songs of the hour, and thoughts on childhood songs

If you look up up up to the right you will see a new little aspect of my blog entitled songs of the hour. This is my transition into bringing my music into my blog. Mainly, because music is so important to me and if this blog is going to capture me it has to have music, not just my random rantings, photography, etc.

It's entitled Songs of the Hour because they are my songs of the hour, and those change a lot. They are not (or may be) my favorite songs ever, or on my top ten list (favs everrrr, which also changes daily).

I love music. Actually that's an understatement. I can't explain the affect music has had on my life. It goes from Mama singing "La la lu" to me as a baby...actually I don't even think that's the real name of the song, but it went something like "la la lu, la la lu, my little star sleeper, I'll sweep the stardust for you" and she would sing it to me, or play it for me on my little tape player repeatedly. And then there was the song "All the pretty little horses." speaking of that song, I found it the other day in the midst of my music collection. It is the more original, and sinister version of the song I listened to as a child, similar to the way a Grimm's Fairy Tale became a Disney Feature Film. It's played by the band Calexico...but it seemed disgusting appropriate.

And I guess I just brought my thought to a full circle in that one paragraph without actually meaning too. Below is the video and the song.



"All the Pretty Horses" As sung by Calexico

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry
go to sleep you little baby
when you wake, you shall have cake
and all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses
hmm, and mama loves, daddy loves
oh they love their little baby
when you wake, you shall have cake
and all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
coach and six white horses
way down yonder, down in the meadow
lies a poor little child
the bees and the flies are pickin' out its eyes
the poor little child crying for its mother
oh, crying for its mother
hush-a-bye, don't you cry
go to sleep you little baby
when you wake, you shall have cake
and all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
coach and six white horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses
blacks and bays, dapple and greys
all the pretty little horses


On a brighter note, then there's the other vision of childhood songs...as Sarah just reminded me... "Octopus' Garden" by Raffi, originally by Ringo Star. Sarah and I used to dance around madly and sing it at the top of our lungs. It's quite funny when I think about it because I would've been somewhere between the ages of four and five, which would've made Sarah between the age of fourteen and fifteen. Sarah was/is a good big sister. Video and song also below.

(unfortunately I couldn't find the Raffi version of this song, I guess Ringo will have to do...)



"Octopus's Garden" Ringo Starr

I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade
He'd let us in, knows where we've been
In his octopus' garden in the shade

I'd ask my friends to come and see
An octopus' garden with me
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade.

We would be warm below the storm
In our little hideaway beneath the waves
Resting our head on the sea bed
In an octopus' garden near a cave

We would sing and dance around
because we know we can't be found
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade

We would shout and swim about
The coral that lies beneath the waves
(Lies beneath the ocean waves)
Oh what joy for every girl and boy
Knowing they're happy and they're safe
(Happy and they're safe)

We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden with you.



But yes music has, does, and will, forever be an integral part of my life.

Like many posts this started as the explanation of one thing and ended up totally fixating on something else. Oh well.