Russians

During the Reagan administration we were pretty heavily into the MAD diplomatic policy with the Russians (Mutually Assured Destruction).  That meant that we "knew" that the Russians would never attack with nuclear weapons because we had enough stockpiled to destroy them MANY times over.  If they destroyed us - we would most assuredly destroy them.  Mutually Assured Destruction.  Sound like a good safety net?  Sound like a sane way for the two most powerful nations ON EARTH to act?  

  For younger folks, there is no way to really get across the sense of fear and darkness that accompanied the cold war.  Well before Sting and "Russians", back in the early to mid-1960's, when the cold war was at it's height, we had bomb drills at school.  Imagine a class of 30 or so second graders doing the old duck-and-cover position underneath our desks.  Like that would do anything to protect us from a nuclear attack.  It just sacred the crap out of us.

When I first heard this song it gave me chills.  It was 1985.    Years before the fall of the USSR.  Before we had children of our own.  But I was teaching 2nd grade and I God-Blessed him for putting into words what most rational people were thinking (this excludes almost everyone in the Reagan administration).  

We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
What might save us, me, and you
Is if the Russians love their children too

If you don't listen to the song, please just read the words.  What a time capsule.





"Russians"

In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria
Conditioned to respond to all the threats
In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets
Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
It would be such an ignorant thing to do
If the Russians love their children too

How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too

There is no historical precedent
To put the words in the mouth of the President
There's no such thing as a winnable war
It's a lie we don't believe anymore
Mr. Reagan says we will protect you
I don't subscribe to this point of view
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too

We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
What might save us, me, and you
Is if the Russians love their children too

Fields of Gold

Eva Cassidy is one of my all time favorite voices.  I didn't get turned on to her until after she died, but I fell for her in a big way.  She sung everything.  Blues, R and B, soul, gospel, folk, pop tunes, jazz.  She could do it all.  

This from Wikipedia: Eva Marie Cassidy (February 2, 1963 – November 2, 1996) was an American vocalist and guitarist known for her interpretations of jazz, blues, folk, gospel, country and pop classics. In 1992, she released her first album, The Other Side, a set of duets with go-go musician Chuck Brown, followed by the 1996 live solo album entitled Live at Blues Alley. Although she had been honored by the Washington Area Music Association, she was virtually unknown outside her native Washington DC, when she died of melanoma in 1996.

NPR did a lengthy feature on her after she died and suddenly she became very popular outside of the DC area.  She was a humble and hardworking woman.  She was a landscape artist, a gardner.  I heard that she didn't have a checking account or a credit card.  She lived simply.  And died too young.  Most of her recordings (and there are a great many) were from live performances or practice tapes remastered and overdubbed.  But her voice and her guitar are so simple and pure.  Timeless.

I love Sting's song and he is the master.  But Eva does it justice I think.  You will too (Nic).



"Fields Of Gold"

You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in fields of gold

So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
We'll walk in fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold
When we walked in fields of gold

Here Comes the Sun

I was so sad to hear about the death of Richie Havens.  While I never had any of his albums, his version of the Beatles song, Here Comes the Sun is original and funky and is one of the rare cases (for me) where the cover is just as good as the original.  He totally made it his own.  I remember him from Woodstock (the film and soundtrack - I was only 12 when the concert took place).  He opened the concert and did several Beatles numbers that day.

I hadn't thought of including Richie Havens or this tune in my month long list of favorites, but when I heard of his passing it felt right.  I'll include a live version done in 1974.  I was a junior in high school.  This is such a time capsule.  The lyrics are the Beatles, but I'm pretty sure Richie Havens never played it the same way twice.



Here comes the sunHere comes the sun, and I sayIt's all right
Little darlingIt's been a long, cold lonely winterLittle darlingIt feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sunHere comes the sun, and I sayIt's all right
Little darlingThe smiles returning to the facesLittle darlingIt seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sunHere comes the sun, and I sayIt's all right
Sun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comesSun, sun, sun, here it comes
Little darlingI feel that ice is slowly meltingLittle darlingIt seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sunHere comes the sun, and I sayIt's all right
Here comes the sunHere comes the sunIt's all rightIt's all right

Forever Young

There are lots of Dylan songs that I could choose for my month long look back at favorite tunes.  Some of the very first songs I played on guitar were from my first songbook given to me by my old friend Joe Oceans.  It was called, "Bob Dylan; A Retrospective".  They were among the first songs I could play on my own.  And God Bless that old Joe Oceans for giving me that book, buying my first guitar for me from a pawn shop for $60 bucks (a 3/4 sized TOYOTA).  I knew this tune many years ago and recently relearned it.

Forever Young is sort of a lullabye, or maybe just a great birthday song.  It just oozes good feelings  and kind wishes.  It is a song that passes on blessings to the recipient.  It is a dare to live up to high standards of honesty and integrity, kindness and courage.  He does two versions on Planet Waves.  
My favorite is the faster one.  If you are new to this song, and you don't like the sound of Dylan's voice - you are not alone.  But give it a listen.  If this song doesn't get you, nothing will.


Forever Young
May God bless and keep you always 
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others 
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars 
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young 
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous 
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth 
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous 
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young 
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy 
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation 
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful 
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young 
May you stay forever young.

Fire and Rain

Day 2 in my month long music retrospective.  

I remember sitting in my friend Mike's basement in about 1970.  He had the best stereo of any of my friends.  And we listened to this song 15 times in a row.  For many days in a row.  We listened until we had it memorized.  And, because we were best friends, we sang out.  In full voice.  We sang it while we were shooting hoops, riding our bikes.  We sang it while we shared our dreams and schemes.  Mike played piano.  He was quite good.  I played clarinet.  I was not bad.  But we both were going to learn to play guitar.  That was our destiny.  And think of the girls we would attract.

I could not count how many times I have heard this song.  But it still haunts me.  It is roughly about his experiences in mental institutions and a friend who committed suicide.  I know that The Original Flying Machine was an old band that never quite made it.  (Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground).  At the time Mike and I were singing our hearts out we didn't know any of this.  But to this song - we sang with everything we had.  Check out this 1970 live version.  I think I had a poncho just like his.




Fire and Rain
Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to

I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again

Won't you look down upon me, jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again

Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you, baby, one more time again, now

Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around, now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you fire and rain, now

Late for the Sky

A blogger friend of mine usually takes a month out of the year to post a poem almost every day.  I've thought that was a good idea and toyed around with it.  I thought I would try something similar by posting a song every day.  I will probably post some of mine, but it'll be mostly songs that have meant a lot to me throughout my adult life.  Some may be more well know, but frankly, most of my favs are more obscure.   I mean you have probably heard of Jackson Browne, but unless you are of a certain age (over 50 more than likely) there won't be many of his tunes that sound terribly familiar.  

I'd like to start with the title song to one of my all time favorite albums - Late for the Sky.  It is a broken heart song, a song of longing and passion, a song about trying to forgive yourself for a relationship that could have worked out - should have worked out, but didn't.  

Part of the reason songs become our favorites is the people and times and places associated with them.  My old buddy Bobby Joe Taylor turned me on to this song and Jackson Browne.  I can remember sitting in his dorm room, on the edge of his water bed, listening to this on his Phillips turntable.  Bob turned me on to lots of music.  In a way, he taught me how to listen to music.  Deeply.  Seriously (sometimes).  He taught me to feel it.  This is a song to really feel.

Old Bob didn't make it out alive.  And when I hear it I think of that silly lopsided grin and the girl who broke both of our hearts.



Late for the Sky


The words had all been spoken 
And somehow the feeling still wasn't right 
And still we continued on through the night 
Tracing our steps from the beginning 
Until they vanished into the air 
Trying to understand how our lives had led us there 

Looking hard into your eyes 
The was nobody I'd ever known 
Such an empty surprise to feel so alone 

Now for me some words come easy 
But I know that they don't mean that much 
Compared with the things that are said when lovers touch 
You never knew what I loved in you 
I don't know what you loved in me 
Maybe the picture of somebody you were hoping I might be 

Awake again, I can't pretend, and I know I'm alone 
And close to the end of the feeling we've known 
How long have I been sleeping 
How long have I been drifting alone through the night 
How long have I been dreaming I could make it right 
If I closed my eyes and tried with all my might 
To be the one you need 

Awake again, I can't pretend, and I know I'm alone 
And close to the end of the feeling we've known 
How long have I been sleeping 
How long have I been driftin alone through the night 
How long have I been running for that morning flight 
Through the whispered promises and the changing light 
Of the bed where we both lie 
Late for the sky