Well, hello there.
And so, we continue. Even through travel, and work, and all sorts of fun and exciting things cannot stop this creative mind. You know, with the word "creative" kind of loosely defined. And "mind," too. Anyway, there are a few things I want to get to before I let you in on the next song that I've written. And it's actually a really special and unique one, so here's hoping you like that.
First off, allow me to share with you some new albums that I've discovered. Every summer, I go on this crazy rampage to re-invigorate my seriously undernourished country music collection, and I think I've done a particularly wonderful job this year. If I may say so myself. I was going to do this chronilogically, but it's been a few weeks and I no longer remember the chronology, but I'll do my best. The first couple of CDs I got to supplement those I had already had included The Foundation, the successful debut album of the Zac Brown Band; Shine, the latest Martina McBride; and Unleashed, the redneck album of one Mr. Toby Keith. The last I got simply because the radio that I had been listening to lately kept playing a few songs from that album and they kept getting stuck in my head! And those aren't my favourite ones, anyway. I like "Huckleberry" and "Rodeo Moon." As for the Zac Brown album, my absolute favourite song is the most successful single, "Highway 20 Ride." That's one song that I cannot get enough of. And I've talked about it before, so I'll move on before you get bored and stop reading. "Chicken Fried," the first single, is also wonderful. The other songs on the album haven't particularly wowed me, I have to say. And finally, the Martina McBride is no departure from her earlier albums, too much, as it is full of the optimistic, girl-power songs that she is known for. But my absolute favourite song from this album is the second song, the first single released, "I Just Call You Mine." Simply beautiful. It's...just breathtaking. I just want to listen to it over and over and over again, but it's so powerful that I can only listen to it a few times before I need a break. I recommend it to all. The next batch included the albums Southern Voice, the newest one by Tim McGraw; and No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems, the laidback album from the early 2000s from Kenny Chesney. They're both such different artists that you can tell the difference immediately, and, particularly with these albums, it seemed to me that to listen to them was to know the artists at their very core. Of course, neither one of them writes their own stuff (well, Kenny Chesney does now, but he didn't then), so that may be impossible, but still. I don't think I have an absolute favourite song on either album, but I like them all, which is probably the best anyone can say about an album. I had already had "Young" and "The Good Stuff" from No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems, so I know those are wonderful, but I also like "Big Star." As for the Tim McGraw album, there are a lot of chilling songs, that almost shake you. "Good Girls," "If I Died Today," "You Had To Be There," "Forever Seventeen," and "Love You Goodbye," are among those. And therefore, I can't choose a favourite. The next couple of albums that I got were Fly and Wide Open Spaces (which is alphabetical; the other way around if you're into chronological production) from the Dixie Chicks; and Pull My Chain by their nemesis, Toby Keith. The ones I do like from the latter album are "I'm Just Talkin' 'Bout Tonight," "I Wanna Talk About Me," and "My List," but for the rest, you have to get past the fact that he loves himself so much. As for the Dixie Chicks, just so you know, I'm only ashamed that they aren't from a cooler state than is Texas. They're so talented and so beautiful and so expressive that you just want to sit there and listen to the songs and then go and find them and give them a hug. Of course, these albums are those before IT happened, and they're typical '90s, in that there is very little background music, and the instrumentalisation is generally weak, but what the songs are lacking in music they make up for with vocal talent. I already knew many of the songs from their Top of the World Tour Live album that I already had, but of the ones I didn't know, my absolute favourite from Wide Open Spaces, their debut album, was "You Were Mine." I don't think I can describe the chills that run through my veins still when I hear "he's two and she's four / and you know they adore you..." It's just spectacular. "Let 'Er Rip" is also a pretty cool song. Uptempo, and it's got verve. As for Fly, "Cowboy Take Me Away" has always been one of my favourites of theirs, as well as "Goodbye Earl." Here's a fun little sidenote: I love listening to a song by Toby Keith, and then interrupting it with a song by the Dixie Chicks. I feel like I helped them fight back a little bit. The next batch of albums (the last, I promise) included That Lonesome Song, the breakout - but not debut - album of Jamey Johnson's; Unstoppable, the latest Rascal Flatts album; Some People Change by Montgomery Gentry and sponsored by one of my favourite places, Cracker Barrel; American Ride, another and the newest Toby Keith (yes, yes, I know); When the Sun Goes Down, and old old old album of Kenny Chesney's; Justin Moore, the self-titled debut of one Justin Moore; and, lastly, Defying Gravity, Keith Urban's latest venture. I'll try to make this as brief as possible, dwelling the most on the last album. The only song that really means anything to me on the Jamey Johnson album is "In Color," which I had already had, although "The High Cost of Living" is terrifying in its message. It's probably because the level of hurt and mistakes and mess-up that he was living with when he wrote the songs is one I've never experienced (thank goodness!) and therefore can't connect to, but they make pretty darn good and near-Johnny Cash-level country songs. Unstoppable was very mainstream, compared to That Lonesome Song, but my favourite song is "She'd Be California"; I found it odd that, with all three of them happily married, the majority (and by majority I mean 8 out of 11 songs) of the album was about loss and pain and moving on after heartache, but then I saw that they don't write their songs either, so that explained it. "Why" was tear-inducing for me, literally, and "Summer Nights" was also very fun to listen to. The Montgomery Gentry album was wonderful, from start to finish, but my favourite songs are "Takes All Kinds" and "What Do You Think About That." Although, "Twenty Years Ago" does still make me cry, and there are too many songs to choose from to also name. There is a connection to the Kenny Chesney album in the title song, "Some People Change," in that both have it on their albums, but I don't know if Kenny Chesney has the original and Montgomery Gentry made a cover of it, or if the song is an older one and both Kenny Chesney and Montgomery Gentry made a cover of it. Things to ponder. But the Kenny Chesney album is equally wonderful, although in a different way, of course. "There Goes My Life" and "I Go Back" had been songs that I had already known, but get only more beautiful the more times I listen to them; "The Woman With You" is probably my favourite song on the album, though, followed also by "Keg In the Closet." As for Justin Moore, well...I do actually like "Backwoods," as I had heard it often before, but as a women and as someone who isn't from the South and therefore lacks that entitled mentality, I didn't much appreciate the rest of his songs, particularly "Hank It," "Back that Thing Up," "I Could Kick Your Ass," and "Good Ole American Way." New Toby Keith in the making? Oh, yes. Speaking of, on Toby's album, I particularly like "American Ride" and "Ballad of Balad," because of their melodies, not so much their lyrics. I think I've talked about the former on this blog before, so I won't much go into specifics. "Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)," also one I have mentioned before, is also terrific, if you want a sad song. And lastly, here I come to the piece de resistance, Keith Urban's Defying Gravity. I am in love with this album, from start to finish, and back again. My absolutely absolute favourite is "If Ever I Could Love," the second song on the album, and I cannot get enough of it, I really can't. It's beautiful, and sensitive, and passionate, and gentle, and rhythmic, and poetic, and a triumph all at once. "Kiss A Girl," "My Heart is Open," and "Thank You," (to pick out just a few more) are also absolutely spectacular. But then they all are. The first time I heard "Thank You," which closes out the album, I was so overcome by the tremendous amount of love he pours into that song that I couldn't help but get teary-eyed. That's the dream, isn't it? And the last album that I just got around to importing into my iTunes was the final Doc Walker that I had bought in Montreal, Everyone Aboard. And it is phenomenal as well, from beginning to end. I had always liked "North Dakota Boy," but "The Show Is Free," "Just Drive," "Forgive Me (For Giving A Damn)," and "Heroes in the Sun" are just as good.
And that concludes that superlong-winded section of the blog post. Phew, I hope it wasn't that annoying to get through.
I would like to address my style of writing these blog posts. Yes, my paragraphs are insanely long and hard on the eyes; I will try to account for that and keep both my comments brief and my topics less interesting. I separate paragraphs based on content, and therefore that paragraph was incredibly long, and I'm sorry!
That having been said, on to the next order of business. And that's the "ACM Presents 'Brooks & Dunn: The Last Rodeo,'" which aired on CBS a few weeks prior to the actual ACM Awards. For those of you who don't know, the event was being held in order to celebrate the career of the record-breaking, powerful duo of Brooks & Dunn (composed of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn), which is breaking up in August after over 20 years together. It's all really sad. In order to fully appreciate the duo, the Academy of Country Music called together a few of Brooks & Dunn's closest friends, all of whom sang a different hit Brooks & Dunn song. Lucky for you, I took detailed notes. What follows is a recapitulation of the events.
To begin, Miss Taylor Swift opened the show, welcoming the artists and the fans to the event, and recounting her favourite Brooks & Dunn memory, which was when the two called her into their bus during a tour in order to show her Ronnie Dunn's "Taylor Swift impression," throwing his head around the way only she does (if you don't know what I'm talking about, I only hope that someone rescues you from the rock you've been living under). She had even caught it on tape, and played it for the crowd. When she introduced the duo and they both walked out, saluted the crowd, and took their places on the couch of honour, Kix Brooks told her, "That's the first time in twenty years that I've ever seen him mess up his hair," to which she responded, "Twenty years....to me, that's like a lifetime." Cue the laughter.
After this opening, Keith Urban came on stage and told his favourite Brooks & Dunn memory, which was in the early '90s, before Keith Urban was Keith Urban; he and his band were playing in an obscure hole in the wall, when in came Kix Brooks and his wife, listened to the set, and invited Keith and his band to tour with the duo for a few weeks. "I thought he was completely hammered," joked Keith, and Kix Brooks spoke up from his couch, saying, "I was." Keith Urban performed "Brand New Man," to much applause. He was followed by the one and only Miranda Lambert, whose story consisted of a makeshift dance party on the Brooks & Dunn tour bus when Kellie Pickler got a hold of the iPod, and put on "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry, to which Ronnie Dunn danced harder than either of the girls. I would've paid anything to have seen that! She then sang, "Hillbilly Deluxe." The reigning Artist of the Decade, George Strait, was up next, and his performance of "Boot-Scootin' Boogie" was accompanied by Kix Brooks playing the harmonica from the couch.
After George Strait cleared the stage, one of the co-producers of the event, Matthew McConaughey, took a microphone and, prior to introducing the next act, joked around for a bit, saying that if needed, he could do a cover of a Brooks & Dunn hit. I myself was thrilled when he and his ego left the stage, leaving room for Kenny Chesney and "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone." The one and only Brad Paisley was next, and he performed "Workin' on My Next Broken Heart" just wonderfully. The next hit Brooks & Dunn song was performed by a fellow duo, Sugarland, whose lead singer, Jennifer Nettles, came onstage sporting a (fake) tattoo of Ronnie Dunn's face on her arm. "Eat your heart out, Taylor Swift," she said amid general amusement, "I can make him do that impression of you whenever I want," flexing and relaxing her arm and making Ronnie Dunn dance. Kristian Bush then sat behind the piano and Jennifer Nettles took a microphone and they both presented "Red Dirt Road." Jason Aldean, who was next, merely took the stage and basically said, "I'm a huge fan," and sang "How Long Gone." Clearly, despite his number 1 songs and his chart success, he's not (yet?) on that top tier of country music which would have allowed him a first-hand memory of Brooks & Dunn. However, the next artist is. And she is Reba McEntire, duet partner and close friend of the duo's, who got visibly emotional performing their latest (last) single, "Indian Summer." It's hard to tell which version I like better, the one she performed or the duo's original.
The chipper star of that tween show, iCarly, Miranda Cosgrove, appeared on stage next (not that I watch that show, mind you, I'd rather stare at the wall) and told the audience that she is a Brooks & Dunn fan because one of their songs hit number 1 status the same day she was born. The duo looked absolutely thrilled that they're that old already. She then introduced Taylor Swift, who did a wonderful interpretation of my very favourite Brooks & Dunn song, "Ain't Nothin' 'Bout You," filled with much of that head maneuvre she does so well. Following in her wake was the enormously successful Lady Antebellum, whose Hillary Scott shared that when she was a child, her mother had been a backup singer for the duo and that she had spent many nights backstage during a show. She and Charles Kelley then launched into the hit duet Brooks & Dunn released with Reba McEntire, "If You See Him/If You See Her."
There then appeared a screen onstage, upon which was projected a video of Maya Angelou, thanking Brooks & Dunn for their work trying to bring peace, particularly with their song, "Believe," which Jennifer Hudson then took the stage to sing. Not that I understood a single word she sang (except for perhaps the word 'believe'), but she has such a tremendous voice that it almost didn't matter. The message was conveyed nonetheless. Carrie Underwood was up next, with the song "Neon Moon." Chilling stuff, that song. She was followed by none other than Darius Rucker, who performed "Hard Workin' Man." Rascal Flatts was the next act, with "Getting Better All The Time." None of these performers had any memories to share. Either that, of I was washing dishes at the time and couldn't get to a pencil to write them down. I mean, I was really washing dishes, I remember that. But I don't remember if there were stories. I apologise.
Faith Hill, however, had a cracker of a memory which she shared that night, prior to performing "The Long Goodbye." It was the story demonstrating how Brooks & Dunn are the masters of practical jokes, as all tours are accompanied by practical jokes of all sorts. During the one and only time she had ever toured with the duo, they were in Canada the last week; one night, she was falling down with exhaustion and excited to go to bed, only to find "a slimy eel defrosting in the sheets." In order to get back at the duo, she had them held up at the Canadian-American border and subjected to a strip search. "They never asked me to tour with them again," she laughed. After she had finished, she presented them with a box of eel from a Chinese restaurant, which they devoured right there on stage. Her husband followed as the last solo performer of the event, with "Ain't Nowhere to Go."
Following Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire came back on stage and invited Brooks & Dun to join her, recounting all of their records and listing all of their accomplishments and awards. She then presented them with an ACM Milestone Award, for all they've contributed to country music. There was a super long standing ovation, a well-deserved congratulations, afterwards. She next invited them to pick up their instruments of choice and implored them to "Play Something Country," which they did, inviting all of the performers of the night to join them onstage and sing along. It was a joyous ending to a beautiful night and a long and successful career.
I hope you noticed that I broke up the paragraphs for you. Is that better?
And now, after this marathon blog post (I don't know how that happened), we finally reach the last portion, which is my own song. At the beginning, I mentioned that it's special and unique. And it is. In the wake of that spectacular event known as Eurovision, I decided to challenge myself (as I had done before, see "Zach is Looking Hot Tonight") to write a duet, because it's not something I had ever done before and I wanted to see if I could succeed. And what came out of the challenge was "I Did." See for yourself if I succeeded.
I Did
(male)
I remember thinking, "Look at that, man, that girl's smile couldn't get any finer,"
I remember thinking, "Maybe I should throw caution to the wind and wink at her,"
and I did
(female)
I remember thinking, "Was there just sunshine in his eyes, or did he really wink at me?"
I remember thinking, "Maybe I should go to him and introduce myself casually,"
and I did
CHORUS:
(both)
Maybe I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you
but I did
Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do
but I did
No one believed in love at first sight
but I did
(male)
I remember thinking, "It's been two years, I should ask her to marry me,"
so I did
I remember thinking, "I'm going to say 'yes' when he gets down on one knee,"
and I did
CHORUS:
(both)
Maybe I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you
but I did
Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do
but I did
No one believed in love at first sight
but I did
(female)
No one believed in love at first sight,
and
BRIDGE:
(female)
they said it was a flirty thing, a summer fling
and that we weren't meant to last
(male)
but we've proved them wrong, still going strong
soaking up the time flying by so fast
CHORUS:
(both)
Maybe I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you
but I did
Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do
but I did
No one believed in love at first sight
but I did
yeah, I did
(female, spoken)
I still do
(male, spoken)
I do, too
Well, please let me know if you think I succeeded. Thank you for all of your input! I appreciate any time you take to write some feedback back to me.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
29 June 2010
21 May 2010
Nineteen Candles
Well, hello there.
I know that I promised this post a while ago, and I said that it was coming soon, but no one reads this blog anyway, so I don't feel bad that I'm only just now getting to it. And it's not like you'll be able to tell when I actually sat down to write it, because I outsmarted the system.
So, first up on the agenda is my annual and, as always, highly anticipated run-down of the latest country music awards show. In this case, that means the ACM Awards (for all of you plebians out there, that's Academy of Country Music Awards). They are held in Las Vegas every year (for a week - "Vegas goes country!") and, as for the past few years, are hosted by the one/the only/the great Reba McEntire. My favourite part of the entire show? When she came onstage and displayed herself in the fine black sparkly dress and struck a lovely pose, which she accompanied with a list of all of the "helpers" she employed (make-up, spanx, etc) and said, "There are more special effects going on here than were in Avatar!" What made it even better was when they showed a close-up of Taylor Swift nearly falling out of her chair because she was laughing so hard.
Anyway, as always, I'll start with the performances and then I'll move on to the winners. Well, the show opened with "blonde bombshells" Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood lending their vocals to a duet (aside: watching this opening, I was struck by the difference between the two; Miranda was dressed simply and was engrossed in the song, whereas Carrie had perfectly coiffed hair and excessive makeup (she's gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but give me a break!) and put on airs and concentrated mostly on the performance, of showing herself off...but that's just my impression), which also featured the guitar skills of Mr. Brad Paisley and the fiddling prowess of Charlie Daniels (of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" fame). I think the song was called "Travelin' Band," but please do not quote me on that. Thanks. The next ensemble performance was the hit "Hillbilly Bone," the duet between Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins that took airwaves and CMT by storm. It's catchy. Following that act (tough as it is to follow, to be sure) was Billy Currington, he of the curly hair and puppy-dog face, with his latest number 1 and follow-up to "People Are Crazy," "That's How Country Boys Roll." It's not a song I've ever particularly fancied, but the beginning always reminds me of Reba's "Just When I Thought I'd Stopped Loving You," so I always have to go and listen to that when the song plays on the radio. Kenny Chesney rocked the place with his summer sensation, "Ain't Back Yet," from his Summer in 3D movie, which had its premiere the week of the awards, in Vegas. The subsequent performer was a man I love to hate, Toby Keith, with probably the most heartbreaking song of the past few years, "Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)," dedicated to his friend, basketball star and jazz saxophone player Wayman Tisdale, who had succombed to cancer a few months ago. Then came Taylor Swift, with the electrifying "Change," which took her from the highest heights of the theatre to the low stage, and from wearing a pretty white dress to ending up in a black tank top and jeans. The next series of acts were in conjunction with the announcement of the Top New Artist Category, so there were Gloriana ("Wild At Heart"), Luke Bryan ("Do I"), and Joey & Rory ("Cheater, Cheater"). Lady Antebellum contributed their latest number 1 to the show, "American Honey." I've heard it so many times, but I still love the song. Following their fellow Top Vocal Group nominees was the "Unstoppable" Rascal Flatts. It's a song that I'll never be able to listen to without thinking of snow, and sitting on a couch by myself while watching the Olympics (aside: I'm not a fan of whomever wrote this song, gotta tell ya, because the opening lines include the phrase "cracked a brick when you hit the wall," which would have not been so bad if Gary LeVox hadn't pronounced it "cracked a rib when you hit the wall," which always makes me incredibly sad). Jason Aldean displayed a wild side with his take on Nashville with "Crazy Town," similar in style to "She's Country," but thankfully it wasn't "The Truth." My favourite Jason Aldean song? "Amarillo Sky." Miranda Lambert stole my heart with her simple and endearing portrayal of "The House That Built Me," where she wore a plain but becoming black dress and just stood in front of the microphone and sang. Minimalistic and underrated, she is tremendous. And that song? A triumph. Next up were Jack Ingram and Dierks Bentley, who sang "Barbie Doll," inviting up all sorts of girls to dance on the stage. Dressed in another huge, poofy dress, Carrie Underwood took the stage for "Temporary Home," another song that I'll always associate with snow. Hm. Performing for the first time in a while, Tim McGraw was next, with "Still." They kept showing his wife, Faith Hill, onscreen as he was singing. Brad Paisley, that insane powerhouse of talent, followed with his latest single, "Water," which is also the name of his tour (the H20 tour). He jumped into a pool after his performance, which must have been quite the sight for the spectators (funnily enough, he then won an award and went, soaking wet, to the podium, and presented a hilarious speech in the way only he can). Reba introduced the next duo, Brooks and Dunn, and was clearly emotional, because it was to be the last performance for them at the ACMs, ever. And it was fan-voted through cbs.com, leading them to perform "My Maria." (That's the one I voted for! The other candidates were "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" and "Red Dirt Road.") I must admit, I, too, was getting emotional at this time. It's 20 years! Who wouldn't get emotional? The host herself took the stage after "My Maria," with "I Keep On Loving You," and in the background were pictures of famous country couples (June Carter and Johnny Cash, Tim and Faith, Alan and Denise Jackson, etc.). The video for this song is understated and JUST beautiful. Debuting another song from his album, Defying Gravity, was Keith Urban, as he performed "I'm In." Closing out the show was Darius Rucker, in his first ever performance at the ACMs, with "Forever Road." And then the show was over, for another year.
Here is the list of the winners:
Vocal Event of the Year: "Hillbilly Bone," Blake Shelton feat. Trace Adkins
Video of the Year: "White Liar," Miranda Lambert
Single Record of the Year: "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year: "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
Album of the Year: Revolution, Miranda Lambert
Top New Vocal Group of the Year: Gloriana
Top New Vocal Duo of the Year: Joey & Rory
Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year: Luke Bryan
Top New Artist: Luke Bryan
Top Vocal Duo of the Year: Brooks & Dunn (Surprise, surprise. But I'm glad.)
Top Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum
Top Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
Top Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley
Entertainer of the Year: Carrie Underwood
All in all, it was quite the show. I always enjoy these. Even if I may have enjoyed this one a tad less, on account of the fact that I was watching it after getting my wisdom teeth removed...
Moving on.
I think that's about it for news. In the following posts, I'll talk about the 'Brooks & Dunn: the Last Rodeo' special event (once I finish watching it), as well as the CMT Awards (once I both start and finish watching them). So you have that to look forward to. If, in fact, you do look forward to things like that, that is.
The song I have for you today is one that I had talked about before, as sort of my birthday gift to myself, as it were. So, happy birthday, me.
Nineteen Candles
I was born in May on a Tuesday night
Eleven days later than my mom might've liked
born into the best family in the world
what a start to the life of a lucky girl
my mom wore a smile and had no fear
oh, my dad will always be my hero
and the only time my big sister made me cry
was one night when she sang me a lullaby
when I was seven, I told my mother
that I wanted to stay seven forever
CHORUS:
but I kept on growing
and time kept on going
and led me to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, and every mistake
have brought me to these nineteen candles on my cake
the day I left grade school, I really cried
but that summer, I began learning to fly
I've travelled through Europe and I've been to China
and soon enough I outgrew my horizons
at fourteen I discovered country music
and my whole life got better for it
not long after that, I met a redheaded guy
he was the first one who caught my eye
I could've loved that boy more every day
if he hadn't in fact turned out to be gay
CHORUS:
but time kept on going
and I kept on growing
till I got to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, and every mistake
have brought me to these nineteen candles on my cake
(BRIDGE?:)
when I got to college, I made me a promise
not to lose myself in the craziness
well I haven't yet and you can be sure
I've got my eyes fixed on the future
cause you know it's bright as the morning sun
and I'll get married when I find the one
I can't wait until I raise a family
and get to become the best version of me
until someday down the road when I'm older
I'll be able to look over my shoulder
and say
CHORUS:
I kept on growing
and time kept on going
and led me to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, and every mistake
have brought me to all these candles on my cake
yeah, time kept on going
and I kept on growing
till I got to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, every mistake, and every wrinkle on my face
has made me who I am today
I was born in May on a Tuesday night
Eleven days later than my mom might've liked
I know my heart and I've seen the world
what a start to the life of a lucky girl...
So, that's it. I can't believe that I actually/finally finished it! I got the idea for this sometime in January or there or thereabouts. Please, tell me what you think.
Having said that, perhaps I'll publish some comments anonymously to myself so that I don't feel bad!
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
I know that I promised this post a while ago, and I said that it was coming soon, but no one reads this blog anyway, so I don't feel bad that I'm only just now getting to it. And it's not like you'll be able to tell when I actually sat down to write it, because I outsmarted the system.
So, first up on the agenda is my annual and, as always, highly anticipated run-down of the latest country music awards show. In this case, that means the ACM Awards (for all of you plebians out there, that's Academy of Country Music Awards). They are held in Las Vegas every year (for a week - "Vegas goes country!") and, as for the past few years, are hosted by the one/the only/the great Reba McEntire. My favourite part of the entire show? When she came onstage and displayed herself in the fine black sparkly dress and struck a lovely pose, which she accompanied with a list of all of the "helpers" she employed (make-up, spanx, etc) and said, "There are more special effects going on here than were in Avatar!" What made it even better was when they showed a close-up of Taylor Swift nearly falling out of her chair because she was laughing so hard.
Anyway, as always, I'll start with the performances and then I'll move on to the winners. Well, the show opened with "blonde bombshells" Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood lending their vocals to a duet (aside: watching this opening, I was struck by the difference between the two; Miranda was dressed simply and was engrossed in the song, whereas Carrie had perfectly coiffed hair and excessive makeup (she's gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but give me a break!) and put on airs and concentrated mostly on the performance, of showing herself off...but that's just my impression), which also featured the guitar skills of Mr. Brad Paisley and the fiddling prowess of Charlie Daniels (of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" fame). I think the song was called "Travelin' Band," but please do not quote me on that. Thanks. The next ensemble performance was the hit "Hillbilly Bone," the duet between Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins that took airwaves and CMT by storm. It's catchy. Following that act (tough as it is to follow, to be sure) was Billy Currington, he of the curly hair and puppy-dog face, with his latest number 1 and follow-up to "People Are Crazy," "That's How Country Boys Roll." It's not a song I've ever particularly fancied, but the beginning always reminds me of Reba's "Just When I Thought I'd Stopped Loving You," so I always have to go and listen to that when the song plays on the radio. Kenny Chesney rocked the place with his summer sensation, "Ain't Back Yet," from his Summer in 3D movie, which had its premiere the week of the awards, in Vegas. The subsequent performer was a man I love to hate, Toby Keith, with probably the most heartbreaking song of the past few years, "Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)," dedicated to his friend, basketball star and jazz saxophone player Wayman Tisdale, who had succombed to cancer a few months ago. Then came Taylor Swift, with the electrifying "Change," which took her from the highest heights of the theatre to the low stage, and from wearing a pretty white dress to ending up in a black tank top and jeans. The next series of acts were in conjunction with the announcement of the Top New Artist Category, so there were Gloriana ("Wild At Heart"), Luke Bryan ("Do I"), and Joey & Rory ("Cheater, Cheater"). Lady Antebellum contributed their latest number 1 to the show, "American Honey." I've heard it so many times, but I still love the song. Following their fellow Top Vocal Group nominees was the "Unstoppable" Rascal Flatts. It's a song that I'll never be able to listen to without thinking of snow, and sitting on a couch by myself while watching the Olympics (aside: I'm not a fan of whomever wrote this song, gotta tell ya, because the opening lines include the phrase "cracked a brick when you hit the wall," which would have not been so bad if Gary LeVox hadn't pronounced it "cracked a rib when you hit the wall," which always makes me incredibly sad). Jason Aldean displayed a wild side with his take on Nashville with "Crazy Town," similar in style to "She's Country," but thankfully it wasn't "The Truth." My favourite Jason Aldean song? "Amarillo Sky." Miranda Lambert stole my heart with her simple and endearing portrayal of "The House That Built Me," where she wore a plain but becoming black dress and just stood in front of the microphone and sang. Minimalistic and underrated, she is tremendous. And that song? A triumph. Next up were Jack Ingram and Dierks Bentley, who sang "Barbie Doll," inviting up all sorts of girls to dance on the stage. Dressed in another huge, poofy dress, Carrie Underwood took the stage for "Temporary Home," another song that I'll always associate with snow. Hm. Performing for the first time in a while, Tim McGraw was next, with "Still." They kept showing his wife, Faith Hill, onscreen as he was singing. Brad Paisley, that insane powerhouse of talent, followed with his latest single, "Water," which is also the name of his tour (the H20 tour). He jumped into a pool after his performance, which must have been quite the sight for the spectators (funnily enough, he then won an award and went, soaking wet, to the podium, and presented a hilarious speech in the way only he can). Reba introduced the next duo, Brooks and Dunn, and was clearly emotional, because it was to be the last performance for them at the ACMs, ever. And it was fan-voted through cbs.com, leading them to perform "My Maria." (That's the one I voted for! The other candidates were "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" and "Red Dirt Road.") I must admit, I, too, was getting emotional at this time. It's 20 years! Who wouldn't get emotional? The host herself took the stage after "My Maria," with "I Keep On Loving You," and in the background were pictures of famous country couples (June Carter and Johnny Cash, Tim and Faith, Alan and Denise Jackson, etc.). The video for this song is understated and JUST beautiful. Debuting another song from his album, Defying Gravity, was Keith Urban, as he performed "I'm In." Closing out the show was Darius Rucker, in his first ever performance at the ACMs, with "Forever Road." And then the show was over, for another year.
Here is the list of the winners:
Vocal Event of the Year: "Hillbilly Bone," Blake Shelton feat. Trace Adkins
Video of the Year: "White Liar," Miranda Lambert
Single Record of the Year: "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year: "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
Album of the Year: Revolution, Miranda Lambert
Top New Vocal Group of the Year: Gloriana
Top New Vocal Duo of the Year: Joey & Rory
Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year: Luke Bryan
Top New Artist: Luke Bryan
Top Vocal Duo of the Year: Brooks & Dunn (Surprise, surprise. But I'm glad.)
Top Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum
Top Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert
Top Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley
Entertainer of the Year: Carrie Underwood
All in all, it was quite the show. I always enjoy these. Even if I may have enjoyed this one a tad less, on account of the fact that I was watching it after getting my wisdom teeth removed...
Moving on.
I think that's about it for news. In the following posts, I'll talk about the 'Brooks & Dunn: the Last Rodeo' special event (once I finish watching it), as well as the CMT Awards (once I both start and finish watching them). So you have that to look forward to. If, in fact, you do look forward to things like that, that is.
The song I have for you today is one that I had talked about before, as sort of my birthday gift to myself, as it were. So, happy birthday, me.
Nineteen Candles
I was born in May on a Tuesday night
Eleven days later than my mom might've liked
born into the best family in the world
what a start to the life of a lucky girl
my mom wore a smile and had no fear
oh, my dad will always be my hero
and the only time my big sister made me cry
was one night when she sang me a lullaby
when I was seven, I told my mother
that I wanted to stay seven forever
CHORUS:
but I kept on growing
and time kept on going
and led me to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, and every mistake
have brought me to these nineteen candles on my cake
the day I left grade school, I really cried
but that summer, I began learning to fly
I've travelled through Europe and I've been to China
and soon enough I outgrew my horizons
at fourteen I discovered country music
and my whole life got better for it
not long after that, I met a redheaded guy
he was the first one who caught my eye
I could've loved that boy more every day
if he hadn't in fact turned out to be gay
CHORUS:
but time kept on going
and I kept on growing
till I got to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, and every mistake
have brought me to these nineteen candles on my cake
(BRIDGE?:)
when I got to college, I made me a promise
not to lose myself in the craziness
well I haven't yet and you can be sure
I've got my eyes fixed on the future
cause you know it's bright as the morning sun
and I'll get married when I find the one
I can't wait until I raise a family
and get to become the best version of me
until someday down the road when I'm older
I'll be able to look over my shoulder
and say
CHORUS:
I kept on growing
and time kept on going
and led me to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, and every mistake
have brought me to all these candles on my cake
yeah, time kept on going
and I kept on growing
till I got to where I am now
every road I've taken, every part that I've played
every hand I've shaken, every move that I've made
everything I've done right, every mistake, and every wrinkle on my face
has made me who I am today
I was born in May on a Tuesday night
Eleven days later than my mom might've liked
I know my heart and I've seen the world
what a start to the life of a lucky girl...
So, that's it. I can't believe that I actually/finally finished it! I got the idea for this sometime in January or there or thereabouts. Please, tell me what you think.
Having said that, perhaps I'll publish some comments anonymously to myself so that I don't feel bad!
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
17 May 2010
"Judging by the first two songs, I'm in love with you already."
Consider this an interrim post. One to be read as a part of the blog, but also one which doesn't quite belong, as it doesn't have any lyrics. I don't do these kinds of posts often, only to commemorate major occasions from time to time. Examples? Some major occasions have included the release and subsequent run-down of Fearless, Taylor Swift's [shining] sophomore album, and also the one-year anniversary of this blog. Both were kind of big deals. And so is the subject of this post.
There's something sacred and majestic about a concert, and a concert of someone you've adored and watched grow for three years and whose career you followed almost vicariously since the discovery of her music. Add into that the fact that the concert included as opening acts artists you've fallen in love with as well, and it's basically four hours in heaven. In fact, that's exactly what it is.
That's right, folks, I'm talking about the Taylor Swift concert I mentioned a while ago. That was this past Thursday, May 13th (coincidentally, someone's very special 25th birthday...), and because I was there I will tell all. And devote this post solely to that magical experience. (But don't you worry, my loyal readers, there will be another lyrics post next week...hopefully!)
I wore my very special Taylor Swift shirt that I had received two years earlier, when I got into TRL (that MTV show that no longer exists) and she was hosting. It has a picture of Taylor (the picture on the bonus track version of Taylor Swift) and her signature. We had tickets for section 109 at the Prudential Center, which were fabulous seats, and it was my mom, my sister, and me.
When we got there, of course, section 109 was the farthest away from any stairs whatsoever, so by the time we reached it, the first opening act, Gloriana (!!!!), had already started. And so it happened that for the third time, I raced across the Prudential Center. Hm. I missed the first couple of lines of "How Far Do You Wanna Go?" but there they were: Rachel, Cheyenne, Mike, and Tom. IT WAS THEM! And the arena was barely full at this time. There were a couple of girls in red t-shirts behind me, and they and I sang along with Gloriana. Rachel wore a blue shirt, Cheyenne had a black tank top with a pink scarf, and Tom and Mike were dressed like guys (I think Tom wore a brown blazer and a black shirt and Mike something similar, but for some reason I cannot recall what they wore!). The next song they sang was "If You're Leaving," which begins with a fabulous four-part harmony. It sounds even better live than on the album, which is extraordinary and saying a LOT. Then Cheyenne took the mic and said, "Hey, girls, have you ever met a guy...who didn't keep his promises?" (or something like that) and burst into "You Said," which is the only song on the album that features her on lead vocals (Rachel is the lead female singer, generally). After that, Rachel introduced their current single, and one of my very favourite songs ever, "The World is Ours Tonight," which is beautiful in so many ways. The syncopation and the vocals are just perfect. The last song they performed was "the song that started it all," as Tom said by way of introduction, "Wild At Heart." And it sounded tremendous! I didn't know it was possible, but since Thursday, I love Gloriana more than I had before I saw the band live. Gloriana groupie, anyone?
After a few minutes (like 15-20) of waiting and setting up, Kellie Pickler herself came on. She's really cute in person, with that blonde bob haircut of hers. She wore all black, but had it jazzed up, with sparkles and a really nice belt. Her set opened with the smash hit she and Taylor had written for Kellie Pickler, her second album, "Best Days of Your Life." At this point, the arena had filled up substantially and she had the light show going and everything, which added a new dimension to the songs she sang. She launched into "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" immediately after she finished the first one. The next song was one from her second album and one I hadn't heard, "Rocks Instead of Rice." She introduced her new single "just released to country radio" and sang "Makin' Me Fall In Love With You." Something about Kellie Pickler is wonderfully joyous, and that showed in her live rendition of "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," the first single released from Kellie Pickler. For the next song, "I Wonder," she sat on a stool and didn't walk around, because it is a really sad and moving song. I remember the first time I ever heard of her and heard her sing was, funnily enough, at the 2007 CMAs and she sang "I Wonder," but couldn't finish it for crying. And I can't blame her. And if you do, go find a heart and some empathy. Wrapping up her set was the delightful "Red High Heels," which was her very first ever single. She was wearing sparkly silver [really] high heels at the show, so it was very fitting. And I fell in love with Kellie Pickler again.
Then, we had to wait another long time. And wait. But boy, was it worth it.
The curtain lifted and revealed the stage that Taylor had designed herself. It was half-circular, half-square, the pieces which were connected by stairs, and had a huge screen behind it. Pictures were projected on this screen, as well as on the front of the box and the circle (this is a really bad description of it, I apologize...I was never going to do it justice, I'm afraid). It began with lockers projected on the front of the set, and she was lifted up onto the top of the circular part of the stage, wearing a band uniform (watch the music video for "Fearless," to understand completely what I mean). Her dancers were dressed as cheerleaders. Her dancers were remarkable. And at this point, even before Taylor began to sing, I started sobbing. Nope, I'm not at all ashamed to admit it. After three years (and I loved Taylor Swift since before she was Taylor Swift, which is not something I can say about any other artist I've ever been a fan of) of wanting to be at that very moment, who wouldn't? She is a star. Ha, she's a "SuperStar." Anyway, she began with "You Belong With Me." Halfway through the song, a few of her dancers ripped off the band costume she was wearing and revealed a fringe-y and sparkly dress underneath, which she wore for the rest of the first set of songs. Of course, I couldn't actually hear her voice singing, not over the thousands of voices (including mine, of course) singing back at her. But it didn't matter. She followed that with "Our Song," which my mom still considers the best song Taylor's ever written, and rightfully so. It was also her first number 1 song. It started with her fiddle player, Caitlin, on top of the circular piece of the stage, playing the signature opening notes of the song. I only wish you could've heard the screams and the decibel-shift of the noise level that only became more and more so as the show went on. What a beautiful song. What a beautiful song. After the first two songs, she spoke for the first time.
"Hello, Jersey!" And some things I don't remember. "I know that by the end of the night, I'm going to fall in love with you, Jersey. In fact, judging by the first two songs, I'm in love with you already. I'm going to quantify my love for you. I love you like I love sparkly dresses. I love you like I love to burn my ex-boyfriend's pictures. I love you like I love fairytales. I love you like I love to sing about love stories." As she said that last sentence, she curtsied, just like in the "Fearless" music video, where they paint wings on her.
And then she launched into "Tell Me Why," with the screen behind her flashing the word 'why' any and every which way, with different fonts and styles and colours and general aesthetics. Upon finishing this one, she introduced her next song like this (of course, paraphrased by memory): "Freshman year, I sat next to this guy. I was in love with him, but he didn't know I existed. Sometimes he'd talk to me...about his girlfriend. And I think you know his name." Any guesses as to what song she was talking about? If you answered that his name was Drew, and that the song was "Teardrops on my Guitar," you would be 100% correct. So bravo! The big screen behind the set had the picture of a library, and there was a pseudo-Drew sitting at a table (one of her dancers), at which she sat down also to sing the first verse of the song. He got up halfway through the song, and met up with his pseudo-girlfriend, and they danced a ballet pas de deux (beautiful!) at the front of the stage. For the next song in her set, she got her beautiful guitar, the one with 'Taylor' written on the neck, and also introduced it in some way similar to the writing on her Fearless liner notes, that when you've been hurt you fall in love again, and that to her is "Fearless." And, as always, it was a beautiful rendition. Made only more beautiful by the chorus of thousands of voices singing back to her, singing along with her.
After she ended "Fearless," the namesake song of both the album and the tour, the curtain came down (the curtain had Corinthian columns and a red velvet draped curtain drawn on it) and an interview played on the two screens flanking the stage. It was part of the interview that was taped when Taylor and the "Behind the Scenes at the Fearless Tour" aired on Dateline. The interview lady asked, "When you put the boys' names into your songs, why do you think they're going to want to date you?" And her answer was, "Well, I figure, if they don't want to be in a bad song, they shouldn't do bad things." And the phrase "they shouldn't do bad things" echoed throughout the arena, and was reflected in the screens as the curtain lifted, and Taylor burst into "Forever and Always." Just like she did at the CMAs last November. Including the whole throwing-the-chair part and everything. For this song, she wore a red sparkly and rhinestone-y short dress. All I have to say is, Joe Jonas is an idiot. And Taylor is one wonderful person. And singer. And songwriter. And performer. And [insert noun here].
The curtain descended yet again after this song was over, and the screens turned on once more. It was an episode of the fictitious show, "Crimes of Passion," with people like Tyler Hilton and Stephen Barker Liles of Love and Theft, Drew in the music video for "Teardrops on my Guitar" and subject of "Hey Stephen," respectively, appearing. It was about so-called "Taylor victims," with people whose names she used in her songs. Last in the montage was none other than Tim McGraw himself, saying, "Most people forget that I was Taylor Swift's first victim. Almost like I had been plucked out of obscurity when she used my name in her first single." In the end, the announcer, who was a member of her band, showed that cameras had picked up a new Taylor victim, a made-up person named Neil/Neal, who supposedly gave her a toaster for her birthday. She closed the episode of "Crimes of Passion" with this: "How do you spell your name, with an 'i,' or an 'a'?...You know what's funny? How many words rhyme with the name Neil/Neal."
And that was the introduction to "Hey Stephen," which she began in section 6, right below us, and in the crowd. I'm not kidding you. She was wearing a blue dress, with brown cowboy boots. She had her wonderful 'Taylor' guitar, and sang about 2/3rds of the song before she handed it to her bodyguard and walked through the crowd, hugging fans and shaking hands, to the sound station, where she had a mini-stage set up, a black circle on a pedestal. It took a good five minutes for her to walk the short distance, because she hugged everyone she could reach. When she got to the stage, she finished the song, from the "all those other girls, well, they're beautiful, but would they write a song for you?" part, which is my favourite. It's also known as the bridge, but I wanted to write it out, because, like I said, it's my favourite part of the song. She remained in the middle of the arena for the next few songs, beginning with her smash success "Fifteen." For this song, she sat on a stool and picked up a 12-string guitar. She began the introduction talking about her guitar: "This is a 12-string guitar. The difference between a 6-string guitar and a 12-string guitar is that this one has twice as many strings. It's one of my favourite guitars to play. When I first started learning how to play guitar, I was nine. One day, I brought up the subject of a 12-string guitar to my teacher, who told me that I wouldn't ever have to worry about such a guitar, because I could never play one, because my hands would always be too small." Then she began playing that 12-string guitar. And continued with the introduction of the song, "This song is about being 15. When you're too young to learn to drive a car. But you're old enough to fall in love. And old enough to have your heart broken." And as she sang "Fifteen," she slowly revolved around the stage, pushing the microphone stand and the stool she was sitting on in a slow circle, so that by the time she had finished the song, she had faced every point of the arena twice. Who else does something like that?? The last song on this round stage was "the first song you ever heard from me," "Tim McGraw." Again, she completed half of it in the middle of the arena, before she put down her guitar and walked through another section of adoring fans, which again took up a good five to ten minutes, hugging people and shaking hands. I love the way she did that. And boy, am I jealous! She continued with "And I'm back for the first time since then, I'm standing on your street / with a letter left on your doorstep, and the first thing that you'll read...", also known as the bridge, when she returned to the main stage. When she finished, she received a standing ovation (hard for me to judge, as I was on my feet for the duration of the show) from the entire arena for a good ten minutes. Nothing but applause was heard for that time. And in reply, she said, "I'll never forget the way you just made me feel." Which just warms my heart whenever I think of it. The next song also received a nice, long introduction that, unfortunately, I'm not sure I can even attempt to pretend to recreate it here. Just know it was beautiful and that I will think of it on a long, cold winter night and type it up when I think of it in its entirety then. So be on the lookout for that. It was something about how when she was younger, she believed in the fairytale romance, with a prince and a Romeo, but that she's learned that most of love isn't like that. And then she began the opening chords and guitar strums for "White Horse." Which she then followed with the rest of the song. And let me tell you, it sounds even nicer when you can see the singer's face.
After "White Horse," she disappeared and the curtain came down. For some odd reason, I cannot tell you what happened between the curtain's descent and its subsequent ascent. I can, however, tell you that upon its ascent, she sang "Love Story." And not just in any which way. She had the full-blown Victorian costumes on her dancers, just like in the video, and Taylor herself wore a reddish-pink dress of the same time period (or even kind of from the colonial time period), with bows and all of the flummery, as she sang. When it got to the part with "he knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring..." all of the dancers got around her and she performed a live dress-change, with the white dress from the "You Belong With Me" music video appearing and the red dress disappearing. Just like at the CMAs in 2008, right after the release of Fearless. There's something so magical about that song that I can't even describe. Just when you think you're over it, because you've heard it so many times, the magic hits you in between the eyes and you're amazed all over again. Exactly the same as you were the first time you heard it.
Then she disappeared again, after curtseying upon the completion of the song, through a side door in the stage that we were privy to, sitting on the side we were sitting on. When she reappeared, she was wearing a purple sparkly dress, not unlike the red one she wore with "Forever and Always," only, of course, it was purple. Oh, and she had a stiff on her arm. He wore a tux and a bored and lofty expression on his face. I thought he was fantastic and hilarious, as did my sister. The song? "The Way I Loved You." The character she was portraying was torn between the aforementioned stiff and Grant, her bad-boy guitar player, just like in the song. Considering it's one of my favourite Fearless songs, I was very pleased with how she made it come to life. A piano appeared on top of the circular piece of the set, in order for her to accompany herself during the next song, "You're Not Sorry." Behind her, the screen came to life with many differently stylised ways of the words 'you're not sorry' flashing on it. Halfway through the song, the melody and the backing harmonies changed to a different bridge of the song (right after "you had me crawling for you, honey, and it never would've gone away / you used to shine so bright, and I watched all of it fade") with lyrics like "what goes around, comes around, comes around, comes around..." which I can hear and see right now in my mind, but can't particularly translate that to the post (sorry). And to conclude the piece was another change of lyric that I will withhold from you, on account of the fact that, once again, my memory has failed me. The last song of this set, in the purple dress, was introduced like this: "This is "Picture to Burn."" Short, sweet, and to the point. And indeed, it was "Picture to Burn." All of the screens on her set lit up with flames. Except it was the politically correct version, of course. The one with "you won't mind if I say" instead of "I'll tell mine you're gay." But who cares? She's brilliant. When that song ended, all too soon, she merely said, "I love you so much!" and ran off of the stage. The end? Not so fast.
One of her bandmembers, the host of "Crimes of Passion," came on and did some crazy cheer exercises with us, the audience. At this point, I was already hoarse as can be. But apparently not nearly enough yet! And then he left.
Taylor came back on, wearing a black dress that I had first seen at the ACMs in 2008, with a sparkly section on her chest. And she sang the newest single of hers that had been released, "Today Was a Fairytale," from her movie, Valentine's Day. Which, I have proof, she only sings on days that have actually been fairytales: http://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/9651946243. Must've been a fairytale. And I am delighted that we were able to give her that! And then, the last song she played that night she introduced like this: "This song is all about choices. You see, in life, there are good choices. Like choosing to play two shows in Jersey to sold-out arenas of your closest friends. And there are also bad choices. Like this guy, who chose to cheat on me. Which was a bad choice, because I write songs." And then she launched into "Should've Said No." And what was originally a 4:04-long track on Taylor Swift became a 7-and-a-half-minute-long piece, complete with an intense set of drums and a falling sheet of water. You see, in the middle of the song, she and Caitlin, the aforementioned fiddle player, ran up onto the circular piece of the stage and started beating, syncopatedly and rhythmically and angrily and passionately on this set of metal-rimmed, double-sided timpani drums. It was a pattern, complete with her signature head- and neck- and hair-flips and jerks and swishing (if you know what I mean, you know what I'm talking about and I don't have to actually explain it further), the movements that make everyone else dislocate the joints in his/her neck. And at the end, a sheet of water came down, spelling out the word "NO" over and over again, underneath which Taylor finished the song and the concert, to raucous applause and general joy and merriment.
Phew, what a night. May 13th, what a night. And I just got to relive it in its entirety, thanks to you. So, thank you. Of course, this summary was as much for myself as it was for y'all and for this blog. Which can only lead me to say one thing.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
There's something sacred and majestic about a concert, and a concert of someone you've adored and watched grow for three years and whose career you followed almost vicariously since the discovery of her music. Add into that the fact that the concert included as opening acts artists you've fallen in love with as well, and it's basically four hours in heaven. In fact, that's exactly what it is.
That's right, folks, I'm talking about the Taylor Swift concert I mentioned a while ago. That was this past Thursday, May 13th (coincidentally, someone's very special 25th birthday...), and because I was there I will tell all. And devote this post solely to that magical experience. (But don't you worry, my loyal readers, there will be another lyrics post next week...hopefully!)
I wore my very special Taylor Swift shirt that I had received two years earlier, when I got into TRL (that MTV show that no longer exists) and she was hosting. It has a picture of Taylor (the picture on the bonus track version of Taylor Swift) and her signature. We had tickets for section 109 at the Prudential Center, which were fabulous seats, and it was my mom, my sister, and me.
When we got there, of course, section 109 was the farthest away from any stairs whatsoever, so by the time we reached it, the first opening act, Gloriana (!!!!), had already started. And so it happened that for the third time, I raced across the Prudential Center. Hm. I missed the first couple of lines of "How Far Do You Wanna Go?" but there they were: Rachel, Cheyenne, Mike, and Tom. IT WAS THEM! And the arena was barely full at this time. There were a couple of girls in red t-shirts behind me, and they and I sang along with Gloriana. Rachel wore a blue shirt, Cheyenne had a black tank top with a pink scarf, and Tom and Mike were dressed like guys (I think Tom wore a brown blazer and a black shirt and Mike something similar, but for some reason I cannot recall what they wore!). The next song they sang was "If You're Leaving," which begins with a fabulous four-part harmony. It sounds even better live than on the album, which is extraordinary and saying a LOT. Then Cheyenne took the mic and said, "Hey, girls, have you ever met a guy...who didn't keep his promises?" (or something like that) and burst into "You Said," which is the only song on the album that features her on lead vocals (Rachel is the lead female singer, generally). After that, Rachel introduced their current single, and one of my very favourite songs ever, "The World is Ours Tonight," which is beautiful in so many ways. The syncopation and the vocals are just perfect. The last song they performed was "the song that started it all," as Tom said by way of introduction, "Wild At Heart." And it sounded tremendous! I didn't know it was possible, but since Thursday, I love Gloriana more than I had before I saw the band live. Gloriana groupie, anyone?
After a few minutes (like 15-20) of waiting and setting up, Kellie Pickler herself came on. She's really cute in person, with that blonde bob haircut of hers. She wore all black, but had it jazzed up, with sparkles and a really nice belt. Her set opened with the smash hit she and Taylor had written for Kellie Pickler, her second album, "Best Days of Your Life." At this point, the arena had filled up substantially and she had the light show going and everything, which added a new dimension to the songs she sang. She launched into "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" immediately after she finished the first one. The next song was one from her second album and one I hadn't heard, "Rocks Instead of Rice." She introduced her new single "just released to country radio" and sang "Makin' Me Fall In Love With You." Something about Kellie Pickler is wonderfully joyous, and that showed in her live rendition of "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," the first single released from Kellie Pickler. For the next song, "I Wonder," she sat on a stool and didn't walk around, because it is a really sad and moving song. I remember the first time I ever heard of her and heard her sing was, funnily enough, at the 2007 CMAs and she sang "I Wonder," but couldn't finish it for crying. And I can't blame her. And if you do, go find a heart and some empathy. Wrapping up her set was the delightful "Red High Heels," which was her very first ever single. She was wearing sparkly silver [really] high heels at the show, so it was very fitting. And I fell in love with Kellie Pickler again.
Then, we had to wait another long time. And wait. But boy, was it worth it.
The curtain lifted and revealed the stage that Taylor had designed herself. It was half-circular, half-square, the pieces which were connected by stairs, and had a huge screen behind it. Pictures were projected on this screen, as well as on the front of the box and the circle (this is a really bad description of it, I apologize...I was never going to do it justice, I'm afraid). It began with lockers projected on the front of the set, and she was lifted up onto the top of the circular part of the stage, wearing a band uniform (watch the music video for "Fearless," to understand completely what I mean). Her dancers were dressed as cheerleaders. Her dancers were remarkable. And at this point, even before Taylor began to sing, I started sobbing. Nope, I'm not at all ashamed to admit it. After three years (and I loved Taylor Swift since before she was Taylor Swift, which is not something I can say about any other artist I've ever been a fan of) of wanting to be at that very moment, who wouldn't? She is a star. Ha, she's a "SuperStar." Anyway, she began with "You Belong With Me." Halfway through the song, a few of her dancers ripped off the band costume she was wearing and revealed a fringe-y and sparkly dress underneath, which she wore for the rest of the first set of songs. Of course, I couldn't actually hear her voice singing, not over the thousands of voices (including mine, of course) singing back at her. But it didn't matter. She followed that with "Our Song," which my mom still considers the best song Taylor's ever written, and rightfully so. It was also her first number 1 song. It started with her fiddle player, Caitlin, on top of the circular piece of the stage, playing the signature opening notes of the song. I only wish you could've heard the screams and the decibel-shift of the noise level that only became more and more so as the show went on. What a beautiful song. What a beautiful song. After the first two songs, she spoke for the first time.
"Hello, Jersey!" And some things I don't remember. "I know that by the end of the night, I'm going to fall in love with you, Jersey. In fact, judging by the first two songs, I'm in love with you already. I'm going to quantify my love for you. I love you like I love sparkly dresses. I love you like I love to burn my ex-boyfriend's pictures. I love you like I love fairytales. I love you like I love to sing about love stories." As she said that last sentence, she curtsied, just like in the "Fearless" music video, where they paint wings on her.
And then she launched into "Tell Me Why," with the screen behind her flashing the word 'why' any and every which way, with different fonts and styles and colours and general aesthetics. Upon finishing this one, she introduced her next song like this (of course, paraphrased by memory): "Freshman year, I sat next to this guy. I was in love with him, but he didn't know I existed. Sometimes he'd talk to me...about his girlfriend. And I think you know his name." Any guesses as to what song she was talking about? If you answered that his name was Drew, and that the song was "Teardrops on my Guitar," you would be 100% correct. So bravo! The big screen behind the set had the picture of a library, and there was a pseudo-Drew sitting at a table (one of her dancers), at which she sat down also to sing the first verse of the song. He got up halfway through the song, and met up with his pseudo-girlfriend, and they danced a ballet pas de deux (beautiful!) at the front of the stage. For the next song in her set, she got her beautiful guitar, the one with 'Taylor' written on the neck, and also introduced it in some way similar to the writing on her Fearless liner notes, that when you've been hurt you fall in love again, and that to her is "Fearless." And, as always, it was a beautiful rendition. Made only more beautiful by the chorus of thousands of voices singing back to her, singing along with her.
After she ended "Fearless," the namesake song of both the album and the tour, the curtain came down (the curtain had Corinthian columns and a red velvet draped curtain drawn on it) and an interview played on the two screens flanking the stage. It was part of the interview that was taped when Taylor and the "Behind the Scenes at the Fearless Tour" aired on Dateline. The interview lady asked, "When you put the boys' names into your songs, why do you think they're going to want to date you?" And her answer was, "Well, I figure, if they don't want to be in a bad song, they shouldn't do bad things." And the phrase "they shouldn't do bad things" echoed throughout the arena, and was reflected in the screens as the curtain lifted, and Taylor burst into "Forever and Always." Just like she did at the CMAs last November. Including the whole throwing-the-chair part and everything. For this song, she wore a red sparkly and rhinestone-y short dress. All I have to say is, Joe Jonas is an idiot. And Taylor is one wonderful person. And singer. And songwriter. And performer. And [insert noun here].
The curtain descended yet again after this song was over, and the screens turned on once more. It was an episode of the fictitious show, "Crimes of Passion," with people like Tyler Hilton and Stephen Barker Liles of Love and Theft, Drew in the music video for "Teardrops on my Guitar" and subject of "Hey Stephen," respectively, appearing. It was about so-called "Taylor victims," with people whose names she used in her songs. Last in the montage was none other than Tim McGraw himself, saying, "Most people forget that I was Taylor Swift's first victim. Almost like I had been plucked out of obscurity when she used my name in her first single." In the end, the announcer, who was a member of her band, showed that cameras had picked up a new Taylor victim, a made-up person named Neil/Neal, who supposedly gave her a toaster for her birthday. She closed the episode of "Crimes of Passion" with this: "How do you spell your name, with an 'i,' or an 'a'?...You know what's funny? How many words rhyme with the name Neil/Neal."
And that was the introduction to "Hey Stephen," which she began in section 6, right below us, and in the crowd. I'm not kidding you. She was wearing a blue dress, with brown cowboy boots. She had her wonderful 'Taylor' guitar, and sang about 2/3rds of the song before she handed it to her bodyguard and walked through the crowd, hugging fans and shaking hands, to the sound station, where she had a mini-stage set up, a black circle on a pedestal. It took a good five minutes for her to walk the short distance, because she hugged everyone she could reach. When she got to the stage, she finished the song, from the "all those other girls, well, they're beautiful, but would they write a song for you?" part, which is my favourite. It's also known as the bridge, but I wanted to write it out, because, like I said, it's my favourite part of the song. She remained in the middle of the arena for the next few songs, beginning with her smash success "Fifteen." For this song, she sat on a stool and picked up a 12-string guitar. She began the introduction talking about her guitar: "This is a 12-string guitar. The difference between a 6-string guitar and a 12-string guitar is that this one has twice as many strings. It's one of my favourite guitars to play. When I first started learning how to play guitar, I was nine. One day, I brought up the subject of a 12-string guitar to my teacher, who told me that I wouldn't ever have to worry about such a guitar, because I could never play one, because my hands would always be too small." Then she began playing that 12-string guitar. And continued with the introduction of the song, "This song is about being 15. When you're too young to learn to drive a car. But you're old enough to fall in love. And old enough to have your heart broken." And as she sang "Fifteen," she slowly revolved around the stage, pushing the microphone stand and the stool she was sitting on in a slow circle, so that by the time she had finished the song, she had faced every point of the arena twice. Who else does something like that?? The last song on this round stage was "the first song you ever heard from me," "Tim McGraw." Again, she completed half of it in the middle of the arena, before she put down her guitar and walked through another section of adoring fans, which again took up a good five to ten minutes, hugging people and shaking hands. I love the way she did that. And boy, am I jealous! She continued with "And I'm back for the first time since then, I'm standing on your street / with a letter left on your doorstep, and the first thing that you'll read...", also known as the bridge, when she returned to the main stage. When she finished, she received a standing ovation (hard for me to judge, as I was on my feet for the duration of the show) from the entire arena for a good ten minutes. Nothing but applause was heard for that time. And in reply, she said, "I'll never forget the way you just made me feel." Which just warms my heart whenever I think of it. The next song also received a nice, long introduction that, unfortunately, I'm not sure I can even attempt to pretend to recreate it here. Just know it was beautiful and that I will think of it on a long, cold winter night and type it up when I think of it in its entirety then. So be on the lookout for that. It was something about how when she was younger, she believed in the fairytale romance, with a prince and a Romeo, but that she's learned that most of love isn't like that. And then she began the opening chords and guitar strums for "White Horse." Which she then followed with the rest of the song. And let me tell you, it sounds even nicer when you can see the singer's face.
After "White Horse," she disappeared and the curtain came down. For some odd reason, I cannot tell you what happened between the curtain's descent and its subsequent ascent. I can, however, tell you that upon its ascent, she sang "Love Story." And not just in any which way. She had the full-blown Victorian costumes on her dancers, just like in the video, and Taylor herself wore a reddish-pink dress of the same time period (or even kind of from the colonial time period), with bows and all of the flummery, as she sang. When it got to the part with "he knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring..." all of the dancers got around her and she performed a live dress-change, with the white dress from the "You Belong With Me" music video appearing and the red dress disappearing. Just like at the CMAs in 2008, right after the release of Fearless. There's something so magical about that song that I can't even describe. Just when you think you're over it, because you've heard it so many times, the magic hits you in between the eyes and you're amazed all over again. Exactly the same as you were the first time you heard it.
Then she disappeared again, after curtseying upon the completion of the song, through a side door in the stage that we were privy to, sitting on the side we were sitting on. When she reappeared, she was wearing a purple sparkly dress, not unlike the red one she wore with "Forever and Always," only, of course, it was purple. Oh, and she had a stiff on her arm. He wore a tux and a bored and lofty expression on his face. I thought he was fantastic and hilarious, as did my sister. The song? "The Way I Loved You." The character she was portraying was torn between the aforementioned stiff and Grant, her bad-boy guitar player, just like in the song. Considering it's one of my favourite Fearless songs, I was very pleased with how she made it come to life. A piano appeared on top of the circular piece of the set, in order for her to accompany herself during the next song, "You're Not Sorry." Behind her, the screen came to life with many differently stylised ways of the words 'you're not sorry' flashing on it. Halfway through the song, the melody and the backing harmonies changed to a different bridge of the song (right after "you had me crawling for you, honey, and it never would've gone away / you used to shine so bright, and I watched all of it fade") with lyrics like "what goes around, comes around, comes around, comes around..." which I can hear and see right now in my mind, but can't particularly translate that to the post (sorry). And to conclude the piece was another change of lyric that I will withhold from you, on account of the fact that, once again, my memory has failed me. The last song of this set, in the purple dress, was introduced like this: "This is "Picture to Burn."" Short, sweet, and to the point. And indeed, it was "Picture to Burn." All of the screens on her set lit up with flames. Except it was the politically correct version, of course. The one with "you won't mind if I say" instead of "I'll tell mine you're gay." But who cares? She's brilliant. When that song ended, all too soon, she merely said, "I love you so much!" and ran off of the stage. The end? Not so fast.
One of her bandmembers, the host of "Crimes of Passion," came on and did some crazy cheer exercises with us, the audience. At this point, I was already hoarse as can be. But apparently not nearly enough yet! And then he left.
Taylor came back on, wearing a black dress that I had first seen at the ACMs in 2008, with a sparkly section on her chest. And she sang the newest single of hers that had been released, "Today Was a Fairytale," from her movie, Valentine's Day. Which, I have proof, she only sings on days that have actually been fairytales: http://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/9651946243. Must've been a fairytale. And I am delighted that we were able to give her that! And then, the last song she played that night she introduced like this: "This song is all about choices. You see, in life, there are good choices. Like choosing to play two shows in Jersey to sold-out arenas of your closest friends. And there are also bad choices. Like this guy, who chose to cheat on me. Which was a bad choice, because I write songs." And then she launched into "Should've Said No." And what was originally a 4:04-long track on Taylor Swift became a 7-and-a-half-minute-long piece, complete with an intense set of drums and a falling sheet of water. You see, in the middle of the song, she and Caitlin, the aforementioned fiddle player, ran up onto the circular piece of the stage and started beating, syncopatedly and rhythmically and angrily and passionately on this set of metal-rimmed, double-sided timpani drums. It was a pattern, complete with her signature head- and neck- and hair-flips and jerks and swishing (if you know what I mean, you know what I'm talking about and I don't have to actually explain it further), the movements that make everyone else dislocate the joints in his/her neck. And at the end, a sheet of water came down, spelling out the word "NO" over and over again, underneath which Taylor finished the song and the concert, to raucous applause and general joy and merriment.
Phew, what a night. May 13th, what a night. And I just got to relive it in its entirety, thanks to you. So, thank you. Of course, this summary was as much for myself as it was for y'all and for this blog. Which can only lead me to say one thing.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
17 April 2010
Hold Me Now
Hi, there,
Did I promise this song, or did I promise this song? I am so on the ball. Sometimes I promise a song, and then gradually I discard the notion of the song. Not this time. It's been one of those days, when you don't really want to do anything, so I decided to post the song I finished yesterday. The song I promised y'all.
Before I share it with you, I should mention that the ACMs are tomorrow! Are you excited? I'm excited. It should be fantastic, with so many wonderful perfomances and nominees, and just all-around people of a high caliber. It takes place in Las Vegas, and the show will be broadcast on CBS, starting at 8, I believe. If you haven't yet voted for the Top New Artist or Entertainer of the Year categories, I once again encourage you to do so, at www.voteacm.com. Do it.
Songs which have struck my earlobes in the past nine days since I've posted last include "Mr. Mom," by Lonestar (you might be familiar with an '80s movie by the same name, but I hated that movie), "Suds in the Bucket," by Sara Evans, and Justin Moore's "Backwoods." They're all really nice songs, and will probably always conjure up images of spring, and me dancing to them, singing along at the top of my lungs, in an empty room. Fun times, I wouldn't trade them for gold.
I think that's virtually the extent of my country music updates. Next time I post, you can be assured that I will do my patented and critically-acclaimed annual run-down of the performances and winners of the ACMs, as I have been doing since the inception of this website. Looking forward to it. You should be, too.
As for today's song, "Hold Me Now," I don't think it's based on anything. I certainly see it as the sexiest song I've ever written. And you'll know what I mean when you read it yourself. Sexy, sexy, sexy...
Hold Me Now
Hey, baby, you know what I've been thinking
we should lie in bed and let the telephone ring
why should we listen to what others say
we'll stay together and waste away the day
'cause it's been forever since we've done so
and I'm looking forward to just being alone
with you
CHORUS:
stay with me, don't make a sound
just hold me now
so I can find so many ways to tell you that I love you
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and hold me now
somethin' 'bout me holdin' you just feels right
boy, doesn't it feel good to let everything slide
turn off your cell phone and turn off the lights
today let's spend all our time living in the night
tomorrow we'll rejoin the human race
for now, let me see my reflection in your face
CHORUS:
stay with me, don't make a sound
just hold me now
so I can find so many ways to tell you that I love you
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and hold me now
BRIDGE:
we've never really had it easy
but, baby, thata's no excuse
for you to let go of me
and for me to let go of you
CHORUS:
so stay with me, don't make a sound
just hold me now
and I can find so many ways to tell you that I love you
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and hold me now
baby, stay with me, don't make a sound
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and baby, hold me now...hold me now
hey, baby, you know what I've been thinking
we should lie in bed and let the telephone ring...
If you think I've used the word "baby" too many times in this song, I suggest you purchase some Keith Urban albums, and you'll see he uses the word "baby" like normal people use salt. And you'll also notice, that I rarely ever use the word "baby" in other songs, because I used to think it breeds insincerity, but somethin' 'bout the use of the word in this song just felt right.
If you're familiar with the song by the same name by Johnny Logan (which I think only someone as weird as I am is), then you'll see that songs with the same title can be about highly different things. By the way, I absolutely love that song by Johnny Logan; it's so incredibly powerful and touching and sad and moving and it gives me the chills.
I usually tell you a little about the song before I post the song itself, but to be honest with you, I kind of forgot about that, so I'll do it now. There's nothing to say about the origin of the song. Except, that is, about the bridge. One day over the Christmas holiday, I woke up with the bridge just flowing from my lips, and I had to write it down, because it rhymed and everything. Seriously, how many times is that going to happen, that a fully-formed and rhyming bridge/part of a song is going to come out of your mouth completely at random, and especially as you're in that half-asleep stupor? Not often, let me tell you. So I'm glad I was able to recall it and implement it here.
Please let me know what you think, everything you have to say is welcomed with open arms. I may not listen to the criticism, but I'll read it and mentally defend my song from your words. And I don't mind, because I just like the thought that someone, somewhere is actually reading what I've produced.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
p.s. The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Devils and the Filthydelphia Cryers (uh, the Philadelphia Flyers, that is) is tied at 1 game apiece, and is both explosive and nerve-wracking. I don't think I'll be able to take it if the Devils lose this one, and I don't think I'll be able to write as good a song about a first-round exit (heaven forbid) this year as I did last year at the time. (You get bonus points (a) if you have read all the way down to the p.s. in this post, and (b) if you know what song I'm talking about.)
Did I promise this song, or did I promise this song? I am so on the ball. Sometimes I promise a song, and then gradually I discard the notion of the song. Not this time. It's been one of those days, when you don't really want to do anything, so I decided to post the song I finished yesterday. The song I promised y'all.
Before I share it with you, I should mention that the ACMs are tomorrow! Are you excited? I'm excited. It should be fantastic, with so many wonderful perfomances and nominees, and just all-around people of a high caliber. It takes place in Las Vegas, and the show will be broadcast on CBS, starting at 8, I believe. If you haven't yet voted for the Top New Artist or Entertainer of the Year categories, I once again encourage you to do so, at www.voteacm.com. Do it.
Songs which have struck my earlobes in the past nine days since I've posted last include "Mr. Mom," by Lonestar (you might be familiar with an '80s movie by the same name, but I hated that movie), "Suds in the Bucket," by Sara Evans, and Justin Moore's "Backwoods." They're all really nice songs, and will probably always conjure up images of spring, and me dancing to them, singing along at the top of my lungs, in an empty room. Fun times, I wouldn't trade them for gold.
I think that's virtually the extent of my country music updates. Next time I post, you can be assured that I will do my patented and critically-acclaimed annual run-down of the performances and winners of the ACMs, as I have been doing since the inception of this website. Looking forward to it. You should be, too.
As for today's song, "Hold Me Now," I don't think it's based on anything. I certainly see it as the sexiest song I've ever written. And you'll know what I mean when you read it yourself. Sexy, sexy, sexy...
Hold Me Now
Hey, baby, you know what I've been thinking
we should lie in bed and let the telephone ring
why should we listen to what others say
we'll stay together and waste away the day
'cause it's been forever since we've done so
and I'm looking forward to just being alone
with you
CHORUS:
stay with me, don't make a sound
just hold me now
so I can find so many ways to tell you that I love you
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and hold me now
somethin' 'bout me holdin' you just feels right
boy, doesn't it feel good to let everything slide
turn off your cell phone and turn off the lights
today let's spend all our time living in the night
tomorrow we'll rejoin the human race
for now, let me see my reflection in your face
CHORUS:
stay with me, don't make a sound
just hold me now
so I can find so many ways to tell you that I love you
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and hold me now
BRIDGE:
we've never really had it easy
but, baby, thata's no excuse
for you to let go of me
and for me to let go of you
CHORUS:
so stay with me, don't make a sound
just hold me now
and I can find so many ways to tell you that I love you
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and hold me now
baby, stay with me, don't make a sound
reassure me, let me know you'll be around
and baby, hold me now...hold me now
hey, baby, you know what I've been thinking
we should lie in bed and let the telephone ring...
If you think I've used the word "baby" too many times in this song, I suggest you purchase some Keith Urban albums, and you'll see he uses the word "baby" like normal people use salt. And you'll also notice, that I rarely ever use the word "baby" in other songs, because I used to think it breeds insincerity, but somethin' 'bout the use of the word in this song just felt right.
If you're familiar with the song by the same name by Johnny Logan (which I think only someone as weird as I am is), then you'll see that songs with the same title can be about highly different things. By the way, I absolutely love that song by Johnny Logan; it's so incredibly powerful and touching and sad and moving and it gives me the chills.
I usually tell you a little about the song before I post the song itself, but to be honest with you, I kind of forgot about that, so I'll do it now. There's nothing to say about the origin of the song. Except, that is, about the bridge. One day over the Christmas holiday, I woke up with the bridge just flowing from my lips, and I had to write it down, because it rhymed and everything. Seriously, how many times is that going to happen, that a fully-formed and rhyming bridge/part of a song is going to come out of your mouth completely at random, and especially as you're in that half-asleep stupor? Not often, let me tell you. So I'm glad I was able to recall it and implement it here.
Please let me know what you think, everything you have to say is welcomed with open arms. I may not listen to the criticism, but I'll read it and mentally defend my song from your words. And I don't mind, because I just like the thought that someone, somewhere is actually reading what I've produced.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
p.s. The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Devils and the Filthydelphia Cryers (uh, the Philadelphia Flyers, that is) is tied at 1 game apiece, and is both explosive and nerve-wracking. I don't think I'll be able to take it if the Devils lose this one, and I don't think I'll be able to write as good a song about a first-round exit (heaven forbid) this year as I did last year at the time. (You get bonus points (a) if you have read all the way down to the p.s. in this post, and (b) if you know what song I'm talking about.)
08 April 2010
Long Day (I'll Be Fine)
Hi there,
It's me. What's new with you?
I'm currently obsessed with the song "American Ride," which is apparently Toby Keith's new single. If you put aside the fact that he is basically a self-centered redneck hick - as evidenced by his songs "Beer for my Horses" (basically a hanging propoganda song) and "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" (featured quote: we'll put a boot in your ass / it's the American way...) - and take his songs at face value, you'll find gems within his gruff, take-no-prisoners voice. My favourite part of "American Ride"? The bridge, and not necessarily for the lyrics (more for the melody), but I'll put them up so that you know which part is the bridge: "Poor little infa-Miss America's down / She gained five pounds and lost her crown / Quick fix plastic surgical antidote / Got herself a record deal, can't even sing a note." Especially the "surgical antidote" part. And I just realised that the "infa-Miss" part is supposed to imply "infamous." Genius.
And in other country music news, I'm going to reiterate the voting for the ACMs, which is still going on, until the show, which is next weekend (April 18th). I'm excited for the show, particularly since I've already cast my votes, and now can just sit back and hope against hope that the people for whom I voted will actually win (and not Luke Bryan or Carrie Underwood). Again, the nominees for Best New Artist are: Luke Bryan, Joey & Rory, and Gloriana. The nominees for Entertainer of the Year are: Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and the Zac Brown Band.
I do, actually, have to say that I like Luke Bryan's new single, "Rain is a Good Thing." Actually I like it a lot, and specifically the chorus, which begins like this, "rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey / whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky...," and that's just awesome.
CMT first-round nominees have also been announced, so if you're really into music videos and fan-voting, which I happen to be, actually, check that out: http://www.cmt.com/cmt-music-awards/vote.jhtml. First-round voting means that you pick the nominees, and the final ballot/nominee list will be released on May 11th.
Now onto the song that I have for you today. I finished it the same day I finished "Running in High Heels," but I've had a lot to do since then, so I haven't actually gotten around to posting this until...well, now, if you can imagine that. The day I wrote it I was stuck in one of the most boring discussions I had ever participated in, and I had been awake since 4:30 am that morning, so I was tired and bored and annoyed and hungry. That is the context. Oh, and it was raining that day, and I literally forgot my umbrella in another state.
Long Day (I'll Be Fine)
this morning I woke up and felt I hadn't slept a wink
as I got up, I stubbed my toe and slammed into the kitchen* sink
now it's nine a.m. and I'm starving already
tryin' to pay attention but I'm fallin' asleep
and the only thing I'm thinkin' is it's gonna be a long day
but when I get home
CHORUS:
I'll listen to some music and dance around the room
then I'll pick up a pen and mail a love letter off to you
eat a piece of chocolate and laugh until I cry
call up an old friend and work harder as the days go by
as long as I'm living with greater things in mind
one thing I know is that I'll be fine
the afternoon got longer as the day kept going
it began to rain outside and I was stuck with knowing
that I had run out of the house without taking my umbrella
but I'm still sleep and so done with work as well
and the only thing I'm thinkin' is it's gonna be a long day
but when I get home
CHORUS:
I'll listen to some music and dance around the room
then I'll pick up a pen and mail a love letter off to you
eat a piece of chocolate and laugh until I cry
call up an old friend and work harder as the days go by
as long as I'm livin' with greater things in mind
one thing I know is that I'll be fine
BRIDGE:
and I'm finally through the door in the evening
it's been a long day but I'll shake off that feeling
'cause I'm finally home
CHORUS:
And I'll listen to some music and dance around the room
then I'll pick up a pen and mail a love letter off to you
eat a piece of chocolate and laugh until I cry
call up an old friend and work harder as the days go by
as long as I
oh, I put on some music and danced around the room
picked up a pen and mailed a love letter off to you
ate a piece of chocolate and laughed until I cried
called up an old friend and didn't want to say good-bye
as long as I'm livin' with greater things in mind
oh, as long as I'm living with greater things in mind
one thing I know is that I'll be fine
as long as I'm livin' with greater things in mind
I know for sure, I know that I'll be fine
*Kitchen, or bathroom? That part of the line is scribbled and written on over and over, because I constantly waffle over which one is better. You see, bathroom would be more apt, because it's the morning and it connotes that my character (read: me) brushed her teeth, but kitchen implies eating breakfast, and so the line "now it's nine a.m. and I'm starving already" makes sense within the context that she ate breakfast, but time is passing so slowly that she's hungry already. Which would you say? (Clearly I have thought about this a lot.)
It's kind of like Sugarland's "Something More," but not really. As usual, all manner of comments are welcomed, particularly notes of importance.
So here's what is coming up for this blog. Be on the lookout for "Hold Me Now," which I'm kind of working on sporadically. Also, if anyone besides me actually remembers, not that I'd ever expect you to, in the "All That's Good" post I mentioned briefly my desire to write a song for my birthday. Well, that has been progressing, albeit slowly, and the title is "Nineteen Candles." I'll probably try to post it May 19th (you know, 19 - Nineteen) or May 21st (the actual date for the nineteen candles). That is, if I actually finish it. Which is not entirely likely at the moment. But we'll see.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
p.s. My heart and thoughts go out to the incomparable and venerable Pat Burns, one-time coach and current employee of the New Jersey Devils. He won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2003 and the Jack Adams Trophy (Coach of the Year NHL award) three different years with three separate teams (the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Boston Bruins). He is on his third round of cancer (first it was colon cancer, which forced him to step down from coaching the Devils in 2004, then it was liver, and now lungs and who knows where else), and has opted not to take treatment. At a recent ceremony in Quebec, in which he was honoured with the building of an arena in Quebec with his name, he made it clear that he doesn't think he'll be around to see it in its completed form, which is estimated to happen in 2011, next year. All of this, and his absolute determination and heart and bravery in the face of death, illicit goosebumps and tears on my part and have led me to the decision to write a song about him/for him. It's tentatively titled, "This Song's For You," and I hope to finish it before...as soon as I can. I want it to be perfect. There is an issue of getting him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame while he and his family can still enjoy it, and if you are at all interested in helping the selection committee to select him before the nomination deadline of April 15th, PLEASE visit www.patburns.ca, or join the facebook group "Let's Get Pat Burns into the Hockey Hall of Fame - NOW" and invite all of your friends. I really hope this happens for him, and it's something I'm incredibly passionate about. Thank you so much.
It's me. What's new with you?
I'm currently obsessed with the song "American Ride," which is apparently Toby Keith's new single. If you put aside the fact that he is basically a self-centered redneck hick - as evidenced by his songs "Beer for my Horses" (basically a hanging propoganda song) and "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" (featured quote: we'll put a boot in your ass / it's the American way...) - and take his songs at face value, you'll find gems within his gruff, take-no-prisoners voice. My favourite part of "American Ride"? The bridge, and not necessarily for the lyrics (more for the melody), but I'll put them up so that you know which part is the bridge: "Poor little infa-Miss America's down / She gained five pounds and lost her crown / Quick fix plastic surgical antidote / Got herself a record deal, can't even sing a note." Especially the "surgical antidote" part. And I just realised that the "infa-Miss" part is supposed to imply "infamous." Genius.
And in other country music news, I'm going to reiterate the voting for the ACMs, which is still going on, until the show, which is next weekend (April 18th). I'm excited for the show, particularly since I've already cast my votes, and now can just sit back and hope against hope that the people for whom I voted will actually win (and not Luke Bryan or Carrie Underwood). Again, the nominees for Best New Artist are: Luke Bryan, Joey & Rory, and Gloriana. The nominees for Entertainer of the Year are: Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and the Zac Brown Band.
I do, actually, have to say that I like Luke Bryan's new single, "Rain is a Good Thing." Actually I like it a lot, and specifically the chorus, which begins like this, "rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey / whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky...," and that's just awesome.
CMT first-round nominees have also been announced, so if you're really into music videos and fan-voting, which I happen to be, actually, check that out: http://www.cmt.com/cmt-music-awards/vote.jhtml. First-round voting means that you pick the nominees, and the final ballot/nominee list will be released on May 11th.
Now onto the song that I have for you today. I finished it the same day I finished "Running in High Heels," but I've had a lot to do since then, so I haven't actually gotten around to posting this until...well, now, if you can imagine that. The day I wrote it I was stuck in one of the most boring discussions I had ever participated in, and I had been awake since 4:30 am that morning, so I was tired and bored and annoyed and hungry. That is the context. Oh, and it was raining that day, and I literally forgot my umbrella in another state.
Long Day (I'll Be Fine)
this morning I woke up and felt I hadn't slept a wink
as I got up, I stubbed my toe and slammed into the kitchen* sink
now it's nine a.m. and I'm starving already
tryin' to pay attention but I'm fallin' asleep
and the only thing I'm thinkin' is it's gonna be a long day
but when I get home
CHORUS:
I'll listen to some music and dance around the room
then I'll pick up a pen and mail a love letter off to you
eat a piece of chocolate and laugh until I cry
call up an old friend and work harder as the days go by
as long as I'm living with greater things in mind
one thing I know is that I'll be fine
the afternoon got longer as the day kept going
it began to rain outside and I was stuck with knowing
that I had run out of the house without taking my umbrella
but I'm still sleep and so done with work as well
and the only thing I'm thinkin' is it's gonna be a long day
but when I get home
CHORUS:
I'll listen to some music and dance around the room
then I'll pick up a pen and mail a love letter off to you
eat a piece of chocolate and laugh until I cry
call up an old friend and work harder as the days go by
as long as I'm livin' with greater things in mind
one thing I know is that I'll be fine
BRIDGE:
and I'm finally through the door in the evening
it's been a long day but I'll shake off that feeling
'cause I'm finally home
CHORUS:
And I'll listen to some music and dance around the room
then I'll pick up a pen and mail a love letter off to you
eat a piece of chocolate and laugh until I cry
call up an old friend and work harder as the days go by
as long as I
oh, I put on some music and danced around the room
picked up a pen and mailed a love letter off to you
ate a piece of chocolate and laughed until I cried
called up an old friend and didn't want to say good-bye
as long as I'm livin' with greater things in mind
oh, as long as I'm living with greater things in mind
one thing I know is that I'll be fine
as long as I'm livin' with greater things in mind
I know for sure, I know that I'll be fine
*Kitchen, or bathroom? That part of the line is scribbled and written on over and over, because I constantly waffle over which one is better. You see, bathroom would be more apt, because it's the morning and it connotes that my character (read: me) brushed her teeth, but kitchen implies eating breakfast, and so the line "now it's nine a.m. and I'm starving already" makes sense within the context that she ate breakfast, but time is passing so slowly that she's hungry already. Which would you say? (Clearly I have thought about this a lot.)
It's kind of like Sugarland's "Something More," but not really. As usual, all manner of comments are welcomed, particularly notes of importance.
So here's what is coming up for this blog. Be on the lookout for "Hold Me Now," which I'm kind of working on sporadically. Also, if anyone besides me actually remembers, not that I'd ever expect you to, in the "All That's Good" post I mentioned briefly my desire to write a song for my birthday. Well, that has been progressing, albeit slowly, and the title is "Nineteen Candles." I'll probably try to post it May 19th (you know, 19 - Nineteen) or May 21st (the actual date for the nineteen candles). That is, if I actually finish it. Which is not entirely likely at the moment. But we'll see.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
p.s. My heart and thoughts go out to the incomparable and venerable Pat Burns, one-time coach and current employee of the New Jersey Devils. He won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2003 and the Jack Adams Trophy (Coach of the Year NHL award) three different years with three separate teams (the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Boston Bruins). He is on his third round of cancer (first it was colon cancer, which forced him to step down from coaching the Devils in 2004, then it was liver, and now lungs and who knows where else), and has opted not to take treatment. At a recent ceremony in Quebec, in which he was honoured with the building of an arena in Quebec with his name, he made it clear that he doesn't think he'll be around to see it in its completed form, which is estimated to happen in 2011, next year. All of this, and his absolute determination and heart and bravery in the face of death, illicit goosebumps and tears on my part and have led me to the decision to write a song about him/for him. It's tentatively titled, "This Song's For You," and I hope to finish it before...as soon as I can. I want it to be perfect. There is an issue of getting him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame while he and his family can still enjoy it, and if you are at all interested in helping the selection committee to select him before the nomination deadline of April 15th, PLEASE visit www.patburns.ca, or join the facebook group "Let's Get Pat Burns into the Hockey Hall of Fame - NOW" and invite all of your friends. I really hope this happens for him, and it's something I'm incredibly passionate about. Thank you so much.
27 March 2010
Running in High Heels
Hello, everyone.
It has been over a month since I last posted, so I'll get down to business immediately.
I'll start with the new favourite song section, because it will be chock-full of songs. I have discovered the duo named Bomshell, whose debut album was named Fight Like a Girl. The title track is fabulous, but my very favourite is the one called "19 and Crazy." It's wild and up-beat and just plain catchy. Another song I absolutely love is Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy." (What's with the 'crazy'?) It is phenomenal. In SO many ways. Next, and if I remember correctly, I mentioned the radio station WYNK 101.5 a while back. This station has afforded me an insane amount of new music. I made the live player my homepage: http://www.wynk.com/mediaplayer/?station=WYNK-FM&action=listenlive&channel_title=. Songs like Rascal Flatts' "These Days" and "Unstoppable"; David Nail's "Red Light"; Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgotten"; "Good Directions," by Billy Currington; "Sideways" by Dierks Bentley; Gary Allan's "Today," "Watching Airplanes," and "Nothing On But the Radio"; Eric Church's "Hell on the Heart"; "How Do You Like Me Now?" by Toby Keith (yeah, I know); and Craig Morgan's "This Ain't Nothin'," among others. I would also like to highlight the song that is number 1 in the country and on the country charts, "A Little More Country Than That," by Easton Corbin. If you want a good laugh, check out the music video which, of course, isn't meant to be funny, but if you want to hear a really great song, listen to the song without the video. If you want a video that is multiple times better than the song, check out Josh Turner's "Why Don't We Just Dance." The video is fabulous. I've also recently rediscovered the magic that is Kenny Chesney. And more specifically, "The Good Stuff," "There Goes My Life," "How Forever Feels," and "I Go Back." He is a bona fide superstar. In so many ways. The Zac Brown Band is another artist that I've discovered, and I can't believe that I lived as long as I had in completely ignorance of their talent and their beautiful songs. Of course, they're a really new band, but you get my drift. "Highway 20 Ride" still makes me cry (my favourite part? 'it was the pleasure of my life / and I cherish all the times / and my whole world, it begins and ends with you / on this highway 20 ride'...), and "Chicken Fried" was their first single and I know why - it's catchy and really turns you onto the band. I'm pretty sure there are so many other songs that I'm ignoring.
In other news, the ACM Award nominations have been released, and the show will be April 18th. Here's the link: http://www.acmcountry.com/awards/nominees.php. There will, again, be fan-voted categories, namely the Entertainer of the Year (nominees: Kenney Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, the Zac Brown Band) and Best New Artist. The nominees for Best New Artist were also fan-voted, from the winners of the categories of Top New Vocal Duo, Top New Solo Vocalist, and Top New Vocal Group. These were, respectively, Joey & Rory, Luke Bryan, and Gloriana. Voting for the other fan-voted awards starts April 1. I will not tell you for whom I will be voting, but if you've been reading this blog at all, I think you already know. I just don't want to sway you, but I do encourage you to vote.
I'm probably ignoring a month's worth of country music news, but that'll just have to wait for now, because I can't remember right now. But don't worry, I'll have another post in a few days anyway. Yup, that's right, I have finished a few songs, not just one. I feel accomplished - and I also want to reach 19 posts for this year as well, to keep the trend going.
So, onto today's song. I first conceived the notion of this song last May. May 2009. This is because...I was running in high heels at the time! Surprise, surprise. And it was raining, hence that part of the song. Or at least the ground was wet. And as I was running, I realised, despite my prowess at the activity, how freakin' hard it is to run in high heels. Especially if at the time you're wearing clothes that you're trying your best not to destroy, or at the very least, muss up because you still have to wear them at a function later that evening. So there are the circumstances in which the song was conceived. Then I was slightly reminded of one of my favuorite Doc Walker songs, "Driving with the Brakes On," which - allow me to go on a tangent here - I recently discovered is not even their song. It was written by some other guy who recorded it and had it as his single, so the Doc Walker song is just a cover of it, which kind of diminishes the power and weight of the song, but it shouldn't, because the Doc Walker version is equally good as the other guy's version. In fact, it's better. But I digress. I was reminded of "Driving with the Brakes On," and decided to model the rhyming patterns of their song in mine. (But, as it turns out, I did a better job, because the rhyming pattern in "Driving with the Brakes On" is only in the first verse, and the second verse is sporadic rhyming. This is probably because Doc Walker didn't write the song themselves.) And then I occasionally thought of the song from time to time, feeling guilty since I liked the idea of it but I hadn't actually done anything to further it. And then I thought of one angle of the song. And then I lost the paper on which I wrote that angle, so I abandoned that idea. And I picked up this version about two weeks ago, and really concentrated on getting the song to completion, which I finally managed to achieve yesterday.
So, here is:
Running In High Heels
we are walking hand-in-hand
just talking and it starts to rain
but we're together again
sometimes he thinks I'm too nice
I say that he's not right, well who knows
it's just goes to show
CHORUS:
when you're running in high heels
it's hard to get where you wanna be
when there's rain beneath your shoes
you gotta fight the fights you choose
we've been together three years
conquering all our fears and people's doubts
yeah, we've shut them out
those against us might've been right
but I don't wanna lose sight of what we've got
'cause it's a lot
CHORUS:
oh, when you're running in high heels
it's hard to get where you wanna be
when there's rain beneath your shoes
you gotta fight the fights you choose
yeah, when you're running in high heels
BRIDGE:
but we'll never say goodbye
cause we've always gotten by
and I'm gonna want you forever by my side
CHORUS:
and when you're running in high heels
it's hard to get where you wanna be
when there's rain beneath your shoes
you gotta fight the fights you choose
when you're running in high heels
yeah, running in high heels...
Here's a challenge for you. Try to figure out the rhyming pattern that I used. I really like it, and it tangentially reminds me of the one in "Call This Home." And if you're not sure what 'running in high heels' means, explain to me what 'driving with the brakes on' is a metaphor for, and then we can talk. I know what it means for me, but it might connote something different for everyone else.
I hope you like it, I'm really happy with this one.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
p.s. Tonight the Devils can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Canadiens! Actually, they only need one point, but it would be really nice to get a win, too. To be honest with you, they don't even need a point, they just need the Thrashers to lose tonight, but hey, I'd like to see them win against the Canadiens. With a hattrick by Travis Zajac. Life is good.
It has been over a month since I last posted, so I'll get down to business immediately.
I'll start with the new favourite song section, because it will be chock-full of songs. I have discovered the duo named Bomshell, whose debut album was named Fight Like a Girl. The title track is fabulous, but my very favourite is the one called "19 and Crazy." It's wild and up-beat and just plain catchy. Another song I absolutely love is Lee Brice's "Love Like Crazy." (What's with the 'crazy'?) It is phenomenal. In SO many ways. Next, and if I remember correctly, I mentioned the radio station WYNK 101.5 a while back. This station has afforded me an insane amount of new music. I made the live player my homepage: http://www.wynk.com/mediaplayer/?station=WYNK-FM&action=listenlive&channel_title=. Songs like Rascal Flatts' "These Days" and "Unstoppable"; David Nail's "Red Light"; Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgotten"; "Good Directions," by Billy Currington; "Sideways" by Dierks Bentley; Gary Allan's "Today," "Watching Airplanes," and "Nothing On But the Radio"; Eric Church's "Hell on the Heart"; "How Do You Like Me Now?" by Toby Keith (yeah, I know); and Craig Morgan's "This Ain't Nothin'," among others. I would also like to highlight the song that is number 1 in the country and on the country charts, "A Little More Country Than That," by Easton Corbin. If you want a good laugh, check out the music video which, of course, isn't meant to be funny, but if you want to hear a really great song, listen to the song without the video. If you want a video that is multiple times better than the song, check out Josh Turner's "Why Don't We Just Dance." The video is fabulous. I've also recently rediscovered the magic that is Kenny Chesney. And more specifically, "The Good Stuff," "There Goes My Life," "How Forever Feels," and "I Go Back." He is a bona fide superstar. In so many ways. The Zac Brown Band is another artist that I've discovered, and I can't believe that I lived as long as I had in completely ignorance of their talent and their beautiful songs. Of course, they're a really new band, but you get my drift. "Highway 20 Ride" still makes me cry (my favourite part? 'it was the pleasure of my life / and I cherish all the times / and my whole world, it begins and ends with you / on this highway 20 ride'...), and "Chicken Fried" was their first single and I know why - it's catchy and really turns you onto the band. I'm pretty sure there are so many other songs that I'm ignoring.
In other news, the ACM Award nominations have been released, and the show will be April 18th. Here's the link: http://www.acmcountry.com/awards/nominees.php. There will, again, be fan-voted categories, namely the Entertainer of the Year (nominees: Kenney Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, the Zac Brown Band) and Best New Artist. The nominees for Best New Artist were also fan-voted, from the winners of the categories of Top New Vocal Duo, Top New Solo Vocalist, and Top New Vocal Group. These were, respectively, Joey & Rory, Luke Bryan, and Gloriana. Voting for the other fan-voted awards starts April 1. I will not tell you for whom I will be voting, but if you've been reading this blog at all, I think you already know. I just don't want to sway you, but I do encourage you to vote.
I'm probably ignoring a month's worth of country music news, but that'll just have to wait for now, because I can't remember right now. But don't worry, I'll have another post in a few days anyway. Yup, that's right, I have finished a few songs, not just one. I feel accomplished - and I also want to reach 19 posts for this year as well, to keep the trend going.
So, onto today's song. I first conceived the notion of this song last May. May 2009. This is because...I was running in high heels at the time! Surprise, surprise. And it was raining, hence that part of the song. Or at least the ground was wet. And as I was running, I realised, despite my prowess at the activity, how freakin' hard it is to run in high heels. Especially if at the time you're wearing clothes that you're trying your best not to destroy, or at the very least, muss up because you still have to wear them at a function later that evening. So there are the circumstances in which the song was conceived. Then I was slightly reminded of one of my favuorite Doc Walker songs, "Driving with the Brakes On," which - allow me to go on a tangent here - I recently discovered is not even their song. It was written by some other guy who recorded it and had it as his single, so the Doc Walker song is just a cover of it, which kind of diminishes the power and weight of the song, but it shouldn't, because the Doc Walker version is equally good as the other guy's version. In fact, it's better. But I digress. I was reminded of "Driving with the Brakes On," and decided to model the rhyming patterns of their song in mine. (But, as it turns out, I did a better job, because the rhyming pattern in "Driving with the Brakes On" is only in the first verse, and the second verse is sporadic rhyming. This is probably because Doc Walker didn't write the song themselves.) And then I occasionally thought of the song from time to time, feeling guilty since I liked the idea of it but I hadn't actually done anything to further it. And then I thought of one angle of the song. And then I lost the paper on which I wrote that angle, so I abandoned that idea. And I picked up this version about two weeks ago, and really concentrated on getting the song to completion, which I finally managed to achieve yesterday.
So, here is:
Running In High Heels
we are walking hand-in-hand
just talking and it starts to rain
but we're together again
sometimes he thinks I'm too nice
I say that he's not right, well who knows
it's just goes to show
CHORUS:
when you're running in high heels
it's hard to get where you wanna be
when there's rain beneath your shoes
you gotta fight the fights you choose
we've been together three years
conquering all our fears and people's doubts
yeah, we've shut them out
those against us might've been right
but I don't wanna lose sight of what we've got
'cause it's a lot
CHORUS:
oh, when you're running in high heels
it's hard to get where you wanna be
when there's rain beneath your shoes
you gotta fight the fights you choose
yeah, when you're running in high heels
BRIDGE:
but we'll never say goodbye
cause we've always gotten by
and I'm gonna want you forever by my side
CHORUS:
and when you're running in high heels
it's hard to get where you wanna be
when there's rain beneath your shoes
you gotta fight the fights you choose
when you're running in high heels
yeah, running in high heels...
Here's a challenge for you. Try to figure out the rhyming pattern that I used. I really like it, and it tangentially reminds me of the one in "Call This Home." And if you're not sure what 'running in high heels' means, explain to me what 'driving with the brakes on' is a metaphor for, and then we can talk. I know what it means for me, but it might connote something different for everyone else.
I hope you like it, I'm really happy with this one.
Much love, and thank you for the musik!
NBK
p.s. Tonight the Devils can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Canadiens! Actually, they only need one point, but it would be really nice to get a win, too. To be honest with you, they don't even need a point, they just need the Thrashers to lose tonight, but hey, I'd like to see them win against the Canadiens. With a hattrick by Travis Zajac. Life is good.
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