W: Wellerman by Nathan Evans

 

 

Welcome AtoZ-ers and other blog friends! This month I'm participating in the AtoZ blogging challenge, and you'll see a post every day (except Sundays) about one of the Songs of my Heart. Today's edition: Wellerman by Nathan Evans.  (If my embedded video won't work, you can listen at this link).

 

There was a minute during the pandemic when everyone was into Sea Shanties. Anyone remember that? Well, I still have this one on my "get stuff done" playlist. The rhythm of it is GREAT for working, which was the point. I feel like groups of men singing together don't get enough notice. It can be amazing to listen to. So sign me up for more sea shanties and more dwarven ballads from the Hobbit!

Lyrics from AtoZ: 

There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
O blow, my bully boys, blow (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

She'd not been two weeks from shore
When down on her, a right whale bore
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

Da-da, da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da

Before the boat had hit the water
The whale's tail came up and caught her
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
When she dived down low (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

No line was cut, no whale was freed
The Captain's mind was not of greed
But he belonged to the whaleman's creed
She took that ship in tow (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

Da-da, da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da

For forty days, or even more
The line went slack, then tight once more
All boats were lost, there were only four
But still that whale did go (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

As far as I've heard, the fight's still on
The line's not cut and the whale's not gone
The Wellerman makes his regular call
To encourage the Captain, crew, and all (Huh!)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go  

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V: Veronica by Elvis Costello

 Welcome AtoZ-ers and other blog friends! This month I'm participating in the AtoZ blogging challenge, and you'll see a post every day (except Sundays) about one of the Songs of my Heart. Today's edition: Veronica by Elvis Costello.  (If my embedded video won't work, you can listen at this link).

 

I'm a little hit and miss with Elvis Costello. When I'm in the right mood, his hipster vibe and snarky attitude work for me. When I'm not, it's less fun. But I nearly always like this song when I hear it. 

The height of my enjoyment of Costello's music was his Mighty Like a Rose album, smack dab in the middle of my college years. This one was recorded in the later 1980s, so a bit before that album. 

Revisiting it now, especially with the video, it strikes me very differently, with commentary on aging and losing you used to be. But at least the singer remembers who she was and misses her (even if he's a little patronizing about it with that "pretty little head" nonsense). 

 Lyrics from Elvis Costello Wiki:

Is it all in that pretty little head of yours?
What goes on in that place in the dark?
Well, I used to know a girl and I would have sworn that her name was Veronica
Well, she used to have a carefree mind of her own and a delicate look in her eye
These days I'm afraid she's not even sure if her name is Veronica

(Chorus:)
Do you suppose that waiting hands on eyes, Veronica has gone to hide?
And all the time she laughs at those who shout her name and steal her clothes
Veronica
Veronica
Veronica

Did the days drag by? Did the favours wane?
Did he roam down the town all the time?
Will you wake from your dream with a wolf at the door, reaching out for Veronica?
Well it was all of sixty-five years ago
When the world was the street where she lived
And a young man sailed on a ship in the sea with a picture of Veronica

On the "Empress of India"
And as she closed her eyes upon the world
And picked upon the bones of last week's news
She spoke his name out loud again

(Repeat Chorus)

Veronica sits in her favourite chair, she sits very quiet and still
And they call her a name that they never get right
And if they don't, then nobody else will
But she used to have a carefree mind of her own, with a devilish look in her eye
Saying "You can call me anything you like, but my name is Veronica"

(Repeat Chorus)

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U: U-Mass by the Pixies

 Welcome AtoZ-ers and other blog friends! This month I'm participating in the AtoZ blogging challenge, and you'll see a post every day (except Sundays) about one of the Songs of my Heart. Today's edition: U-Mass by the Pixies.  (If my embed doesn't work, listen at this link).

 

I can't remember how I found the Pixies. It was the early 90s and I was a college student, so new music was always landing in my lap without any effort on my part. I know I had this one on CD: Trompe le Monde. I also remember that my then-boyfriend, later-husband, later-ex-husband HATED it. 

I mean, I get it. The Pixies are not…melodic. They scream rather than sing in a traditional sense. But they do it with verve and style and sometimes screaming is just what's in my heart. Every once in a while, I'm walking around here, more than 30 years later and I just randomly say "University. Of. Massachusetts. Please." in just the cadence you hear in the song because something about it tickled my brain all those years ago and hasn't stopped. 

 I also love screaming "IT'S EDUCATIONAL" when I've had a rough life lesson I'd rather not have been forced to learn. Life is mean that way sometimes. 

 Lyrics from AtoZ: 

In the sleepy west of the woody east
Is a valley full, full o' pioneer
We're not just kids to say the least
We got ideas to us that's dear
Like capitalist, like communist
Like lots of things you've heard about
And redneckers, they get us pissed
And stupid stuff, it makes us shout
Oh, dance with me, oh, don't be shy
Oh, kiss me, cunt, oh, kiss me, cock
Oh, kiss the world, oh, kiss the sky
Oh, kiss my ass, oh, let it rock
Of the April birds and the May bee
Oh baby

It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!

University
Of Massachusetts, please
And here's the last five

It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!
It's educational!

It's!
It's educational!  

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
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T: Tank! by Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts

 Welcome AtoZ-ers and other blog friends! This month I'm participating in the AtoZ blogging challenge, and you'll see a post every day (except Sundays) about one of the Songs of my Heart. Today's edition: Tank! by Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts.  (If my embed doesn't work, listen at this link).

 

When my husband and I were first dating, he wooed me in part with music from Cowboy Bebop. It's an anime series from the late 90s about a group of bounty hunters in outer space. I highly recommend both that anime and the more recent live action version. Part of what makes both of them work is the music. Yoko Kanno creates across genres, conventions, and time periods to make exciting, unique, and gorgeous music. 

Tank! in particular remains on my "pump you up" playlist, when I need a jolt to get me going. It's mostly instrumental, so no lyrics to quote for you today. 

When Sweetman and I are facing a hard day, we still quote the opening lyric to each other: "I think it's time to blow this scene. Get everybody and the stuff together. Okay, 3-2-1, let's jam!" And then, it's all jazzy action music, drums and brass and style. LOVE IT. 

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S: Someone Keeps Moving my Chair by They Might be Giants

Welcome AtoZ-ers and other blog friends! This month I'm participating in the AtoZ blogging challenge, and you'll see a post every day (except Sundays) about one of the Songs of my Heart. Today's edition: Someone Keeps Moving my Chair by They Might be Giants.  (If my embed doesn't work, listen at this link).

 

I'm trying to remember how I first ran across They Might be Giants, and…I can't remember. I do remember calling their "Dial-a-Song" hotline as a college student (early 1990s), so I've known about them at least that long. I enjoy a LOT of their music: quirky, weird little songs about anything and everything. Usually peppy and catchy and fun. Their album Flood is one I have completely memorized. 

This particular song helps me laugh at myself when I find I'm getting all worked up about something relatively minor. I mean, jut use a different chair, right? Or move it back? 

Lyrics from this might be a wiki:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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R: Respect by Aretha Franklin

 Welcome AtoZ-ers and other blog friends! This month I'm participating in the AtoZ blogging challenge, and you'll see a post every day (except Sundays) about one of the Songs of my Heart. Today's edition: Respect by Aretha Franklin.  (If my embedded video won't work, you can listen at this link).

 

From time to time, you just need a woman power anthem, and this song delivers. Empowerment in a loud and proud demand to be treated well by your partner, or just in general. Amazing how a gender flip took a song about traditional patriarchy and completely revised it. I mean, does anyone even ever listen to the Otis Redding version anymore? For a long time, I didn't even know it existed. 

Lyrics from AtoZ: 

What you want
Baby, I got it
What you need
Do you know I got it?

All I'm askin'
Is for a little respect
When you come home
(just a little bit)
Hey, baby
(just a little bit)
When you get home
(just a little bit)
Mister
(just a little bit)

I ain't gonna do you wrong
While you're gone
Ain't gonna do you wrong
'Cause I don't wanna

All I'm askin'
Is for a little respect
When you come home
(just a little bit)
Baby
(just a little bit)
When you get home
(just a little bit)
Yeah
(just a little bit)

I'm about to give you all of my money
And all I'm askin' in return, honey
Is to give me my propers
When you get home

(just a, just a, just a, just a)
Yeah, baby
(just a, just a, just a, just a)
When you get home
(just a little bit)
Yeah
(just a little bit)

Ooh, your kisses
Sweeter than honey
And guess what?
So is my money

All I want you to do for me
Is give it to me when you get home
(re, re, re ,re)
Yeah, baby
(re, re, re ,re)
Whip it to me
(respect, just a little bit)
When you get home, now
(just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB

Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me
Sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect
(sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe
(just a little bit)
A little respect
(just a little bit)

I get tired
(just a little bit)
Keep on tryin'
(just a little bit)
You're runnin' out of foolin'
(just a little bit)
And I ain't lyin'
(just a little bit)

(re, re, re, re) 'spect
When you come home
(re, re, re, re)
Or you might walk in
(respect, just a little bit)
And find out I'm gone
(just a little bit)
I got to have
(just a little bit)  

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Q: Qué será será by Doris Day

 Welcome AtoZ-ers and other blog friends! This month I'm participating in the AtoZ blogging challenge, and you'll see a post every day (except Sundays) about one of the Songs of my Heart. Today's edition: Qué será será by Doris Day.  (If my embedded video won't work, you can listen at this link).

 

Doris Day was quite a performer, an actress/singer whose work I enjoyed with my mother when I was young and have turned back to more recently, and this is a song that became strongly associated with her. Usually, it's a somewhat wistful ditty (listen to that version here), but when she sang it as part of her role in The Man Who Knew Too Much, it became embued with so much more--desperation, anger, fear, pressure to seem to be doing one thing while actually doing another. It's an amazing bit of acting through song, so this is now my favorite version of the song. 

Lyrics from lyrics.com: 

When I was just a little girl

I asked my mother, what will I be

Will I be pretty

Will I be rich

Here's what she said to me

Que será, será

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours to see

Que será, será

What will be, will be

When I grew up and fell in love

I asked my sweetheart, what lies ahead

Will we have rainbows

Day after day

Here's what my sweetheart said

Que será, será

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours to see

Que será, será

What will be, will be

Now I have children of my own

They ask their mother, what will I be

Will I be handsome

Will I be rich

I tell them tenderly

Que será, será

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours to see

Que será, será

What will be, will be

Que será, será

 

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