Referring to her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on the 18th of May, 2023 alongside the likes of Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Anne Murray, Terri Clark recalled ‘There’s not a lot of country artists in there. The last one was Shania Twain in 2011‘.
Today’s featured track I’m Alright is the final in the trilogy of songs (in fact the first 3 songs on the record) I added to the Music Library Project from Terri Clark’s 1998 record How I Feel. For more information on Terri Clark’s personal history and music backstory I refer you the first two song articles presented here: Now That I Found You and Everytime I Cry and her recent interview at the end of this post. Nostalgic Italian wrote in response to my first song article on Terri Clark:
‘I have loved her stuff for a long time. I had the chance to interview and meet her and she is so down to earth. She’s a fantastic songwriter and singer. Great song.’
I wore out her album How I Feel after I procured it and I still like hearing these songs. Also I found out years later, my brother also remains very fond of it. How I Feel, the third studio album by Terri Clark achieved two top 10 places on the US Billboard Country Charts and was certified platinum in both Canada and the US.
After all was said and done There was nothing left to do The hardest mile I ever walked Was the one I walked away from you So maybe I’m a little ragged around the edges And I’ve been keeping a little more to myself these days but
Chorus I’m alright Shot down but I’m still standing I’m alright A little banged up from the fall But I’m alright Still shaky from the landing I’m alright, after all
You know it’s really not that bad No matter how bad it might feel Cause there ain’t nothing time won’t fix This ain’t nothing that some time won’t heal So maybe I’ve been walking a little wounded I move a little bit slower now but that’s okay cause…
Terri Clark’s albums have accounted for more than twenty singles, including six Number Ones. In 2004, Clark gained one of country music’s crowning achievements when she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018 and as aforementioned a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on May, 18 2023.
At the end of this post you can find a very recent interview (Jul 7, 2023) with Terri Clark. She talked with On the Record about the journey to Nashville, playing on Broadway, and catching her big break after eight years.
Contigo (With You) was the first song by the Spanish singer songwriter Rosana recommended to me, but it is the third so far presented here after Llegaremos a Tiempo and Pa´ ti no Estoy. It comes from Rosana’s second album Luna Nueva (New Moon) where it is said most the songs emerged from ‘magical nights’. This pop/acoustic genre album is a mature and deep album that maintains the freshness, naturalness and feeling which characterise Rosana. It was recorded in Miami, Spain and Italy. The album entered directly at number 1 in sales in Spain and Latin America, and sold 1,600000 copies.
As you can read from the lyrics below, this song has an alluring essence and great romanticism. Rosana has never abandoned this authentic yet simple style or been corrupted by new trends. Also, what a beautiful voice, so sweet, so tender. Contigo (With You) is a heartfelt song which describes the pure love we all long for and dream of, even if it never comes to us.
A crude English translation follows:
all the salt all the sugar all the wine all my life, I only wish to live it with you all the light all the dark everything I write All the way, I burn with desires to walk it with you
With your love, I feel calm And on the river bank Your heat grabs me and fills me The soul of light and dew With your love I feel like In the five senses And you take me so far, that I barely remember where we come from all the heat all the clouds All the cold All the rain, I burn with desires to get wet with you All the love all the memory Everything I forget All the silence become songs
sleeping with you All the flavor All the perfume Everything I long for All the seas, I only wish Browse them with you Everything without more I also ask for eternity Life or punishment, I only wish to have it with you Life or punishment, I only wish to drink it with you Life or punishment, I only wish to die with you!
Rosana (Rosana Arbelo Gopar) was born in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. She is the youngest in a family of eight siblings. At 5 years old her father gave her her first guitar and at 8 she composed her first song. At age 20 she moved to Madrid where she studied harmony and guitar. At the beginning of 1996 and encouraged by her friends, she decided to sing her own compositions herself and sent a demo to MCA, where she got a record contract. Her natural talent for composing and performing songs made her one of the most successful Spanish music artists of the 90’s.
My good friend Sharon from London is becoming a regular guest here at News on the March. I consider her recent short story publication A Boy And A Horse – A Tale of Magic! one the most enchanting fictional short stories and creative writing feats I have encountered on WordPress. It reminded me so much of my favourite Oscar Wilde short-stories including The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant. A lot of writers would give up their first-born to write like Sharon did here.
‘Please, please Dad, can we keep him?’ young Frank Campbell pleaded with his father.
Joe Campbell rubbed his chin before speaking, ‘hmm, I don’t know son, he must belong to someone else,’ he replied softly staring at the large brown horse standing docilely at the back gate. ‘He’s a beauty though isn’t he,’ Joe Campbell continued, ‘and huge!’
The horse peered at them through melting brown eyes.
If Joe didn’t know better he would have thought the stallion was also pleading with them to take him in.
‘What do you say Dad?’ Frank piped up again pulling on the hem of his dad’s checked shirt, ‘look at him, he likes us.’
‘I wonder where he came from?’ Joe asked looking the horse over again, ‘there are no farms around here for miles.’
Just then the horse bobbed his head up and down, stepped towards Frank and allowed himself to be petted. Frank rubbed him gently on the neck.
‘You see Dad.’
‘OK, let me talk this over with mum, see what she says.’
Later that evening Joe explained the mystery to Rose Campbell, ‘we dohave a large shed, he could stay there in the meantime. Someone is bound to come looking for him.’
‘This is true,’ Rose Campbell added sagely.
At that very moment Frank ran into the kitchen where his parents were discussing the fate of the horse.
‘Well son,’ Joe announced brightly, ‘he can stay in the shed for now, but you’ll have to look after him when you get back from school.’
‘Thanks Dad, thanks Mum that’s great!’ Frank said excitedly, ‘I’ve named him Eric.’ With that Frank turned and promptly ran through the back door and all but skidded into the shed. He told the horse who neighed delicately as Frank stroked his face.
One week later Frank and Eric were inseparable. The horse would trot alongside Frank on his walk to school, along the winding country lanes and would gallop and clomp from nowhere on Frank’s walk home. Frank would talk about his day with Eric, who proved to be an avid listener, with his tail swishing from side to side.
‘Don’t forget to do your homework,’ Rose Campbell instructed her son some weeks later.
‘I will mum, I’ll do it in the shed with Eric.’
‘OK,’ Rose replied shaking her head from side to side.
Frank petted Eric before sitting down with his maths homework spread out on the hay. Frank was never good at maths, in fact he was hopeless at it. He did some sums and was about the write down the answer when suddenly Eric neighed and clomped his hooves. Eric knew what the horse was trying to tell him and changed his answer.
And so it was that one ten-year-old Frank Campbell got top marks in his class for maths, much to his parents’ delight.
The next day in Geography lesson Frank was sitting at the back of the class struggling to answer the teacher’s question. He thought and thought but could come up with nothing. Just then a brown horse appeared at the window pushing his face close to the glass. ‘Eric!’ Frank mouthed alarmed, before glancing round nervously to check if any of the other kids had seen him. They continued to look at the teacher and had not noticed anything out of the ordinary. And just like that Frank Campbell knew the answer to the question and his small hand shot up with pride.
That afternoon Frank walked home feeling elated about his good results. He looked for Eric but didn’t see him. When he got home he would tell Eric his good news knowing the horse would listen like the best friend he was. Frank was feeling so chuffed he didn’t hear the footfalls behind him.
The first shove almost sent him tumbling to the ground. He steadied himself and was struggling to stand when another hand pushed him and grabbed his rucksack.
‘Poor boy! How comes you are so clever now?’ Danny the class bully asked menacingly. A punch landed on Frank’s shoulder and the tirade continued, helped by two other boys. Frank gulped and did the best he could to defend himself. ‘You never get anything right,’ Danny continued as he quickly looted Frank’s rucksack before flinging it to the ground. ‘And how come your Mum and Dad are so old?’
Frank didn’t know what to do as he toppled to the ground, if only there wasn’t three of them!
And just then he heard a familiar clomp! From out of nowhere a large brown stallion charged dangerously towards the melee. He stopped short of the four boys bearing angry white teeth, and reared up onto his hind legs. Frank looked up and despite himself, grinned.
‘Watch out! It’s some crazy big horse!’ All three bullies screamed before running the fastest they could away from the scene.
Frank Campbell scrambled to his feet and dusted himself down as Eric stood by protectively. ‘Phew, that was close,’ Frank sighed, ‘thanks pal!’
That was the last time Frank was ever beaten up and bullied again.
*
It was the end of July and the school summer holidays had finally arrived. Frank was super excited because he could spend all day with Eric. Frank skipped to the end of the garden with the horse’s favourite red apple in his hand, but when he pushed open the door, the shed was empty. The boy looked everywhere for the horse. He searched and searched until nightfall. And no Eric. He looked for him the following day and the day after that, but there was no trace of him.
‘Maybe he has simply gone back to where he came from,’ Rose Campbell said to her son two weeks later.
‘He wouldn’t do that!’ Frank wailed.
‘Sorry son,’ Joe Campbell said, ‘you never know, he might come back one day.’
And the horse did come back. It was September and Frank Campbell was trudging back home from school when he heard a gentle neighing and a clatter of hooves behind him. He turned around slowly and rushed to the brown stallion, patting him and grinning gleefully.
‘Where have you been?’ Frank cried, ‘I was really sad without you.’
Boy and horse walked companionably for a short while along the winding lane and in that time Frank Campbell understood everything. Eric had gone to help a little girl in Sussex the way he had been helped.
Frank knew his best friend would have to go again. He hugged him and let Eric go slowly. He stood at his back gate and watched as the brown horse simply melted into the distance.
The End
**********
The inner child that is in all of us can always use a little magic!
‘Nancy is a storyteller, music blogger, humorist, quasi poet, curveballer, dreamer‘
I have been a recent follower of Nancy’s wonderful blog. She is clearly a very gifted writer who frequently responds to various writers challenges such as what she did here – meeting two of his prompts: an eight-sentence post based on the word “respect”. Nancy’s ‘About‘ page is a fascinating read, so check that out if you can. The reason I relayed her true account here is because rarely do you read of ‘first-hand’ acts of courage so nervy, brassy and inspirational in the face of abuse towards a minor in a public place.
Not too long ago I brought my car to the dealer for routine maintenance and since it was going to be a quick appointment, I opted to wait in the customer’s lounge rather than go home and come back when the car was ready; apparently, quite a few other people had the same idea because the waiting area was quite full.
Sometimes I’ll find myself engaged in conversation with an interesting person but most times I prefer to wait in quiet, reading my emails or making notes for a story; this particular day, since the waiting area was full, I had no choice but to sit next to a woman and her little boy, approximately 3 years old.
The first thing I noticed about the woman was the hostility and impatience that shot out of her like a machine gun and the primary recipient of her nasty temperament was her little boy; she seemed to take great pleasure in taunting and teasing him and reprimanding him, both verbally and physically.
I was very uncomfortable with her behavior and found it extremely difficult to stay out of the situation but if I expect people to respect my boundaries, I need to show the same respect to them, however, this woman seemed to be inviting someone to say something; obviously no one wanted trouble so everyone kept their eyes averted, heads down and mouths shut, but the atmosphere in the room was tense.
The final straw came when the woman reached into her purse, pulled out a granola bar and began eating while her little boy stood at her knees whining because he wanted something to eat, too; the woman told him that was too bad because he already had his snack and the granola bar was HERS, and, of course, the child threw himself onto the floor and began crying at which point the woman bent over in her seat and slapped the boy several times on the side of his head, causing him to scream out.
That was it for me and while the other people tsk’d and muttered and winced, I turned to the woman and said in a tone as matter-of-factly as if I was asking what time it was, “Please don’t hit your child” to which she yelled “Shut up, bitch, and mind your own fucking business!”, which wasn’t entirely unexpected but I was prepared.
I got up and left the room, fully aware of eyes on me, glaring at me and I could feel their resentment as if I was the wrongful party in this scenario who let that little boy down while they all sat mutely by and allowed the poor child to be mistreated; what’s more, I could feel that horrible woman’s eyes boring a hole in my back, acting the fool and flaunting her victory over a defenseless child.
When I returned a minute later with a policewoman to show her what was going on in front of people who chose to remain silent, the mood in the room immediately shifted and I was suddenly the hero with people actually applauding for me as if this was some kind of performance for their entertainment; I wanted to scream “Live by example, you fucking bastards!”, but I wouldn’t lower myself to their level and couldn’t get out of that room fast enough .… a room reeking of the stench of cowards with no self-respect.
Concerto for Two Violins is the second composition presented here from Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) after the previous entry I Call to You, Lord Jesus Christ. The concerto is from the late Baroque era and is caracterizad by a subtle yet expressive relationship between the violins throughout the work. It consists of three movements; the first two, namely Vivace and Largo ma non tanto are presented below. They are beautiful pieces; elegant and emotional. The performance time of the concerto ranges from less than 13 to over 18 minutes. He composed it as part of a concert series he ran as the Director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. Also around 1736–1737 Bach arranged the concerto for two harpsichords, transposed into C minor, BWV 1062.
Bach was a German composer, and his compositions include secular and sacred music. In the 18th century he was valued primarily as an organist. His fifth child and second surviving son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach performed the concerto in Frankfurt an der Oder after his father’s death in 1750. He inherited some of the original performance parts, likely doubles, of the concerto (surviving: parts for soloists and continuo), and likely also the composer’s autograph score (lost). The extant original parts were added to the Royal Library at Berlin (later converted to the Berlin State Library) in the 1840s. After the Second World War they were lost for several decades, eventually resurfacing in Poland.
Alsation Polymath Albert Schweitzer wrote in the 1911 English-language edition of his book on Bach: The concerto for two violins, in D minor, is perhaps more widely known still. It can be played at home, as its orchestral part can be easily transcribed for the piano. Every amateur should know the wonderful peace of the largo ma non tanto in F major.
Also, German musicologist Peter Wollny, wrote in 1999: “The Concerto for two violins in D minor BWV 1043 is today one of the best-known and most frequently performed works of the composer, above all by virtue of its soulful, song-like middle movement.”
Anyone up for elevator music? This song Forever in Love a bit nostalgic no? It might remind us of a better time, or may be not. Such is music. I realised I hadn’t written a music article today and now I’m in the last hour before midnight. By the way, I wrote about a great song by Eleanor McEvoy called At The Mid Hour of Night. I will have to forego lyrics today because this song is an instrumental. I was originally searching music for an artist from the 90’s whose name I can no longer remember, but I thought ‘Kenny’ was as good a place to start as any. So here we are today. I imagine some of you may want to renew your vows by the end of this song.
Lets get down and dirty here. There’s no better place to go for that than Kenny G music. And it’s right here folks. Don’t say I haven’t held up my end of the bargain with this luscious piece. Forever in Love is by American saxophone player Kenny G that was released as a single in 1992. The song topped the US and Canadian adult contemporary charts and won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition at the 1994 ceremony. Anyone up for saxophone lessons? I know I’m feeling it. The music video below for the song features a couple as children, and also that couple again, as adults, and Kenny G as the performer. So that’s that. Here endeth the lesson. You can find the lyrics in your dreams.
It’s between John Lennon and George Harrison as to my favourite Beatle. We had John writing; just prior to his tragic passing – Watching the Wheels as reference to the The Wheel of Fortune seen in a lot of Gothic cathedrals. And George was this mystical-Eastern thinker that incorporated a lot of his worldview into his music and influenced others including of course the Beatles and that’s where we come to today’s featured track – My Sweet Lord. As I grow older and a little bit wiser, some music artists like George Harrison leave an indelible mark or feel like a kindred spirit the more I hear from them.
My Sweet Lord is from George Harrison’s 1970 album All Things Must Pass which was his first solo album and released just 7 months after the break-up of the Beatles. It featured as a double A side single with Isn’t It a Pitywhich I wrote about in November, 2022. My Sweet Lord was the first number-one single by an ex-Beatle and the biggest-selling single of 1971 in the UK. Aside from his contributions as a former Beatle and Traveling Wilbury, My Sweet Lord is the fifth song to appear here so far from George Harrison (solo). This is not my favourite George (post Beatles) single, that would go to Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) – his second US number 1 after today’s featured track.
[Chorus] My sweet Lord Mmm, my Lord Mmm, my Lord
[Verse 1] I really wanna see you Really wanna be with you Really wanna see you, Lord, but it takes so long, my Lord
[Chorus] My sweet Lord Mmm, my Lord Mmm, my Lord
[Verse 2] I really wanna know you I’d really wanna go with you I really wanna show you, Lord, that it won’t take long, my Lord
My Sweet Lord has overt religious connotations and references. Harrison wrote it in praise of the Hindu god Krishna, but it also contains Christian references. It’s said that Harrison’s goal was to combine both religions in one song so as to call out religious sectarianism, or the perceived notion of conflict between groups. The recording features producer Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound treatment and heralded the arrival of Harrison’s slide guitar technique, which he introduced with All Things Must Pass and also heavily prevalent in the song Isn’t It a Pity. Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Gary Brooker, Bobby Whitlock and members of the group Badfinger are among the other musicians on the recording of My Sweet Lord. The song remains the most popular composition from his post-Beatles career.
Harrison was sued for plagiarizing a similar tune to The Chiffons’ He’s So Fine. Harrison was eventually found guilty of ‘subconscious plagiarism’. The verdict caused a tidal wave in the music world with many artists rushing to add credits to their songs in which they borrowed similar tunes or were heavily inspired by.
Closer Than You Know is a contemporary worship song from the band Hillsong United which is part of the church – Hillsong; a global charismatic mega-church based in Sydney, Australia. This is the 6th song from Hillsong to appear here at the Music Library Project. Soon after I was baptised by the Mornington Baptist Church in 2003 I couldn’t hear enough of the 2004 Hillsong album – For All You’ve Done which peaked at No1 on the Australian album charts (Mainstream charts mind you!). I would now consider myself more of an agnostic-christian who holds sacred ‘The Logos‘ (the divine animated force which pervades the Universe and the ‘Word’ made into flesh), archetypes, meta-heroes and spiritual truths of the Bible. I remain very fond of Christian music as most of my long time readers could attest.
Closer Than You Know seems an ‘audacious’ Christian ballad because most contemporary Christian music at least according to my limited and narrow exposure are acknowledgement or adoration pieces which ‘pay tribute’ from worshipper towards God. This song turns this on its head because it is written by God (or the inspired word of God) to devotee. That is bold on the writers accounts (Joel Houston, Matt Crocker & Michael Guy Chislett), but as explained to me ‘as if God were talking‘ songs are not so uncommon and not at all considered ‘sacrilege’ if the words are received by the worshipper as coming from the heart of God and affirmation of his infinite love for them.
I will admit that originally I was hesitant to include today’s song in the project, but after multiple listens I found myself predisposed to its slow and mellow melodic progression and visually evocative instrumentals. To me, Closer Than You Know requires patience on the part of the listener to allow the song time to wash over and spiritually cleanse. I love the potency of the line: ‘Heaven is closer than you know‘. The song also reminds me of the sound (but to a more restrained effect) of another Christian song called The Next Time You See Johnny by Kenny Marx who was popular in the 1980’s and early 90’s.
Verse 1 I tempered the storm Though your faith was small I prayed while you slept And the night waged war We stood by the fire And we walked on sea And we drank of the wine That was made of Me
Pre-Chorus Don’t turn your eyes from Me For my love won’t be undone Don’t hide your face from Me For my light has surely come Surely come, surely come, oh
Verse 2 I carried that cross and I felt your pain I took up your crown and I wore your shame And death was a fire and its teeth were grim But I left it behind along with all your sin
Pre-Chorus 2 Don’t turn away from Me For my love won’t be undone Don’t hide your face from Me For my light has surely come Surely come, surely come
Chorus Lift up your eyes and see Heaven is closer than you know Lift up your voice and sing Know that My love won’t let you go And I won’t forsake you Lift up your eyes and see Heaven is closer than you know Know I’ll never leave you So lift up your voice and sing Know that my love won’t let you go And my light has surely come Surely come, surely come And I’m closer than you know And I’m closer than you know
Most of the following is cherry-picked (or paraphrased) from the Wikipedia article below:
(Closer Than You Know) comes from the thirteenth live album by Hillsong United called Of Dirt and Grace: Live from the Land. The album features new arrangements of the songs from their 2015 studio album Empires where they took inspiration from the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes. The group wanted to film live performances of the song around places in Israel where the aforementioned events took place, as well as other Biblically historical locations. The video below is described as ‘recorded live from a a quiet place from beneath an olive tree’.
Lucas Munachen of Jesus Freak Hideout opined that the “slow build” of most of the songs “creates an ethereal atmosphere that sets its sight above”, and called the usage of the filmed performances “an original concept that enhances the beauty of these songs even further.”
My son Jesus Mateo (see image inset with his sister Katherine Rose) and I were listening to this magnificent song yesterday morning before we left for football training. We have to wake up before the break of morning to get ready. Typically we play songs (alternate preferences – his song, then mine etc) via the smart Tv from the moment we get up to the moment we have to leave. It is one of my favourite parts of our weekend routine. Anyhows, today’s featured song One More Time is one of my children’s favourites of the ‘modern rock songs’ I like to play on occasion. You did read that correct… yes, modern Rock songs do still exist. Hurray!
I have my blogger-compañero Jeff to thank for bringing One More Time to my attention. This song by Blink-182 was listed in Jeff’s top 10 (#5) of all songs featured in 2023 at his esteemed blog – Eclectic Music Lover which was recently listed as # 20 of the 100 Best Indie Music Blogs by Feedspot.
If you can spare a minute then check out the song’s lyrics below in conjunction with part of the band’s history here:
I am thrilled to see the original line-up back together again and still making music. Formed in Southern California in 1992 by guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Scott Raynor, Rayner was later dismissed from the band in 1998 and replaced by Travis Barker, who remains the drummer to this day. Despite their commercial and popular success, they’ve had more than their fair share of ups and downs over their 30-year history. After releasing five albums, three of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, as well as scoring two # 1 songs on the Modern Rock/Alternative charts, the combination of family commitments (all three guys now had children), the toll of touring and increasing artistic differences caused tension among the band members. Consequently, they decided to go on a hiatus in early 2005 that ended up lasting nearly four years, with the band members not speaking with each other until October 2008, after Barker was involved in a plane crash that killed four people, leaving he and his collaborator Adam Goldstein as the only two survivors. Barker sustained second and third degree burns which ultimately required sixteen surgeries, multiple blood transfusions, and numerous skin grafts, and also resulted in him developing PTSD. Barker’s brush with death prompted him, DeLonge and Hoppus to come together, put aside their differences, and reunite as a band.
[Verse 1] Strangers, from strangers into brothers From brothers into strangers once again We saw the whole world, but I couldn’t see the meaning I couldn’t even recognize my friends
[Verse 2] Older, but nothing’s any different Right now feels the same, I wonder why I wish they told us, it shouldn’t take a sickness Or airplanes falling out the sky
[Chorus] Do I have to die to hear you miss me? Do I have to die to hear you say goodbye? I don’t wanna act like there’s tomorrow I don’t wanna wait to do this one more time
The following is ‘cherry-picked’ from the Wikipedia article below:
One More Time is the second single and the title track of their ninth studio album, which marks the return of Tom DeLonge on guitar and vocals after he left the band in 2015…Recorded over a span of seven months, One More Time… lyrically explores familiar territory like relationships and maturation, as well as lyrics inspired by the band’s own history and bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus’ battle with cancer. Barker handled the production, largely tracked at his Woodland Hills compound in the band’s home state California…One More Time became the band’s third number-one album on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., and reached the top five in a dozen other countries.
Bob Dylan performing at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland in 1986 with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
Precious Memories is the first song to appear here from Bob Dylan’s twenty – fourth studio album Knocked Out Loaded. Although I would consider this a lower-tier Dylan record, it still includes a few gems on it like today’s featured song Precious Memories. I have listened to this album since its release (1986), yet I never realised until researching this song that Precious Memories is a ‘cover’ of an old ‘hymn’; a traditional gospel song. It was credited to J. B. F. Wright in 1925 who was born in Tennessee on February 21, 1877. The hymn was first recorded by The Turkey Mountain Singers in 1928. Precious Memories has been covered by a plethora of outstanding artists including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings.
[Verse 1] As I travel down life’s pathway Know not what the years may hold As I ponder, hopes grow fonder Precious memories flood my soul
[Chorus] Precious memories, how they linger How they ever flood my soul In the stillness of the midnight Precious sacred scenes unfold
[Verse 2] Precious father, loving mother Glide across the lonely years And old homes scenes of my childhood In fond memory appears
[Chorus] Precious memories, how they linger How they ever flood my soul In the stillness of the midnight Precious sacred scenes unfold
I am perplexed how scantly known and underrated this song is from Bob Dylan. That might be because the album in which it appears (Knocked Out Loaded) was so poorly received. Precious Memories has just 18,000 views below since it was officially released on You Tube 5 years ago. I love hearing this song and have never grown tired of it. On a more positive note regarding the record; the 11-minute epic Brownsville Girl (originally titled – New Danville Girl), co-written by Sam Shepard, has been cited as one of his best songs by many critics / fans. I’m not in accordance with that legion. I have, over the years, tried and tried to see what I may have been ‘missing’ in that song, but I remain at a loss to comprehend the ‘fuss’.
Knocked Out Loaded includes three cover songs, three collaborations with other songwriters and two solo compositions by Dylan. The cover art is a reworking of the January 1939 cover of Spicy Adventure Stories.
My original reason for including today’s song Mr. Brown in the Music Library Project was for nostalgic purposes. But having heard it again for the first time in decades I cannot help but fancy its catchy rhythm and vibe which creates such an infectious groove. Also it’s lovely sung by Mr. Marley. Mr. Brown holds a significant place in Marley’s discography because it acts as a prelude of what would become the modern day Reggae Revolution. Marley was a true pioneer in that regard. Also, this is one the earliest songs recorded by the original Wailers.
When I was in recess from my studies at the Academy as a late teen, I visited friends who lived in Coogee, a beach side suburb in Sydney. These were what you might call our freewheelin’ years when we unashamedly partook in almost everything frowned upon by ‘the establishment’. The beginning of today’s song acts as a ‘portal’ to one such activity we participated. Our mutual friend Paul was a charismatic lad who had this uncanny ability to make me cackle at the drop of a hat. This wasn’t more evident than when Paul sang the following lines from today’s featured song Mr. Brown:
Mr. Brown is a clown Who rides through town in a coffin
and this……
Is Mr. Brown controlled by remote?
Mr. Brown was originally released as a single in Jamaica and sold 15,000 copies. It has since appeared on various compilations such as Songs of Freedom.
Background (according to the Wikipedia article below):
The theme of the song relates to a rumor that was spreading through Jamaica that a duppy, or ghost, had been spotted in numerous locations speeding through the land on a three-wheeled coffin, perched upon which were three John crows, or buzzards, one of which could talk and was asking for a Mr. Brown. Glen Adams wrote the lyrics after hearing the story, and after Lee Perry’s suggestion, was sung by The Wailers. To go with the terror theme, the song has spooky elements such as evil laughter. The song has been featured on a few Halloween albums.
[Verse 1] (Who is Mr. Brown?) Mr. Brown is a clown Who rides through town in a coffin (Where can he be found?) In the coffin where there is three crows on top And two is laughing
[Verse 2] Oh, what a confusion, ooh, yeah, yeah What a botheration, ooh, now, now Who is Mr. Brown? I wanna know now He is nowhere to be found
[Chorus] From Mandeville to Sligoville Coffin runnin’ around Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town Asking for Mr. Brown From Mandeville to Sligoville Coffin runnin’ around Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town Asking for Mr. Brown (Read the remainder here)
Observation Blogger 