثنين
ليه عصوتي ما تردي؟
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
حني عليلة و بنظرة
مري علي و تعدي
كل مرة تترك حسرة
و دموعي تنزل عخدي
كل مرة تترك حسرة
و دموعي تنزل عخدي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
هاملني و قلبي شريك
تاركني النار و غلبي
يلومونه ليه ما عاديك
و عهجرانك و قلبي
يلومونه ليه ما عاديك
و عهجرانك و قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
تغمزلي و بجفن العين
خط رموشها، وقف قلبي
I did some intensive googling and managed to find another track by the guy as well as an article on him from 2007! He’s Palestinian but was called Il Cheb because of “his music’s North African flavor”
Let’s stay in that mood. Here’s A Vava Inouva, Idir‘s most famous song, which translates roughly as Oh Father Inouva. I’m trying to remember in which Duraid Lahham film it was used.
Well I’ll just throw in two more songs into the mix. Willis Earl Beal‘s Monotony from his forthcoming album Acousmatic Sorcery. Just a man and his guitar (and his voice).
And we’ll wrap it up with Andy McKee. Didn’t know him until a few hours ago. I don’t know how impressive he is to listen to on a stereo, might turn into elevator music pretty quickly. But watching him on Youtube is amazing. And yes, I know, it’s a Toto cover… Shushhh!!!
Clown
Sad as a painted clown, a beautiful boy in an ugly town
but when your circus closes down don’t walk away from me
you’ve been asleep too long, the birds are bruises in the dawn
the pounds of flesh between us stretch as far as you can see
But all you ever do is walk away and I know if you’d only go slow
you could see what it means to be making the scene with me
But all you ever do is walk away and I think if you tried
you could find a little time
for the life I can see in your eyes, don’t go. Don’t go.
Sometimes you just explode and no one alive can break your code
You have a language of your own, an unconnected road
The people you called your friends, the places you won’t go again
The decades lost in finding them, you’ll have to let them go.
Stephin Merritt is the genius behind the Magnetic Fields. He’s an amazing songwriter and he’s got at least one other clown-related lyric.
I wandered in these big blue shoes,
till we had nothing left to lose.
Nobody wants you when you’re a circus clown.
I should know.
I looked all over town.
I wandered in these big blue shoes,
till we had nothing left to lose.
Nobody wants you when you’re a circus clown.
I should know.
I looked all over town.
I guess folks just don’t like my face.
They make out like I’m some disgrace.
But nothing’s gonna change this painted frown.
And I know.
I looked all over town.
Maybe somewhere I could be free.
Somewhere they won’t throw rocks at me.
Somewhere this crazy hair could be my crown.
But all my life,
I’ve looked all over town.
So whistling this circus tune,
I inflated one more balloon.
And as I floated up I looked straight down.
And I looked all over town.
One last time.
I looked all over town.
A great songwriter from another era also talked about clowns
Now if there’s a smile on my face
it’s only there tryin’ to fool the public
but when it comes down to foolin’ you;
Now honey, that’s quite a different subject
But don’t let my glad expression
give you the wrong impression
Really I’m sad
I’m sadder than sad
You’re gone and I’m hurtin’ so bad
Like a clown I pretend to be glad
Now there’s some sad things known to man
but ain’t too much sadder than
the tears of a clown
when there’s no one around
Now if I appear to be carefree
it’s only to camouflage my sadness
In order to keep my pride I try
to cover the hurt with a show of gladness
But don’t let my show convince you
that I’ve been happy since you
decided to go
Oh, I need you so
I’m hurt and I want you to know
Now there’s some sad things known to man
but ain’t too much sadder than
the tears of a clown
when there’s no one around
Just like Pagliacci did
I try to keep my sadness hid
Smiling in the public eye
But in my lonely room I cry
the tears of a clown
when there’s no one around
Clowns are occasionally funny, fundamentally sad but they can be scary too. Remember Stephen King’s It and Pennywise the creepy clown played by Tim Curry?
Since we’re talking about freaky clowns, let’s go to David Lynch‘s world for a while.
A candy-colored clown they call the sandman
Tiptoes to my room every night
Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper
“Go to sleep. Everything is all right.”
In 2011, years after using Roy Orbison’s In dreams in Blue Velvet, David Lynch released his first solo album Crazy Clown Time (That’s if you don’t count BlueBob…)
They all run around
Oh, it’s crazy clown time!
It was really fun!
There’s also a weird video he released for his first single from the album. I don’t know if you can stream it from here since you need to sign in.
I know you got to go
Seen in comin’ baby
Just as plain as a day
Seen it comin’ at me
No way you can’t stay
I know, I know, I know
I, I, I know
Don’t have to tell me baby
I’m going to leave you on a lighter note. The picture on top is from a dance movie directed by Lloyd Newson: DV8 Physical Theatre‘s The Cost of Living. I can’t even start to describe it, I love it so much!
Have a look below and try to find and watch the whole film (it’s only 35 min long).
Buckets
“Dullness is as much produced within doors as without, by rain.” – Jane Austen {Sense and Sensibility}
This is my last rain-related post of the season; I don’t care if I get April showers soon or Waters of March…
Maybe I should’ve started with a Bob Dylan quote?
He’s got a lot of rain-related material:
– A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall
– “Everybody is making love. Or else expecting rain.” – Desolation Row
– Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 that’s got nothing to do with the subject
– The live album Hard Rain that was recorded in very rainy conditions
– On Blood On The Tracks, one of his best albums, he’s got two: Shelter from the Storm and of course Buckets of rain.
Weird thing is you can’t find the original on Youtube or on the internet. You’ll just have to settle for the Beth Orton version
Thanks Bob. Merci Buckets!
Buckets of rain
Buckets of tears
Got all them buckets coming out of my ears
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand
You got all the love honey baby
I can stand.
I been meek
And hard like and oak
I seen pretty people disappear like smoke
Friends will arrive friends will disappear
If you want me honey baby
I’ll be there.
I like your smile
And your fingertips
I like the way that you move your hips
I like the cool way you look at me
Everything about you is bringing me
Misery.
Little red wagon
Little red bike
I ain’t no monkey but I know what I like
I like the way you love me strong and slow
I’m taking you with me honey baby
When I go.
Life is sad
Life is a bust
All ya can do is do what you must
You do what you must do and ya do it well
I’ll do it for you honey baby
Can’t you tell ?
“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” – Bob Dylan
And as usual, even when all of us are longing from sunshine some people ask for rain…
Rainmaker, rainmaker
The sky is gray just by the touch of your hand
Rainmaker, rainmaker
Make me some rain, make all my crops grow tall
Rainmaker, rainmaker
The sky is gray, the ground is so hard
It’s been cracked by the sun
Rainmaker, you know my work’s never done
And then you have The Beatles take on the subject… People are never happy: slipping in the shade when the sun comes out and hiding their heads when the rain comes
If the rain comes they run and hide their heads.
They might as well be dead.
If the rain comes, if the rain comes.
When the sun shines they slip into the shade
(When the sun shines down.)
And sip their lemonade.
(When the sun shines down.)
When the sun shines, when the sun shines.
Rain, I don’t mind.
Shine, the world looks fine.
I can show you that when it starts to rain,
(When the Rain comes down.)
Everything’s the same.
(When the Rain comes down.)
I can show you, I can show you.
Rain, I don’t mind.
Shine, the world looks fine.
Can you hear me, that when it rains and shines,
(When it Rains and shines.)
It’s just a state of mind?
(When it rains and shines.)
Can you hear me, can you hear me?
If the rain comes they run and hide their heads.
sdaeh rieht edih dna nur yeht semoc niar eht fI.
(Rain)
niaR.
(Rain)
enihsnuS.
Just remembered another Rain-related lyric by the Beatles from I Am The Walrus
Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun.
If the sun don’t come, you get a tan
From standing in the English rain.
And we will end this post with a long-awaited BJ Thomas favorite. This one’s for Ali. Thanks for bringing this video to my attention.
Proxima Estacion?
Raindrops keep falling on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin’ seems to fit
Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling
So I just did me some talkin’ to the sun
And I said I didn’t like the way he’ got things done
Sleepin’ on the job
Those raindrops are falling on my head, they keep falling
But there’s one thing I know
The blues he sends to meet me won’t defeat me
It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me
Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turnin’ red
Crying’s not for me
Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complainin’
Because I’m free
Nothing’s worrying me
Trouble
Trouble in mind, I’m blue
But I won’t be blue always,
‘Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday.
Trouble in mind, it’s true
I have almost lost my mind
Never had so much trouble in my life before
I’m gonna lay my head
On some lonesome railroad line
And let the 2:19 train ease my troubled mind.
Trouble in mind, I’m blue
But I won’t be blue always,
‘Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday.
Of course there’s the Janis Joplin typerwriter version too.
And then there’s Cat’s take on Trouble
Trouble
Oh trouble set me free
I have seen your face
And it’s too much too much for me
Trouble
Oh trouble can’t you see
You’re eating my heart away
And there’s nothing much left of me
I don’t know if I like Keren Ann’s music in general. Must admit I don’t know it well. However there are a few tracks that are very catchy. That‘s one of them
My name is trouble my first name’s a mess
No need to greet me I’m here to confess
But if you let me hold you I won’t hold my breath
And if you let me love you I will love you to death
And I could go on forever, slip in some Tindersticks off their soundtrack for Claire Denis’ Trouble Ever Day. But I’ll just end this post with Vera Ward Hall before she was sampled by Moby
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Went down the hill
Other day
My soul got happy
and stayed all day
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Went in the room
Didn’t stay long
Looked on the bed and,
Brother was dead
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Ooh Lordy, troubles so hard
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Don’t nobody know my troubles but God
Audiogrammes 