Happy hoppin' y'all!

I liked Amanda's idea of choosing a general theme to describe what's moving her this Monday, so I jacked it -- but at least I am honest about my thievery!

In the wake of a miserable last week, I've decided to give in and surrender to the forces beyond my reach that wreak havoc in my life. I've come to the conclusion that sometimes it's better to actually lose the war because in doing so, one is forced to come to grips with one's weaknesses and limitations and to find a way to work with, through, or around them. Such is the case with my cluster headaches and seizures. And so, Brain, you win this time! With white flag in hand, I surrender to the power of your electrical impulses. For today, at least. . .

White Flag by Dido




Sweet Surrender by John Denver




Surrender by Elvis Presley

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

I have loved Gilbert O'Sullivan's music since I was about 13 years old. He hit the US scene about the same time as Rick Springfield did, and both of them rocked my world for different reasons. I loved the wit and politics of O'Sullivan's lyrics and well, Rick Springfield was the best eye candy this thirteen year old had ever seen!

"Matrimony" is the perfect example of Gilbert O'Sullivan's witty lyrics. I hope that you'll enjoy the song as much as I do.

Wishing everyone a great week,





Lyrics:

I've no wish to hurry you luv
But have you seen the time
It's quarter to ten and we're supposed to be there
at nine
I don't think the registrar
Will be very pleased
When we show up an hour late
Like two frozen peas
Both now facing for the first time
Presently and past
Something that begins with M
And ends in alas
More than not complete disaster
Even form the start
What could it be...
It's Matrimony

I know how you've dreamt about
Being walked down the aisle
But think of the money we'll save
And you'll see it's worthwhile
It won't please our mums and dads
But they don't even know,
Besides if they did what's the betting
They wouldn't even go
You and me are all that matters
Disregard the rest
Trust your soon to be old man
He knows what is best
Very shortly now there's going to be
An answer from you
Then one from me
That's matrimony

I'm truly grateful for the little things in life
That have made me so glad
Every other hour that I spend with you
Is not in the least bit sad
Quite the opposite in fact
And if you don't believe me
Here's the proof
Ask me if I and I'll say "Aye, I do"

You and me are all that matters
Disregard the rest
Trust your soon to be old man
He knows what is best
Very shortly now there's going to be
An answer from you
Then one from me
That's matrimony

Marriage-the joining together of the two people
For better or for worse
Till death them do part
Ole!

When I first saw this performance on American Idol, it blew my mind. It was like I had been transported back to the days of my youth when Elvis was still alive and showing the world what it meant to be the King. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!



Lyrics:

There must be lights burning brighter somewhere
Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue
If I can dream of a better land
Where all my brothers walk hand in hand
Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true

There must be peace and understanding sometime
Strong winds of promise that will blow away
All the doubt and fear
If I can dream of a warmer sun
Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear

We're lost in a cloud
With too much rain
We're trapped in a world
That's troubled with pain
But as long as a man
Has the strength to dream
He can redeem his soul and fly

Deep in my heart there's a trembling question
Still I am sure that the answer's gonna come somehow
Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle
And while I can think, while I can talk
While I can stand, while I can walk
While I can dream, please let my dream
Come true, right now
Let it come true right now
Oh yeah

Before she became the international singing sensation, I watched Leona Lewis on the British television show, X-Factor. Even then it was easy to see that she would go far.

Lyrics | Leona Lewis lyrics - Take A Bow lyrics

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Released to theaters in 1939, The Wizard of Oz has left an unparalleled cultural impact and legacy of song on American pop culture. The story of Dorothy, the farm girl from Kansas, and her companions, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow -- oh, and Toto, too! -- reaches across the globe in one of the most internationally viewed films of all time.

Although "Yesterday" by The Beatles is the number one most recorded cover song, I'd be willing to bet that more people are familiar with "Over the Rainbow," the song ranked #1 by the American Film Institute on the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films list.

I love the film and the song, so my entry in today's Music Monday is three different cover versions of "Over the Rainbow." I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do!






Lyrics | - SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW lyrics

Eva Cassidy, Live at Blues Alley in 1996
When Eva Cassidy died of skin cancer in 1996, she was virtually unknown outside her hometown of Washington, D.C. But four years later, when Terry Rogan of BBC Radio 2 played an obscure CD based on the recommendation of his producer and Top of the Pop aired a black and white video of Eva Cassidy singing "Over the Rainbow," something magical happened: Eva Cassidy achieved worldwide fame posthumously. An article in The Guardian notes that "There's an undeniable emotional appeal in hearing an artist who you know died in obscurity singing a song about hope and a mystical world beyond everyday life."

Sam Harris, Star Search 1983
Before American Idol, there was Star Search. When Sam Harris belted out his bluesy version of "Over the Rainbow," the American public paid attention. He went on to win the competition in the show's premier season. With a performance like this one, how could he not have won?


Leona Lewis, X-Factor 2007

This week, I'm sharing Sarah Brightman and Michael Ball at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday Bash performing one of my favorite songs from the musical hit, Phantom of the Opera. Love that magical kiss at the end -- so sweet!

Did you know that Sir Andrew wrote the part of Christine especially for Sarah Brightman who was his wife at the time?

Did you know that Phantom of the Opera is the longest running musical in Broadway history?


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Lyrics

I honestly don't remember how I learned about Loreena McKennett, I'm just thrilled that I did!

Celtic music is her thing, but this amazing Canadian songstress also has an incredible talent for turning classic poetry into glorious song! I may not recall when or how I discovered Ms. McKennett, but I do remember that it was this song that introduced me to her music.

What moves me this week is Loreena McKennett's version of Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem, The Lady of Shalott. If you enjoy the Arthurian legends, both the poem and the song should move you, too. Or, if you're familiar with the story of Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, another Canadian, then you will remember that Anne loved the poem so much she re-enacted it with her friends. Of course Anne took the role of the Lady of Shalott for herself; she really loved the drama of the death scene.

Tennyson never gives the Lady a name, so much about her remains a mystery. She is imprisoned in a tower on an island called Shalott in an unnamed river somewhere near Camelot. Because a curse has been placed on her, she cannot look directly at Camelot or some unknown disaster will befall her. In her isolation and loneliness, she spends her time watching the people of Camelot through a mirror and weaving what she sees into a magic web. Although she is tempted to look directly down on Camelot, she remains in the shadows, isolated from life, living it only through the reflections she sees in the mirror. That is, until the day she hears a knight singing as he rides past the tower. Captivated by his song, the Lady of Shalott finally realizes that her "life" in the shadows and reflections of the mirror is no life at all. Without a care for the curse, she looks down on the handsome knight with black curls as he rides past. The mirror cracks, and the curse comes true. The Lady leaves the tower, finds a boat on the lake and writes her name on it. Chanting a song, she climbs into the boat and floats down the river both to Camelot and her death. When the boat reaches the shore, a group of knights and ladies, one of whom is Lancelot, find the dead maiden. Lancelot says, ""She has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace, The Lady of Shalott."

Even if you don't know the story of the Lady who became "half-sick of shadows" and sacrificed her life for a single moment of living, this song is a great way to introduce yourself to both the stories of the Knights of the Round Table and some fantastic Victorian poetry.



Poem / Lyrics

On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by
To many-tower'd Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.

By the margin, willow veil'd,
Slide the heavy barges trail'd
By slow horses; and unhail'd
The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?

Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly;
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy
Lady of Shalott."

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.

And moving through a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot;
There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village churls,
And the red cloaks of market girls
Pass onward from Shalott.

Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,
An abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes a curly shepherd lad,
Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad
Goes by to tower'd Camelot;
And sometimes through the mirror blue
The knights come riding two and two.
She hath no loyal Knight and true,
The Lady of Shalott.

But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed.
"I am half sick of shadows," said
The Lady of Shalott.

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.

The gemmy bridle glitter'd free,
Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle bells rang merrily
As he rode down to Camelot:
And from his blazon'd baldric slung
A mighty silver bugle hung,
And as he rode his armor rung
Beside remote Shalott.

All in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burn'd like one burning flame together,
As he rode down to Camelot.
As often thro' the purple night,
Below the starry clusters bright,
Some bearded meteor, burning bright,
Moves over still Shalott.

His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
He flashed into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.

She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces through the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She look'd down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shalott.

In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining.
Heavily the low sky raining
Over tower'd Camelot;
Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat,
And around about the prow she wrote
The Lady of Shalott.

And down the river's dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance --
With a glassy countenance
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.

Lying, robed in snowy white
That loosely flew to left and right --
The leaves upon her falling light --
Thro' the noises of the night,
She floated down to Camelot:
And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hills and fields among,
They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott.

Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darkened wholly,
Turn'd to tower'd Camelot.
For ere she reach'd upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott.

Under tower and balcony,
By garden-wall and gallery,
A gleaming shape she floated by,
Dead-pale between the houses high,
Silent into Camelot.
Out upon the wharfs they came,
Knight and Burgher, Lord and Dame,
And around the prow they read her name,
The Lady of Shalott.

Who is this? And what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
All the Knights at Camelot;
But Lancelot mused a little space
He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott."

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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


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If you're not already a fan of country music, it's not likely that you would associate it with California. But California has a rich history with country music, especially with the artists whose families fled the Dust Bowl during the years of the Great Depression and came to the Golden State in search of work. These sharecroppers and migrant farmer workers brought the traditional music of America with them on their Westward trek, but something magical happened to it once they settled in a city in the central part of the state.

The Bakersfield Sound began in the 30's and 40's with those migrant farmers and their offspring, but it cut its teeth in the honky tonks of the 50'sand 60's with artists like Merle Haggard, Lefty Frizzell, Buck Owens, and Bonnie Owens. It was during this time that the Bakersfield Sound became both unique and identifiable as a sub-genre of traditional country music.

With the popularity of John Tavolta's 1980 movie, Urban Cowboy, country music became "cool" and popular among the younger crowd. However, the old sounds of country were quickly replaced with crossovers that fit equally well in the pop genre. The result was that the Bakersfield Sound was all but forgotten except by diehard fans like me. That is, until Dwight Yoakam came along.

Dwight's love of the Bakersfield Sound and his association with it, helped to bring Buck Owens out of musical retirement. He revitalized the genre, reintroduced it to the newer country fans, and made people like me thrilled to hear it on the radio once again. It is this song that sparked a renaissance in the Bakersfield Sound. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!



Dwight Yoakum and Buck Owens





Lyrics

I came here looking for something
I couldn't find anywhere else
Hey, I'm not trying to be nobody
Just want a chance to be myself

I've done a thousand miles of thumbin'
I've worn blisters on my heels
Trying to find me something better
On the streets of Bakersfield

Chorus:
You don't know me but you don't like me
You say you care less how I feel
But how many of you that sit and judge me
Have ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?

Spent some time in San Francisco
Spent a night there in the can
They threw this drunk man in my jail cell
Took fifteen dollars from that man
Left him my watch and my old house key
Don't want folks thinkin' that I'd steal
Then I thanked him as I was leaving, and
I headed for the streets of Bakersfield

Chorus:
You don't know me but you don't like me
You say you care less how I feel
But how many of you that sit and judge me
Have ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?

You don't know me but you don't like me
You say you care less how I feel
But how many of you that sit and judge me
Have ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?

How many of you that sit and judge me
Have ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?

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Andrew Johnston may not have won the 2008 season of Britain's Got Talent, but he sure did win my heart with his rendition of Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Pie Jesu."





Lyrics

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My mom introduced me to Mac Davis way back in the early 70's, and his music was a staple around our house. Back then, we were on the cutting edge of music technology with our quadraphonic 8-track stereo system, and my mom enjoyed nothing more than popping in a tape and dancing around the living room while lip syncing. Let's just say that Mac Davis' Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me tape got more than its fair share of sync time!

Although Mac Davis is known for having written some of Elvis' biggest hits, including "In the Ghetto," he was a singer, too. I've got all of his albums in my iTunes and enjoy reminiscing about my youth by playing them. But when I'm feeling kind of down and missing my mom, it's "Biff, the Friendly Purple Bear" that I listen to.

The sound quality on this video isn't the best in the world but even with scratchy sound, you'll want to keep a tissue handy!





Lyrics

Now I was a play horse you pulled with a string,
On wheels where my legs should be.
And he was the boy who pulled the toy
Around the treehouse tree.
And for the longest time it was just us two,
The boy and the horse that was me,
Until the day the purple bear came
To live in the treehouse tree.

Now it was early one spring,
and I was tied by my string
In the field of a make-believe farm
When around the house, the boy and the bear
Came marching arm in arm.
"This is Biff," said the boy to me,
"He's the friendly purple bear."
And Biff stooped down and stroked my mane
With a paw of purple hair.
"Biff has come to stay," said the boy,
"To pretend with me and you
And he can do anything a boy and a toy
Believe purple bears can do."

And taking the cue, Biff bowed from the waist
Then leaped and kicked his heels,
Then down to the ground with three somersaults
That ended in four cartwheels.
He whirled and twirled and stood on his head,
The boy giggled and slapped his thighs
And I laughed so hard that wooden tears
Rolled out of my painted eyes.
So Biff came to stay in the treehouse tree
And long days came without end
For the boy and the toy and the purple bear
And serious games of pretend.

Like the cowboy game, where the boy is the sheriff
And Biff is a bandit king
They always seemed to end
With the outlaws down in the jail
By the long rope-swing.
And you know there was this great pony race
That lasted for days around the flower bed.
Boy, that was a tough one!
Lucky for us though, I won by a wooden head.
And then one day we entered a pirate's cove
Beneath a bush on the alley side.
Old Biff had a sword and a paper hat,
And a patch across a purple eye.
And there was always the danger
Of outlaws or indians
And creatures from outer space,
And without the courage of the three of us,
We might have lost the whole darn place!

But we were bound by the code of the Musketeers.
Such golden hours were shared
By the freckled-face boy and the wooden horse toy
And Biff, the friendly purple bear.

But as summers passed, the boy grew taller,
And his voice took a strange new ring.
And his visits were few to the treehouse tree,
And never to the long rope-swing.
Biff the purple bear grew sad.
As he climbed down the treehouse tree
He shook his head, "I'm afraid," he said,
"He's forgotten you and me.
It seems, old wooden friend of mine
We've outlasted his boyhood years."
And he turned and he was gone, across the lawn
In a trail of purple tears.

Now I've been put to pasture in the old treehouse
But at times, I've seen from afar
A strange tall boy who mows the lawn
And tinkers about this old car.
But just today I saw a new little boy
Coming down the sidewalk, I swear!
He was headed straight for me
In the treehouse tree
Followed by Biff, that old friendly purple bear.

"Mack the Knife" is a song that I have enjoyed since I was a kid. It wasn't until I was in graduate school, though, that I discovered where the inspiration for the song came from. And putting the lyrics in the perspective of their source sure did help me make sense of the song! So, without further ado, here's "Mack the Knife," the lyrics, and some fun facts about its source. Enjoy!





"Mack the Knife" Lyrics

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
And he keeps it … ah … out of sight.

Ya know when that shark bites, with his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves, though, wears old MacHeath, babe
So there’s nevah, nevah a trace of red.

Now on the sidewalk … uuh, huh … whoo … sunny mornin’ … uuh, huh
Lies a body just oozin' life … eeek!
And someone’s sneakin' ‘round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

A-there's a tugboat … huh, huh, huh … down by the river don’tcha know
Where a cement bag’s just a'droopin' on down
Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten old Macky’s back in town.

Now, d'ja hear ‘bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor
Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?

Now … Jenny Diver … ho, ho … yeah … Sukey Tawdry
Ooh … Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky’s back in town.
Aah … I said Jenny Diver … whoa … Sukey Tawdry
Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Yes, that line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky’s back in town …

Look out … old Macky is back!!



"Mack the Knife" Fun Facts

• Mack the Knife is based on Macheath, an unsavory character from John Gay's 1728 work, The Beggar's Opera.
• The Beggar's Opera is a satire of Italian opera, which was popular in the 18th century.
• When it opened on January 29, 1728, the audience wasn't quite sure what to make of The Beggar's Opera. Like good literature, good opera had specific conventions that an audience expected to recognize. And as with good literature, language was one of the most important of those conventions. Until Gay's work, the operatic form had been confined to French, German, or Italian; an opera in English was unheard of. Even more important are the facts that Gay's opera was written for an audience of commoners, encompassed characters from the seedy side of life in London, and incorporated everyday speech instead of elevated language. Up to this point, all the really good operas dealt with heroic or mythic themes and were composed in elevated language meant to appeal to the aristocracy. Gay's work was quite revolutionary!
• In spite of its lack of "proper" form, the audience went wild for The Beggar's Opera thanks to "sparkling dialogue, witty satire, and ingenious ballads set to well-loved familiar tunes" (R Bear). The audience of commoners could relate to the language, characters, and music of Gay's revolutionary opera because it was composed with them in mind.
• Gay composed The Beggar's Opera in response to a to a question that Alexander Pope (who wrote one of my favorite poems, The Rape of the Lock) asked of Jonathan Swift (of Gulliver fame, but equally well known for his satire, A Modest Proposal). The question was, "What think you, of a Newgate pastoral among the thieves and whores there?"
• Macheath, Mack the Knife, is a parody of one of the two most famous criminals in 18th century London, Jack Sheppard (hey, Lost fans -- this name should be familiar to you!).
• The Beggar's Opera ran for a record-breaking 62 consecutive performances after its first opening. In 1920, the opera broke records again with a run of 1,463 performances.

Can you tell that I <3 research? Chalk it up to the fact that I teach writing for a living!

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I was lucky enough to have shared the first 17 years of my life with the most amazing woman I have ever known -- my mom. My mom enjoyed all kinds of music, and one of my earliest memories is of her singing "Sugartime" by the Maguire Sisters to me. It's interesting how many of the memories of my mother involve music somehow.

My mom was absolutely crazy for Tom Jones. The first weekend my parents had away from me and my sisters was when my dad took her to Las Vegas to see the Welsh version of Elvis. Seeing Tom Jones in person only further cemented her adoration of him and his sexiness. Mom would put an album on the record player and twirl around the living room, while lip syncing every song.

She was only 37 when she died of massive internal bleeding caused by the Mallory Weiss Syndrome. So in honor of Mother's Day, I've chosen to share my mother's favorite song by her favorite singer because the image of her singing and dancing around the house to it is my favorite memory of her.





Lyrics
I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window
I saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind
She was my woman
As she deceived me I watched and went out of my mind
My, my, my, Delilah
Why, why, why, Delilah
I could see that girl was no good for me
But I was lost like a slave that no man could free

At break of day when that man drove away, I was waiting
I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door
She stood there laughing
I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more
My, my, my Delilah
Why, why, why Delilah
So before they come to break down the door
Forgive me Delilah I just couldnt take any more

She stood there laughing
I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more
My, my, my, Delilah
Why, why, why, Delilah
So before they come to break down the door
Forgive me Delilah I just couldn't take any more
Forgive me Delilah I just couldn't take any more

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be DELETED without prejudice.

This is the first time that I've participated in this meme, but it looked like so much fun that I just couldn't pass it up. I've chosen a funny song to start with because Mondays should always begin with fun!



Gitarzan by Ray Stevens

He's free as the breeze
He's always at ease
He lives in the jungle and hangs by his knees
As he swings through the trees
With a trapeze in his B.V.D.s
He's got a union card and he's practicing hard
To play, the guitar, gonna be a big star
Yeah, he's gonna go far
And carry moonbeams home in a jar
He ordered Chet's guitar course C.O.D.
Makes A and E and he's working on B
Big C&W and R&B and even the chimpanzees agree
That someday soon he'll be a celebrity
Get it, get it, get it.

Gitarzan, he's a gitar man
He's all you can stand
Give him a hand, Gitarzan

He's got a girl named Jane
With no last name
Kinda homely and plain
But he loves her just the same
Cause she kindles the flame
And it drives him insane
When he hears her say
She really does her thing
It's her claim to fame
Come on sing one Jane
Baby, baby, oh baby
Baby, oh baby

They've got a pet monkey who likes
To get drunk and sing boogie woogie
And it sounds real funky
Come on your turn boy
Sing one monkey
Let's hear it for the monkey
On Saturday night they need some excitement
Jane gets right and the monkey gets tight
And their voices unite
In the pale moonlight
And it sounds all right

Yeah, it's dynamite, it's out of sight
Let's hear it right now
Baby, baby oh baby
Yeah, shut up baby, I'm trying to sing
Get it, get it, get it
Repeat Chorus

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.