"You've got to get up every morning, with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart. Then people gonna treat you better, you're gonna find, yes you will, that you're beautiful as you feel.... "
Yes, if you follow me on FaceBook, you'll know that I recently posted that quote. It's from the song Beautiful by Carole King. I quoted it because it played on CarPod the other day when I was driving. CarPod for you non-FaceBook folks is the iPod that stays in my car and stays connected all the time. There's over 9 hours of songs on my biggest playlist. I could drive for a day listening and the world could come to a halt, and I wouldn't know. I was at work/school on 9/11, but I often wonder what my day would be like if something like that happened today and I was on a long trip driving somewhere.
I enjoy music so much. I've often said that music will give us just what we need. It gives us hope and strength when we are down and will expand our joys when we are feeling joyful. It makes our sad times easier to cope with and our happy times happier. It can stir our emotions with memories. It can bring us to either sad or happy tears with our private thoughts and remind us of someplace, sometime or someone special.
Yes, if you follow me on FaceBook, you'll know that I recently posted that quote. It's from the song Beautiful by Carole King. I quoted it because it played on CarPod the other day when I was driving. CarPod for you non-FaceBook folks is the iPod that stays in my car and stays connected all the time. There's over 9 hours of songs on my biggest playlist. I could drive for a day listening and the world could come to a halt, and I wouldn't know. I was at work/school on 9/11, but I often wonder what my day would be like if something like that happened today and I was on a long trip driving somewhere.
I enjoy music so much. I've often said that music will give us just what we need. It gives us hope and strength when we are down and will expand our joys when we are feeling joyful. It makes our sad times easier to cope with and our happy times happier. It can stir our emotions with memories. It can bring us to either sad or happy tears with our private thoughts and remind us of someplace, sometime or someone special.
CarPod has many songs and about a dozen playlists.
Jack says most of my music is dumb. But, I occasionally have one or two that he enjoys. I'm a 70's kid when it comes to my tastes.
John Denver was my favorite in the 70's. He was much bigger than most people give him credit for. I remember when AJ was a teen, Take Me Home Country Roads had a bit of a resurgence. I also remember AJ's shock that I knew that song. There were a few more JD songs that I liked. I think I liked Perhaps Love the most. "If I should live forever and all my dreams come true, my memories of love will be of you."
Songs like Windy by the Association, You're In My Heart by Rod Stewart and When You Remember Me by Chris Thompson are among those songs that remind me of someone special or a special time in my life.
Among the songs that I consider "Our Songs" for Jack and I: Leather and Lace (Stevie Nicks & Don Henley), Harvest Moon (Neil Young) - that one was dedicated special to us at AJ's wedding, Arthur's Theme (Christopher Cross), The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me (Gladys Knight), The Search is Over (Survivor) - "now I look into your eyes, I can see forever, the search is over, you were with me all the while." and Still the One (Orleans). "We're still having fun and you're still the one.."
From our wedding: Just You and I (Eddie Rabbit/Crystal Gayle), Color My World (Chicago) - I came down the aisle to the flute solo at the end - and The Wedding Song (Paul Stuckey). "He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts." All these songs bring back memories of the day.
Songs that remind me of AJ: Forever Young (Rod Stewart) - danced with him at his wedding to that one, Freebird and Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynryd) - "Oh, take your time, don't live too fast. Troubles will come and they will pass. You'll find a woman, yeah, and you'll find love. And don't forget, son, there is someone up above." Mahogany (Diana Ross), "Do you know where you're going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you?" and John Denver's Christmas Song, A Baby Just Like You - "And as the magi came with gifts, I come with my gift, too. That peace on earth fills up your time, that brotherhood surrounds you, that you may know the warmth of love and wrap it all around you." There's always The Best of My Love by the Eagles, because sometimes that kid just got the best of my love. When I hear We Rode in Trucks (Luke Bryan) I'm reminded of AJ and his Georgia friends. "We were all best friends, wide-eyed, baptized and still wanting to sin." Speaking of sinning how about The Devil Went Down to Georgia? Speaking of Georgia... Georgia On My Mind. Good memories.
From our wedding: Just You and I (Eddie Rabbit/Crystal Gayle), Color My World (Chicago) - I came down the aisle to the flute solo at the end - and The Wedding Song (Paul Stuckey). "He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts." All these songs bring back memories of the day.
Songs that remind me of AJ: Forever Young (Rod Stewart) - danced with him at his wedding to that one, Freebird and Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynryd) - "Oh, take your time, don't live too fast. Troubles will come and they will pass. You'll find a woman, yeah, and you'll find love. And don't forget, son, there is someone up above." Mahogany (Diana Ross), "Do you know where you're going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you?" and John Denver's Christmas Song, A Baby Just Like You - "And as the magi came with gifts, I come with my gift, too. That peace on earth fills up your time, that brotherhood surrounds you, that you may know the warmth of love and wrap it all around you." There's always The Best of My Love by the Eagles, because sometimes that kid just got the best of my love. When I hear We Rode in Trucks (Luke Bryan) I'm reminded of AJ and his Georgia friends. "We were all best friends, wide-eyed, baptized and still wanting to sin." Speaking of sinning how about The Devil Went Down to Georgia? Speaking of Georgia... Georgia On My Mind. Good memories.
Particular voices that just melt my butter... Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, Dean Martin and Steve Perry (Journey). Yes, I'm that old and that complex. But... swoon!!!
The first line of Elton' John's Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me reminds me of someone in particular - every time. "I can't light, no more of your darkness." I'm just going to leave it at that.
Amie by Pure Prairie League takes me back to a friend's wedding. The memories of me and a few other beer and/or wine infused girls singing that one at the reception, quite loudly - together. A memory which lasted longer than the marriage.
Speaking of marriages and weddings... have a DJ play We Are Family and watch me and all my "sisters" dance.... and sing... and dance some more!!
SPORTS FUN: 1982 St. Louis Cardinals - Celebration by Kool and the Gang. The 2019 St. Louis Blues = Gloria by Laura Branigan. I think we Blues fans made it one of the most downloaded songs last year.
I have a couple of playlists of Christmas Music. One with words and one just instrumentals. (I can sing along!) If you've never heard Michael Crawford sing Oh Holy Night, do yourself a favor... Google and listen! Folks my age will remember Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing The Little Drummer Boy together. If you don't know that one... do yourself another favor. Google and listen. "I pray my wish will come true. For my child and your child, too. He'll see the day of glory. See the day when men of good will live in peace, live in peace again."
Speaking of marriages and weddings... have a DJ play We Are Family and watch me and all my "sisters" dance.... and sing... and dance some more!!
SPORTS FUN: 1982 St. Louis Cardinals - Celebration by Kool and the Gang. The 2019 St. Louis Blues = Gloria by Laura Branigan. I think we Blues fans made it one of the most downloaded songs last year.
I have a couple of playlists of Christmas Music. One with words and one just instrumentals. (I can sing along!) If you've never heard Michael Crawford sing Oh Holy Night, do yourself a favor... Google and listen! Folks my age will remember Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing The Little Drummer Boy together. If you don't know that one... do yourself another favor. Google and listen. "I pray my wish will come true. For my child and your child, too. He'll see the day of glory. See the day when men of good will live in peace, live in peace again."
I have a playlist of just Hymns. Many times in my life I feel the need to switch over to that playlist. Precious Lord, Take My Hand... That plea comes in handy quite often. And if I really want to think ahead, my funeral song Just As I Am is on there. "And that Thou bidst me, come to Thee... Oh Lamb of God, I come, I come." In all my hymns on CarPod, I learn just "How great Thou Art."
And in the Spring when I feel like singing my favorite Easter song - Christ the Lord has Risen Today - Debby Boone will sing along with me.
And in the Spring when I feel like singing my favorite Easter song - Christ the Lord has Risen Today - Debby Boone will sing along with me.
More Debby Boone notes: When she recorded You Light Up My Life about 40 years ago, she said even though it was promoted as a love song, to her it was more spiritual. She said many people picked up on that just by the way she sang it. "You light up my life. You give me hope, to carry on.." I find the same spiritual message in Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me:
"You were my strength when I was weak. You were my voice when I couldn't speak. You were my eyes when I couldn't see. You saw the best there was in me. Lifted me up when I couldn't reach. You gave me faith cause you believed. I'm everything I am because you loved me."
"You were my strength when I was weak. You were my voice when I couldn't speak. You were my eyes when I couldn't see. You saw the best there was in me. Lifted me up when I couldn't reach. You gave me faith cause you believed. I'm everything I am because you loved me."
I have a play list for the kids. Landon always got a chuckle out of Down by the Bay... you know... where the watermelon grows... "Have to ever seen a goose, kissing a moose... down by the bay?" I still hear that little boy giggle. We sang the Hokey Pokey, but while in the car we couldn't go through the motions. We did that in my kitchen when we got home. Where we got our musical accompaniment from... you guessed it. KitchenPod! There are many more songs on the kid's playlist and I hope to share them all someday with my own grands.
We can learn so much about life from music. Lessons from the obscure to the obvious.
Such as when the Eagles remind us about the Hotel California - where "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave." Or when Ricky Nelson tells us he went to a Garden Party and he's "learned my lesson well. You see, you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself." Or when Louie Armstrong (or my version, Rod Stewart) reminds us... "It's a wonderful world." And even Raffi reminds us.. "the more we get together the happier we'll be". If you haven't learned that lesson this year, then you still have a lot to learn.
One that sends a thoughtful message and also reminds me of someone in my life... The Rose.
"It's the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance. It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance. It's the one who won't be taken, who cannot seem to give. And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live."
If you need to find some happy... listen to music. If you need to melt the sorrow... listen to music. If you need more life lessons... listen to music. Or you can always re-read the first few lines of this blog.
So on that note or this note 🎵: "kiss today good-bye. The sweetness and the sorrow. Wish me luck, the same to you.... won't forget, can't regret what I did for love."
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