Since today is Valentine's Day, I'd have to have the soul of a warthog not to be moved by a song that makes me think of the AED!

From the time I first heard him singing the train songs of Jimmie Rodgers, I have loved Merle Haggard. It was 1969, and I was just ten years old when my dad brought home Same Train, Different Time. So in tune with the American character is he, that I tell everyone to really know America, you must listen to Merle Haggard and pay attention to his lyrics. One of these days when the Brain is more cooperative, I plan to write a paper on the topic. Until then, I'll just have to content myself with a melodious voice and some of the most powerful lyrics ever written. Just in case you want more of the Hag, check out the tribute to him on the acclaimed PBS series, American Masters.


Lyrics

The warden led a prisoner down the hallway to his doom
I stood up to say good-bye like all the rest
And I heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell
'Let my guitar playing friend do my request.' (Let him...)

Sing me back home with a song I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Sing Me Back Home before I die

I recall last Sunday morning a choir from 'cross the street
Came to sing a few old gospel songs
And I heard him tell the singers 'There's a song my mama sang.
Can I hear once before we move along?'

Sing me back home, the song my mama sang
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Sing Me Back Home before I die

Sing Me Back Home before I die

A while back, I made a list of Songs to Cry By for another meme in which I am a regular participant. It didn't take me long to come up with the songs to put on the list, but it took me hours to whittle it down to a measly thirteen of them! I am such a sucker for sad songs that the largest play list on my iTunes is the one called Tear Jerkers. Choosing only one heartbreaker song is torture for someone like me, but here goes nothing!

Don't forget your tissues!





Lyrics:

I know you loved him
A long time ago
Even now in my arms
You still want him I know
But darling this time
Let your memories die
When you hold me tonight
Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
Than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Maybe I've been a fool
Holding on all this time
Lyin' here in your arms
Knowing he's in your mind
But I keep hoping some day
That you'll see the light
Let it be me tonight
Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
Than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Here we go . . .

what are your most common nicknames?

I don't really have a nickname, unless you consider that my favorite uncle has always called me by my middle name and that Thom calls me Zip.

what is today's weather?

Currently, at 4:14 AM in my part of Orange County, California, it is 75 degrees F with an expected daytime high temperature of 90 as the day progresses.

where did go on vacation this year?

I didn't take a vacation this year; I retired instead.

what did you do there?

I played Farm Town on Facebook a lot and had surgery.

where did you stay?

Either at home or in the office at our business. The accommodations at home are more comfortable when the weather is hot, so I've stayed in the luxury of central air for a few weeks.

what job do you do?

It would be easier to tell you what job I don't do. I don't do windows.

describe where you live.

I live in a city that is swallowed up by two others that are much more famous: Anaheim (home of Disneyland) and Santa Ana (once voted the "Great American City"). Garden Grove is best known for its annual Strawberry Festival and for being conveniently located near everything else that is important.

what do you usually do on weekends?

The same things I do on week days -- work.

what food hits your 'bliss spot'?

Spinach cooked just about any way you can imagine.

what drink really does it for you?

Coffee with hazelnut cream

describe the first friend that comes to your head.

The Amazing Egyptian Dude (aka my husband)

what was the last restaurant you went to?

I think it was Red Robin, but I don't remember for sure.

where would you like to live if you had unlimited moneys and nothing stopping your dreams?

Somewhere in the mountains between Pagosa Springs and Silverton, Colorado.

what is the likeliness of you achieving this dream home?

Not likely at all -- the Amazing Egyptian Dude balks at the idea of touching snow let alone living in a place where it is a daily part of life for several months of the year.

what do you like to do in your spare time?

Read, crochet, play with the cats, crossword puzzles, and watch documentaries

what's your favorite genre for TV programs?

My favorite TV programming is on PBS because it's mostly documentaries; on network television, though, it would have to be the talent competitions like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars.

what's your favorite genre for music?

Country

what's your favorite song that's sad?

I've got a whole list of them here: Songs to Cry By.

what's your favorite soppy film?

A Walk to Remember

how about your favorite chick flick?

Right now it's Music and Lyrics; however, it changes every few days.

what are you looking forward to at the moment?

A reduction in the swelling at the incision site of the surgery I had on Friday morning.

what are you dreading at the moment?

The swelling not going down and having to make a trip to Urgent Care to get it checked.

how would you describe your personality?

Sheesh, these questions are quite random, aren't they?! Anyway, I'd describe my personality as friendly and easy to get along with.

if you had a personality eraser, what part of yours might you erase?

The stubborn parts.

you are given $5000 to spend in 1 day, what do you do with it? remember, no limitations!

Providing, of course, that it has been invented, I'd buy a robot that does the laundry. If one isn't available, then I'd use the money to buy some gold as an investment.

what is your biggest fear?

That my husband will die before I do.

From the first time I heard John Denver sing "Rocky Mountain High" back in 1973, I have been a fan. Even when it wasn't popular or cool to like John Denver in my high school days, it simply didn't matter to me -- the man had a way with words and music that touched me like only a few other artists ever have. But the one thing I admired most about John Denver's music was the fact that at a time when the generation gap was growing ever wider and communication between parents and their children was becoming increasingly difficult, my family found a young, talented, and vibrant artist whose music we all enjoyed listening to together. That didn't happen very often back in the 70s!

While I miss hearing new compositions from John Denver, I am forever grateful for the legacy of music that he left for the world. Today, my selection is one of my favorite of his songs, "This Old Guitar." I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.






Lyrics:

This old guitar taught me to sing a love song
It showed me how to laugh and how to cry
It introduced me to some friends of mine
And brightened up some days
It helped me make it through some lonely nights
Oh, what a friend to have on a cold and lonely night

This old guitar gave me my lovely lady
It opened up her eyes and ears to me
It brought us close together
I guess it broke her heart
It opened up the space for us to be
What a lovely place and a lovely space to be

This old guitar gave me my life my living
All the things you know I love to do
To serenade the stars that shine
From a sunny mountainside
Most of all to sing my songs for you
I love to sing my songs for you
Yes, I do, you know
I love to sing my songs for you

INSTRUCTIONS: Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Post as "Jodi's Meme: My Life According to (BAND/ARTIST NAME)" The great thing is that if you have already done this meme, you can do it again with a different artist! Please do!

Here we go . . .

-Are you a male or female?

Hey, Little Girl

-Describe yourself

I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide

-How do you feel right now?

My Bucket's Got a Hole in It

-If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

A Thousand Miles from Nowhere

-Your favorite form of transportation

Long White Cadillac

-Describe Your Morning Routine

The First Thing Smokin'

-Your best friend is

Little Sister

-What's the weather like

It Won't Hurt

-Pet Peeve?

Holding Things Together

-If your life was a TV show, what would it be called

Sorry You Asked?

-Your relationship

My Heart Skips a Beat

-Your Fear

Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room

-What is the best advice you have to give?

Don't Be Sad

-If you could change your name, you would change it to

Carmelita

-What do you say when you are frustrated?

I Hear You Knockin'

-Thought for the day

Close Up the Honky Tonks

-How you would like to die

It Won't Hurt

-Your soul's present condition

Nothing's Changed Here

-Your motto

I Ain't that Lonely Yet


Have a great week, everyone!

This week I'm moved by yet another Roger Miller song. This time, though, instead of the song being all goofy and funny like the last one, it's a tear your guts out, grab a box of tissue classic country heartbreak song. I love, love, love the steel guitar in this one and if you listen carefully, I swear that you can hear it "talk"!

To play along or to see entries from more participants, click here.

When I was a kid, Roger Miller was one of my favorite singer-songwriters. Miller was so talented that he could move effortlessly from humorous songs like "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd" or "My Uncle Used to Love Me but She Died" to poignant and haunting love songs like "Hey Little Star," "When Two Worlds Collide" (Kenny Rogers and Dottie West recorded this cover in the 80's) or "Husbands and Wives" (Brooks & Dunn had a hit with this cover in the 90's). For people who aren't country music fans, you'll probably know Miller for his number one cross-over hit, "King of the Road"; someone who grew up on country music in the 1960's, though, will know other great songs by Roger Miller -- songs like "Dang Me" and "England Swings" among lots of others.

I hope you have fun with this one!





Lyrics

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't go a-swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
Ya can't change film with a kid on your back
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch
But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd
SPOKEN: "Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd"

FADE
Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

To see other entries or play along, visit here.


1. If you could turn back the hands of time to correct one wrongdoing, what event would you choose and why?

I wouldn't want to turn back the hands of time to correct a wrongdoing because in doing so, I would also erase the lesson that I learned from the mistake. Do I regret some things that I've done? Of course, but I learned and moved on, trying never to repeat them.

2. Are you one for tradition? If so, what traditions do you strongly believe in? If not, what makes tradition hypocritical?

Traditions are the threads that join the panels of our lives together and without them, we're frayed and fragmented. Traditions provide us with continuity and a sense of immortality. I believe in and celebrate traditions wholeheartedly! The types of traditions that I believe most strongly in are those that are unique to every family -- things like eating certain foods only on specific special occasions. As wonderful as I think they are, though, traditions can become hypocritical if nobody knows what they mean, how they started, or why they continue. A really good example of this is found in Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery.


3. You were taking part in an event and you had to crossplay, who would you crossplay as and why?

I have no clue what crossplaying is, so I guess I wouldn't do it.


4. If you only had one day left to live, how would you spend your last day? Would you be tempted to live fatally if you knew you were to die the next day, and if so, what extreme measures would you take?

I'd live my last day the same as I would every other one. The only thing that I might do differently is to add an extra prayer or two.


5. What are your top five sinful materialistic items, ones you'd expect from others including those closest to you? Why are each in the position they are in?

I'm not sure what a "sinful materialistic item" is, nor do I get the second half of the first sentence. I was doing okay with this meme until now! I don't think I have any "sinful materialistic items," unless you count my cigarettes. . .


6. I am...tired but can't sleep because I woke up from a bad dream.

7. I feel...inspired to do something remarkable today.

8. I see...my computer screen and a cup of coffee on my desk.

9. I need...very little to make me happy.

10. I love...little baby ducks, clovers filled with luck, slow-moving trains, and rain
I love little country streams, sleep without dreams, flowers that bloom in May, and hay
And i love you too

I love leaves in the wind, pictures of my friends, birds in the world, and squirrels
I love coffee in a cup, little fuzzy kittens, iced tea in a glass, and grass and i love you too

I love honest open smiles, kisses from a child, tomatoes on the vine, and onions
I love winners when they cry, losers when they try, music when it's good, and life
And i love you too

**I borrowed the lyrics for Tom T. Hall's song, "I Love," and changed them up a bit.

11. I wish...that I could control The Brain instead of It controlling me.

12. I think...; therefore, I am.

13. I hear...dead people. No wait, I see dead people. I forgot what I hear.

14. I crave...mangoes in the summer.

15. I fear...bridges more than anything else.

16. I hope…For love, joy and laughter
I hope
We'll have more than we'll ever need
I hope
We'll have more happy ever afters
I hope
We can all live more fearlessly
And we can lose all the pain and misery
I hope, I hope

**I agree with the Dixie Chicks' lyrics for "I Hope."

The tapestry of American patriotic music is as rich and varied as her people. Hymns, marches, national songs, poetry, military themes, and music from the theater, television, and radio combine to reflect the pride and hope embodied in the American Experience. With the celebration of our independence just two days away, my list is about American Patriotic Music. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.

1. America the Beautiful
Katharine Lee Bates wrote the lyrics for "America the Beautiful" while on a lecture trip to Colorado in 1893 after being inspired by a trek up Pike's Peak in a prairie wagon. Originally sung to any tune that fit the lyrics -- "Auld Lang Syne" was the most popular, "America the Beautiful" didn't have its own melody until 1882 when Samuel Augustus Ward, a New Jersey church organist, composed one for it. Thereafter, the song has been sung the way we recognize it now.


2. My Country 'Tis of Thee
While we know that Reverend Samuel Francis Smith wrote the lyrics for this song in 1831, the mystery surrounding the composition of its melody remains unsolved. The tune's first appearance in a verifiable form is in the 1744 tune book, Thesaurus Musicus, printed in England. It has been used mostly for songs honoring kings and became the national anthem in 6 countries before making its way across the ocean to America.


3. Battle Hymn of the Republic
Julia Ward Howe, a staunch abolitionist, rewrote the lyrics to a very popular song among the Union troops during the Civil War. The soldiers called the song "John Brown's Body" in honor of John Brown, the abolitionist killed at Harpers Ferry. But after visiting Washington, D.C. with her husband in 1861 and hearing Union soldiers marching to the tune, Julia determined to write lyrics that better suited the majesty of the music. The end result is the song that we now know and love.


4. When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again
The story of one of the most popular songs of the American Civil War is also the story of the Irish immigrant who wrote it. John Philip Sousa considered Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, an 1848 Irish immigrant and author of the song, "The Father of the American Band." In 1861, Gilmore's band was attached to the 24th Massachusetts Infantry where they served as both musicians and stretcher bearers in some of the most significant Civil War battles including Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Richmond. In 1863, when he was posted to occupied New Orleans, Louisiana, Gilmore composed "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." The song became popular with northerners and southerners alike.


5. You're a Grand Old Flag
I love the story of this song! Written for his stage musical, George Washington, Jr. in 1906, George M. Cohan's inspiration came from a random meeting he had had with a Civil War veteran who, like my great-great grandfather, had fought at Gettysburg. Cohan noticed that the old man was holding a carefully folded but ragged old flag and when the old man saw Cohan looking at it, he said, "She's a grand old rag." That old man's comment about a cherished battle-worn flag became the original title of the song; however, when people objected to the flag being called a "rag," he changed the word to "flag." Maybe if Cohan had explained why he titled the song the way he did, people would have reacted more positively to it because its meaning with the original title and lyric is much more powerful!


6. Hail to the Chief
Did you know that this song, which plays with every formal entrance made by an American president, actually has its origins in a poem written by a Scotsman? Sir Walter Scott's poem, "The Lady of the Lake," tells the story of a Highlands Scottish clan that loses its heritage and land to an imperalist invader (the Brits): "Hail to the Chief who in triumph advances!" The song first came to be associated with presidents when, on February 22, 1815, it was played honor both the deceased George Washington and the end of the War of 1812.


7. Marine's Hymn
The tune for this song actually came from Jacques Offenbach's comic opera Genevieve de Brabant, first staged in 1859. Nobody knows who added the lyrics or when, but at least one verse has been traced to Colonel Henry C. Davis who wrote it during the early part of the twentieth century.


8. Stars and Stripes Forever (check out the video for this one!)
John Philip Sousa was the greatest musical star of his era, combining the charisma and popularity of Leonard Bernstein and The Beatles. He wrote "Stars and Stripes Forever" in 1896, while grieving over the death of his manager. For 25 years, Sousa's band played this song at the end of every concert. "The Stars and Stripes Forever" was declared the National March of the United States in 1987.


9. Yankee Doodle
This is one of America's oldest, and most enduring, marching songs. It was written several years before the American Revolution, but like so many songs of old, its origins aren't clear. What we do know about it is that the song isn't really as patriotic as it seems: it is a British parody of the early American militiamen. "Yankee" comes from "Nankey," a word from a well-known not-so-nice song about Oliver Cromwell that later became the name for American colonists; "Doodle" means a fool or simpleton; "Dandy" is a word used to describe a gentleman of artificial manners, dress, and hairstyle -- in other words, a fake. Put these three words together, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and you have a foolish American colonist who puts on airs. At the battles of Lexington and Concord, the British troops sang the song to make fun of the rag-tag American militiamen.


10. This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie, America's most influential folk musician, wrote "This Land Is Your Land" in 1940 after becoming annoyed with Irving Berlin's song, "God Bless America," which Guthrie thought glossed over the lop-sided distribution of land and wealth that he was observing during the Great Depression and had experienced as a child growing up in Oklahoma. Guthrie's observations accurately reflected the fact that, even in the depths of the Depression, nearly 20 percent of the nation's wealth rested with one percent of its population. Guthrie's personal and musical styles were deeply influenced by his childhood in rural Oklahoma during the Great Depression years, which led him to a hobo life-style, a powerful dislike of greed, and a deep appreciation for the diversity of America's everyday folk.


11. God Bless America
Shortly after becoming an American citizen in 1918, Irving Berlin, already a highly successful popular lyricist and composer, was inducted and stationed at Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island, New York. While stationed there, Berlin convinced his commanding officers to allow him to write a musical comedy that could be used to raise both funds and troop morale, and the original version of this song was part of this production. But after he heard the song, Berlin decided that it was too serious for a comedy and tucked it away for 25 years. On November 10, 1938, contralto Kate Smith introduced the song to America on her CBS radio show that was broadcast from the New York World's Fair. Timing is everything; the song became an instant hit. Berlin generously signed over his royalty money from the song to charity, and the revenues went to the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts of America.


12. God Bless the U.S.A.
Lee Greenwood, a country music artist, wrote "God Bless the USA" in 1983 as a patriotic song about his country. When it was originally released, it didn't top the charts; however, it quickly became Greenwood's signature song. When the Amazing Egyptian Dude was sworn in as a U.S. Citizen, this is the song that played in accompaniment to a video showing scenes of what it means to an American. We already knew the song because we have been fans of Greenwood's music for quite some time, so the AED was thrilled when the song blared out from the loudspeakers at the Los Angeles Convention Center on the day that he officially became an American in 1986. If you've never been lucky enough to witness the swearing in of a new American citizen, check out this video; the song & video we saw is at 8:05. I guarantee goosebumps!


13. The Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key put new words to an old song when he wrote what would become the national anthem of the United States of America. In the mid-1760s, a London society of amateur musicians, the Anacreontic Society, commissioned a young church musician, John Stafford Smith, to compose music for material that its president, Ralph Tomlinson, had written. The result was a song called "Anacreon in Heav'n." Its metric difficulty was meant to be the vehicle through which the group's best bariton singer could display his virtuosity and vocal range. Its musical complexity has been compared to the famous "Toreador Song" in Bizet's opera Carmen. The tune appeared in North America before the end of the 18th century where the lyrics were rewritten to include references to Jefferson, Adams, and Liberty. Francis Scott Key was fascinated by the song's unique metrical structure, not found in any other song of the period. That explains why it's so difficult for the average person to sing!

So, how did it become our national anthem? While detained aboard a British ship during the bombardment of Ft. McHenry on September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key witnessed at dawn the failure of the British attempt to take Baltimore. He used this experience to write a poem that asked the question "Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave?" or in modern American English, "Hey, Dude, is that flag still flying?"

Almost immediately Key's poem was published and set to the tune of the "Anacreontic Song." The Secretary of the Navy, on July 26, 1889, designated "The Star Spangled Banner" as the official tune to be played whenever the flag was raised, and Woodrow Wilson chose the song to be played whenever a national anthem was appropriate because we didn't have one yet. It wasn't until March 3, 1931, that the song was made our official anthem by President Herbert Hoover.

Since yesterday was Father's Day and those of us who are fortunate enough to have good relationships with our parents know that nobody would ever be able to fill their shoes, I chose this George Jones song with a similar sentiment. As the face and sound of country music evolves and the oldies but goodies die, old-time fans of country music are left wondering,



Lyrics
You know this old world is full of singers
But just a few are chosen
To tear your heart out when they sing
Imagine life without them
All your, radio heroes
Like the outlaw that walks through Jesse's dream

No, there will never be another
Red-headed stranger
A Man in Black and Folsom Prison Blues
The Okie from Muskogee
Or Hello Darling
Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes

(Chorus:)
Who's gonna fill their shoes
Who's gonna stand that tall
Who's gonna play the Opry
And the Wabash Cannonball
Who's gonna give their heart and soul
To get to me and you
Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes

God bless the boys from Memphis
Blue Suede Shoes and Elvis
Much too soon he left this world in tears
They tore up the Fifties
Old Jerry Lee and Charlie
And old Go Cat Go still echoes through the years

You know the heart of country music
Still beats in Luke the Drifter
You can tell when he sings I Saw the Light
Old Marty, Hank and Lefty
Why I can feel them right here with me
On this Silver Eagle rolling through the night


To see more Music Monday posts, or to play along, go here.