The Frustrated Teacher: song of the day

Showing posts with label song of the day. Show all posts

2/3/12

Song Of The Day: Comfortably Numb

Pink Floyd featuring Van Morrison and The Band from Berlin, 1990. Awesome. (Video link)

1/28/12

Song Of The Day: I'm Easy

Boz Scaggs. I know, you're thinking Jojo, or What Do You Want The Girl To Do, or something.

Yeah, Slim's. Don't forget Slim's. I saw Johnny Winter there. Love that place.

But Boz goes back to the 60s. He was in Steve Miller's band when they were youths (pronounced "yoots"), and spent time in London before coming back to hippieville. He could sing and play that guitar real good, and that got him signed.

He rocks.

In fact, on his first (sort of) album from 1969, he seems to have written a rocker for Newt Gingrich called, I'm Easy:

7/22/11

Song Of The Day: Tramp The Dirt Down

This song is really for Maggie Thatcher, but it is so illustrative of the avarice shown by our own idiot politicians I just had to post it. And I love Elvis.

Tramp The Dirt Down by Elvis Costello

I saw a newspaper picture from the political campaign
A woman was kissing a child, who was obviously in pain
She spills with compassion, as that young child's
Face in her hands she grips
Can you imagine all that greed and avarice
Coming down on that child's lips

Well I hope I don't die too soon
I pray the lord my soul to save
Oh I'll be a good boy, I'm trying so hard to behave
Because there's one thing I know, I'd like to live
Long enough to savor
That's when they finally put you in the ground
Ill stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down

When England was the whore of the world
Margaret was her madam
And the future looked as bright and as clear as
The black tarmacadam
Well I hope that she sleeps well at night, isn't
Haunted by every tiny detail
Cos when she held that lovely face in her hands
All she thought of was betrayal

And now the cynical ones say that it all ends the same in the long run
Try telling that to the desperate father who just squeezed the life from his only son
And how it's only voices in your head and dreams you never dreamed
Try telling him the subtle difference between justice and contempt
Try telling me she isn't angry with this pitiful discontent
When they flaunt it in your face as you line up for punishment
And then expect you to say thank you straighten up, look proud and pleased
Because you've only got the symptoms, you haven't got the whole disease
Just like a schoolboy, whose heads like a tin-can
Filled up with dreams then poured down the drain
Try telling that to the boys on both sides, being blown to bits or beaten and maimed
Who takes all the glory and none of the shame

Well I hope you live long now, I pray the lord your soul to keep
I think I'll be going before we fold our arms and start to weep
I never thought for a moment that human life could be so cheap
Cos when they finally put you in the ground
They'll stand there laughing and tramp the dirt down

7/4/11

Song Of The Day: U.S. Blues

U.S. Blues
The Grateful Dead

Red and white, blue suede shoes,
I'm Uncle Sam, how do you do?
Gimme five, I'm still alive,
ain't no luck, I learned to duck.
Check my pulse, it don't change.
Stay seventy-two come shine or rain.
Wave the flag, pop the bag,
rock the boat, skin the goat.
Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.
Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.

I'm Uncle Sam, that's who I am;
Been hidin' out in a rock and roll band.
Shake the hand that shook the hand
of P.T. Barnum and Charlie Chan.
Shine your shoes, light your fuse.
Can you use them ol' U.S. Blues?
I'll drink your health, share your wealth,
run your life, steal your wife.
Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.
Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.

Back to back chicken shack.
Son of a gun, better change your act.
We're all confused, what's to lose?
You can call this song the United States Blues.
Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.
Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.

5/21/11

Song Of The Day: Brother Esau (Shadowboxing The Apocalypse)

The Grateful Dead @ SF Civic 1-28-87

My brother Esau killed a hunter

Back in 1969

And before the killing was done,

His inheritance was mine.

But his birthright was a wand to wave

Before a weary band.

Esau gave me sleeplessness

And a piece of moral land.

My father favored Esau,

Who was eager to obey

All the bloody wild commandments

The Old Man shot his way.

But all this favor ended

When my brother failed at war.

He staggered home

And found me in the door.

[Chorus:]

Esau skates on mirrors anymore...

He meets his pale reflection at the door.

Yet sometimes at night I dream

He's still that hairy man,

Shadowboxing the Apocalypse

And wandering the land.

Shadowboxing the Apocalypse

And wandering the land.

Esau holds a blessing;

Brother Esau bears a curse.

I would say that the blame is mine

But I suspect it's something worse.

The more my brother looks like me,

The less I understand

The silent war that bloodied both our hands.

Sometimes at night, I think I understand.

It's brother to brother and it's man to man

And it's face to face and it's hand to hand...

We shadowdance the silent war within.

The shadowdance, it never ends...

Never ends, never ends.

Shadowboxing the Apocalypse, yet again...

Yet again.

Shadowboxing the Apocalypse,

And wandering the land

5/2/11

Song Of The Day: He's Gone

Osama bin Laden. Shot in the head, buried at sea. Nothing's gonna bring him back.

Rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limb, you know better but I know him.

Like I told you, what I said, Steal your face right off your head.

Now he's gone, now he's gone, Lord he's gone, he's gone.

Like a steam locomotive, rollin' down the track

He's gone, gone, nothin's gonna bring him back...He's gone.

Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride, hot as a pistol but cool inside.

Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile,

Nothin' left to do but smile, smile, smile!!!!

Now he's gone, now he's gone Lord he's gone, he's gone.

Like a steam locomotive, rollin' down the track

He's gone, gone, nothin's gonna bring him back...He's gone.

Goin' where the wind don't blow so strange,

Maybe off on some high cold mountain chain.

Lost one round but the price wasn't anything,

A knife in the back and more of the same.

Same old, rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limb,

You know better but I know him.

Like I told you, what I said,

Steal your face right off your head.

Now he's gone, now he's gone Lord he's gone, he's gone.

Like a steam locomotive, rollin' down the track

He's gone, gone, nothin's gonna bring him back...He's gone.

Ooh, nothin's gonna bring him back.

4/18/11

Song Of The Day: Hava Nagila

This is a version of Hava Nagila you probably have not heard. A few years ago my second graders performed the Hora to this version. It rocked. If I can find the video I will post it.

Hava nagila, hava nagila
Hava nagila venis'mecha
(Let us rejoice, let us rejoice. Let us rejoice and be happy)

Repeat

Hava neranena, hava neranena
Hava neranena venis'mecha
(Let us sing, let us sing. Let us sing and be happy)

Uru, uru achim
Uru achim belev same'ach
(Awake, awake, brothers. Awake with a happy heart)