Every day I listen to either my current favorite song, a song that somehow summarises my mood or just a song that makes me feel happy before going to bed. I’ll try to post this song as a constant every time before I go to bed – if it’s available on youtube.

I recently rediscovered Muse and so far I particularly like this song:

Mañana de domingo. Mañana de mierda.

Fiebre del sábado noche.

Despertar 1. Las tres. Sudor y boca seca. Pesadilla 1. Tabaco y zumo. Vuelta a la cama. Almohadón empapado. Cuerpo sucio, mente sucia.

Despertar 2. Las seis.  Más sudor y más pesadilla.  El perro que no sabe de horas me persigue por el pasillo. Más tabaco y más zumo. Me quito la ropa. El mundo duerme o se divierte. Dónde estarán mis iguales. Miedo a seguir despierto. Miedo a dormirme. La mandíbula tensa, peleando. Imposible saber si esto empieza o acaba. Las horas pesan.

Despertar 3. Las diez. Mandíbula encajada. Mordiendo el aire. Contracturas en cuello y espalda. Lumbares y rodillas. Otro día que empieza habiendo acabado ya. Puta tensión. Mierda de fisioterapia.

Ira, rabia, odio. Acabamiento. Asco de civilización y asco de mí.

Bares, dominicales, diarios deportivos. Familias en chándal. Joputas.  Iros todos a la mierda y llevadme con vosotros. Dejadme un poco antes, quiero llegar caminando.

Quiero llorar o gritar. Me conformo con romper algo.

Nada.

Orfidal debajo de la lengua y a seguir tirado.

En el día del Señor.

*Spotify: Lullaby/Tom Waits

골동품 수집에 하나로 재봉틀하고, 타자기! 그리고 지지직- 거리는 커다란 턴테이블, 또 뭐가 있을까.

song ‘be with you.’ by BoA

If you’re a fan of the singer Jewel, set your alarm for 6:30 a.m. Monday. That’s when she will be performing live, acoustic guitar, on HSN.

Why HSN has scheduled Jewel’s first performance at dawn, we have no idea. But the singer will also be on at a more reasonable hour, 1 p.m. Monday.

We believe she will be performing songs from her CD “Lullaby,” which HSN is selling for $18.

As part of its effort to draw in non-home shopping viewers, both HSN and QVC have been offering live concert performances of artists such as Natalie Cole and Jose Feliciano.

The piano rock band OneRepublic’s second album is titled, “Waking Up.”  This is a good album, but I don’t think that there will be a mega hit like “Apologize” on this one.  It is a well written and composed album.  I like how they take the songs “Waking Up” and “Lullaby” and add extended orchestra instrumentals to them.  Those songs would work well in a fill with more somber themes.

For most people I would suggest, “All the Right Moves,” “Secrets,” “Good Life,” and “Marching On.”

De contemplat pe muzica asta – Pink Martini, Lullaby…

This book I’m reading is addicting. Though I find all books addicting, I know this books will end good cause the authors good~

Math is amazing! I actually understand what we’re doing in there. It’s a miracle!

Tomorrow is Destination NV at my school. It’s a half-day with classes, and then once everyone goes home, kids who’re in grade eight and are thinking of going to NV next year get toured around the school by students like me~ I figure. free pizza lunch, free cookies, and volunteer hours, by showing people around a school that I know practically by heart. Easy job~

Currently: Reading This Lullaby~~

Reading: This Lullaby… in case you didn’t catch that~

Listening to: Hajimete No Koi Ga Owaru Toki by some asian artist… hehehe…

Feeling the curves, Beautiful expression! 아직 언제 학교로 돌아갈 수 있는 지는 미지수지만. 에스키스 가득 이런 아우라가 솓아나는 그림이라면 좋겠다. 여전히.. 어쩌면 계속.. 다시 그림이 그리고 싶다.

As a cabaret singer, I have learned that researching a song enhances not only my understanding of the song, but also my emotional connection to it.  When I know about a song, its meanings and origins, I feel pride of ownership for my personal understanding of the song as well as a deeper connection to the community of singers and story tellers who came before me and those who sing it now.

The book “Jim Along, Josie, A Collection of Folk Songs and Singing Games for Young Children,” Compiled by Nancy and John Langstaff, has a slightly different set of lyrics (see yesterday’s post which includes these alternate lyrics).  In this book, the song is called “The Mockingbird (Hush Up, Baby)” and sites that it is “From ‘English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians.’”

The book “I Hear America Singing,”  collected and arranged by Kathleen Krull, calls the song “The Mockingbird Song or, Hush, Little Baby”  The citation is for “Appalachia/Alabama” and also says “Popular in the South in Pioneer days, this descends from an old English nursery rhyme.”

Peter Yarrow, in his note about “Hush, Little Baby” in his book of “Sleepytime Songs,”  suggests that the appeal of this song is the deep sense of comfort in knowing that no matter what happens, no matter what goes wrong, the child will be loved and cared for.

I read in a number of places online, that one indication that the song lyrics are American, is that Mockingbirds are native to the American Continent.

Many traditional lyrics change vastly over time, as suits the people in the times that they sing them.  If you are not singing along with the book, it is perfectly valid to make up your own lyrics to the tune and sing those to your children.

The origin of this tune seems to be unknown.

Alternate Christmas music series.

Here’s another of my favorite pieces associated with Christmas. It has a simple melody that tends to get into your head as it did mine when I heard it featured in the movie “Empire of the Sun“. My favorite version is from a Christmas album by the Irish Tenors. I don’t have the english words from that album which really carry the message I’m focusing on: The Cosmic event of this present age. (I’ll try to find the words- meanwhile enjoy the beautiful Welsh version by Katherine Jenkins)

Empire of The Sun version (Japanese-Umi Yukaba)

Here is the wonderful Leonard Cohen.

Tay is on fire with “You You You”. We are seeing more and more of side “H” for hot! This masterpiece of near musical perfection is like a gift so near the holidays. The song starts in signature Tay Zonday style then transitions to a faster, deeper, sometimes echoing musing on love, want, desire, and longing. Barry White is gone but if Tay wished he could have overwhelmed us with a firestorm of guttural growls. Instead, he purposely emits a warm steady fire that slowly touches without burning.

The background for the video set the right tone for it’s fast pace. Hearing the song first you expect a scene similar to “Cherry Chocolate Rain”. Instead, we are left with imagery harkening to an outdoor concert. Not closed off at all but visuals full of freedom and expression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ8URhMkf7o

You can sing “Hush Little Baby” with “Mama” or “Papa.” 

Here are the standard lyrics:

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won’t sing, Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke, Mama’s gonna buy you a billy goat
And if that billy goat won’t pull, Mama’s gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull turn over, Mama’s going to buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won’t bark, Mama’s going to buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down, You’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

The book “Jim along Josie” collected and compiled by Nancy and John Langstaff, has these lyrics for “The Mockingbird Song (Hush up, Baby)”

Hush up , baby, don’t say a word, Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
If it can’t whistle, and it can’t sing, Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.
If that diamond turns brass, Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass.
If that looking glass gets broke, Papa’s gonna buy you a Billy goat.
If that Billy goat runs away, Papa’s gonna buy you another day.

All folk songs, their words and melodies, evolve over time.  You can put your own rhymes into the song.  Your children will know them and sing those words to their children.  And on it goes…  It is a sweet and gentle way to send someting of yourself into the future.

Whether it’s the changing of the seasons or from constant working, but I am always tired as of late. And reading back on my posts, I can see the quality of the writing diminishing. I can literally feel the hurriedness of my style as I try to jot down the thoughts before I lose all ability to write anything more. Someone sing me a lullaby.

I’m just beige. Boring. Normal. I tune out the rest of the world with music, I ignore everyone through reading, I hide away in my room every night doing homework, I write as I please and then scrap the idea ten seconds later. I have no significant quality that can amaze people, enthrall them, or even to relate to them. I spend more time in my room than I do anywhere else. I spend more time doing homework then hanging with my friends. I have no social life, and yet here I am, alive, well and sane. How does that work?

Normal people go insane from spending too much time on their own. They start talking to themselves and then they get kicked to the asylum and then forgotten. I guess I would count as forgotten. In my house, my door never open, no one bothers me. Ever. I could be screaming and I would never be heard. It’s just the way my life works, the way it always have. I’ve always lived up to my parents expectations. Doing well in school, never doing drugs, all the junk. And yet their star child is my sister who gets the most attention of everyone. The only time I get some kind of attention is if I do badly in school. I guess it’s reflexive for me to try to do my best in school, and maybe that’s why I shy away from too much attention. I wear black 24/7 to blend into the background, and yet half the time, I’m trying to be heard, by my peers or by my family. Forgotten. That’s the word for me.

Currently: Working on a careers assignment

Reading: Just finished Beige by Cecil Castellucci, my insperation for todays blah. xP

Beginning to read: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Listening to: Bad Boy by Cascada

“Hush Little Baby” is easily sung a capella.  But, if you would like to sing along with music, most music download sites have a number of good options.

A nice instrumental track is found on “Lullaby Magic” by Joanie Bartles: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lullaby-magic/id299023387.  She has two tracks for each song, one with her singing and the other instrumental, including “Hush Little Baby.”  The melody line is played out on the instrumental track, making it easy for anybody to sing along.  I like the “Hush Little Baby” from this one because it is not too slow or sappy, although a tad “idealized.”  Sweetness is fine, but this song can be more fun if it is a little sassy.

My favorite vocal versions are from the King’s Singer’s album NEW DAY and from the album HUSH by Bobby McFerrin and YoYo Ma

Nina Simone’s version of “Hush Little Baby” (recorded at Carnegie Hall in May of 1963) from her album “Folksy Nina” is hauntingly beautiful.  She combines “Hush Little Baby” with “Mighty Lak a Rose.”  Although the medley makes singing with the book difficult, her interpretation is enlightening.

Most people know the folk song and lullaby ”Hush Little Baby.”  One of my favorite singable book versions of this song is illustrated by Marla Frazee.

As you sing the song, you can enjoy the book’s illustrated story of a little girl who jealously wakes her sleeping baby sibling and incurs the wrath of the baby’s cries and the family’s attempts to quench the storm with gifts from the travelling junk man.

I recently bought this album and I love it! I’ve always been a fan of Jewel and when I found out she was making a CD full of Lullabies for babies I was thrilled! All the songs are very pretty and reminds me of old Jewel (Foolish Games, ect). I would probably listen to this CD even if I didn’t have my little one. I don’t know how much more my husband can take from Aurora and I listening to it so much, but does his opinion really matter (Jewel hater!)? Give it a listen!