Sunday, May 31, 2009

lyrics of the day

These lyrics are from the song Purifier by the Alt. Rock band Live and John Poppler of Blues Traveller. This song was released on the fantastic album Live at the Paridsio in Amsterdam.

Dirty city on my skin
People in my face
I came here for some love again
But I found myself disgraced
Take me up to zion
Where the women are so fair
Where virtue drips like honey
From her shiny long black hair

Send your fire
Purify me
Send your fire lord
Purify me

vegas baby vegas
I can hear the people say
We thought this was the promised land
but the promise slipped away
out the door and down the street
he slithered on the floor
turned into a rattlesnake
and was never seen no more

Send your fire
Purify me
Send your fire lord
Purify me
Open my eyes, so I can see
Send your fire lord
Purify me

we spent the night in babylon
stiletto lace and chain
but high above that harley
I can hear the choir sing



Quote of the Day

"And you, madame, are ugly, but in the morning I will be sober." Winston Churchill after a woman yelled at him "You, sir, are drunk!"

Saturday, May 30, 2009

great lyricists: Creed

this song is called One, it is by the hard rock/ grunge band Creed, who are known for their deeply spiritual lyrics.


Affirmative may be justified
Take from one give to another
The goal is to be unified
Take my hand be my brother
The payment silenced the masses
Sanctified by oppression
Unity took a backseat
Sliding further into regression

One, oh one,
The only way is one
I feel angry I feel helpless
Want to change the world
I feel violent I feel alone
Don't try and change my mind

Society blind by color
Why hold down one to raise another
Discrimination now on both sides
Seeds of hate blossom further
The world is heading for mutiny
When all we want is unity
We may rise and fall, but in the end
We meet our fate together

One, oh one,
The only way is one
One, oh one,
The only way is one
I feel angry I feel helpless
Want to change the world
I feel violent I feel alone
Don't try and change my mind

[x3]
I feel angry I feel helpless
Want to change the world yeah
I feel violent I feel alone
Don't try and change my mind

I feel angry I feel helpless
Want to change the world yeah
I feel violent I feel alone
Don't try and change my mind

I, personally, find this song very compelling, especially the chorus and the second verse. When you listen to the song you don't really grasp the full meaning of the words Scott Stapp is singing, but when you read them....oh boy! These guys can write a song! Here is another song, this one's called Higher, and in this song their religion shines through the gruff hard-rocking exterior.

When dreaming I'm guided to another world
Time and time again
At sunrise I fight to stay asleep
'Cause I don't want to leave the comfort of this place
'Cause there's a hunger, a longing to escape
From the life I live when I'm awake
So let's go there
Let's make our escape
Come on, let's go there
Let's ask can we stay?

Can you take me Higher?
To a place where blind men see
Can you take me Higher?
To a place with golden streets

Although I would like our world to change
It helps me to appreciate
Those nights and those dreams
But, my friend, I'd sacrifice all those nights
If I could make the Earth and my dreams the same
The only difference is
To let love replace all our hate
So let's go there
Let's make our escape
Come on, let's go there
Let's ask can we stay?

Can you take me Higher?
To a place where blind men see
Can you take me Higher?
To a place with golden streets

So lets go there, lets go there,
Come on, lets go there
Lets ask can we stay?

Up high I feel like I'm alive for the very first time
Set up high I'm strong enough to take these dreams
And make them mine
Set up high I'm strong enough to take these dreams
And make them mine

Can you take me Higher?
To a place where blind men see
Can you take me Higher?
To a place with golden streets

Can you take me Higher?
To a place where blind men see
Can you take me Higher?
To a place with golden streets


Once again, the lyrics to this song move me. Here is a final song by great lyricists Creed. This song is a beautiful and touching. It is called With Arms Wide Open.

Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything ...oh yeah
With arms wide open..wide open

[Guitar Break]

If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world
With arms wide open...

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything..oh yeah
With arms wide open....wide open



Lyrics of the day

These lyrics are from the Bob Dylan song Masters of War

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

There is a great cover version of this song, done by Pearl Jam, off the 30th Anniversary Celebration CD. Actually the whole CD is great, go buy it, it rocks.


Quote of the day

"If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed."--Benjamin Franklin

Friday, May 29, 2009

Quote of the Day

"There was a fire in Bob Dole's library the other day. Both books were destroyed, and he hadn't even finished colouring one of them yet." Jack Kemp

a few years later he ran for Vice-President with Dole as his running mate

Sarah Pailin's family troubles

Oh God, will it never end? I am sick and tired of hearing all about Sarah Palin's teenage daughter and her love life. It seems humorous to me that just a few months ago pundits were saying that Sarah Palin was the Republican front runner.

Since then we have gotten a front row seat to the self-destruction of Sarah Palin. It would be funny if it wasn't so ridicules. The latest reports are that Todd Palin offered his daughter a car to dump Levi Johnston. One is reminded of the Family Ties episode Mrs. Wrong, in which they try to talk their daughter out of marrying a man they hate.

I must say I don't really blame Mr. Palin. If it was my daughter I might do the same thing. What is so sickly funny about this whole saga is the gross immaturity of Levi and Bristol. Levi is quite obviously an idiot, and Bristol isn't to0 bright herself, but Bristol forbidding Levi to speak to his sister and Levi going on any talk show that will have him shows that they are certainly not ready to parent a child. What they need to do if they can't act like adults and settle this themselves is go to court and have judge rule on who will have custody of this poor kid.

What I love the most about this inane news cycle is that Bristol Palin becoming a spokesperson for abstinence, because she can say what happens if you're not abstinent. I know what I'll do, I'll go rob the bank and become a spokesman for stopping armed robbery. Seriously though, it's like Ozzy Osbourne headlining a concert against drugs just a couple of weeks before he is forced to check into rehab, oh wait that already happened. Well it would be like a staunchly anti-gay rights senator being gay, oh wait that happened too. It would be like John Lennon have a room in his house just to keep his fur coats in, darn that happened too. It would be like Rage Against the Machine playing at the Republican National Convention, hey that happened too. Well, okay it would be like Rod Blogojevich leading a committee to investigate corruption in the state of Illinois, which to my knowledge has not happened yet.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

New James McMurtry song

these are the lyrics for a song, called Cheney's Toy, off the new James McMurtry album

Another unknown soldier
Another lesson learned
Kick the gas can over
Strike a match get back and watch that sucker burn

Keep smiling for the camera
Keep waving for the crowd
Don't let up for an instant
Stay the course and make your mama proud

You're the man
Show'em what your made of
You're no longer daddy's boy
You're the man
That they're all afraid of
But you're only Cheney's toy

Another unknown soldier
Who's seen it all before
All in the name of Jesus
Behind the razor wire and shackled to the floor

Just keep smiling at the cameras
And keep that twinkle in your eye
We don't need to know the answers
Just hit your marks and say your lines

You're the man
Show'em what your made of
You're no longer daddy's boy
Take a stand
Give 'em what they paid for
But you're only Cheney's toy

They'll take a fork and turn you over
While the fat lady sings
One more pin on one more shoulder
Is all the future brings
For another unknown soldier
Who don't know his own name
And he don't get any older
And he can't see for the shrapnel in his brain

Ain't you grand
When the guns are blazin'
Bring 'em on
Cheney's toy

Bring 'em on
Cheney's toy

(Multi-Chorus)

wow! Who do you think he voted for? James, you were always a little odd, but what's with all this venom? The album is called Just Us Kids if you want to check it out. It's actually a pretty cool album, if you like angry folk-rock political songs.



Tuesday, May 26, 2009

easy songs for the guitar: I fought the Law

This is a great punk rock song by the Clash. It uses three easy chords. D, G, and A. If you know those three chords you can play a ton of great easy stuff.

This is a good tab and chord website. It has this song in a fairly good format.
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/c/clash/i_fought_the_law_crd.htm
I like to do the change form G to D really quickly. The tempo is rather fast.

For our next easy guitar song we will do the Lynyrd Skynard classic Sweet Home Alabama.

Rock On!!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Classic Comedies part 1

Every now and then I will post about some of my favourite comedies. For our first edition I will discuss one of my all time favourite TV shows, Faulty Towers. John Clease, coming off success in Monty Python, decided to start his own show, that he would co-write and co-star in with his wife.

They decide to set this TV show in a hotel, and have Clease play the rude and obnoxious owner. Connie Booth, his wife, would play the intelligent maid. Their other co-stars would be Andrew Sachs and Prunella Scales, as the waiter who speaks very little English and Clease's nit-picking wife respectively.

These four actors and their guest stars managed to create one of the funniest things ever to air on television. In fact, in a list of the 100 greatest British Television programs it beats Dr. Who, Monty Python and the Flying Circus, and Yes Minister to come in No. 1.

Choosing the best episode of such a great series is very difficult, not only because only 12 episodes ever aired. The first few that jump to mind are Waldorf Salad, the Germans, Gourmet Night, Basil the Rat, and a Touch of Class. Like Monty Python, Faulty Towers has no end of quotable lines. One of the best being "Don't mention the war!"



Friday, May 22, 2009

Wicked

I recently saw the Broadway touring production of Wicked. Fantastic! Great songs, great plot, and(mostly) great acting.
I have only one criticism, which was the playing of Elphaba, the shows main character. I couldn't connect with her and her acting annoyed me. She obviously got the part because of her singing.
But t was a great show anyway and the actress who played Glinda was hilarious. If it comes near you by all means go see it.

American Idol 2009 winner

Finally!! The show all american idol fans have been waiting for, the finale. This season is, in my opinion, a crossroads for the show. If america picks Adam, then the show will continue to be a TV tour-de-force for many years to come. If Kris wins the show will be gone within five years. The night started off well with the Top 13 preforming Pink's So What. HAving never heard the song before I was suprised by how great it was. Then David Cook came and preformed his fantastic song Permanent. Maybe I'm just making this up byt I think this song is about Daivd's late brother. Anyway, it's a great song. Then we get more prefomances. The standouts were Anoop and Alexis, two of my favorite contestants from this year, preformed I'm yours with Jason Maraz, Adam and Kiss, and then the suprise appearence of one of my all-time favorite bands, Queen. They are the champions alright. Then we get to find out who the winner is....OH MY GOSH!! America can we say upset? If only Kris deserved to win, or even be in the top 2. Well Adam is going to outsell him by a huge margain. If any of you have never heard Adam sing go on Youtube and watch Born to be wild, mad world, black and white, or tracks of my tears. WOW! Go Adam!