i go to vegas a few times a year and not once was i willing to shell out the dough to go see bette midler. now that her show is done and gone i am regretting it hugely. look at this lady!

fortunately i have seen her in concert and it was wonderful.  really, all i have to say is that she rode in on a carousal horse suspended in the air. it was pretty fantastic.

i feel like i have always been singing along with bette. beaches basically changed my whole life and became the soundtrack to my formative years. and who didn’t love to sing ‘the rose’ in a round? we all did. all of us.

the divine miss m

It’s time people realize that you shouldn’t sing sucky songs at Karaoke. Women, you are not allowed to sing, “The Rose,” or any other song meant to illustrate your dynamic vocal stylings (in a serious way) and men, why are you singing, “Yellow.” I am this woman, you will be punched and scorned. Bitch! You’ve been warned

I love to sing. I really do. Whether it’s on stage at karaoke or in a car or in the shower or at work, it don’t care. I just love it.

But I’m quite self-conscious about my abilities. I’m always worried that I’ll not be good enough, or that people will judge me or that I’ll just make a fool of myself.

I love singing all kinds of music, and sometimes the problem is that I want to sing things that don’t fit my voice. Especially when female singers are at the top of the charts with songs that I can’t get out of my head, and that I know and love, but just can’t sing.

I don’t remember what my very first karaoke experience was, but my first singing would have been at church with my mom. It would have been hymns and such in a little kid voice way off key. My mom is a great singer, I love listening to her voice, and to this day I can still pick her out when she is singing with the choir.

We used to sing in the living room at home while she would play that piano. It was a limited number of songs most of the year and it expanded during the Christmas season.

The regulars were American Pie and Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. Mom also busted out The Rose, but I didn’t really participate with that one. We also sang along to the radio a lot. Simon and Garfunkel and the Beach Boys and Genesis were at the top of that list. I can vividly remember the cover art of Genesis’ Invisible Touch as that cassette probably spent 3 years beside the old stereo in the kitchen.

I got introduced to country music when I was young too. The classic stuff, like your grand-daddy’s country music. The one artist that really stuck out though, for who knows what reason, was Randy Travis. I think that I’ve only ever sang 1 Randy Travis song at karaoke anywhere. It would have been “Forever and Ever Amen”. The one that I wish I could find is “Deeper than the Holler”. It’s a gorgeous song about loving somebody. It’s very country.

I do love singing songs that I know I’m going to be able to do well. The Killers and Dierks Bentley and U2 and Tim McGraw are usually a safe bet.

There isn’t a much cooler feeling in the world than having people paying attention and digging it and clapping our singing along with me. I love it. I feel like a rock star. On the flip side of that is the feeling of angst and nerves that grips me before I get up to sing. Sometimes booze will lessen the feelings, but not always. I get knots in my stomach and worry that I’m going to fall or miss words or be terrible.

So here’s to my love of music. It has been here for me in many forms and genres over the years. But it’s always been there.

Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razer
that leaves your soul to blead

Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it’s only seed

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed
that with the sun’s love
in the spring
becomes the rose

Here are my personal Taiwan drama picks…  Still have a bundle to watch so I’ll just update it every now and then…

♥ Meteor Garden – I give credit to this drama, because this what made my Asian drama addiction possible.  This is my “first” Asian drama, and because it’s the first, it will always be special.  At that time it was aired, it was a novelty… vibrant and undeniably addictive.   With cute guys you can’t help but fall in love… interesting development of the love story… and romantic elements well injected to stimulate the audience’ romantic veins.  These are reasons why you should watch it.  Phenomenal, unsurpassed and spellbinding.

♥  It Started with a Kiss 1 & 2 – it’s the drama that I watch when I’m sad so I can feel better.  Breezy, flowing, never a dull moment and endearing chemistry by the lead couple.

♥ Autumn’s Concerto – what’s strange about this drama is that the premise is typical, but superb directing and acting I guess made me glued and love this drama so much.  The pacing will make you crave for more, the twist is simple, yet done exceptionally.  This is my must see Taiwan drama of 09.

♥ Starlit – A different kind of Jerry Yan here.  Stirring, nothing fancy, and will make you cry.

♥ The Hospital – Superior directing and scriptwriting.

♥  My Lucky Star - Groovy, high spirited and lingering… Took a few episodes for me to get hooked, but girl I did…

♥ Smiling Pasta – Perky, fun and tantalizing…  The vibe is similar to Korea’s Full House.

♥ Romantic Princess – Nothing spectacular, light and quite engrossing…

♥  Hana Kimi – Fast paced, energetic and cute cast.  I still prefer the Japanese version though.

♥ Mars – Sentimental, amorous and absorbing…  Terrific directing and decent storyline.

♥ Corner with Love – Average, sunny and endearing…

♥ Miss No Good – Cheerful, sparky and fascinating…

♥ Why Why Love – the onset was fun, the twist is cool, but the ending is disheartening.

♥ Le Robe De Marriage - adorable, sometimes dull, but worth watching…

♥ Devil Beside You – pardon me if I didn’t enjoy it… It’s just so typical, nothing extraordinary for a love story… Didn’t like Rainie Yang’s acting here.  Nevertheless, it’s buoyant, fervent and warm.

♥ Love Contract – Moody, spry, but will eventually keep you uninvolved…

♥ The Prince Who Turns into a Frog – satisfactory, sometimes dragging, i don’t know why it got pretty decent ratings.

♥ Summer X Summer – Two Words… Skip it… The only good thing going on here is Joe Cheng.

♥ Love storm – chipper, lively and amusing…

♥ Tokyo Juliet – interesting chemistry of the lead couple… I may be weird but I enjoyed it, I manage to finish it in one sitting.  You’ll slowly get attached to it.  Decent and satisfying…

♥ The Rose - You might not really enjoy it.  Drama is all over the place, weird development of romance.  But once you watch it, you can’t help but finish it.

♥ Magic Ring - High Grade storyline layering, twist executed fairly… Enjoyable and Attractive…

♥ Fated To Love You – classic, amazing and fascinating…

♥ Love or Bread – Don’t watch it after watching ISWAK.  You’ll get disappointed.

♥ Silence – The story is compelling, but I don’t know, I feel like it’s missing something.  Or I’m just used to the lead couples really talking to each other and not just mutual understanding.

♥ Wish to see you again – sometimes captivating, most of the time though I dozed off…

♥ Hot Shot – Electrifying, fancy editing… skittish and exuberant…

Everything written about Thailand is going to recommend a visit to Chiang Mai. The literature is often a list of increasingly flattering monikers, “Culture Capital,” “adventure hub,” “gateway of the North,” etc. that all mean the same thing: Chiang Mai is a must see stop. This is true, but after spending a month their, I have some practical tips conveniently left out of Lonely Planet.

All the hype and Chiang Mai love that convinced you to go there also convinced 9,000,000 other farang to head up as well. The city is a tourist haven. There are hundreds of travel agents ready to book you for hikes, rafting, zoos, mountain biking, caving, elephant camps, tiger kingdoms, jungle rides, etc. Use them smartly, you will need a fixer for some of what you want to do and you really don’t for a lot of it.

A trip to tiger kingdom or an elephant camp is a really good idea. There is something innate about wanting to get close to and touch wild animals. Especially two of the most dangerous in the world. You can cuddle with tigers and ride elephants, or sit back and watch them dance. This is also a good reason to spend some money- with the modernization of Thailand, camps are about the only reason left for traditional elephant training. Plus, you will have great pictures. Should you book it? Maybe- my opinion, figure out what time would be good to go out there and rent a motorbike for the day. The camps are barely an hour outside the city and a motorbike is all of 5 USD for the day.

If you want to go get out in nature, Chiang Mai is a good starting point for a multi-day hike. If you want to visit old, remote Thai villages or skirt the Burmese border you are going to have to book a local guide (there are several) through an agent. However, if you want to do some hiking and communing with nature just for a day, there are a couple cheap, travel agentless options: 1) Hiking Doi Suthep- the mountain is the focal point of any view in the city and after all of 10 minutes of being in Chiang Mai you will want to go up it. If you take a Songtaw halfway up the mountain you can begin a rigorous hike complete with 9 different waterfalls. The topmost one is the best, so bring some water and give yourself a couple hours to enjoy the challenge. The vines growing on the waterfalls make for a challenging free climb and the minimal trail makes the trip feel exotic and dangerous. Afterwords, you can hitch a ride the rest of the way up the mountain to Wat Phra Tat for a panoramic view of the city. Note: guidebooks really love this site, but it’s not all that fantastic. It is a crowded and fairly new wat, so don’t expect Khmer ruins or clear pictures. 2) Grab a motorbike and take a trip out of the city to one of the neighboring national parks. Shri Lanna National Park is beautiful and a boat ride can take you to a floating cottage in the middle of the lake for some swimming and lunch. Or, hike Shri Lanna’s mountains, wandering from waterfall to waterfall.

For food, Chiang Mai is unmatched. Everything it dirt cheap and delicious. I recommend sampling the various street vendors who specialize in all forms of skewered meat, eggs, curries, and papaya salads. Chiang Mai also offers an abundance of western food, so if you have been on the road for a while, you can grab a special meal. The Rose has German Weissbier on draft and for some of the best pizza in the world, head to the Duke’s. It’s an enormous, New York quality pizza that will rival anything you have had.

Chiang Mai has a pretty vibrant bar scene with so much foreign money at play. Loy Kroh Road in teh Southwest part of the city is literally a street of bars, most of which offer girlfriends on site. There are also plenty of “back-packer” bars scattered around, mostly near guest houses.

Finally, Chiang Mai is loaded with “cultural mementos.” There are plenty of cooking classes and the night market is crammed with vendors. The best opportunity though, is the Sunday walking street, where you have access to all sorts of art, clothing, jewelry, and food. If you spend your time nibbling and browsing, you can steal deals by bargaining just before the street closes and vendors are looking to liquidate.

When I was little, Bette Midler was VERY popular in my house. My mom constantly played the soundtrack to “The Rose” repeatedly on the record player. That was my mom, obsessive to the core! However, I was little more of the “PS I Love You” kinda girl. That scene left quite an impression on me. So when I saw the military style coat offered at G Sloane Couture, I couldn’t help but immediately think of For the Boys.

The coat has sculpted prim cuffs and belt. The texturing is wonderfully realistic and it’s the perfect length to stand alone or with some trousers. It costs 170 linden and you get some optional holly prims too!

G Sloane Couture SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cedarwood/217/45/23

coat – G Sloane Couture…………. Green Wool Coat
eyes – YUMYUM…………. blue
boots – League …………. Asuka Boots
skin – Dutch Touch…………. Special No2 – caramel
hair – Truth…………. Ashlynn – mocha
poses – Luth

Happy Birthday Bette Midler – 65 today.

Over the next couple of days I’m going to publish what are basically transcriptions of three in-class essays from my Modern Poetry class with Don Revell.  The purpose is partially self-serving, simply as I’m in the process of writing the term paper for the class and am hoping that reexamining these essays will clarify some of my own thoughts.  The only editing I am doing is if I come across basic spelling and grammatical essays.  I apologize for the paragraphs not necessarily leading consistently towards some well-defined goal.  The essay is more exploration/brainstorm session on a topic than proper essay.  The first below discusses William Carlos Williams’ “The Rose”.

Topic: Why is the rose obsolete?

First, we should ask whether the rose really is obsolete.  As the first line of the poem is, precisely, “The rose is obsolete” we at least can begin with that assumption.  But then we get a rude awakening when we move to the second line that begins with the interjection: “but”.  This “but” immediately discards the previous statement on which we have begun the poem.  The subject of the poem turns from the obsolescence of the rose to the parts of the rose, “each petal”, pushing away the concept of the rose as a thing in itself.

The rose, as a poetic trope, carries a long and well-used tradition of meaning–my love is like a red, red rose, for example.  Returning to Williams’ opening statement, “The rose is obsolete” could be considered a rejection of the rose as a poetic trope.  Writing Spring and All at the early eruptions of the high modernist period, there was a significant focus on the new, on creating the poetry of the moment, the contemporary, modern world (if we ignore the debt Pound, Eliot, H.D. and others have to their predecessors).  So Williams’ statement here is partially a rebellion against this tradition.  In some sense he is also rebelling against the use of any object or thing cleaved haphazardly to an idea that did not originate from that thing.

Williams addresses the rose-love connection when he writes in stanza six:

The rose carried weight of love

but love is at an end–of roses

It is at the edge of the

petal that love waits

These lines change the relationship between rose and the idea love–Williams places them next to each other, love existing at the edge of the petal, not within it or as it.  Williams then begins to move towards that edge:

The place between the petal’s

edge and the

ending the second line of the stanza abruptly, dropping the ending that possibly could be the movement from petal to love.

In the next stanza, Williams does gesture beyond the petal: “From the petal’s edge a line starts”.  As the thing approaches idea or non-thingness, as Williams moves closer to the point where the thing ceases to be, instead of the idea we receive a stark line.  Williams continues:

that being of steel

infinitely fine, infinitely

rigid penetrates

the Milky Way

without contact–lifting

from it–neither hanging

nor pushing–

The fragility of the flower

unbruised

penetrates space.

As we follow that line, possibly a line or missile of meaning, do we ever see love?  What does occur is a movement from thing to idea, but the idea in the last stanza is the “fragility of the flower”, a tangible idea with a direct connection to the physical world, not the love or weight of love mentioned previously.  The one idea – love – that we expect at the onset of the poem’s title and that is recognized in the previous stanza fails to materialize even at the edge of the petal, instead leaving us with a flower, a line, and emptiness.

I have not touched on a few important ideas.  In stanzas three through five, Williams focuses on a majolica rose (the Juan Gris painting), a representation that is an attempt to cement, to recognize, to create a static and totalitarian world.  But for Williams, this staticness is impossible.  What makes the rose a rose is not its moment frozen in time.  It is the rose’s mutability, the rose’s ability to renew, the rose’s very fragility.

But if it ends

the start is begun

Every thing is always ending and always beginning, each line is then both signalling the end of the previous line and the beginning of both itself and the oncoming next line.  The rose is obsolete because the rose that was “like” love is gone, has passed in time.  The trope is behind us for that reason and, moreso, because it has been “worked to defeat”.  Even the supposed permanence of the majolica rose finds itself on a “broken plate”.  The rose is constantly becoming obsolete, and yet, “but”, constantly renewing itself.  But that new thing has made the previous thing obsolete.  (That sentence might have fallen into tautological reasoning).  But so is Williams, so is the moment (at least how he seems to conceive it), and so is Williams’ rose.  Hopefully these ideas have some bearing on why the rose is obsolete, or perhaps the answer is simply because Williams saw that it was.

New Moon: pale fire

Reviews I wrote for the Herald this week:

The Twilight Saga: New Moon. “Bella sure can pick ‘em.”

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. “As a filmmaker, Daniels comes on like a hard-hitting linebacker.”

Blind Side. “Manages to keep the schmaltz level down.”

Planet 51. The males of this planet wear no pants.”

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe. “A family-made documentary can’t be considered the final word.”

And an interview, mostly on the Twilight phenomenon, with two low-billed cast members.

And two more oldies from Movietone News magazine, published in Parallax View: The Rose, and Richard Lester’s forgotten Cuba.

I am sure many people consider Bette Midler’s “The Rose” to be just another easy listening standby, just another harmless and brainless ode to love with lyrics full of cliches piled on top of each other. They may have a point. After all, the song basically compares love to a rose, which isn’t exactly the most original simile ever. However, may I re-direct you attention to the part where love is also called a razor that leaves your soul to bleed? Hmm, not exactly a sentiment often found on most adult contemporary stations, is it? The thing that makes “The Rose” great and not merely easy listening good is that it doesn’t flinch away from the dark side of love even as it celebrates the bright, shiny parts. Adding to this underlying grit is Bette Midler’s voice. Bette leaves no doubt that she’s no dopey-brained crooner; she’s a woman who’s accompanied Love to hell and back. So when she tells us that in spite of it all, she still believes in this razor, this river, this seed, this rose that is love, she empowers not only herself but also us.

The Rose – Bette Midler

Well.

Today we delve into the realm of popular music. Or, to be slightly more accurate, music that was briefly very popular, but is now an embarassment to the very idea of sound – yet somehow, still remains AWESOME.

Which brings me to today’s list – Thirteen Guilty Pleasure Songs You Hate to Love. (Or Love to Hate.)

Thirteen: The Sign. (Ace of Base.)

Ah, 1993. A simpler time. A time before balloon boys and black presidents and lady gagas ran amok, choking our nightly news with the same tenacity as a green Jolly Rancher in a child’s throat. And the non-grunge soundtrack to that bygone era would no doubt be peppered with plenty – puh-lenty – Ace of Base.

It what pretty much came down to a coin toss, I went with “The Sign” over “All That She Wants.” Both are maddeningly catchy  pop anthems from the early nineties, but I suppose it will truly be “The Sign” that this weird, and oddly sexy, Swedish band will be remembered for.

And nothing else.

Twelve: Stay (I Missed You). (Lisa Loeb.)

One year after Ace of Base broke into North American homes, depositing their sugary sweet sound into teenage ears like some weird Swedish Santa Claus, a local girl with trendy glasses also made a bit of an impact.

Let’s face it…if you were a dude in the early nineties old enough to understand the basic differences between men and women – you had a thing for Lisa Loeb. Her girl-next-door image, her sweet voice, her awesome pre-Tina Fey eye gear…this girl was all that. Just ask Ethan Hawke.

And while her big hit single “Stay” may not neccessarily be a guilty pleasure for the feminine set, I often get strange looks from people whilst blaring it from the speakers of my Toyota Tercel while driving.

Though it may just be because I’m wearing those wicked glasses.

Eleven: Toxic. (Britney Spears.)

Say what you will about Brit – and there’s a lot to say, I’m sure – this song kicks ASS. From the offbeat synth/violin riff to the onbeat sweet percussion, this is a song full of hooks that gets under your skin and into the meat of your brain no matter how embarassed you might feel listening to a damn Britney Spears track.

Oh, and the video, like most of Brit’s visual work, is also something of a guilty pleasure. At least, I always feel strangely guilty three or four minutes after watching it…

Ten: Lovefool. (The Cardigans.)

While the opening choppy guitar may be reminiscent of Television’s “Elevation” (not to be confused with U2’s “Elevation”, which is neither as good as the Television song, nor as catchy as “Lovefool”) this song nevertheless reamains a remarkably potent pop nugget. Made famous for it’s appearance in Baz Lurhman’s “Romeo & Juliet” MTV “opus,” it became a pretty big hit for this Swedish band, and the mere mention of it too this day still get’s her bizarrely accented voice stuck in my head.

Interesting that this is the second Swedish band to make the list – though not the last. Which brings me to….

Nine: Anything by ABBA. (ABBA.)

Even if you change your mind, they’ll still be first in line. North America took a chance on Sweden’s ABBA, and by gumption, they stepped up to the challenge – delivering pop tunes so sweet that they gave our ears cavities, sending us all rushing to our dentists. Or ear doctors. Well, whoever you would see about damaged ear enamel.

“Take a Chance on Me,” “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen” – the hits didn’t stop. Even today they’re still making musicals and movies based on ABBA’s long gone career. Catchy as hell, these are songs that everyone seems to know the words too – but of course, would never be caught dead singing them out loud.

Eight: Fields of Gold. (Sting.)

What do you get when you combine a peaceful melody, lush production and a friggin’ lute?

Sting, of course.

Let’s go back a bit. To, say…1979. When Sting was considered “cool”. Here was a white Englishman fronting the world’s biggest and coolest reggae band…and, let’s face it, one of the biggest bands in the world. Then the band broke up, and the other two dudes from “The Police” kind of just disappeared. This was the coming – the hearkening, if you will – of Solo Sting.

Not content to just sing and play bass anymore, Sting decided to add a few new weapons to his arsenal. The guitar. The piano. And THE LUTE.

And then you get “Fields of Gold” a gentle, yet delicate song that transcends beauty in every pluck of the lute string. But, it’s by Sting, so I’m not allowed to like it.

Quick crib note for anyone paying attention: listening to “The Police” = COOL. Listening to Sting = NOT SO MUCH.

Sorry, Sting.

Seven: Invisible Touch. (Genesis.)

“She seems to have an invisible touch, YEAH!

She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart!”

And, with those words, Phil Collins single-handedly destroyed the legacy that was Genesis, forcing Peter Gabriel to go all solo and weird.

But damn if it ain’t catchy.

Six: The Power of Love. (Huey Lewis and the News.)

Let’s get one thing out of the way. Huey Lewis is not cool. Huey Lewis will never be cool. Huey Lewis is the opposite of cool, and the News is just there to reiterate the fact. Having said that…

“The Power of Love” IS cool. Granted, it had the good fortune of appearing in a film (“Back to the Future”) that was and shall always be cool (despite featuring Huey Lewis in a cameo acting – wait for it – uncool) but that doesn’t detract from the fact that this song is an anomaly. It shouldn’t be cool – all power chords and inane lyrics- but it damn well is. Maybe it’s just because I associate it with skateboarding and time travel and Michael J. Fox…all cool, by the way. Whatever it is, it is what it is.

Cool.

Five: Kiss From a Rose. (Seal.)

Another soundtrack song makes the list, and, like “The Power of Love”, maybe I just have fond memories of it due to its association with BATMAN. Albeit, in one of the worst Batman outings ever. It’s grandiose and corny and peppered with stupid lines like “but did you know/when it snows/my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen” which is barely even coherent. Whatever though – it was in a BATMAN movie, and Seal could and still can emote like no other. And, since I’m sure this song had at least something to do with his hooking up with Heidi Klum, I can only assume that it’ll work the same for me. Karaoke, here I come!

Four: Karaoke Songs. (Various, but mostly Journey and Bon Jovi.)

Karaoke, here I am!

This entry is less about the act of karaoke as it is about the songs people choose to karaoke with. Songs that you would never find yourself listening to at  home alone, or possibly even at a party, but dump a few cocktails down your throat and throw in a creepy dude with a microphone and songbook on hand, and suddenly you’re singing every damn lyric without even glancing at the screen.

“Living on a Prayer” and “Don’t Stop Believing” are usually the most well documented. For instance:

Yeah. Just like that.

Three: It’s All Coming Back To Me Now. (Celine Dion.)

This is what happens when you give Celine Dion a Meatloaf inspired song attached to a Meatloaf inspired theatrical video:

And it’s AWESOME.

Two: Do You Really Want To Hurt Me. (Culture Club.)

“The Wedding Singer” may have helped this one, but whatever. This song was ALWAYS awesome. It’s a weird song (to say the least) that should probably come off as horrendously creepy, but somehow Boy George manages to sell it legitimately. Nowadays however, with Boy George’s recent drug woes and wrongful imprisonment of male escorts (seriously), the song has achieved a darker tone, and has finally reached its destiny of being the weirdly creepy song we all knew it could be!

One: The Rose. (Bette Midler.)

I’ll let this one speak for itself:

“Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it’s only seed

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of wakingthat never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dyingthat never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winterfar beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed
that with the sun’s love
in the spring
becomes the rose”

Was anybody else singing along while reading that? Because god knows I was.

And I honestly don’t even feel that guilty about this one.

Well.

That is that. Stay tuned for more blog updates, where I hopefully discuss good music.

Although, seriously…some of these count.

Also, if any of these songs are now stuck in your head – or, god forbid, if ALL of them are stuck in your head, battling it out for supreme annoyingness – I personally shoulder none of the blame.

Lately I’ve been really into “The Rose”, penned by Amanda McBroom but made famous by Bette Midler. For a long time, this song carried an aura for me of something that was closely associated with childhood and at one time quite familiar but hadn’t been brought into my consciousness for over half a lifetime, like a lullaby or old family photos in storage. I was reminded of it last month at the Starry Plough open mic, when Cortnee Rose did a chilling version of it.

Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you its only seed

It’s the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dying
that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun’s love
in the spring becomes the rose

In thinking about what tags I will be using in this blog, I have the notion that it may come to resemble an amateurish taxonomy of songs. This song is definitely what I would call a ‘message’ song, a generic speaker urging a generic listener to embrace a particular lifestyle or belief that will ostensibly lead to a happier, more ethical, or more enlightened existence. I feel it’s safe to say that I think most message songs convey some pretty terribly contrived and dumbed-down ‘messages’ (e.g. “Let Love Rule” by Lenny Kravitz): the songwriter, entertaining no small degree of narcissism, wants to pen something that will be universally recognized as a beautiful rendition of a central truth in our human experience, but from fear that their own song won’t be celebrated similarly, makes certain that the gospel imparted is something that the listeners already know, or think they know. (Super important note: “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is amazing, but not a message song by my criteria, despite its name).

One of the challenges about writing a message song that’s actually good, besides having to actually possess some wisdom about life, is that for the tone to be right, it almost requires that no personal experience, trial or struggle, whether first- or third-person, be related. In “The Rose”, the speaker only enters the song once (“I say love, it is a flower”), but this declaration could easily be that of a detached commentator; there’s no admission of vulnerability or of her own experience of heartbreak (female songwriter + female performer = feminine pronoun). Far more intimate and disarming is when the second-person enters the song in the third verse: “And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong”. By using the second-person, we are pulled into the song and made vulnerable: it is not Amanda’s or Bette’s but our faith that has been shaken.

There are a number of other elements here that makes this song deeply moving to me. I love the characterizations in the first verse of love as an amoral, unconcerned agent of nature (not unlike my own “Plant Food”, although somewhat less apocalyptic). Maybe even more effective to me is the repetition of “Some say love…” because it gives me a pretty tragic image, of dreary, jaded masses of a society brusquely rumoring about love, like it’s a mythical creature or a fugitive like Emmanuel Goldstein. I’m not sure if it’s known whether there are more of these types of people than the other kind, that is, those who have been drinking the kool-aid since at least adolescence (count me among their numbers). But by portraying a world populated mostly by the latter, the speaker creates an environment where her message is especially dire and perhaps even a bit radical (as opposed to the well-worn saw that it often is). And certainly when considering the scared, hurt soul of the third verse, who believes on some gut level that they are not worthy of loving and being loved (and there are many of these), the message does seem quite urgent.

Finally, the central metaphor of the song, love as a blossom, is quite beautiful, and not just because flowers are purdy. What she is saying, in essence, is that each of us is empowered to let beauty spring forth from ourselves, for our sake, for the sake of others, for its own sake. And while the song is quite gentle and kind to the damaged heart, there is to me a sort of an imperative call-to-action (“you, its only seed”). As if to say, ‘You must sacrifice and make yourself vulnerable so that beauty may flourish.’