Song(s) of the Week

My ol' pal & I decided to swap songs of the week, songs that mean a lot to us that we want to share with each other. We may or may not have heard the song the other chose to give us. At the end of the week, we tell each other what we feel about each others' songs. This is the first go at it, we'll see if it sticks.

Kyle's Pick-We Will All Be Changed by Seryn

We Will All Be Changed by Seryn is a big, ambitious, "conquer the world" type songs. I like songs like these, especially when the craft of the song lives up to the scope of it. A big song has a big sound to it, & has a subject matter that is open to different interpretations to it, at least for the listener if not for the writer of the song. It can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. I can only speculate on the writer's motivation or inspiration for this song, I can only tell you what it might mean for me as I listen to it. It doesn't stop there, though, I can hear it couple months from now & it might mean something completely different.

Our Pastor always says that when you read & study the bible, it changes you. This is the first thing I thought of when I heard this song. I hope this is happening, but I'm not always so sure. If I am, I don't feel like I'm changing too much. I feel like I'm always falling into the same old habits & the same old paralyzing mindsets. One of those paralyzing mindsets I have is the thought that people don't really change. My father in law, in his infinite wisdom, always gives the analogy that women marry men because they like the shell of the man, but they hope to shape him into something more. Men marry women hoping that they'll always stay the same. I wonder who comes out on top in that transaction, I'm not sure anybody does.

I think when we're at our best we make the best of what doesn't change or what we can't change, & I think that's the point of the song. There's a lot of that prayer that they say at the aa meetings about changing what can be changed & accepting what we can't change. The song's ultimate message is changing myself first. Maybe if I change myself first, others around me will change accordingly. Maybe they won't change, but maybe at least in my mind they will be the best of themselves that I see before all the bad things that I choose not to see.



Verse 1
Bb
Somehow we've gone and lost our way
Eb
This is where we are
Bb
Oh you lift your rusty brow
Eb
Little thoughts have weighed your vision down
Bb Eb
We move slowly, sewn in time

(We can only hope for this)

Chorus
Bb
We can shape but can't control

These possibilities to grow
Eb
Weeds amongst the push and pull

Waiting on the wind to take us
Bb
We can write with ink and pen

But we will sew with seeds instead
Eb
Starting with words we've said
Bb
And we will all be changed

Instrumental
Bb Eb
Oh, oh, oh--- Oh, oh, oh---

Verse 2
Bb
Speak now don't tarry on like it's
Eb
Always gonna be
Bb
Hold child this expectation
Eb
But don't forget to love

Chorus 2
Bb
We can shape but can't control

These possibilities to grow
Eb
Weeds amongst the push and pull

Waiting on the wind to take us
Bb
We can write with ink and pen

But we will sew with seeds instead
Eb
Starting with words we've said

And we will all be changed

Bridge 1
Bb Eb Bb
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh (Break)

Banjo/guitar solo with Bass

Bass
Eb Bb G Bb

Bridge 2 2x
Eb Bb
We look for home
G F Bb
But we'll never know
Eb Bb
Distance will grow
G F Bb
But I'll always know

Bridge 3 (just bass drum)
Eb Bb
We look for home
G F Bb (A capella)
But we'll never know
Eb Bb
Distance will grow
G F Bb
But I'll always know

Andrew's Pick-Hello In There, By John Prine

John Prine's music, to me, has always had the sound of a Saturday afternoon. You know how everyday has it's own kind of feel to it, some stronger than others. Saturday afternoon & Sunday morning have a strong feel to them, maybe it's because they are different from every other day. John Prine captures the feeling of Saturday afternoon, it's slow & poignant & usually lonely. It holds your attention very well. When I say Saturday afternoon, I'm not talking about football games or barbecues or anything like that, I'm talking about after the thrill of not working is gone & wondering how your going to fill the hours. Hello in There feels just like Saturday afternoon, some lazy kind of a.m. radio station that might put something interesting on because they know nobody's listening that could give a shit, but they might reach one person.

Hello in There's about getting old, obviously. It's a small song. There's no ambiguity about what it's about. When sung by a young person, it might sound condescending. "Hello in there!" sounds like "anybody home?". That old person might not know what's going on, they're wits are gone, they might be crazy, talking about some person that nobody knew to begin with. When sung by the cancer ravaged voice of John Prine, it touches upon a spark that burns deep & is not easily felt. The refrain could go either way, too.

you know that old trees just grow stronger?
and old rivers just grow wilder everyday?

The song has a "what about me?" feel to it. Am I like the old tree & the river, or am I some relic left on the shelf to be forgotten?

The song always reminds me of my grandpa. He was always on top of his game mentally, if not always physically. As he grew older, he'd sit in a chair just close enough to everybody to be seen, but too far away to be heard or to hear anybody. He always had some kind of wisdom to impart, the key was whether or not you chose to get close enough to him to pay any kind of attention. I know I didn't always listen to him as I should. As I'm writing this, I remember that Gramps died five years ago this month, & I sure wish I'd had a couple more conversations with him. I'm not sure if it's better to be there mentally while your body is failing you or vice versa. It must be hard to have, to quote a song, "a head full of ideas driving me insane", or to be not all there for a while before you go. I guess everybody's worth listening to & paying attention to. I know Gramps sure was.

Happy Monday, friends.

Five Favorite Songs of the Day

Buckets of Rain-Bob Dylan

Cruel to be Kind-Nick Lowe

Last Leaf on the Tree-Tom Waits

Baseball-Breathe Owl Breathe

Mutineer-Warren Zevon

andrew


andrew