Gordon Lightfoot’s specific wish was for his song “A Passing Ship” to be played at his funeral. I have a real penchant for songs and stories about ships and the sea, and this one by Gordon Lightfoot ticks all the…
Blog Archives
True Love Ways (1958) – Buddy Holly
Sometimes we’ll sigh…Sometimes we’ll cry…And we’ll know why…Just you and I…Know true love ways. Since I was a youngen’, I always found True Love Ways to be such a tender and sweet song from Buddy. The orchestral sound was also…
Basket Case (1994) – Green Day
Basket Case is a high-energy, frenetic punk rock song that matches well with the nervous and restless feeling in the lyrics. My favourite part of the song is the chord change from D to A at the end of the…
Killing Me Softly With His Song (1973) – Roberta Flack
I fondly recall this song being used in the movie About a Boy. None of the versions there feature the stunning, natural soul singer Roberta Flack. Instead, it’s used for both comedic and dramatic effect, like in this this scene.…
Tagged with: about a boy, Charles Fox, Don McLean, killing me softly with his song, Lori Lieberman, Norman Gimbel, Roberta Flack
Posted in Music
Posted in Music
True Blue (2023) – boygenius
True Blue is a brutally honest look at a relationship, but it is sung with tenderness and warmth in Lucy Dacus’ laidback voice. The phrase “true blue” means loyalty and faithfulness, not sadness. The song moves through the highs and…
Tagged with: boy genius, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, the record, true blue
Posted in Music
Posted in Music
Traveling Light (2016) – Leonard Cohen
In the introduction to today’s song in the video below, an older Leonard Cohen sits outside on a front patio, smoking a cigarette. He says, “I feel a lot stronger, but I am actually a lot weaker,” which is quite…
Starman (1972) – David Bowie
I went on a David Bowie bender yesterday, listening to and sharing some of my favourite songs. Then today’s featured track came on at the end of one of them, and I found myself wondering – how on earth is…
Tagged with: david bowie, starman, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Posted in Music
Posted in Music
Cheer Down (1989) – George Harrison
It’s a bit uncanny that today’s tongue-in-cheek, “curb your enthusiasm” type of song follows on the heels of another “keep your sights down low” number yesterday with the Cake’s Great Expectations. The title Cheer Down is said to come from…
Great Expectations (2011) – My Friend the Chocolate Cake
Best not have Great ExpectationsKeep your sights down low My favourite band from Melbourne, Australia, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, is back again with a very upbeat, fun song that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is the Cake’s ‘Curb…
Trapped (1984) – Bruce Springsteen
I felt trapped by this cover song ever since I first heard it on The Essential Bruce Springsteen released in 2003. From it’s simple guitar flicking opening to that Roy Bittan’s lamenting synthesizer overlay, Trapped builds slowly, telling the story of…
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