I’ll see you on Monday or Tuesday, Same Verd Time, Same Verd Channel!

~G

Steve Forbert

Rationale:

This is a beautiful, sweet, and reassuring song to me, even when I’m not in need of comfort or reassurance.  It’s a lover’s tune through and through – an invocation from the singer to his audience to share the world in all its simple splendor together.  Sure, it’s true, I’m a sap, but I also trully appreciate a perfect song like this one.  Also, it doesn’t make the mistake of so many songs that use Romeo & Juliet as a romantic symbol, as this is clearly using Romeo in the colloquial sense to refer to someone who is head-over-heels (and there IS no mention of Juliet, thus the metaphor remains untainted by the tragic tale).  Anyway, all of this is so much more than I need to say, really – just listen to the song; it’ll say all there needs to be said.

Listen Here:

Lyrics:

Meet me in the middle of the day
Let me hear you say everything’s okay
Bring me southern kisses from your room
Meet me in the middle of the night
Let me hear you say everything’s alright
Let me smell the moon in your perfume

Oh, Gods and years will rise and fall
And there’s always something more
It’s lost in talk, I waste my time
And it’s all been said before
While further down behind the masquerade the tears are there
I don’t ask for all that much I just want someone to care
That’s right now

Meet me in the middle of the day
Let me hear you say everything’s okay
Come on out beneath the shining sun

Meet me in the middle of the night
Let me hear you say everything’s alright
Sneak on out beneath the stars and run

Oh yeah, oh yeah yeah, oh yeah

It’s king and queen and we must go down now beyond the chandelier
Where I won’t have to speak my mind and you won’t have to hear
Shreds of news and afterthoughts and complicated scenes
We’ll huddle down behind the light and fade like magazines

Meet me in the middle of the day
Let me hear you say everything’s okay
Bring me southern kisses from your room

Hey hey, meet me in the middle of the night
Let me hear you say everything’s alright
Let me smell the moon in your perfume

Oh now, meet me in the middle of the day
Let me hear you say everything’s okay
Let me see you smiling back at me

Hey, meet me in the middle of the night
Let me hear you say everything’s alright
Hold me tight and love and loving’s free

Woah yeah

Zircon

Rationale:

Andrew Aversa, better known by his composer name, Zircon, is one of (if not) my favorite video game remixers.  His tracks are always multifaceted explorations of the music they stem from and are literally exciting to listen to!  The musical synthesis and evolution that he allows listeners to experience (especially those familiar with the source material, but even those who aren’t) is definitely admirable.  This remix of a few tracks from Final Fantasy VI is a prime example of that – mixing the sounds of a desert caravan with a bustling factory, juxtaposed with a crazy dance.  It’s a sensational musical piece that I return to time and again for its awe-inspiring composition.  Check the song out for yourself, and visit his website for more about him!

Listen Here:

(No Lyrics)

The Presidents of the United States of America

Rationale:

The Presidents have long been one of my favorite bands, so it’s a wonder that it took so long to find them on this list, but I guess it’s been cold and bleak, and these guys are anything but!  This song strikes me, more and more, as a sort of spiritual sequel to one of their biggest radio hits, “Lump”.  It’s full of Presidents-level patent wildness, a love song about being with someone not all there; yet it never feels demeaning or cruel.  It’s simply a fantastic, upbeat song that contrasts the gloomy mid-February weather pretty well!  Anyway, give it a listen and see for yourself.

Listen Here:

Lyrics:

I said I loved you and I told you on a Tuesday
You say you’re happy but your mind is slidin’ sideways
You say you’re happy but you’re dozy in the theater
The goons keep grillin me wonderin’ – how I’m treatin’ ya!
I say she’s happy, that’s all that matters
I say she’s happy, that’s all that matters
Her clothes are crappy and her brain is badly battered
You say she’s happy, that’s all that matters now
That’s all that matters now

When I get you home in my room ‘tween my sheets
And I got a chance to tell you, face to face
How I feel about you darling now, I say

You’re a lunatic to love
You’re a lunatic to love
You can hold my hand to stand up
Hey Lunatic

I dropped you off at the asylum on a Friday
You looked like hell but I said that you looked OK
You spent the weekend flailing round the trailer
I had to tie you down and strap on you inhaler

I wish that I could help you feel the cold breeze
Set up an IV of sanity
Say there’s a spy in one half of your brain
Spyin’ on the other half and it’s drivin’ you a little insane

But you’re happy, that’s all that matters
You say your happy, that’s all that matters
Your clothes are crappy and your brain is badly battered
You say your happy, that’s all that matters now
That’s all that matters right now

When I rescue you from those concrete rooms
Where they keep you tied up to your bed
Giving you shots of electricity every morning at 7 am
It’s enough to drive a sane person crazy
Baby let me tell you how I feel about ya

You’re a lunatic to love
You can hold my hand to stand up
Hey Lunatic

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love
Luncatic to love
A luncatic to love
A luncatic to love
A luncatic to love

A luncatic to love
A luncatic to love
A luncatic to love
A luncatic to love, love, love, love, love, love
A luncatic to love

Ellegarden

Rationale:

This song is all about searching for a long-lost love with optimism and having escaped the pain of the initial loss.  It’s a really catchy tune, regardless of the fact that it is primarily in Japanese.  I’ve provided the translation below, for myself and everyone else here who don’t speak Japanese.  Anyway, the song is a solid rock tune that feels good to listen to, and the lyrical content backs that feeling up.  Give it a listen (The video’s pretty cool, too!).

Watch Here:

Lyrics:

(Japanese)

Hon no sukoshi mae ni te ni ireta you na mirai wo
Omoide to issho ni marumete nage suteta

Mada saki wa nagai yo nimotsu wa mou ii yo

I am dreaming of a girl rocked my world
Nanboku e tsuzuku koukasen
Kono saki ni wa kitto aru to
Sasayaiteru

Yukkuri to katamuku ashimoto ni ki wo tsukete
Omou yori anata wa zutto tsuyoi kara ne

Miminari ga yamanai na kimi no koe ga mada kikoeru yo

Nanokunen mo mae ni tsuketa kizuato nara nokotte
Kienakutemo ii sa itami wa mou nai kara ne

Chi no nijinda ashiato oite ikareta kioku mo
Dare ni datte aru daro kakusu tsumori mo nai kedo

I am dreaming of a girl rocked my world
Nanboku e tsuzuku koukasen
Kono saki ni wa kitto aru to
Sasayaiteru

Her name is Laura

(English)

Not so long ago, I thought I held this future in my hands
But then I crumpled it up along with my memories and threw it away

It’s still a long way, but I don’t need any baggage

I am dreaming of a girl who rocked my world
The elevated railway that runs from north to south
Whispers
That she’s surely up ahead

Look down slowly and watch your step
You’re so much stronger than you think

The ringing in my ears won’t stop. I can hear your voice again

I’ve still got these scars from a million years ago
It doesn’t matter if they don’t disappear, cause there’s no more pain

Everyone has bloody footprints and memories left behind
I don’t mean to hide them

I am dreaming of a girl who rocked my world
The elevated railway that runs from north to south
Whispers
That she’s surely up ahead

Her name is Laura

Fastball

Rationale:

Love is elusive and cruel to the searchers, but ultimately, many of us find what we’ve been looking for all along – compassion, companionship, and cohesion.  This is my tribute to the celebration of that pursuit, Valentine’s Day.  As much as I have resented this day in the past (see part two of this post), it does feel even better to have a stable, uplifting, and fulfilling relationship after years of being on the outside or feeling miserable despite being in a relationship.  This is one of my favorite love songs, because it captures that great feeling of (all this time) looking for the right person and finally finding it.  That being said, happy Valentine’s Day to everyone out there who’s found that special someone, and from me – especially to Brittany – you make my life more complete than I could have ever guessed it could be.  I Love You.

Listen:

Lyrics:

When I was a boy I could not stand the silence
I needed the noise I was underage and overjoyed
Changing my ways
But there’s so many ways to change
I’m growing up
I’m getting wise I’m getting strange

All I was looking for was you
All I was looking for was you
I ran my ship into the ground
Chasing some high and lonesome sound
From Venice Beach to Kathmandu
My money’s gone my time it flew
All I was looking for was you (All this time) [x2]

Some marry for love
Some marry for money
Dollars and cents
Through open arms and barbed wire fence
Running away
From everything that looks like me
I heard a voice
I saw your face, it set me free

All I was looking for was you
All I was looking for was you
The endless highways I rode down
The girls I kissed in every town
Midnight on heartbreak avenue
All twisted up on bitches brew
All I was looking for was you

Running away From everything that looks like me
I heard a voice I saw your face, it set me free

All I was looking for was you
All I was looking for was you
The endless highways I road down
The girls I kissed in every town
Midnight on heartbreak avenue
All twisted up on bitches brew

All I was looking for was you (All this time)
I learned the words I sang the song
Then I got lost in Babylon
I ran my ship into the ground
Chasing some high and lonesome sound
The lies I told you kept them through
Nobody knows me like you do
All I was looking for was you

John Prine

Rationale:

Okay, so looking at the lyrics, it’s somewhat indicative that this song is actually talking about the death of a loved one and being able to carry on with life, but I’m going to take it a bit differently, because it always strikes me more as the following: Sometimes love will escape you, and even though it seems like the greatest tragedy at the time, in some circumstances, it is for the better – if you let yourself move on with your life, you too may find yourself surprised to be living a whole/complete life upon recovery.  The point is, with all the fanfare that Valentine’s Day is always afforded, it can be a tremendously isolating, even cruel time for people who are “left out” of the relationship club, but it doesn’t really seem fair (let alone nice) to do that.  Many of my friends are single and deserve to have someone in their lives who appreciates them for everything they are and makes them feel complete, but a lot of life is up to chance, so I just wanted to say something akin to “I’m rooting for you guys and girls out there” with this post, and that I hope your day is great regardless of whether you have someone to share it with right now or not.  I love you all for the great friendship you’ve always shown me, and this is one way I can take this day to show a little extra appreciation of that.

Listen:

Lyrics:

Everything is cool
Everything’s okay
Why just before last
Christmas My baby went away

Across the sea to an island
While the bridges brightly burn
So far away from my land
The valley of the unconcerned

I was walking down the road, man
Just looking at my shoes
When God sent me an angel
Just to chase away my blues

I saw a hundred thousand blackbirds
Just flying thru the sky
And they seemed to form a teardrop
From a black haired angel’s eye

That tear fell all around me
And it washed my sins away
Now everything is cool
Everything’s okay

Everything is cool
Everything’s okay
Why just before last Christmas
My baby went away

And I find it real surprising
For myself to hear me say
That everything is cool
Everything’s okay

Everything is cool
Everything’s okay
Why just before last Christmas
My baby went away.

A Fine Frenzy (AKA Alison Sudol)

Rationale:

Leading in to February 14th, I thought this would be an appropriate song, as it pretty adequately (more than adequate, really) captures the feeling of yearning for someone but never wanting to ruin the perfection of that love.  In a way, this is a heartbreaking song about avoiding heartbreak – she’s always been enamored with the auditor of the song, but cannot bring herself to express her feelings for fear of someone getting hurt.  Love can be a crazy trap sometimes – a territory with outdated or irrelevant maps as the only way to guide a person through (thus, no true guidance at all) – and in the spirit of the inpending “holiday”, this song is one way to deal with it, but not necessarily the one for you, the listener.  Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful, sad, and compelling tune, so give it a listen.

Listen:

Lyrics:

If we were children I would bake you a mud pie
Warm and brown beneath the sun
Never learned to climb a tree but I would try
Just to show you what I’d done

Oh what I wouldn’t do
If I had you, babe, I had you
Oh what I wouldn’t do
If I had you, babe

If I were old, my dearest, you would be older
But I would crawl upon your lap
Wrap a blanket round our frail little shoulders
And I’d die happily like that

Oh what I wouldn’t do
If I had you, babe, I had you
Oh what I wouldn’t do
If I had you, babe, if I had you

So lace your hands round the small of my back and I will kiss you like a king
I will be your bride, I’ll keep you warm at night
I will sing, I will sing

It was now and we were both in the same place
Didn’t know how to say the words
With my heart ticking like a bomb in a birdcage
I left before someone got hurt

‘Cause it was what I wouldn’t do
I had you, babe, I had you
It was what I wouldn’t do
When I had you, babe, when I had you

The World Ends With You

Rationale:

This song is catchy, fun, and generally a little non-sensical.  It’s from the The World Ends With You soundtrack, so the lyrics are appropriately a mixture of spirits and styles, and the song itself is just supposed to be enjoyed moreso than looked into too carefully.  It’s a really enjoyable song to explore the game world of Shibuya (impressively almost a 1:1 of the real world of Shibuya, as I experienced when I went there and as able to navigate from my memory of the world) to.  Kick off the day with this driving beat, and let it seep into your mind!

Listen Here:

Lyrics:

“Brain wave, main wave”
Psycho got a high kick
Collect and select
Show me your best set

“Crystals, blisters”
It’s all over now
Psycho cane
You’re so keen
I need more candy canes

“Cold cake, cold break”
Freak got a high kick
Mr. Twister
Moist with roistering

Stick it up
Take it up
Step aside and see the world
Effect has defects
“Take a bow to the moon (Bow-wow to the moon)”

“Morning rays, Hairspray Queens”
“Get on their way to their nests, the west”
“Honest, they once had a dream”
“Belles of society, in the shells of their unity”
Cornet’n spinet
“The sound flows, follows till they’re home”
Dragged by the power of dreams
That power is yet unknown

Leonard Cohen

Rationale:

I can’t entirely place what makes this song so excellent – its bitter, distant-yet-furious, confident vocals by Leonard Cohen, the seemingly anachronistic (I can’t explain why they feel that way) backing vocals, the reverberating chamber of instrumentation, or the general intensity of the song.  Regardless, the song itself is a really neat listening experience that I’m glad to get to share with all of you.

Listen Here:

Lyrics:

(Radio announcer’s voice)
Was die Attentäter betrifft, die in Berlin den Anschlag auf die Deutsch-Arabische Gesellschaft verübt haben,
ist die Polizei einen Schritt weiter gekommen. Die jetzt nach dem Anschlag…

They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
For trying to change the system from within
I’m coming now, I’m coming to reward them
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I’m guided by a signal in the heavens
I’m guided by this birthmark on my skin
I’m guided by the beauty of our weapons
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I’d really like to live beside you, baby
I love your body and your spirit and your clothes
But you see that line there moving through the station?
I told you, I told you, told you, I was one of those

Ah you loved me as a loser, but now you’re worried that I just might win
You know the way to stop me, but you don’t have the discipline
How many nights I prayed for this, to let my work begin
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I don’t like your fashion business mister
And I don’t like these drugs that keep you thin
I don’t like what happened to my sister
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I’d really like to live beside you, baby …

And I thank you for those items that you sent me
The monkey and the plywood violin
I’ve practiced every night, now I’m ready
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

I am guided

Ah remember me, I used to live for music
Remember me, I brought your groceries in
Well it’s Father’s Day and everybody’s wounded
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

Paramore

Rationale:

This is a beautiful, appropriately mournful (for the title) song – one of those that are sung from a melancholic spirit and convey that feeling perfectly, even if the source of the listener’s melancholy is completely different – they can relate to the feeling beyond the lyrical content.  In a way, that makes songs like this carry some sort of transcendent magic – that they can be relatable despite what they are about.  Anyway, it’s apparently (though this is speculation) about the departure of two of the band members from the band, but what is really striking about this song is that it is atypical of Paramore’s upbeat, powerful pop-infused rock – it seems more like a folksy-country song and carries itself like it in a good way (meaningful, not trashy).  As an interesting sidenote, listen to the first few seconds of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” (not that they’re country, but that song has sort of been adopted by a lot of country artists) in conjunction with this song – the instrumentation matches almost completely in the beginning.  Anyway, the song itself is striking and beautiful, and at the end of a long week, it’s easy to see the appeal of a song that can embrace some of the emotion and frustration and exhaustion and move you past it.

Listen Here:

Lyrics:

You escaped like a runaway train
Off the tracks and down again
And my heart’s beating like a steam boat tugging all your burdens
On my shoulders

In the mourning I’ll rise
In the mourning I’ll let you die
In the mourning all my worries.

Now there’s nothing but time that’s wasted
And words that have no backbone
And now it seems like the whole world’s waiting
Can you hear the echoes fading?

In the mourning I’ll rise
In the mourning I’ll let you die
In the mourning all my sorries.

And it takes all my strength not to dig you up
From the ground in which you lay
The biggest part of me
You were the greatest thing
And now you’re just a memory
To let go of.

In the mourning I’ll rise
In the mourning I’ll let you die
In the mourning all my sorries.