Sure-As-Not

When I first graduated college, I worked for a music store for about 6 months -- Hear Music, long before Starbucks bought them and rewrote their history, but that's a tale for another day. There were many awesome things about Hear Music -- the fact that you could listen to anything in the store prior to buying it; the cool, independent, music-loving employees the store attracted; and the wide array of folk, rock, world, classical, alternative, you name it (so long as it isn't pop) music available for your listening pleasure. Sure-As-Not, and explicitly the Jungle Segue, by the Afro Celt Sound System, was one of the early loves that I got introduced to while I worked there, and an example of why working in a music store and actually trying to earn a living do not always go hand-in-hand seeing as how I bought the album pretty much as soon as I heard it.

The Afro Celt Sound System is really a lot like it sounds. Their first album, my personal favorite, was "the first fruit of a collaboration between a group of the finest African musicians, their counterparts from the Celtic communities of western Europe and several of Britain's most respected dance music producers," according to their website. It's a glorious noise, almost infectious, that gets inside of you and makes you want to move. It makes you wonder why the whole world isn't begging for an African-Celtic fusion in music, because it was obviously meant to be.

If you have a chance to pick up some Afro Celt Sound System, please do. You won't regret it. I promise.

Artist: Afro Celt Sound System
Song: Sure-As-Not
Part A: Sure-As-Not, Part B: Sure-As-Knot (Jungle Segue)
Album: Sound Magic
Website: http://realworldrecords.com/afrocelts/
Fan Site: http://www.afrocelts.org/

Dixie the Tiny Dog

I have been looking for this song everywhere, but to no avail. I'm really sorry, too, because I absolutely love it. I will tell you about it anyway, and the next time you come visit me, I'll play it for you. Peter Himmelman has outdone himself with this one. "Dixie the Tiny Dog" is funny, sweet, and memorable. The version I have is from the KFOG Acoustic Sunrise album, which means it isn't readily available for public consumption. I did find another version on a special album that Peter put out, but while it is equally impossible to lay hands on, it is regrettably not as good a version.

So here are the lyrics to the KFOG version. Imagine a proud little dachshund clicking along your kitchen floor as you read them.

Artist: Peter Himmelman
Website: http://www.peterhimmelman.com/
Song: Dixie the Tiny Dog
Album: KFOG Acoustic Sunrise

I'm a tiny dog named Dixie,
I have small feet which pitter patter on the linoleum floor,
You can hear my toenails in the middle of the night.
My tag says I belong to the Johnsons, but they don't own me,
They just feed me, they just bought me one day.
No one owns me, I'm Dixie the tiny dog.

And in the middle of the day I sit in the sun
And I hear young children call me a weiner dog,
Perhaps that's what I am.
The Germanic term is dachshund, and I like that,
I'm thin and I'm proud and no one can make fun of me.
I can slip through the bars of a prison if I were ever incarcerated,
But I don't know what I would do wrong.
My body yield no evil inclinations.
I'm a pure weiner dog.

My name is Dixie and I go dancing 'cross the floor
In the evening of the Johnsons when everyone is sleeping.
Sometimes I look for a morsel of food, but they're so clean
They're almost anal-retentive in their cleanliness habits
And there's nothing for me.
But I don't despair
Because I know tomorrow my Gaines Burgers will be there
And they will unwrap the plastic from them
And then feed me this succulent dish, and I will eat.

And oh, I've watched the German Shepherds with their long necks,
Their graceful necks, dipping into the toilet to drink whenever they want
To have a drink of cool water in that well.
But I must plead, I must beg, I must whine
For Mr. Johnson to put out my bowl,
Or one of the Johnson boys to refill it after I drink it,
Because I'm Dixie the dog and I like water.

And in the middle of the night you can see me dancing
A small Fred Astaire tap dance, with my little toenails
They go click click click against the linoleum
And I run down the hall and I slide
And the back of me goes in front of me . . . slowly.
I'm long and I'm thin. I'm Dixie the tiny dog and I like it.

Learn to Fly

I was driving home from the grocery store this afternoon and this song came on the radio. I'm singing along thinking, I really like this song, I'd forgotten all about it. Then we come to the chorus and it is, of course, all about learning to fly. It seemed too appropriate not to post it today, since, in case you hadn't noticed, learning to fly is what I'm all about these days.

This concept speaks to me on at least two levels. One, it's about learning, growing, expanding. And two, it's about FLYING, not just surviving or being adequate--it's about being more. This in a nutshell is what I want my life to be about, not just today, but from here on out. There is always more to learn and there is always a space to expand into. Hear hear.

The song "Learn to Fly" is another one from 1999. I believe (although I might be mistaken, I'm definitely no expert) that it was the first big Foo Fighters hit here in the U.S. While I enjoyed it when it came out, it didn't make a huge mark on my landscape. It's one that over time, the more I've listened to it, the more I like it. Perhaps a little bit of nostalgia--songs that remind me of specific periods grow on me precisely because they are reminders--but I've also grown and changed a lot over the past decade. Whatever it is, I now think this song is a lot of fun, and 8+ years after it was released, I am now a proud owner of it. Thank you, iTunes.

Artist: Foo Fighters
Website: http://www.foofighters.com/home
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_Fighters
Song: Learn to Fly
Album: There Is Nothing Left to Lose

Run and tell all of the angels
This could take all night
Think I need a devil to help me get things right
Hook me up a new revolution
Cause this one is a lie
We sat around laughing and watched the last one die

I'm looking to the sky to save me
Looking for a sign of life
Looking for something to help me burn out bright

I'm looking for complication
Looking cause I'm tired of trying
Make my way back home when I learn to fly

I think I'm done nursing the patience
I can wait one night
I'd give it all away if you give me one last try
We'll live happily ever trapped if you just save my life
Run and tell the angels that everything is alright...
Fly along with me, I can't quite make it alone
Try and make this life my own

Californication

I asked Sean this morning if he'd like to pick a song in honor of his birthday. I suggested Bob Marley. He countered with "Freebird," primarily because of its Guitar Hero II status. Then he thought about it for a moment and came up with Red Hot Chili Peppers. That seemed appropriate seeing as the two things I remember most from the first year of our relationship are Soul Caliber (does your soul still burn?) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

We met in 1999, the same year that Californication came out. I'd been a huge fan of Blood Sugar Sex Magik and was disappointed in their 1995 release One Hot Minute (who wasn't). Californication was a piece of college nostalgia dressed in new clothes. Sean would get up most Saturday mornings and put the CD on -- if you weren't awake yet, "Around the World" would do it for you. (Around the world / I feel dutiful / Take a wife / cause life is beautiful.)

The album moves through a wide variety of musical styles, which is probably why I enjoy it so much as a full album. The first four tracks are a wonderful ride, growing progressively mellower as we move from "Around the World" to "Parallel Universe" to "Scar Tissue" to "Otherside," my favorite from the album. You can see the video here. (I heard your voice through a photograph / I thought it up it brought up the past / Once you know you can never go back / I’ve got to take it on the otherside.) "Californication" and "Road Trippin'" are also good ones to call attention to, and by now we've singled out half the album.

While I think the Red Hot Chili Peppers now are ghosts of their 90's selves, it's always a good reminder that they were living large there for a while, and such a pleasure to ride along with.

Road trippin' with my two favorite allies
Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies
Its time to leave this town
Its time to steal away
Lets go get lost
Anywhere in the U.S.A.

Lets go get lost
Lets go get lost...

RHCP website: http://www.redhotchilipeppers.com/
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hot_chili_peppers

All Too Much

One of the best things about pretty much every job I've ever had is the travel I've gotten to do for work. For years, every time I traveled for business I either got to extend it to visit with family and friends or I was abroad, specifically in Asia. It's not like I traveled a lot -- just a few times a year -- but they were memorable. My best trip for my last company was when I got to attend the 2006 Austin City Limits Music Festival. While it was hotter than my California-adjusted body could handle, the music was beyond INCREDIBLE. I got to see Aimee Mann and Gnarls Barkley and John Mayer and KT Tunstell and Thievery Corporation -- some really good stuff. And I got introduced to Gomez, who I had the honor of watching from backstage as I was hanging out at the Heineken tent. I'd heard of them and recognized one or two of their songs, but I didn't really know them.

In the year and a half since, Gomez has taken over the world, or so it seems from my perspective. Almost without fail, any time I heard a new song on the radio that I liked it would end up being a Gomez song. I've bought enough of the album How We Operate from iTunes that by now it probably would have made a lot more sense to just have bought the whole album ages ago. "All Too Much" is a fairly new love of mine. It's a rockin' song, it makes me want to sing along, to groove. I honestly have no idea what the song is about (even after reading the lyrics) and I don't care. It's catchy and fun and highly addictive, the kind of song you can get stuck in your head -- like I did today, incidentally -- and you really don't mind. So Gomez, tell us, what's your secret? You make it look so easy, like you don't even try.

Artist: Gomez
Website: http://www.gomeztheband.com/
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomez_%28band%29
Song: All Too Much
Album: How We Operate

You can make up a list
Of the things you want
...Could be anything.
When you've crossed them all off,
And there's nothing left,
To start again.

The occasional milestone on your path,
Shows how far you've come.
But the record will show,
And it's all too much,
And not enough.

So step right up,
Everything's just fine.
I'm only here to do what's right.

If it cannot be slowed,
And it's too late to change,
Just cover up
Keep it spinning around out of control,
Til it's hard to stop
Like a moth to the flame, you can't resist
You have to get involved.
Why did you get involved?

So step right up,
Everything's just fine.
I'm only here to do what's right
Don't worry about it

Tell us what's your secret?
How come it works every time?
You make it look so easy,
Like you don't even try.
Tell us what's your secret?
Have you got something to hide?
If giving up so easy,
Why do you even try?

And the record will show
You were falling fast,
It was all too much,
And you weren't fast enough

So step right up,
Everything's just fine.
I'm only here to do what's right
Don't worry about it

Tell us what's the secret?
How come it works every time?
You make it look so easy,
Like you don't even try.
Tell us what's your secret?
Have you got something to hide?
If giving up so easy,
Why do you even try?

It's like you don't even try.
It's never all too much
Yeah, and not enough
It's like you don't even try.
It's never all too much
Yeah, and not enough.

Amaze Me

Every now and again I'll be sitting at my desk with some music on in the background, or listening to my iPod on my way home from the city, or in my car running errands listening to a mix I've made, and I'll just get struck with a deep upwelling of emotion, tears in my eyes for what appears to be no reason and a yearning to be out on the open road. Inevitably, it's because the song "Amaze Me" by Girlyman has come on, and I've just been struck anew by the power of their harmonies, their melodies, and their lyrics. While some music makes me wish I was a singer-songwriter, other music makes me wish I was in a position to support singer-songwriters just getting started so that their music can be spread throughout the world. Girlyman's music definitely brings out the latter instinct in me, and back when I had a job, I'd have these overwhelming urges to quit my job to go work towards getting them, and others like them, more famous. More recently, you're likely to find me allowing those tears to come, allowing myself to feel the emotion their songs bring out in me, and just kick back and enjoy, feeling blessed to be able to experience it.

The most striking thing about this song for me is the haunting quality its melody takes on when done in three-party harmony. Knocks my socks off every time. The second thing is that it feels written for me (sheepish grin) when they talk about " From Decatur, Georgia To California," i.e. from where I was born to where I live now. The third thing is that I am transient by nature, I love to travel and to take road trips and to see our country in all its glory. I can remember on a road trip from Chicago to Breckinridge, I was driving through Nebraska and everyone else in the car was asleep. I was struck by how beautiful the landscape was on a rainy, March afternoon, and I didn't have anyone to share it with. This song reminds me of moments like that.

Artist: Girlyman
Website: http://www.girlyman.com/
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girlyman
Song: Amaze Me
Album: Remember Who I Am

Amaze Me
by Ty Greenstein
(© 2001)

New Jersey born, yeah
The flat land of Nebraska
From Decatur, Georgia
To California

Let's dig up the map and
Let's leave while we're happy
I wanna see Tucson
Before it's all gone

Chorus:
Amaze me, America
Save me from armageddon, high road to heaven

Eight hours at the airport
Wanna hightail to Gulfport
Wanna sit on the back porch
And stare at the stars

From the chemical water
Of new york's dirty harbor
To the rock of gibraltar
At the end of the world

Chorus

Let's dive to Atlantis
Let's hear what they'd tell us
From the bottom of the ocean
I really want to know them

Chorus

Sweet Mistakes

"Sweet Mistakes" seems like a great way to open up this blog because it's just such a great song from every angle. Ellis Paul is, of course, an incredible songwriter. He combines insightful lyrics with upbeat, catchy tunes that reel you in. You find yourself humming the melody, then singing along, and then suddenly you realize what the song is about on your 12th time through.

That's what happened to me with Sweet Mistakes. I loved the song instantly but it took time for me to figure out why. Its chorus talks about one of the keys to life -- learning from our mistakes, being grateful for the opportunities to make them, because it is through them that we grow and change. The mistakes we've made may have hurt when they were happening, but time heals all wounds, and they are part of what makes you who you are today.

But there's a larger meaning to this song too. It's about living your life *your* way, being Who You Really Are, and how the world just laps it up and asks for more. It's about the power of faith. And it's about peace and gratitude, too. It packs quite a lot of punch, and it's fun to sing along with to boot. :)

Artist: Ellis Paul
Website: http://www.ellispaul.com/
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Paul
Song: Sweet Mistakes
Albums: Sweet Mistakes; The Speed of Trees; Essentials

Pop the cork, a champagne glass
Raise to the future, drink to the past
Thank the Lord for the friends he cast,
In the play he wrote for you.
And if you love the girl, man, light up a torch
Blaze a trail to her front porch
Kiss her till your lips are scorched
Till the rain comes down on you

[chorus]
Bless your sweet mistakes,
That crumbled you down to your knees.
That brought you to this place
Changing you by degrees...
When change was just what you needed...
What you needed...

So if you live your life in a three piece suit,
In a cocktail dress, or combat boots
You pick your path, you walk your truth
And the world will come round to you.
It's a long strange ride, I can't tell you why
But there's a place in your pocket where peace can abide
You pull it out, it's a compass, a guide
And it will put a little soul on you.

[repeat chorus]

[bridge]
And in this wild blue world
There is a soul weavin' fine feelin' girl
You've got to walk in paradise to find a pearl
If you only believe,
You'll get what you need...
What you needed...
Conquer your fear and you'll master the game,
Life is always and never the same.
Use a little faith to light the flame
And I know you'll connect to you.

[repeat chorus]

Pop the cork, a champagne glass
Raise to the future, drink to the past
Thank the Lord for the friends he cast,
In the play he wrote for you.

Copyright Ellis Paul Publishing SESAC