Probably one of the strangest Christmas singles ever, and likely also one of the most histrionic — and yet it still gets me every time.
**
"The Power of Love" (as recorded by Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay
Love is the light
Scaring darkness away
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on, burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying
Love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful
Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls
Love is like an energy
Rushing inside of me
This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine, divine divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure, the only treasure
I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove
Flame on, burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal
I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
2008
As a post for 2008 (it seems I only get around to one a year or so) I think I will dedicate it to Leslie's teaching, Carmen's studenting and Bruce's stand-around-observingness. The first issue of Enjoy Gardening hit the shelves at Hole's today and will be populating magazine racks across the country in the coming weeks. Not quite a magazine, similar to a book, sort of a journal and not at all a serial, I believe this is a new form of publication that I intend to call a Moosh.Long live the Moosh and may she fly high and true.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 123
Contemplate the unity between la belle et la bête. Who doesn't love a bit of drama in his life?
**
"Beauty and the Beast" (as recorded by Stevie Nicks)
You're not a stranger to me
And you are something to see
You don't even know how to please
You say a lot but you're unaware how to leave
My darling lives in a world that is not mine
An old child misunderstood out of time
Timeless is the creature who is wise
And timeless is the prisoner in disguise
Oh who is the beauty ... who the beast
Would you die of grieving when I leave
Two children too blind to see
I would fall in your shadow, I believe
My love is a man who's not been tamed
Oh my love lives in a world of false pleasure and pain
We come from different worlds ... we are the same
I never doubted your beauty ... I've changed
**
"Beauty and the Beast" (as recorded by Stevie Nicks)
You're not a stranger to me
And you are something to see
You don't even know how to please
You say a lot but you're unaware how to leave
My darling lives in a world that is not mine
An old child misunderstood out of time
Timeless is the creature who is wise
And timeless is the prisoner in disguise
Oh who is the beauty ... who the beast
Would you die of grieving when I leave
Two children too blind to see
I would fall in your shadow, I believe
My love is a man who's not been tamed
Oh my love lives in a world of false pleasure and pain
We come from different worlds ... we are the same
I never doubted your beauty ... I've changed
Monday, January 07, 2008
Wondering...
What does the aspect of this line imply about the speaker's imminent actions?
"You have been the one,
You have been the one for me."
Since I first heard this song (by James Blunt), I've been writing its story in my mind, and I'm really puzzled by the tense. Any ideas?
L
"You have been the one,
You have been the one for me."
Since I first heard this song (by James Blunt), I've been writing its story in my mind, and I'm really puzzled by the tense. Any ideas?
L
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Welcome to 2008
Happy New Year! I hope your entry into 2008 was bright and beautiful. Here's wishing us all a joyous, healthy, and satisfying twelve months. Whee!
L
L
Saturday, December 22, 2007
What would you call...?
Whew, it's been a while, huh? I'll try to get back to blogging more regularly in the new year. They say power has its privileges ... one of which is not an abundance of spare time. : )
In the meantime, here's something to think about: What would the title of your biography be? Here are some suggestions:
For Zak: Stuff I would have blown up ... if I'd gotten around to it ...
For me: Stuff I found on the floor of my office
OK, maybe these aren't titles of biographies so much as archeological dissertations. Speaking of which... Back to cleaning up.
Have a marvellous holiday season!
L
In the meantime, here's something to think about: What would the title of your biography be? Here are some suggestions:
For Zak: Stuff I would have blown up ... if I'd gotten around to it ...
For me: Stuff I found on the floor of my office
OK, maybe these aren't titles of biographies so much as archeological dissertations. Speaking of which... Back to cleaning up.
Have a marvellous holiday season!
L
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Beautiful passages
"My own father, who had great respect for nature, had dropped each of us into the river soon after we were born, before our ties to the amphibians, so he claimed, were cut completely. ... I'd like to think that I would have done it differently. I would have held my son in my arms. I would have told him, Once upon a time you were a fish. A fish? he'd have asked. That's what I'm telling you, a fish. How do you know? Because I was also a fish. You, too? Sure. A long time ago. How long? Long. Anyway, being a fish, you used to know how to swim. You loved the water. Why? What do you mean, why? Why did I love the water? Because it was your life! And as we talked, I would have let him go one finger at a time, until, without his realizing, he'd be floating without me."
Nicole Krauss, The History of Love
Nicole Krauss, The History of Love
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 27
July days, July evenings...
**
"Summer Breeze" (as recorded by Seals and Crofts)
See the curtains hanging in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light shining through the window
Lets me know everything's all right
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind
See the paper laying on the sidewalk
A little music from the house next door
So I walk on up to the doorstep
Through the screen and across the floor
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you're waiting there
Not a care in the world
See the smile waiting in the kitchen
Food cooking and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me
In the evening when the day is through
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind…
**
"Summer Breeze" (as recorded by Seals and Crofts)
See the curtains hanging in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light shining through the window
Lets me know everything's all right
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind
See the paper laying on the sidewalk
A little music from the house next door
So I walk on up to the doorstep
Through the screen and across the floor
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you're waiting there
Not a care in the world
See the smile waiting in the kitchen
Food cooking and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me
In the evening when the day is through
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind…
Sunday, October 07, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 38
Simple and sweet, and slightly melancholy. Don't you have those contrary days too?
**
"Hello Goodbye" (as recorded by The Beatles)
You say yes, I say no
You say stop and I say go, go, go
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
I say high, you say low
You say why, and I say I don't know
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Why, why, why, why, why, why
Do you say good bye
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye I say hello
Hello
**
"Hello Goodbye" (as recorded by The Beatles)
You say yes, I say no
You say stop and I say go, go, go
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
I say high, you say low
You say why, and I say I don't know
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Why, why, why, why, why, why
Do you say good bye
Goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello
hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye I say hello
Hello
Saturday, October 06, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 69
Maybe you remember Streetheart's cover instead of the original. Either way, it makes a fine singalong on those retro days.
**
"Tin Solider" (as recorded by The Small Faces)
I am a little tin soldier
That wants to jump into your fire
You are a look in your eye
A dream passing by in the sky
I don't understand
And all I need is treat me like a man
'Cause I ain't no child
Take me like I am
I got to know that I belong to you
Do anything that you want to do
Sing any song that you want me to sing to you
I don't need no aggravation
I just got to make you
I just got to make you my occupation
I got to know that I belong to you
Do anything that you want to do
Sing any song that you want me to sing to you
All I need is your whispered hello
Smiles melting the snow
Nothing heard
You eyes are deeper than time
Say a love that won't rhyme without words
So now I've lost my way
I need help to show me things to say
Give me your love before mine fades away
I got to know that I belong to you
Do anything that you want to do
Sing any song that you want me to sing to you
I just want some reaction
Someone to give me satisfaction
All I want to do is stick with you
'Cause I love you
**
"Tin Solider" (as recorded by The Small Faces)
I am a little tin soldier
That wants to jump into your fire
You are a look in your eye
A dream passing by in the sky
I don't understand
And all I need is treat me like a man
'Cause I ain't no child
Take me like I am
I got to know that I belong to you
Do anything that you want to do
Sing any song that you want me to sing to you
I don't need no aggravation
I just got to make you
I just got to make you my occupation
I got to know that I belong to you
Do anything that you want to do
Sing any song that you want me to sing to you
All I need is your whispered hello
Smiles melting the snow
Nothing heard
You eyes are deeper than time
Say a love that won't rhyme without words
So now I've lost my way
I need help to show me things to say
Give me your love before mine fades away
I got to know that I belong to you
Do anything that you want to do
Sing any song that you want me to sing to you
I just want some reaction
Someone to give me satisfaction
All I want to do is stick with you
'Cause I love you
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 94
One of the best songs for remembering sunny summer days.
**
"At the Zoo" (as recorded by Simon and Garfunkel)
Someone told me
It's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
It's a light and tumble journey
From the East Side to the park
Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo
But you can take the crosstown bus
If it's raining or it's cold
And the animals will love it
If you do, if you do
Something tells me
It's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
The monkeys stand for honesty
Giraffes are insincere
And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb
Orangutans are skeptical
Of changes in their cages
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum
Zebras are reactionaries
Antelopes are missionaries
Pigeons plot in secrecy
And hamsters turn on frequently
What a gas! You gotta come and see
At the zoo...
**
"At the Zoo" (as recorded by Simon and Garfunkel)
Someone told me
It's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
It's a light and tumble journey
From the East Side to the park
Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo
But you can take the crosstown bus
If it's raining or it's cold
And the animals will love it
If you do, if you do
Something tells me
It's all happening at the zoo
I do believe it
I do believe it's true
The monkeys stand for honesty
Giraffes are insincere
And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb
Orangutans are skeptical
Of changes in their cages
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum
Zebras are reactionaries
Antelopes are missionaries
Pigeons plot in secrecy
And hamsters turn on frequently
What a gas! You gotta come and see
At the zoo...
Monday, October 01, 2007
Breast cancer versus prostate cancer
October is breast cancer month in Canada. You likely already know this because of the pink ribbons in magazines and newspapers, in stores and businesses, and on various products, or because you're supporting a run to fund breast cancer research.
Did you know September was prostate cancer awareness month?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, while prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men. In fact, prostate cancer accounts for almost one in three cancer diagnoses among Alberta men.
In 2007, an estimated 22,300 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 will die of it. In 2007, an estimated 22,300 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 will die of it.
These figures mean that, on average, 429 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every week and 83 Canadian men will die of prostate cancer every week. At the same time, an average of 429 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every week and 102 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week. (In the United States, more black women die of breast cancer than white women do.)
At a local level, an estimated 2,400 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 430 will die of it in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, while an estimated 2,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 440 will die of it in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
Breast cancer tends to be a more lethal cancer and tends to develop earlier in life than prostate cancer. One in eight men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime, for most after age sixty. One in 27 will die of it. One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime, and one in twenty-seven will die of it. (An estimated 170 men are diagnosed each year with breast cancer and 50 will die of it.)
However, breast cancer death rates have declined in all ages combined and in every age group since at least the mid 1990s. Incidence and death rates for breast cancer have declined since 1969 in women aged 20 to 39.
So research does make a difference, and your donations to fight cancer are important. But don't be swayed to buy pretty pink products that you wouldn't otherwise buy, and don't be coerced into donating just because it's October. The pink ribbon is appealing, but advances in all areas of cancer research are needed now.
You can make your money make a difference. Donate directly to organizations that fund cancer research rather than buying products that direct a portion of their profits to funding cancer organizations. Support products and organizations that generate funds and awareness year-round rather than just once a year. Cancer organizations are happy to receive your donation throughout the year, whether it's breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, or general cancer research that you prefer to support, and most donations to registered charitable and nonprofit organizations are tax-creditable.
Cancer is an ugly disease, no matter who gets it. It is tragic when a beautiful woman in her twenties or thirties learns she has cancer, but it is also tragic when a brilliant man in his fifties or sixties learns he has cancer. This month, join the fight to end ALL cancers.
All statistics are from the Canadian Cancer Society, www.cancer.ca.
Did you know September was prostate cancer awareness month?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, while prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men. In fact, prostate cancer accounts for almost one in three cancer diagnoses among Alberta men.
In 2007, an estimated 22,300 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 will die of it. In 2007, an estimated 22,300 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 will die of it.
These figures mean that, on average, 429 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every week and 83 Canadian men will die of prostate cancer every week. At the same time, an average of 429 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every week and 102 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week. (In the United States, more black women die of breast cancer than white women do.)
At a local level, an estimated 2,400 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 430 will die of it in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, while an estimated 2,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 440 will die of it in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
Breast cancer tends to be a more lethal cancer and tends to develop earlier in life than prostate cancer. One in eight men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime, for most after age sixty. One in 27 will die of it. One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime, and one in twenty-seven will die of it. (An estimated 170 men are diagnosed each year with breast cancer and 50 will die of it.)
However, breast cancer death rates have declined in all ages combined and in every age group since at least the mid 1990s. Incidence and death rates for breast cancer have declined since 1969 in women aged 20 to 39.
So research does make a difference, and your donations to fight cancer are important. But don't be swayed to buy pretty pink products that you wouldn't otherwise buy, and don't be coerced into donating just because it's October. The pink ribbon is appealing, but advances in all areas of cancer research are needed now.
You can make your money make a difference. Donate directly to organizations that fund cancer research rather than buying products that direct a portion of their profits to funding cancer organizations. Support products and organizations that generate funds and awareness year-round rather than just once a year. Cancer organizations are happy to receive your donation throughout the year, whether it's breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, or general cancer research that you prefer to support, and most donations to registered charitable and nonprofit organizations are tax-creditable.
Cancer is an ugly disease, no matter who gets it. It is tragic when a beautiful woman in her twenties or thirties learns she has cancer, but it is also tragic when a brilliant man in his fifties or sixties learns he has cancer. This month, join the fight to end ALL cancers.
All statistics are from the Canadian Cancer Society, www.cancer.ca.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 49
A little-known song from the late eighties: sweet, simple, and a tiny bit sad.
**
"I Wish U Heaven" (as recorded by Prince)
Doubts of our conviction
Follow where we go
And when the world's compassion
Ceases still I know
4 your every touch I
Thank U so much
4 your every kiss I...
I wish U love
I wish U heaven
I wish U heaven
If I say 11
U can say it's 7
Still I wish U heaven
I wish U love
I wish U heaven
I wish U heaven...
**
"I Wish U Heaven" (as recorded by Prince)
Doubts of our conviction
Follow where we go
And when the world's compassion
Ceases still I know
4 your every touch I
Thank U so much
4 your every kiss I...
I wish U love
I wish U heaven
I wish U heaven
If I say 11
U can say it's 7
Still I wish U heaven
I wish U love
I wish U heaven
I wish U heaven...
Saturday, September 29, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 46
Someone somewhere is thinking of you right this minute.
**
"Losing My Religion" (as recorded by R.E.M.)
Life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
**
"Losing My Religion" (as recorded by R.E.M.)
Life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
Friday, September 28, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 97
Ideally, this song is playing while you're flying down the highway, headed for happiness...
**
"Magic Carpet Ride" (as recorded by Steppenwolf, 1968!)
I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
Any place it goes is right
Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me, little girl
On a magic carpet ride
You don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes, girl
Look inside, girl
Let the sound take you away
Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
And so I wished that I could stay
Before the thing could answer me
Well, someone came and took the lamp away
I looked around
A lousy candle's all I found
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me, little girl
On a magic carpet ride
Well, you don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes, girl
Look inside, girl
Let the sound take you away...
**
"Magic Carpet Ride" (as recorded by Steppenwolf, 1968!)
I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
Any place it goes is right
Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me, little girl
On a magic carpet ride
You don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes, girl
Look inside, girl
Let the sound take you away
Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
And so I wished that I could stay
Before the thing could answer me
Well, someone came and took the lamp away
I looked around
A lousy candle's all I found
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me, little girl
On a magic carpet ride
Well, you don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes, girl
Look inside, girl
Let the sound take you away...
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 89
Always reminds me of the auto-percussion selection on my mother's electronic organ!
**
"Steppin' Out" (as recorded by Joe Jackson)
Now —
The mist across the window hides the lines
But nothing hides the colour of the lights that shine
Electricity so fine
Look and dry your eyes
We —
So tired of all the darkness in our lives
With no more angry words to say
Can come alive
Get into a car and drive
To the other side
Me, babe — steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light
You, babe — steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light
We —
Are young but getting old before our time
We'll leave the TV and the radio behind
Don't you wonder what we'll find
Steppin' out tonight
You —
Can dress in pink and blue just like a child
And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile
We'll be there in just a while
If you follow me
Me, babe — steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light
You, babe - steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light ...
**
"Steppin' Out" (as recorded by Joe Jackson)
Now —
The mist across the window hides the lines
But nothing hides the colour of the lights that shine
Electricity so fine
Look and dry your eyes
We —
So tired of all the darkness in our lives
With no more angry words to say
Can come alive
Get into a car and drive
To the other side
Me, babe — steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light
You, babe — steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light
We —
Are young but getting old before our time
We'll leave the TV and the radio behind
Don't you wonder what we'll find
Steppin' out tonight
You —
Can dress in pink and blue just like a child
And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile
We'll be there in just a while
If you follow me
Me, babe — steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light
You, babe - steppin' out
Into the night
Into the light ...
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 31
Another great one-off — perfect for your morning commute!
**
"Ah! Leah!" (as recorded by Donnie Iris)
Leah, it's been a long long time
You're such a sight
You're looking better than a body has a right to
Don't you know we're playing with the fire?
But we can't stop this burning desire
Ah! Leah! Here we go again
Ah! Leah! Is it ever going to end?
I see your lips and I wonder who's been kissing them
I never knew how badly I was missing them
We both know we're never going to make it
but when we touch, we never have to fake it
Ah! Leah! Here we go again
Ah! Leah! Is it ever going to end?
We ain't learned our lesson yet
Baby, it's no good
We're just asking for trouble
I can touch you but I don't know how to love you
It ain't no use, we're headed for disaster
Our minds say no but our hearts are talking faster
Ah! Leah! Here we go again
Ah! Leah! Is it ever going to end?
**
"Ah! Leah!" (as recorded by Donnie Iris)
Leah, it's been a long long time
You're such a sight
You're looking better than a body has a right to
Don't you know we're playing with the fire?
But we can't stop this burning desire
Ah! Leah! Here we go again
Ah! Leah! Is it ever going to end?
I see your lips and I wonder who's been kissing them
I never knew how badly I was missing them
We both know we're never going to make it
but when we touch, we never have to fake it
Ah! Leah! Here we go again
Ah! Leah! Is it ever going to end?
We ain't learned our lesson yet
Baby, it's no good
We're just asking for trouble
I can touch you but I don't know how to love you
It ain't no use, we're headed for disaster
Our minds say no but our hearts are talking faster
Ah! Leah! Here we go again
Ah! Leah! Is it ever going to end?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The vault of lost lyrics, chapter 17
Turn up your mental speakers and sing along!
**
"Turning Japanese" (as recorded by The Vapors)
I've got your picture of me and you
You wrote "I love you"
I wrote "Me too"
I sit there staring and there's nothing else to do
Oh it's in color
Your hair is brown
Your eyes are hazel
And soft as clouds
I often kiss you when there's no one else around
I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of you all round my cell
I want a doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
And turning in and turning 'round
Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...
I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of them all round my cell
I want the doctor to take a picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
and turning in and turning 'round
Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...
No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women
No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark
Everyone around me is a total stranger
Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger
That's why I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...
**
"Turning Japanese" (as recorded by The Vapors)
I've got your picture of me and you
You wrote "I love you"
I wrote "Me too"
I sit there staring and there's nothing else to do
Oh it's in color
Your hair is brown
Your eyes are hazel
And soft as clouds
I often kiss you when there's no one else around
I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of you all round my cell
I want a doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
And turning in and turning 'round
Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...
I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of them all round my cell
I want the doctor to take a picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
and turning in and turning 'round
Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...
No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women
No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark
Everyone around me is a total stranger
Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger
That's why I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...
Sunday, September 09, 2007
A Book to Avoid
I'm sure few of you would ever be moved to read Ann Brashares' new novel, The Last Summer (of You and Me) . But for those who might be tempted, let me say this: don't bother.
Brashares, in case you don't know, is the author of the outrageously successful Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series for young adults. The series is chock-full of annoying, low-grade YA clichés: genre-bound, simplistic, predictable exchanges that follow a high-key Hollywood arc. Nothing truly bad happens, the risks the protagonists face are minor and non-threatening, and the books invariably resolve happily, with renewed commitment to friendship forever (a commitment that strangely ebbs away by the beginning of the next book). Earlier this year Brashares brought all her Travelling Pants heroines to the cusp of adulthood, perhaps thinking her readership would then graduate to the new novel she's written for adults. And while readers might buy the book because they recognize the author's name, I can't imagine any but those who like badly written, formulaic storytelling enjoying it.
The Last Summer tells the story of Alice and Riley, sisters in their early twenties, and their best boy pal, Paul. After several years apart, the trio reunite at their summer homes on Fire Island. Preposterousness then ensues: a secret romance, a fast-moving tragedy, a protracted misunderstanding, and a final tearful resolution. Despite more than 300 pages of plot and exposition, real characters never arrive to flesh out Brashares' sketches. Her prose is bloated and occasionally pedantic — there is no doubt readers will understand the deeper philosophy the writer means to communicate, if only because the writer underlines it in triplicate. Brashares' technique alternates between stilted, extremely formal constructions and vapid, throwaway sentences. When the copyediting started to fall apart, about 100 pages into the novel, I was convinced the editor was having as much trouble taking the book seriously as I was. Not only could I predict the plot from chapter one; at no point did the writer make me care about the story or the characters. Even the sex scenes are coy and cool, as they would be in one of Brashares' YA books, and the serious problems of young adults living in an increasingly complex world are waved away, deferred for contemplation some vague time after Labour Day.
I'd been hoping that Brashares had more promise than her Travelling Pants premise permitted her to express — I was looking forward to a breakout book. Sadly, this is no breakout; it isn't even good summer reading. Clichéd, trite, underdeveloped and overwritten, The Last Summer (of You and Me) is a book to avoid.
Brashares, in case you don't know, is the author of the outrageously successful Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series for young adults. The series is chock-full of annoying, low-grade YA clichés: genre-bound, simplistic, predictable exchanges that follow a high-key Hollywood arc. Nothing truly bad happens, the risks the protagonists face are minor and non-threatening, and the books invariably resolve happily, with renewed commitment to friendship forever (a commitment that strangely ebbs away by the beginning of the next book). Earlier this year Brashares brought all her Travelling Pants heroines to the cusp of adulthood, perhaps thinking her readership would then graduate to the new novel she's written for adults. And while readers might buy the book because they recognize the author's name, I can't imagine any but those who like badly written, formulaic storytelling enjoying it.
The Last Summer tells the story of Alice and Riley, sisters in their early twenties, and their best boy pal, Paul. After several years apart, the trio reunite at their summer homes on Fire Island. Preposterousness then ensues: a secret romance, a fast-moving tragedy, a protracted misunderstanding, and a final tearful resolution. Despite more than 300 pages of plot and exposition, real characters never arrive to flesh out Brashares' sketches. Her prose is bloated and occasionally pedantic — there is no doubt readers will understand the deeper philosophy the writer means to communicate, if only because the writer underlines it in triplicate. Brashares' technique alternates between stilted, extremely formal constructions and vapid, throwaway sentences. When the copyediting started to fall apart, about 100 pages into the novel, I was convinced the editor was having as much trouble taking the book seriously as I was. Not only could I predict the plot from chapter one; at no point did the writer make me care about the story or the characters. Even the sex scenes are coy and cool, as they would be in one of Brashares' YA books, and the serious problems of young adults living in an increasingly complex world are waved away, deferred for contemplation some vague time after Labour Day.
I'd been hoping that Brashares had more promise than her Travelling Pants premise permitted her to express — I was looking forward to a breakout book. Sadly, this is no breakout; it isn't even good summer reading. Clichéd, trite, underdeveloped and overwritten, The Last Summer (of You and Me) is a book to avoid.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Thirty Days in the Summer of 07
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