Before anything else, I want to thank every one of you who took some time out of your life to visit my BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB) installment, to listen and then cast a vote. I sincerely appreciate ya! May you all bless and be blessed.
Well, the song was the Blues classic 'Good Morning, Little School Girl', and I knew going into this contest that Taj Mahal -- despite having won Arlee Bird's Battle last month -- was going to be a big underdog against Van Morrison (click HERE). I had previously said that I believed Van's version of this song would clobber in a BOTB contest any other rendition of the song I'd ever heard. Therefore I was actually a little concerned about a shutout. Never had one, never want one!
But with the first vote being cast for Taj, my worry about a shutout was dismissed. I could then relax and just watch the chips fall.
To my astonishment, the first four chips (aka votes) fell for Taj Mahal, and I was thinking: Hokey-Smoke! I has a Battle here!!
Alas, not so. Van Morrison then proceeded to reel off twelve straight unanswered votes (including mine), and the affair ended with the predicted clobbering...
Taj Mahal = 4 votes
Van Morrison = 12 votes
I hope y'all will join me here again on November 15th when I will present a new (and hopefully closer) BOTB installment.
But, speaking of Van Morrison, and me feeling a little sad today, let me ask you a Q. (This Q is for everyone, whether you're a regular at this blog, a non-regular, or even a first-timer.)
Is there any song that, for whatever reason, can make you misty-eyed or even bring you to actual tears in just the first 15 to 20 seconds every time you hear it? If so, please do tell! Which song is it? Performed by whom? And, if you feel inclined to share some personal information, please tell us WHY that song has that effect on you.
I'll go first.
For me, the first song that comes to my mind is this one...
.
Pagan Streams by Van Morrison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpJqVr3F87U
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I could go on and on and on about what all of the lyrics signify for me, but... I'd probably bore the hell out-ya. So, I'll spare ya. Lemme just say, though, that when Van says "And I want to climb that hillside again, with you, one more time...", the hillside I always see in my mind's eye is this one...
.
Alright, that does it for me; I'm over and out. Thanks again, all y'all. And please return on 11/15, eh?
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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Al Bondigas here. I can’t say it’s within the first 15-20 seconds, but Tony Orlando and Dawn’s “Tie a Yelliw Ribbon” still gets me a little teary eyed. Also Bob Seeger’s “Jody Girl”, as well as“Momma”. No need to explain that, we both can relate to those.
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL ~
DeleteOh, yeah, I remember how much you always loved 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon'. And, 'Jody Girl' for me, too. Not in 15-20 seconds, but certainly before the end.
I've got a few more like that, also. Such as 'Photographs And Memories' by Jim Croce. That one's tough for me to get through dry-eyed.
Now... how about the theme song to 'Welcome Back, Kotter'?
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Ohh yeah, of course!!! Great song with special meaning to me. Another one from way back that touches me is ‘Season in the Sun’. by one hit wonder Terry Jacks.
DeleteHa! I knew your reaction to 'Kotter' would be big.
DeleteI get the melancholia in 'Seasons In The Sun', but for whatever reason, that one never really affected me much.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Is there any song that, for whatever reason, can make you misty-eyed or even bring you to actual tears in just the first 15 to 20 seconds every time you hear it?
ReplyDeleteFunny you should ask. I was just thinking about this the other day. My answer would have to be Foo Fighters 'Walk'. Having had to start my life over so many different times, this one just speaks to me.
~Mary
MMQE ~
DeleteI don't know that song -- 'Walk' -- but I'll give it a listen.
Yes, I saw in your comment section the discussion with Michele. Damn! I can't believe you're moving again. Of course, I'm sure you can hardly believe it, either. And again not just a move but a major relocation out-of-state. Those are brutal. My heart goes out to ya. For real.
Well, I'll say a prayer that it all goes as smoothly as possible.
Hang tough and remember that what doesn't kill you... sometimes makes you wish it had. (You may quote me.)
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Al Bondigas here. One more thing, ( In the voice of Columbo ) The saddest song of all time is ‘The Times of Your Life’. That’s my fulin’.
ReplyDelete"One more thing"...
Delete"I can't help wondering why..."
"Now, my wife, she would probably say..."
Ha! What a great character!! Half the time he'd just annoy them into confessions.
I don't think I can rightly argue with yer rulin'. 'The Times Of Your Life' probably really IS the saddest song of all time.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Your battle came out correctly... except Mahal got about three votes more than he shoulda!
ReplyDeleteAs for your tear-inducing song, and can imagine why you'd want to climb up that hill one more time with her. Heck, I'D like to walk up there with her just once myself! She was a beauty.
For my songs: "Try to Remember" from the musical "The Fantasticks," is one. The version that gets me the most (of course) is my own father singing it. But this version by Ed Ames (at age 80) is closest in sound to my dad. Same deep bass voice, recorded at about the same age as when Dad recorded it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5wth6xrwbo
My son Alex just played Dad's version at his wedding for the Groom/mother dance. Brought tears to my eyes, and even brought my friend to tears, also.
Also, "The Circle Game" by Joni Mitchell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGHjHU_Z8d8
The reasons they hit me must be obvious, I suppose. Both are reflective, sentimental songs. My dad never sang "The Circle Game," though! If he had, THAT version would REALLY break me up. HA! Thinking about him singing that folk piece makes me chuckle. He HATED folk music.
BROTHER McITCHYFINGER ~
Delete>>... "...no one wept except the willow"
Wow! What a great line!
I didn't think I knew the song 'Try To Remember', but with the very first words, I was like, UHP! I'M AN IDIOT! Of course I knew it.
What a fantasticks idea to play your Dad singing the song at his Grandson's wedding! Perfect!!
I knew I knew 'The Circle Game'. Funny thing though: Right after it ended, the next video that played was Joni doing 'California'. Hmmm.... Odd little coincidence, eh? Or is it?
I actually like the Taj Mahal version of 'Good Morning, Little School Girl', but IMO it is greatly overshadowed by Van's thermonuclear rendition. I would say though that Taj got 3 more votes than I expected him to get. (I kinda suspected from the get-go that Lee's vote would go to Taj.)
Thanks for the comment and for playing along with me here. Excellent inclusions!
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
I'm disappointed on Taj's behalf. At least I wasn't alone in voting for him. I can't think of any songs that make me misty eyed the way that some books and movies do.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
JANIE ~
DeleteWell, Taj did manage to beat Johnny Winter last month. I think he was still a little tired after that last Battle.
Yeah, books and movies -- two more good categories.
For me, the very end of 'THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER' comes immediately to mind.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Along with ‘My Little Red Story Book’. Ohh, and don’t forget ‘The Gingerbread Man’. Am I right?
DeleteTwo classics there, for sure.
Delete'On The Trail With Lewis And Clark' always brings a tear to my eye, too.
;^)
~ D-FensDogG
I had hopes for Taj at the outset, but, as in my own battle for this time, I figured Van would win based on his recognition and popularity. But that was a fine outcome because to me both versions were very good.
ReplyDeleteSongs that induce a tear after the first 20 or 30 seconds? I'm not sure that the tears would come that soon for me. I think there are a few songs like that but now I can't recall what they might be. "September Song" might be one and it would have special significance for me as my memory becomes less sharp. One song would be Kool and the Gang's "Cherish" which I wrote about in one of my earlier Battles.
I'd have to think on this concept for a while as I know it's something that has struck me in the past. I can even recall not so long ago playing a song for my wife that struck me in such a way. Maybe it will come to me later.
Lee
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
Delete'September Song' is an excellent mention. That one also hits me hard, plucking the melancholic strings in my heart. Especially the Willie Nelson version. It might not get to me in the first 20-30 seconds, but never fails to get to me well before its conclusion.
~ D-FensDogG
My vote wouldn't have changed a thing. Good song for a battle.
ReplyDeleteMIKE ~
DeleteYeah, Taj needed more help in this Battle than you alone could have provided.
~ D-FensDogG
Great battle and the correct result! VAN THE MAN.
ReplyDeleteAs I scrolled down to comment, "The Circle Game" caught my eye - I love that song and I rarely see anyone else mention it, so kudos to Sixgun Whateverfingers. Great, thought provoking tune.
I'm a sap; I own it. Several songs get me weepy and usually, it's because a situation or relationship or event is tied to it and I just can separate the emotion from the tune.
Here's few:
"I Go Crazy" - Paul Davis. Coming to terms with old relationships...not that you didn't want to move one, but geez, do they have to keep walking the earth, dredging up old feelings? Is that too much to ask?
"What Wondrous Love is This?" - a hymn. "What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?" Indeed.
"Lies" - Glen Hansard. "The little cracks they escalated...and before we knew it was too late..." Yep. Sure was...
"Breath of Heaven" - Amy Grant. "Do you wonder as you watch my face, If a wiser one should have had my place, But I offer all I am, For the mercy of your plan..." And the video doesn't help matter much, either...still sappy.
Actually, too many songs make me weepy. I just realized it. :-|
Thanks for the feedback, DOC MacSIS.
DeleteYeah, same here. All the ones that really bring out emotion in me are either tied to someone else, or tied to certain mental images from events in my past.
Dang! Of the 4 previously unmentioned songs that you named, I only know 'I Go Crazy'. I will need to look into these further and download these updates into my Brain File.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
And Stephen,
ReplyDeleteWow, haven't heard Pagan Streams for a long time. Powerful lyrics even out of context:
We lived where dusk had meaning
What happened to a sense of wonder
Why couldn't we just be ourselves
We could dream, and keep bees
And we didn't need anybody, or anything
Powerful, my friend....very powerful. Love to hear the story.
(even if It means telling me again)
JW,
Pooh
...AND POOH...
DeleteIt's interesting to me how PAGAN STREAMS is really not a song but a recitation accompanied by music. Not something I would normally be drawn to. But there's so much passion and expressiveness in Van's voice that it really conveys a deep longing for the past, and that fully resonates with me.
I don't know about you, but my past was far superior to my present. Frankly, it's a bittersweet painful joy I feel when I think of people, times, and places in my past.
Without filling in all the blanks, I'll say that PAGAN STREAMS takes me back to about 1990 / 1991. Much of it has to do with Virginia City. You remember Virginia City, right? Where you and I enjoyed a shot of whiskey and a beer together at The Bucket Of Blood Saloon? ("I love it when a plan comes together!")
And, believe it or not, when Van mentions "Honey Street", well, for me, Honey Street is actually Pier Avenue and your house there at Pooh Corner.
Come to think of it... I believe I WILL have a shot and a beer at The Bucket Of Blood today. Whatcha gonna do about it, punk?!
:^)
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
And Stephen,
ReplyDeleteThe Irish have a tradition of recitations. My Uncle Frank was good at it which brings me back to memories. I knew it was Virginia City. I always fall somewhere between melancholy and nausea when I think of Virginia City. Yes, we surely have more yesterdays than tomorrows my friend and we did live where dusk has meaning. And I am proud to have shared the gloam with you my friend. We do have to revisit Virginia City the next time we get together.
JW, JW,
Pooh
...AND, POOH, THAT'S NOT ALL!...
DeleteIn case you thought I was joking about it, I was NOT! I did indeed drive up to VA CITY yesterday and had a shot of Jack and an ICKY I.P.A. (I realize you don't know an ICKY IPA from a hole in the head, but...)
Yes, the same bartender who remembered "you from last night". Ha! He's older now... unlike us.
Your sentence about sharing the gloam with me instantly reminded me of an oldie but a goodie. Does this [Link> HERE bring back any vague memories of Hangover Waltz mornings and out-of-focus, laminated nights?
"Roamin' in the gloamin'". More like "stumblin' in the neon". Geriatric Amnesia is a gift from God.
We had fun though. Or so the story goes. And we'll always have Zucky's. ...Or the Zucky's sign, anyway. [;^)}
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...