Poetry in song

[theognis]

Why Don't You Do Right?

You had plenty money, 1922
You let other women make a fool of you
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too

You're sittin' there and wonderin' what it's all about
You ain't got no money, they will put you out
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too

If you had prepared twenty years ago
You wouldn't be a-wanderin' from door to door
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too

I fell for your jivin' and I took you in
Now all you got to offer me's a drink of gin
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Like some other men do

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BYvxFrDZ4M&feature=related

 

[theognis]

Rhiannon Giddens a capella

Reynadine (A version of the old English ballad Reynardine)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RnwKrhRZoU

 

[PandoraGlitters]

This was really gorgeous. Thanks, theognis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BYvxFrDZ4M&feature=related

 

[theognis]

You're welcome, Pandora

This was really gorgeous. Thanks, theognis.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I agree, it's a gorgeous rendition of the song. I think Rhiannon Giddens has a beautiful voice.

I have tickets to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops on February ninth. Really looking forward to it.

 

[theognis]

This was really gorgeous. Thanks, theognis.

Just got home from seeing the Carolina Chocolate Drops. They were phenomenal. Strange thing, there were no black people in the audience. Absolutely none, as far as I could tell. That's truly unfortunate, I think. Rhiannon Giddens mentioned the issues about bringing back some of the music they play. I'm so glad they are preserving it. It's unbelievably good stuff, and they play and sing it so well. The audience gave them several standing ovations, and you could hear a pin drop throughout some of the sad songs. Of course there was a lot of singing and clapping and even some dancing on some of the songs, as well.

If anyone gets the chance to see a live performance, I would highly recommend taking it. Rhiannon Giddens alone is more than worth the price of admission. Great singer. Not a bad dancer, either, although she slipped and nearly fell on her pretty tush tonight. That'll teach her not to wear socks when flatfooting.

 

[theognis]

Bach solo

Leyla McCalla, newest member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR1DSctYcEc

Poetry

 

[PandoraGlitters]

Rest in Peace, Whitney. You are loved and will be missed.



(This rose is not a rose.)

 

[theognis]

Rest in Peace, Whitney. You are loved and will be missed.



(This rose is not a rose.)

So sad. Such a waste of great talent. I hope she has found rest.


"Death is a release from the impressions of the senses, and from desires that make us their puppets, and from the vagaries of the mind, and from the hard service of the flesh."

- Marcus Aurelius

 

[theognis]

J'attendrai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Fvp2s3ZBc&feature=related

 

[loststar]

i supose this might go here

how my song is born


the music walked into my system
tying string upon string around my struggling soul
melting into me
infusing my fire with a bright shine that bleeds out uncontrollably
taking with it the message that could not be said
desperation escaping
taking flight
beads of ambition bouncing to the floor
shards of the past falling with the glittering dust of lost dreams
I push the power out of me
the light curls around
illuminates the pain and pleasure of the pieces
My voice bubbles in my belly and starts the slow circular climb upwards
gathering power from my breath and passion from my heart
When it reaches my lips it remembers happiness
the notes that come out are

earth shattering

 

[theognis]

how my song is born


the music walked into my system
tying string upon string around my struggling soul
melting into me
infusing my fire with a bright shine that bleeds out uncontrollably
taking with it the message that could not be said
desperation escaping
taking flight
beads of ambition bouncing to the floor
shards of the past falling with the glittering dust of lost dreams
I push the power out of me
the light curls around
illuminates the pain and pleasure of the pieces
My voice bubbles in my belly and starts the slow circular climb upwards
gathering power from my breath and passion from my heart
When it reaches my lips it remembers happiness
the notes that come out are

earth shattering

I think it goes here very well.

 

[theognis]

From Song

Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil’s foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids’ singing,
Or to keep off envy’s stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.

It thou be'st born to strange sights,
Things invisible go see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till age snow white hairs on thee;
Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear
Nowhere
Lives a woman true and fair.

-John Donne (1573-1631)

 

[SquiresBoy]

Kathleen
All the other girls here are stars
You are the Northern Lights
They try to shine in through your curtain
You're too close and too bright
They try and they try, but everything that they do
Is a ghost of a trace of pale imitation of you
I'll be the one to drive you back home, Kathleen

This party was made with the night air
And the chance that a smile
Will wipe its way from your face
To one of the boys in your line
You act like you're hip to their tricks and you're strong
But a virgin Wurlitzer heart never once had a song
I'll be the one to drive you back home, Kathleen

And I'll have you back by break of day
I'm going your way anyway
If you'd like to come along
I'll be yours for a song

I know you are waiting,
And I know that it is not for me
But I'm here and I'm ready
And I've saved you the passenger seat
And I won't be your last dance,
Just your last "good night"
Every heart is a package
Tangled up in knots someone else tied
I'll be the one to drive you back home, Kathleen

Crawl up your trellis
And quietly back into your room
And I'll coast down the length of your drive
By the light of the moon
And the next time we meet's a new kind of hello
Both our hearts have a secret only both of us know
About the night I drove you back home, Kathleen
-- Josh Ritter

 

[theognis]

My Baby Just Cares For Me

http://www.universal-music.de/malia/videos/detail/video:266663/my-baby-just-cares-for-me

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

"Paper Thin Hotel"by L. Cohen


The walls of this hotel are paper-thin
Last night I heard you making love to him
The struggle mouth to mouth and limb to limb
The grunt of unity when he came in
I stood there with my ear against the wall
I was not seized by jealousy at all
In fact a burden lifted from my soul
I heard that love was out of my control
A heavy burden lifted from my soul
I heard that love was out of my control

I listened to your kisses at the door
I never heard the world so clear before
You ran your bath and you began to sing
I felt so good I couldn't feel a thing

I stood there with my ear against the wall ...

And I can't wait to tell you to your face
And I can't wait for you to take my place
You are The Naked Angel In My Heart
You are The Woman With Her Legs Apart
It's written on the walls of this hotel
You go to heaven once you've been to hell

A heavy burden lifted from my soul
I heard that love was out of my control

 

[SquiresBoy]

"Paper Thin Hotel"by L. Cohen

Leonard Cohen is ALWAYS good for a poem-song combination. ~wanders off humming "I remember you well, in the Chelsea Hotel..."~

 

[PandoraGlitters]

Kathleen
All the other girls here are stars
You are the Northern Lights
They try to shine in through your curtain
You're too close and too bright

Gorgeous. Thank you for sharing this.

Here's one from Gretchen Peters that I love. Gotta get this album. Oof. I mean . . . CD.

 

[PandoraGlitters]

Also Gretchen Peters--The Matador (thought some of the Lit women could relate to this)

I threw a rose to the matador, not sure who I was cheering for
My aim was true, my heart was full, I loved the fighter and the bull
I loved like only a woman can, a very complicated man
I bound his wounds, I heard his cries, I gave him truth, I told him lies

His rage is made of many things: faithless women, wedding rings
Snakes and snails and alcohol, his daddy's fist thrown through the wall
Ah but he's beautiful when he's in the ring, the devil howls, the angels sing
Sparks fly from his fingertips and words like birds fly from his lips

Some man is lyin' in the dirt
Some woman's crying that he's hurt
But he's not alive without the thrill
Without the dance, without the kill
The lights go down, the people roar
They're cheering on the matador
And this is how the story goes
I knew it when I threw the rose

I come to each and every show; the woman in the second row
I watch them in their ancient dance and I know I never stood a chance
Cause while other demons prance and clown, it's vanity that takes you down
I thought that I could be the one, but I'm just another hanger-on

Some man is bleedin' in the dirt
Some woman's crying that she's hurt
But who are we without the thrill
Without the dance, without the kill
And he is bull and matador
And I'm the mother and the whore
And this is how the story goes
I knew it when I threw the rose

I threw a rose to the matador, not sure who I was cheering for
My aim was true, my heart was full; I loved the fighter and the bull

 

[theognis]

Pandora

Also Gretchen Peters--The Matador (thought some of the Lit women could relate to this)

I threw a rose to the matador, not sure who I was cheering for
My aim was true, my heart was full, I loved the fighter and the bull
I loved like only a woman can, a very complicated man
I bound his wounds, I heard his cries, I gave him truth, I told him lies

His rage is made of many things: faithless women, wedding rings
Snakes and snails and alcohol, his daddy's fist thrown through the wall
Ah but he's beautiful when he's in the ring, the devil howls, the angels sing
Sparks fly from his fingertips and words like birds fly from his lips

Some man is lyin' in the dirt
Some woman's crying that he's hurt
But he's not alive without the thrill
Without the dance, without the kill
The lights go down, the people roar
They're cheering on the matador
And this is how the story goes
I knew it when I threw the rose

I come to each and every show; the woman in the second row
I watch them in their ancient dance and I know I never stood a chance
Cause while other demons prance and clown, it's vanity that takes you down
I thought that I could be the one, but I'm just another hanger-on

Some man is bleedin' in the dirt
Some woman's crying that she's hurt
But who are we without the thrill
Without the dance, without the kill
And he is bull and matador
And I'm the mother and the whore
And this is how the story goes
I knew it when I threw the rose

I threw a rose to the matador, not sure who I was cheering for
My aim was true, my heart was full; I loved the fighter and the bull

I don't know about relating to it, but I can sure appreciate it. And I can certainly relate to the other one, with only a slight change of these lyrics:

HELLO CRUEL WORLD

by Gretchen Peters

haven’t done as well as I thought I would
I’m not dead but I’m damaged goods
And it’s gettin’ late
I’m a rusty hinge, a squeaky wheel
at the bad end of a shaky deal
cursed by the hand of fate
and ooooooh – I’m a very lucky girl
yeah ooooooh – hello cruel world

I’m a ticking clock, a losing bet
a girl without a safety net
I’m a cause for some concern
You don’t live this long without regrets
Telephone calls you don’t wanna get
Stones you’d rather leave unturned
but ooooooh – the grain of sand becomes the pearl
yeah ooooooh – hello cruel world

some folks go the easy route
numb the pain or put the lights out
either way they got to go
me I’m gonna stick around
in for a penny in for a pound
cause I hate to miss the show
and ooooooh – I’m a very stubborn girl
yeah ooooooh – hello cruel world
hello cruel world

 

[SquiresBoy]

Gorgeous. Thank you for sharing this.

It was once called "the most beautiful opening to a song ever." When he performs it live, you can almost point out all the women who are actually named Kathleen. ~g~

Josh is fantastic with lyrics that really hit home. ("You're so red in the eyes/Either too low or too high/When I met you, you/Were sick but you did not know why/I was a pretty poor cure/But my love for you was always pure/The bucket was broken/But the water was pure."

 

[SquiresBoy]

Not to flood with Josh, but this song really is epic poetry set to song. The first time I heard it, I thought it was a remake or cover of a new Leonard Cohen song.

WINGS
At night we crossed the border following a Black Robe
To the edge of the reservation to Cataldo Mission
Where the saints and all the martyrs look down on dying converts
"What makes the water holy," she says,
Is that it's the closest thing to rain."

I stole a mule from Anthony, I helped Anne up upon it
And we rode to Coeur d'Alene, past Harrison and Wallace
They were blasting out the tunnel
Making way for the light of learning
"When Jesus comes a'calling," she said
"He's coming round the mountain on a train."

It's my home
Last night I dreamt that I grew wings
I found a place
Where they could hear me when I sing

We floated on to Hanford on a lumber boat up river
Past the fisheries and the milltowns
Like a stretch of future graveyards
She was driven to distraction
Said, "I wonder what will happen
When they find out they're mistaken
The land is too changed to ever change."

We waded through the marketplace
Someone's ship had come in
There was silver and begonias
Dynamite and cattle
There were hearts as big as apples
And apples in the shape of Mary's heart
I said, "Inside this gilded cage
A songbird always looks so plain."

It's my home
Last night I dreamt that I grew wings
I found a place
Where they could hear me when I sing

And so they came with cameras
Breaking through the morning mist
Press and businessmen, tycoons
Episcopal philanthropists
Lost in their appraisal of the body of a woman
But all we saw were lowlands
Clouds clung to mountains without strings

At last we saw some people...
At last we saw some people...
At last we saw some people huddled up against
The rain that was descending like railroad spikes and hammers
They were headed for the border
Walking and then running
Then they were gone into the fog
But Anne said underneath their jackets
She saw wings

 

[PandoraGlitters]

I've been working on one, walking around today. Here's the start.

He once loved a woman who was addicted
to emptiness
Now he loves a woman who's addicted
to desire.

Desire is a cancer
that fills you slowly
smothering your happiness
with pillows made of fire.

 

[Angeline]

My girl has finally made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Laura Nyro is a 2012 inductee. Shine on, Laura.

December's Boudoir

Kisses from you in the flames of December's boudoir
They fill me like melons,
Touch me with chivalry.

Truly I know, truly I know who you are.
December will bear our affair.
Running on streets of delight and Decemberry ice,
They'll see me; I'm ageless,
Loving you timelessly.

Love-colored soul, love-colored soul kissing spice.
Yes, my love, I take my coffee in the morning,
And all your love. A spoonful or so will make us grow.

Mama was clever, my mama was clever,
And my daddy loved her forever.

Forever.
Kisses from you I'll remember,
Kisses from you in the flames of December,
Kisses from you, true they are,
Kisses from you in the flames of December's boudoir.

Oh, mainstream marzipan sweet,
Baking out in December heat.

 

[Scentofawoman]

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley


Well 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?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor (you know)
I used to live alone before I knew you
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
and love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

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 dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Maybe there's a God above
all 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
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

 

[PandoraGlitters]

Isn't this a song by Leonard Cohen? I think it is performed by Jeff Buckley, but composed and originally performed by Leonard Cohen.

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley


Well 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?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor (you know)
I used to live alone before I knew you
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
and love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

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 dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...

Maybe there's a God above
all 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
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah...