Eratosphere Forums - Metrical Poetry, Free Verse, Fiction, Art, Critique, Discussions Able Muse - a review of poetry, prose and art

Forum Left Top

Notices

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #31  
Unread 10-21-2020, 01:37 PM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 8,307
Default

LOL, Max, I might be a teensy bit more pessimistic than most, but I think most songs about life (and love) address the finite nature of life (and love) in some way.

Yes, even the songs that flatly deny the finite nature of life (and love).

Maybe death isn't the only thing that the phrase "the end of the line" can mean, but the song does say "Well, it's alright, everyday is judgment day." So there is at least the shadow of death in there.

[Edited to say: I just ran across this in today's New York Times:

Quote:
Of course, life in a feedlot doesn’t have a happy ending. Just about every day at Wrangler, tractor-trailers arrive to take away those animals that have reached market weight. For about 2,000 animals every week, it’s the end of the line.
Um...]

Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-21-2020 at 02:43 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #32  
Unread 10-21-2020, 04:36 PM
Martin Elster Martin Elster is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posts: 7,563
Default

Pharrell Williams - Happy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZSe6N_BXs

With lyrics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmCDqX3ngfA

Last edited by Martin Elster; 10-21-2020 at 04:47 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #33  
Unread 10-21-2020, 10:11 PM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 8,307
Default

I like that.

Songs celebrating a quiet, gentle sort of happiness can be nice, too:

Tuck and Patti's "Like a Lover," which is an English version (not really a translation) of Dori Caymmi & Nelson Motta's Portuguese "O Cantador."

Mmmmm...yummy.

Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-21-2020 at 10:43 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Unread 10-22-2020, 07:12 AM
Roger Slater Roger Slater is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 16,475
Default

Julie, your mention of quiet, gentle happy songs brought this one immediately to mind. Moonlight In Vermont
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Unread 10-22-2020, 07:20 AM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 8,307
Default

Ah, yes! Good one.

It took me decades to figure out that the verses are haiku.

Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-22-2020 at 07:22 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Unread 10-22-2020, 08:41 AM
Max Goodman Max Goodman is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 2,253
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Julie Steiner View Post
LOL, Max, I might be a teensy bit more pessimistic than most, but I think most songs about life (and love) address the finite nature of life (and love) in some way.
On the contrary, Julie, your confidence that those guys had an idea in mind when they wrote that mess of a lyric suggests great optimism.

Two more (probably nothing new to anyone):

"Can't Buy Me Love"
"Everything"
Reply With Quote
  #37  
Unread 10-22-2020, 09:09 AM
John Riley John Riley is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 6,238
Default

Yes, I'd forgotten Willie Nelson's "Stardust" album from the 70s. I remember listening to it over and over driving from NC to Boston. There are no doubt better versions of the songs--he isn't Sinatra--but the album is a great experience because so many of the great songs from the American songbook are in one place and his voice is so unobtrusive.
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Unread 10-22-2020, 09:58 AM
Allen Tice's Avatar
Allen Tice Allen Tice is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 6,119
Default

Martin and everyone, I hope I don’t bend anyone out of shape with this parody of Pharrell Williams —— however, it’s one of the funniest videos I’ve seen that’s not made by a stand-up comedian. (My customary disavowal of any subsequent videos on this feed.) Some words are obscure, thus the “resume” is printed in “color sans”, a typeface without serifs. So:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7Eki5EZ8o



Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Elster View Post
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Unread 10-22-2020, 10:06 AM
Roger Slater Roger Slater is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York
Posts: 16,475
Default

One of my favorite old cheerful songs recently got an "official video" -- it's cute, but I'm not sure it does justice to the song. Three Little Birds

And another great song that tells us not to worry, this one by Stevie.
Reply With Quote
  #40  
Unread 10-22-2020, 11:31 AM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Posts: 8,307
Default

¡Bien chévere, Rogelio! [Re: the Stevie Wonder. I concur with your opinion of the "Three Little Birds" video. Great song, though.]

Here's the Willie Nelson version of "Moonlight in Vermont", to which John Riley referred.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Allen Tice View Post
one of the funniest videos I’ve seen that’s not made by a stand-up comedian.
Well, technically, there are several stand-up comedians in it...

Max, here are two pieces of evidence that probably support your broader perspective on songs' literality:

Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole's infectiously cheerful version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which turns the original syntax into non sequiturs.

Sheena Melwani and The Real Indian Dad's versions of just about anything.
Compilation 1
Compilation 2
etc. These give me the giggles, big-time.

Last edited by Julie Steiner; 10-22-2020 at 12:08 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



Forum Right Top
Forum Left Bottom Forum Right Bottom
 
Right Left
Member Login
Forgot password?
Forum LeftForum Right


Forum Statistics:
Forum Members: 8,399
Total Threads: 21,839
Total Posts: 270,784
There are 3002 users
currently browsing forums.
Forum LeftForum Right


Forum Sponsor:
Donate & Support Able Muse / Eratosphere
Forum LeftForum Right
Right Right
Right Bottom Left Right Bottom Right

Hosted by ApplauZ Online