29/12/25 – 4/01/26 – Venezuela, Sobriety and The Odyssey

Posted on January 5, 2026 by observationblogger — 23 Comments
news on the march

Welcome to Monday’s News on the March – The week that was in my digital world.
It’s an honour to share these topics with you at the commencement of what I hope turns out to be a fantastic 2026 for everyone.

Niall Ferguson: Trump Was Right to Overthrow Maduro
Video interview at The Free Press

I could watch Niall Ferguson talk all day about history and politics – and it’s not just because he has one of the coolest Scottish accents I’ve ever heard. So when this interview popped up in my feed on Saturday, amid all the clatter of news about the reported capture of the Venezuelan president, I sat down and gave it my full attention.

I live in neighbouring Colombia so I just hope it’s a smooth and peaceful transition, with open and democratic elections, and not the installation of a stooge to manage oil interests for the US. Above all, this needs to be for the Venezuelan people. I imagine the majority of Venezuelans would be elated by the capture of the president and his wife, and by (what I hope is) the effective overthrow of the Maduro (Chavinista) regime.  

The Day Anthony Hopkins Quit Drinking | The Interview
Video interview at The Interview

This video interview felt like a breath of fresh air – not just because Anthony Hopkins is one of my favourite contemporary actors, but because I have struggled with alcoholism for most of my adult life. As I embark once again on what I hope will be a permanent state of recuperation – or, as Anthony so poignantly puts it, “to choose life” – I find myself reflecting on the words I wrote a few days ago to my friend Ashley over at The Gentle Chapter, to remind myself of the true profundity of my addiction.

My mother used to tell me from an old ryhme – ‘When You’re good, you’re a very very good, when you are bad you are horrid’. That coincides with my own ups and downs – that’s how it is for me. I am either really good to myself, treat my body like it’s a temple for months straight and feel good and I’m good to others and family and then I have relapse and I’m back into a quagmire of pure self destruction and I’m bad to myself and everyone around me. My relapses are that bad – that my only way out of them is to literally run out of money where I just have enough to buy food and that’s it. Which is where I’m currently at. 

Anyhow, I went back to the gym yesterday (perhaps inspired by your post – so thanks!) and felt really good, so here I go, starting all over again. However, each renewal is more difficult than the last breach of the “cave.” I totally get the “silent nothingness” expression, and it’s uncanny how I feel this too. But we have to try to be brave and step into the uncomfortable zone, because there’s really no other way out. We can’t slumber in that nothingness – at least that’s my take on it.

I’m way past thinking if I’m okay. I’m not okay, and I need serious personal care and attention. I need to look after myself as carefully as I’m looking after someone close to me who needs it 24/7. I’m that delicate and vulnerable – and that’s okay.

The Odyssey by Homer | Audiobook with Full Text
Audio book at Chillbooks

One of my main goals for 2026 is to read more books. In this case, I didn’t read – I listened, but I hope it still marks the beginning of a perpetual reading “Odyssey,” if you’ll excuse the pun.
Over the course of a few nights recently, I found myself listening to the audiobook of Homer’s classic epic, The Odyssey. Mind you, I didn’t get much deep sleep on those nights – the story was simply too engaging. There’s certainly not a dull moment in this action-packed saga; it moves from one engrossing scene straight to the next.

The Odyssey is an ancient Greek story that is usually credited to the poet Homer and was first told as an oral tale around the 8th century BCE, long before it was written down. It follows the hero Odysseus as he tries to return home after the Trojan War, a journey that should take weeks but instead lasts ten years. Along the way, he faces storms, monsters, angry gods, and dangerous temptations, while his wife Penelope waits for him and tries to protect their home from unwanted suitors. At its heart, The Odyssey is a story about patience, loyalty, clever thinking, and the long struggle to find one’s way back home.

Here “The Odyssey” by Homer is translated into prose by Samuel Butler and read by Mark Nelson. This audiobook also features full on-screen subtitles.

That is all. Thank you for reading.

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in News, politics, Reading, Reflections

Time to Kill (1970) – The Band

Posted on January 4, 2026 by observationblogger — 14 Comments

I love everything about this song from the Canadian- American rock band – The Band. I’m surprised it’s not more widely known. For me, Time to Kill is right up there, even though it’s not their usual gritty, no-nonsense sound. It’s looser, more upbeat, and feels restored and refreshing.

From the opening guitar riff and the lively tempo, to the jangly, saloon-style piano (although Garth Hudson plays electric piano here), the whole song is upbeat and slightly zany. It puts me in a great headspace, and Rick Danko’s vocal fits it like a glove. It’s also a fine example of The Band’s relaxed but precise musicianship. The song moreover is an expression of the joy of country life – I just wanna sit down by the fire / With my love right here beside me.

Time to Kill was released as the A-side of a single in 1970, with their bigger legacy song – The Shape I’m In as the B-side. The Shape I’m In later became strongly associated with The Last Waltz performed by Richard Manuel. It was only while researching that song, published as recently as July 2025, that I became familiar with Time to Kill.

The single didn’t even crack the US Top 40, peaking at No. 77 on the Billboard, which is crazy looking back. Some hardcore fans argue this was because the A- and B-sides should have been flipped, or that Time to Kill simply played it too safe and is one of the band’s most harmless songs. I don’t care – I loved it immediately and added it to my project almost as fast as you can say “firewater.”

Time to Kill appears on The Band’s 1970 album Stage Fright. Alongside The Shape I’m In, the album also includes the standout title track Stage Fright. Both songs went on to become regular features in the group’s live performances.

[Verse 1]
The many roads I’ve covered
The many trails I’ve burned
But when our paths did cross, love, oooh
My whole world made a turn

[Chorus]
And we’ve got time to kill, what a thrill
June and July
We’ve got all our love, buckets of
The tears that we’ve cried
Now we don’t cry no more, gonna bolt the door
Don’t know what we got, but it feels like a lot
We don’t need no more

[Verse 2]
When my day’s work is done
We can take in a jamboree
But I just wanna sit down by the fire
With my love right here beside me

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
My love wants to have her fortune read
And I know that she’s in a hurry
If we go along the straight and narrow
You don’t even have to worry

[Chorus]

References:
1. Time to Kill (song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Music

Llorarás (1974) – Oscar D’León

Posted on January 3, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

I’m quite selective about the salsa music I enjoy – I certainly don’t like just any salsa song, willy-nilly. I have favourites across several salsa styles, many of which have featured here. Songs like Llorarás continue to leave a lasting mark. If anything, they sound better with each listen, as my ears and senses continue to adapt to the rich percussion and rhythmic intensity of salsa.

In rock ’n’ roll, guitar riffs often propel the music and give it its edge. In salsa, that same role is frequently played by brass and percussion. In Llorarás, the trumpet riffs are sharp and repetitive, and lock in with the rhythm section to create this crazy momentum. Those brass lines certainly drive it and give the track its enduring appeal.

Llorarás (You’ll Cry) is the most emblematic hit of Oscar D’León, affectionately known as El León de la Salsa (The Lion of Salsa). The Venezuelan musician and bassist is best known for his powerful contribution to salsa music. He recorded this track in 1974 with his band Dimensión Latina, and it has since become a worldwide anthem of Salsa Brava.

Salsa Brava (often called hard or tough salsa) is characterized by high energy, driving rhythms, strong Afro-Caribbean percussion, and bold, aggressive brass sections. It emerged in the 1970s as dance-floor music with attitude – raw and intense. Llorarás fits this style perfectly. Lyrically, it deals with heartbreak and defiance, delivering a clear message: the person who walked away will one day regret it.

Biography

Oscar D’León had a strong interest in percussion ever since he was a child, improvising bass parts with his throat while playing Latin rhythms with his hands on any available surface. He got in trouble in school early on for doing this constantly. He eventually worked alternate jobs as an auto mechanic, assembly line worker or taxi driver (during the day) and bass player (at night).

As he acquired a reputation for being a solid bass player, clever improviser (he would improvise entire songs on the spot), humorous entertainer and dynamic singer (he used to dance with a double bass onstage while singing, a not-so-subtle physical feat). Together with percussionist José Rodríguez and trombone players César Monge and José Antonio Rojas, he formed Dimensión Latina (see image left) in 1972 which created today’s iconic Salsa track – Llorarás. Four years later, D’León quit the group and created La Salsa Mayor.

Spanish / English subtitles

Sé que tú no quieres que yo a ti te quiera / I know you don’t want me to love you
Siempre tú me esquivas de alguna manera / You always dodge me in one way or another
Si te busco por aquí, me sales por allá / If I look for you here, you turn up over there
Lo único que yo quiero no me hagas sufrir más, tú verá’-rá’ / All I want is for you not to make me suffer anymore, you’ll see, see

[Verso 2]
Oye, oye bien / Hey, hey, listen closely
Por tu mal comportamiento te vas a arrepentir / For your bad behavior you’ll regret it
Bien caro tendrás que pagar todo mi sufrimiento / You’ll pay very dearly for all my suffering
Llorarás y llorarás sin alguien que te consuele / You’ll cry and cry with no one to comfort you
Así te darás de cuenta que si te engañan duele / That’s when you’ll realize that being cheated on hurts

[Interludio]
Tara-ra-ra-ra
Sufrirás como yo / You’ll suffer like I did

[Verso 3]
Oye, mira, y después vendrás a mí pidiéndome perdón / Hey, look, later you’ll come back to me asking for forgiveness
Pero ya mi corazón no se acuerda más de ti / But my heart doesn’t remember you anymore
Llorarás y llorarás sin alguien que te consuele / You’ll cry and cry with no one to comfort you
Así te darás de cuenta que si te engañan duele / That’s when you’ll realize that being cheated on hurts

[Interludio]
Te lo juro que sí / I swear it’s true
Bandolera /
Ahora el que ríe soy yo / Now I’m the one who’s laughing

[Pregón]
Llorarás, llorarás, llorarás (Llorarás) / You’ll cry, you’ll cry, you’ll cry (You’ll cry)
Como lo sufrí yo (Llorarás) / Just like I suffered (You’ll cry)
Oye, tú llorarás (Llorarás) / Hey, you’ll cry
Nadie te comprenderá (Llorarás) / No one will understand you
Todo lo malo que hiciste (Llorarás) / All the bad things you did
Oye, mira, lo pagarás (Llorarás) / Hey, look, you’ll pay for it
Llorarás, llorarás (Llorarás) / You’ll Cry, You’ll Cry
Llorarás, llorarás (Llorarás) / You’ll Cry, You’ll Cry
Tú me hiciste sufrir (Llorarás) / You made me suffer
Ahora el que ríe soy yo (Llorarás) / Now I’m the one laughing
Que no, que no, que sí, que sí (Llorarás) / No, no, yes, yes (You’ll cry)
Ahora yo voy a vivir (Llorarás) / Now I’m going to live
Mi vida como yo quiera (Llorarás) / My life the way I want
Echa pa’lante, que me voy (Llorarás) / Moving forward, I’m leaving
En esta Navidad, mama, ¡llévatela! / This Christmas, mama—take her away!

References:
1. Oscar D’León – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Music

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) 1997 – Green Day

Posted on January 2, 2026 by observationblogger — 5 Comments

Today we arrive at one of the most recognisable acoustic songs of the modern era. It is easily Green Day’s most emblematic track and is typically played as their final song in concert. I always thought of it as a tender ballad, which is why it surprised me to learn that Time of Your Life is preceded by Good Riddance.

I strongly associate this song with its use in a late episode of Seinfeld, The Chronicle. Whenever I watch that segment, it makes me nostalgic and reflective. It also remains a favourite show of my children. I think I first came to know Green Day through their 1995 release When I Come Around, though I’m hardly cognisant of much of their wider catalogue.

Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wrote Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) after his girlfriend, Amanda, left for Ecuador, south of Colombia here. Green Day toured here in Bogotá as recently as August 2025. Armstrong told Guitar World that he was more than a little pissed off at the time, which is why he added Good Riddance to the title. The song’s wording and tone are therefore meant to be sarcastic – something you could easily miss, as I certainly did after all these decades.

The song was originally written during the Dookie sessions in 1993, the album that includes When I Come Around, but it was deemed too out of place for that record. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) marked a clear departure from the band’s punk sound, and perhaps that contrast is exactly why it has endured.

When the time came to record Nimrod, Armstrong decided to record the song again, and Cavallo suggested they add strings to the track. He sent the band to play foosball in another room while he recorded the strings, which took “like fifteen, twenty minutes, maybe a half an hour at the most”. Cavallo reflected on his decision to add the strings: “I knew we had done the right thing. It was a hit the second I heard it.”

The album version of the song begins with Armstrong messing up the opening chords twice, muttering “f&ck” under his breath before starting over and getting it right, thus starting the song. The mistakes were deliberately kept to add a lighthearted introduction to a song with emotionally deep lyrics. Radio versions and the music video omitted Armstrong’s second attempt with the expletive.

The song was released in 1997 as the second single from Green Day’s 5th studio album Nimrod. The song peaked at No. 11 in the US and top 20 in a host of other countries. As of November 2022, the song had sold over five million copies making it the band’s most commercially successful single.

When the video (below) came out, the name of the song was inverted, hence the video’s title is “Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)“. This title was also used on the single cover (above).

[Intro]
F&ck

[Verse 1]
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test and don’t ask why
It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time

[Chorus]
It’s something unpredictable, but in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life

[Verse 2]
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while

References:
1. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Dreams Are More Precious (2008) – Enya

Posted on January 1, 2026 by observationblogger — 5 Comments

When I heard this Enya track again recently, I assumed it was already in my collection. Nope. Dreams Are More Precious seems to be one of her most frequently played songs, at least based on my casual observation. Yet it doesn’t appear in her Spotify top five, and what surprised me most is that her most-streamed song is I Don’t Wanna Know (feat. Enya and P. Diddy) – a song I’d never heard of.

Dreams Are More Precious is not in my very top tier of Enya, but it’s still lovely and leaves me in a tranquil mind space. Her sound (new age and world music) is so recognisable, and sometimes she gets a raw deal because of how much her “sound” saturates the commercial landscape, with each track akin to the other. But when I do hear her music – which is on the odd occasion – I feel more blessed for the experience.

We may also be a little late to the party with this one. The lyricist of the song (and Enya’s principal lyricist), Roma Ryan, has described the song as a kind of Christmas lullaby, and once you read the lyrics, it becomes even more evident that the festive season is shining through – which I suppose, technically, we are still in. Oh, and a joyous New Year’s Day (2026) to you fine folk!

“‘Dreams are more Precious’, I would describe it as a lullaby, a Christmas lullaby. The title comes from the line ‘dreams are more precious than gold.’ The dreams are not dreams a mother would have for her child of success or that you are dreaming during the night and it’s just you are churning over the events of the day. It’s more inner strength, awareness of others, the qualities that you would associate with Christmas, spirituality, these are the true dreams I think.”
– Roma Ryan

‘Dreams Are More Precious‘ comes from Enya’s 2008 holiday-themed album, ‘And Winter Came…‘. According to the description in the video below – The song’s comforting and peaceful nature aligns with the album’s introspective winter theme, offering a message of hope and the importance of dreams. The music was composed by Enya, with lyrics by Roma Ryan.

The album ‘And Winter Came… was recorded between 2006 and 2008 with Enya and her longtime collaborators, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. It features ten original tracks with lyrics sung in English. As with her previous albums recording took place at Aigle Studio, the Ryans’ home studio in Killiney, County Dublin.

Enya has stated that the importance of Roma Ryan and her late husband Nicky Ryan’s contributions is such that without them, Enya would not exist.

The album reached the top 20 in a host of counties, including No. 8 on the US Billboard, No. 6 in the UK, No. 7 in Australia and No. 1 in Belgium.

[Verse 1]
Come! See! High above
Come! See! High in the heavens
A new star shining bright;
Out of the darkness comes a light

[Verse 2]
Come! Hear midnight chimes
Come! Hear bells that are ringing
And from some distant shore
Sounds of a journey echo on

[Refrain]
This is the night
They say
Everyone wants a dream
This is the night
They say
Nothing is as it seems

[Verse 3]
Come! Sleep! Close your eyes
Come! Sleep! Give me your sorrow
And I’ll keep watch for you
Until the dawn is breaking through
Until the morning wakens you

[Interlude]

[Verse 4]
Come! Dream through the night
Come! Dream, and then tomorrow
You’ll see your heart will know
Dreams are more precious than gold
Dreams are more precious than gold
Dreams are more precious than gold

References:
1. Dreams Are More Precious – Enya Fandom
2. And Winter Came…- Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Times of Our Lives (2022) – Christina Perri

Posted on December 31, 2025 by observationblogger — 7 Comments

For a long time, I was daunted to write about Time of Our Lives, mostly because I felt I couldn’t do the song any real justice. It stands, for me, as one of the most well constructed and fully realised songs of the modern era. It sits comfortably in my personal top songs of all time – not just because I have kind of a Perri crush, but because it’s just so darn good! How do you classify it. Is it a ballad? Pop? Hip-hop adjacent? The answer is probably yes to all three, and that mix seems part of its strength.

What distinguishes Time of Our Lives is not just its lyrics – direct, uncluttered, and emotionally intelligent – but the way the song unfolds. It builds slowly, layering momentum until it reaches a crescendo. There’s a sense of movement throughout, as though the song itself is mirroring the fleeting nature of the moments it describes. In that way, it captures something like the feeling of living through something meaningful before you’ve had time to recognise its significance. The song almost passes by as quickly as the listener has time to ingest its meaning, much like a moment in life itself.

I used Time of Our Lives as an informal soundtrack to a family trip along Colombia’s Caribbean coast a few years ago, particularly during our stay in Palomino. We stayed in a small, rustic, artisan-run beach spot. Below is a short video I shared from a nearby restaurant-bar.. well we were tired, hungry, a little sunburnt, waiting on pizzas.

Perri encapsulates in this song the pure, unfiltered joy and exuberance of finding yourself at one with yourself, family, and love. It sounds hip and modern, yet at the same time reminiscent, full of life-changing moments unfolding before your eyes. Moments so absorbing that you barely find time to reflect on how meaningful they are. The song embodies that very feeling: it’s so complete and immersive that it seems to pass by in the blink of an eye.

That’s how it seems to me – call me sentimental – but that’s how big it is to me. And above all that, I don’t know how she did it. Like all the greats, I honestly have no idea how she was able to make that song a reality in the midst of motherhood and while overcoming her own personal grief. That is pure art from an artesana.

[Verse 1]
I was younger, the summers were longer
I had no fear, I was stronger and freer
With fire, a fire that didn’t expire
The reason or meaning of somethin’ to believe in
I was hopeful we had it, the magic
The love that we had wasn’t tragic, so we grabbed it, we went there
Nothin’ but air, so we breathed it, ’cause we need it
To free fall for somethin’ we believed in

[Chorus]
Lookin’ back through my eyеs, everybody says goodbye
Whеre did all the time fly by, where did it go, you know?
Do you feel my heartbeat? ‘Cause, darlin’ it’s not over yet
Where did all the time fly by, where did it go, you know?
These are the times of our lives

[Verse 2]
I was fearless, I was able, I was brave
Put all of my cards on the table, didn’t waste them
All of my demons that turned into dreams
And I chased them, I faced them, replaced them for somethin’ to believe in

[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t remember the rain (I don’t remember)
I don’t remember the details (All the details)
There’s nothin’ that I wanna change
I’d do it again and again and again

[Chorus]
Lookin’ back through my eyes, everybody says goodbye
Where did all the time fly by, where did it go, you know?
Fallin’ like a sunset, but, darlin’ it’s not over yet
Where did all the time fly by, where did it go, you know?
These are the times of our lives

[Post-Chorus]
‘Cause we hope and we pray
Keep ’em close, make ’em stay
Yeah, we hold back the time, like the clock, I rewind
Hold your breath, one more time, don’t forget you’re alive
These are the times of our lives
These are the times of our lives, oh
These are the times of our lives
These are the times of our lives, ooh
These are the times of our lives

[Outro]
You’re older, the sunlight is shorter
Am I the girl in the corner?
I dream to adore her
A moment forever before us, I’m in it
And you are, someone to believe in

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Ring of Fire (1963) – Johnny Cash

Posted on December 31, 2025 by observationblogger — 11 Comments

Ring of Fire is one of Johnny Cash’s most recognisable songs and is widely regarded as one of the greatest country songs ever recorded. You only need to hear it once to understand the power of his sound and voice, and why it remains so familiar in contemporary Western music. Everything that draws people to Johnny Cash is present here: the rolling, train-like rhythm, the hypnotic repetition of the melody, his deep, raw Southern voice. Although, the unexpected mariachi-style horns that give the song a festive, almost celebratory edge were new to his repertoire.

The Ring of Fire feels vivid and immediate. It leaps from the speakers and burns, burns, burns. The song captures the intensity and frenzy of falling in love – being bound by desire you can’t control. It was written by June Carter, who would soon become Cash’s second wife, along with songwriter Merle Kilgore.

The origen of this song (below) is one of the most fascinating – yet controversial – I can remember reading. A brief warning: it contains sexual innuendo that some readers may find offensive.

Most of the following was abridged from the Wikipedia article below:

In her 2007 autobiography, Cash’s first wife, Vivian, wrote: “One day in early 1963, while gardening in the yard, Johnny told me about a song he had just written with Merle Kilgore and Curly [Lewis] while out fishing on Lake Casitas. ‘I’m gonna give June half credit on a song I just wrote,’ Johnny said. ‘It’s called “Ring of Fire.“‘ ‘Why?’ I asked, wiping dirt from my hands. The mere mention of her name annoyed me. I was sick of hearing about her. ‘She needs the money,’ he said, avoiding my stare. ‘And I feel sorry for her.'” Vivian also noted: “To this day, it confounds me to hear the elaborate details June told of writing that song for Johnny. She didn’t write that song any more than I did. The truth is, Johnny wrote that song, while pilled up and drunk, about a certain private female body part. All those years of her claiming she wrote it herself, and she probably never knew what the song was really about.”

It was first recorded  as “(Love’s) Ring of Fire” by June’s sister Anita Carter on her 1962 album Folk Songs Old and New. It was popularised by Johnny Cash after it appeared on his 1963 compilation album Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash. Cash’s version became one of his biggest hits, staying at No. 1 on the country chart for seven weeks. It was certified gold by the RIAA on January 21, 2010, and by September of that year had amassed over 1.2 million paid downloads.

It was named the fourth-greatest country song by Country Music Television, while Rolling Stone called it the greatest country song and the 87th-greatest song of all time. In 1999, Cash’s version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Some sources claim that June Carter had seen the words “Love is like a burning ring of fire” underlined in an Elizabethan poetry book owned by her uncle A. P. Carter. She worked with Merle Kilgore on writing a song inspired by this imagery, as she had seen her uncle do in the past. In her words: “There is no way to be in that kind of hell, no way to extinguish a flame that burns, burns, burns“.

After hearing Anita’s version, Johnny Cash claimed he had a dream where he heard the song accompanied by “Mexican horns”. The mariachi horn sound had recently been popularized on American radio with 1962 hit song The Lonely Bull by Herb Alpert. Cash said, “[…] I’ll give you about five or six more months, and if you don’t hit with it, I’m gonna record it the way I feel it.” Cash noted that adding trumpets was a change to his basic sound.

[Verse 1]
Love is a burning thing
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire

[Chorus]
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire

[Verse 2]
The taste of love is sweet
When hearts like ours meet
I fell for you like a child
Oh, but the fire went wild

[Chorus]
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire

[Outro]
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire
The ring of fire, the ring of fire, the ring of fire

References:
1. Ring of Fire (song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Music

Time After Time (1996) – Eva Cassidy

Posted on December 30, 2025 by observationblogger — 8 Comments

Eva Cassidy was taken from us far too young. She died in 1996 at the age of just 33. At the time, she was largely unknown outside her native Washington, D.C. area, even though she was already a remarkable singer. She died from melanoma, and it was only years later that her music was released widely and found an international audience.

I became more immersed in her material, and truly in awe of her angelic voice, by watching on YT the performances that took place at the Blues Alley jazz supper club in Georgetown, DC, on 3 January 1996 – the same year of her passing. The purity of her voice mesmerized me and continues to do so. The phrase “what might have been” is often overused, but in Eva Cassidy’s case it feels entirely justified. It is hard not to wonder how large her place in contemporary music history might have been had she lived longer.

I hope Cyndi Lauper fans don’t get their bee too much in a bonnet here, but Eva Cassidy’s version of Time After Time is my favourite version. Many of her best-known songs are covers, of course, and her live recordings of Over the Rainbow, Songbird (Fleetwood Mac), and Kathy’s Song (Paul Simon) are my preferred versions of those songs as well. The only original recording I can think of that I tend to favour over Eva’s interpretation is Sting’s Fields of Gold. Time After Time was also the title of her studio album released in 2000, four years after her death. For music – movie trivia buffs out there Eva’s version of Time After Time was used in the popular series Smallville.

Most of the following was abridged from the Wikipedia article below:
Time After Time is a song by American pop singer Cyndi Lauper from her debut studio album, She’s So Unusual (1983). It was written by Lauper and Rob Hyman, who also provided backing vocals. Another fabulous song from that record which launched Lauper to absolute stardom was of course – Girls Just Want to Have Fun, which funny enough Cyndi didn’t write, well she did change some of the lyrics from the single written in 1979 by Robert Hazard, but he retained full songwriting credits.

Time After Time was written in the album’s final stages, after Girls Just Want to Have Fun, She Bop and All Through the Night had been written or recorded. Time became her first No. 1 hit single in the United States while Girls…earlier had reached No. 2. It has since been named as one of the greatest pop songs of all time by many media outlets, including Rolling Stone, Nerve, and MTV.

The inspiration for the song came from the fact that both songwriters were going through similar challenges in their respective romantic relationships; Hyman was coming out of a relationship, and Lauper was having difficulties with her boyfriend and manager, David Wolff. One of the early lines Rob Hyman wrote was “suitcase of memories”, which according to Lauper, “struck her”, claiming it was a “wonderful line”, and other lines came from Lauper’s life experiences. The song’s title was borrowed from a TV Guide listing for the science fiction film Time After Time (1979).

[Verse 1]
Lying in my bed
I hear the clock tick, and think of you
Turning in circles
Confusion is nothing new
Flashback to warm nights
Almost left behind
Suitcase of memories
Time after—

[Verse 2]
Sometimes, you picture me
I’m walking too far ahead
You’re calling to me
I can’t hear what you have said
And you say, “Go slow”
I fall behind
The second hand unwinds

[Chorus]
If you’re lost, you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I’ll be waiting
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting
Time after time
Time after time

[Verse 3]
After your picture fades
And darkness has turned to gray
Watching through windows
I’m wondering if you’re okay
And you say, “Go slow”
I fall behind
The drum beats out of time

References:
1. Time After Time (Eva Cassidy album) – Wikipedia
2. Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

England (2010) – The National

Posted on December 29, 2025 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

As Matt Berninger told the Guardian, “A lot of [our songs] are sad and about death.” However, as he rightfully adds, they go about it in such a bracing way that the songs almost seem to triumph over it, “In really fun ways.”

England is another atmospheric track from the American band The National. It seems directed towards a woman the singer was once in a relationship with, rather than the place. England works as a metaphor, especially through its climate, reflecting the narrator’s melancholic emotional state. The song carries you through the weather of his feelings.

The opening line – “Someone send a runner through the weather that I’m under” – sets the mood immediately. As listeners, we become that runner, moving through his emotional landscape. It feels like an invitation, or perhaps a quiet reassurance, that we are meant to experience and witness his struggles rather than simply observe them from a distance.

As already alluded to, the song suggests that someone else has caused this emotional dislocation: “You must be somewhere in London / You must be loving your life in the rain.” Meanwhile, the narrator is grounded elsewhere – “I’m in a Los Angeles cathedral” — physically and emotionally removed. As with much of The National’s work, meaning is left deliberately open, encouraging personal interpretation and putting more emphasis on the ethereal instrumentation.

(On the song England) While the songs somewhat cryptic lyrics could be about writer’s block and Berninger’s inability to come up with a song to appease the band’s London-based label 4AD, or about star-crossed lovers separated by an ocean and a river, the theme remains the same of a singer being separated from something, acquiescing to the reality of that separation and at the same time sort of overcoming it by the time of the triumphant finale.

– Far Out Magazine

As a small piece of pop-culture irony, England (the song) was used by BBC Sport in 2018 during a montage celebrating England’s penalty shootout victory over Colombia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia – a surprisingly triumphant context for such a restrained and inward-looking song.

England comes from The National’s fifth studio album High Violet (image inset). The sculpture on the album cover was created by artist Mark Fox, and is called The Binding Force.  High Violet was released to widespread critical acclaim receiving a score of 85 out of 100 based on 36 reviews. It appeared on several publications’ year-end lists of the best albums of 2010. Time named it the fourth best album of the year, and it also placed at number 15 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 30 best albums of 2010. The opening track from the album Terrible Love was performed 2 months prior to the release of the album and featured here in August this year.

[Verse 1]
Someone send a runner through the weather that I’m under
For the feeling that I lost today
Someone send a runner for the feeling that I lost today
Someone send a runner through the weather that I’m under
For the feeling that I lost today
Someone send a runner for the feeling that I lost today

[Pre-Chorus]
You must be somewhere in London
You must be loving your life in the rain
You must be somewhere in London
Walking Abbey Lane
I don’t even think to make, I don’t even think to make
I don’t even think to make corrections

[Chorus]
Famous angels never come through England
England gets the ones you never need
I’m in a Los Angeles cathedral
Minor singin’ airheads sing for me

[Verse 2]
Put an ocean and a river between everybody else
Between everything, yourself and home
You put an ocean and a river between everything, yourself and home

[Outro]
Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners
Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners
Afraid of the house, ’cause they’re desperate to entertain
(Repeat)

References:
1. High Violet – The National
2. Watch The National’s monumental performance of ‘England’ at the Sydney Opera House – Far Out Magazine

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Caravan (1976) – Van Morrison (The Last Waltz)

Posted on December 28, 2025 by observationblogger — 3 Comments

Caravan is such a fantastic romp of a song, which I first saw in the legendary The Last Waltz concert by The Band. It’s a great exhibition of the depth and range of Van Morrison’s musical talent as a vocalist and performer. Even Eric Clapton commented that “For me, Muddy [Waters] and Van [Morrison] steal the show. Van doing [“Caravan”] with the leg kicks. Some of the greatest live music you’ll ever see.”

This is a soul song, of course, and Van’s voice is all about soul, so everything is in concordance here. The song is about a caravan of gypsy performers, and the narrator expresses his pure elation and gratitude at being amongst his friends (“And the caravan has all my friends / It will stay with me until the end”). It’s a celebration of that occasion and of the music itself (“Turn up your radio and let me hear the song”). You could also see the song as being dedicated to the whole entourage of The Last Waltz.

The following was mostly abridged from the Wikipedia article below:
This song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter came to the concert 6 years after it’s release in 1970 on his Moondance album. Caravan was a concert highlight for several years and was included on Morrison’s 1974 acclaimed live album, It’s Too Late to Stop Now and the aforementioned Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film – The Last Waltz. The Last Waltz commemorated The Band’s last concert appearance together before they stopped touring, on Thanksgiving Day 1976.

Van Morrison based the song on real memories while living in a rural house in Woodstock, New York, where the nearest house was far down the road.

He described why he included the reference to radio in the song:

I could hear the radio like it was in the same room. I don’t know how to explain it. There was some story about an underground passage under the house I was living in, rumours from kids and stuff and I was beginning to think it was true. How can you hear someone’s radio from a mile away, as if it was playing in your own house? So I had to put that into the song, It was a must.

And the caravan is on it’s way
I can hear the merry gypsies play
Mama mama look at Emma Rose
She’s a-playin’ with the radio
La, la, la, la…

And the caravan has all my friends
It will stay with me until the end
Gypsy Robin, sweet Emma Rose
Tell me everything I need to know
La, la, la…

Turn up your radio and let me hear the song
Switch on your electric light
Then we can get down to what is really wrong
I long to hold you tight so I can feel you
Sweet lady of the night I shall reveal you

Turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher radio
Turn it up, turn it up, so you know, radio
La, la, la, la…

And the caravan is painted red and white
That means everybody’s staying overnight
Barefoot gypsy player round the campfire sing and play
And a woman tells us of her ways
La, la, la, la…

Turn up your radio and let me hear the song
Switch on your electric light
Then we can get down to what is really wrong
I long to hold you tight so I can feel you
Sweet lady of the night I shall reveal you
Turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher, radio
Turn it up, that’s enough, so you know it’s got soul
Radio, radio turn it up, hum
La, la, la, la…

References:
1. Caravan (Van Morrison song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 774 other subscribers

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨