obscure lyric for the week of Apr.20/09

Hello out there we're on the air it's not hockey time at all. It's a rainy Monday morning and it's cold again too. It still is early spring we might still have snow. I trust you had a wonderful weekend. I rested and travelled to visit family to introduce some of them to the wonderful world of itunes and so on.

Lately my life currently is a mass of changes. One of the biggest is in my work world. I have joked for some time that I won't "drink the koolaid" and I won't do it no matter the demands. I have another short week this week, I am taking Friday off to take my beloved away to a beautiful B and b in NOTL called Applewood Hollow for a weekend of rest and relaxation. We are going away to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary and to get away from all the stuff that we've been trying to manage over the past while.

I heard this song on the radio this weekend and I think the subtitle says a lot about where I am right now. I think it is also a comment on how I see where others may try to place me in their world and the title is my response to them. I realize that this a a little cryptic, but hey, it's my blog.

The song was released in 1977 on a album that went platinum 3 X's. The band was huge in the '70's and they sold loads and loads of albums. These guys were never up a river without a paddle. One sources states that the name of the band was chosen because it was the one that no one hated. It's interesting that not hating or detesting something makes it ok, kinda makes you want to go hmmmm, doesn't it?

Here are some of the lyrics:

you're the one they can't beat and you know it

come on let's see what you've got

I would like to know the following:

The name of the song (including sub title):

the name of the original album it was released on:

The name of the band:

the writer of the song:

have a great week, the sunshine is coming along with warmer weather. patience is a virtue, my mother always said. I'm not that virtuous, I just want this early spring stuff to be gone. I will try to get the big reveal out on Thursday.

The big reveal for the week of April 13/09

Good morning music fans and what a beautiful morning it already is. 

I had two guesses this week and welcome back to Steve B. who has been having a bit of a tough time with my obscurity over the last few weeks, or was it months?

The other guess was Brad F. who was way off course this week. Oh well, you can't be right all the time can you?

Here are the answers:

The name of the song: Strange magic

The name of the band: Electric Light Orchestra

The name of the lead singer: Jeff Lynne

The name of the album(trick question): it was released on Face the Music originally and then on a greatest hits album later(there you go Steve)

Have a great weekend, enjoy the sunshine and the eventual rain. With that rain comes the flowers that are beautiful and cause havoc to those of us with allergies.

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness

obscure lyric for the week of Apr.13/09

Hello music fans and welcome to the week after Easter 2009. I have just experienced an amazing weekend of emotional highs and lows that are often associated with the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In the midst of the experience I have had the privilege to spend time with awesome musicians and wonderful family. None of which has anything to do with this weeks choice for the obscure lyric of the week. I heard this song as my daughter and I spent some time in the car together, the version we heard was not the original that I plan on sharing with you on Friday. 

The song for this week was released on an album in 1975 (the year I was in grade 13) and the single was released in 1976. The band is often referred to by letters and not necessarily by their name. The band is somewhat progressive and symphonic in nature. Apparently the album cover was a joke but one of the members didn't agree and the back of the cover shows one of them looking the other way. I suppose that this is somewhat shocking noting the cover material. While Paul is not dead, backmasking made it to this album with the message that "music is reversible but time is not, turn back, turn back, turn back" is found on a track on the album. 

Here are some of the lyrics:

you're walking meadows in my mind

making waves across my time

oh I'm never gonna be the same again

now I've seen the way its got to end

I would like to know the following:

The name of the song:

The name of the band:

The name of the lead singer:

The name of the album:

Have a great week. Enjoy the week and the weather. It looks like there will be sunshine all week at least here is south western Ontario. If you have any guesses feel free to send them to me at either address. 

The big reveal for the week of April 6/09

Well this one is a little late. I was busy on Good Friday and didn't get the reveal completed. I have been singing in a Cantata aptly entitled 3:16 over the weekend and now that all the performances are completed i can take a few minutes to do this, before we head out to church this morning.

Happy Easter to one and all.  

Only one guess last week. Brad F got some of the answers correct. Here are all the correct answers:

The name of the song: Blackwater

The album it was released on: what were once vices are now habits

The writer of the song: Patrick Simmons

The name of the band: The Doobie Brothers

Here is a nice video offering of the song by the Doobie Brothers:

I hope you have a great week. I hope that the promises of spring and new life brought a new brightness to your life and to the lives that you touch.

"There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is"

Tuesday Musings (#30)

Good Tuesday morning to one and all. I can't believe that I have been musing for 30 weeks, actually I have been musing for a lot longer than that, I have just been blogging about musing for 30 weeks.

This blogging thing has been a real opportunity for me to get some things off my chest, so to speak. It's been a great cathartic experience for me. I often wonder what those of you who routinely read this think about my thoughts?

After coming through a weekend that was filled with almost every imaginable feeling and expression of feeling I am amazed at the human capacity to manage those feelings even when they are in conflict with each other. No other created being does this, I am sure, and there is no way to empirically prove that assertion, therefore I think I am correct.

To be able to feel anger, joy, happiness, sadness, love and even hate all inn the same being just makes me think of the awesome creations we are (yes I stand on the creation side of the coin, more on that in another post because to think or believe that I came from slime or a monkey is totally offensive to me).

This ability to have those and more emotions is awesome. To see a baby for the first time brings out such joy in me. I love babies, ask any of the young moms in our church. To see the wrongs in the human and natural world offends me and those who choose to take advantage of someone weaker than them makes me angry about their lack of sensitivity and the selfishness of that person. To watch someone like a Mother Teresa give her life to serve God by serving others inspires me to think more of others than myself.

In life, I hope that we are given the opportunity to experience most of these and more emotions. Without them we will be nothing but walking dead. What kind of world would that be with us walking around without any emotion. The joys and sadness that comes with life and death are part of this life we cannot get away from them. I must learn to cherish each emotion and express them so that I must learn that emotion is an outward expression of my heart and to know my heart is to know me.

Happy Tuesday Everyone

Obscure lyric for the week of Apr.6/09

Good Monday morning music fans. Welcome to the first full week of April. Who cares about the weather, spring just has to arrive some time soon. We have just come through a really difficult time and a really pleasant time all in one weekend. It's hard to harmonize all those feelings in one weekend, we did it, we got through the tears, the laughs, the anger, the sadness and the joy in a 72 hour period.

Here is this weeks lyric. It really isn't that obscure, it's a fun song by a bunch of crazy musicians. this one is from 1974, a year I remember quite well as I was still in high school enjoying life. The song was released by a band whose name doesn't describe who they really are. The band apparently spent a lot of their early years performing for the Hells Angels in Santa Cruz. I am only giving you the first two lines from the song cause I think this one is really easy.

Well I built me a raft and she's ready for floatin'

Ol mississippi, she's callin' my name

I would like to know the following:

the name of the song:

the album it was release on:

the writer of the song:

The name of the band:

Have a great week. I am preparing for Easter this week, I am singing in a Cantata on Friday and Saturday nights and we have two rehearsals this week one on Monday and one on Wednesday. As a Christ follower, this is the biggest week in our year. We will remember the sacrifice and the resurrection and will celebrate with great joy. Check out the flyer below for information and if you are interested in attending please speak with me directly. An offering of food to support the local food bank is requested for attendance but not necessary.

The big reveal for the week of Mar. 30/09

Hello music fans.

Here is the big reveal from last week. I needed to get through some things before I completed this post. Thanks for your patience.

The name of the song: Pieces of April

The writer: Dave Loggins

The name of the band: Three Dog Night

The meaning of the name: an Australian term for a cold night. They would sleep with their dogs in the outback and the term refers to a particularly cold night

Italian Canadian who also wrote for them: Domenic Troiano

Have a great week enjoy this blast from the past from 1975.

We celebrate our 28th anniversary

Today, my beloved and I celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. It is a little colder today than when we wed all those years ago. It rained on our wedding day and my Mom said that this was a good sign that our marriage would last. As usual, Mom was right. She left us a few years ago but I'm sure that she is looking down on us from heaven and smiling and saying I told you so, as she has a nice cup of tea and awaits the start of the leaf game. It would be great just to spend some time with her and talk about how the last few years have gone. 

Our marriage, like all other marriages has had its' share of speed bumps. We have seen ups and downs and there have been days when I am sure my beloved did not like me very much. We pledged to "have and to hold from this day forward for richer or poorer in sickness and in health and forsaking all others". we didn't have a video made (there were no video cameras back then), we had or may still have a tape recording of the service and there are pictures hidden away in an album which were taken inside the studio because of the rain. We have numerous photos taken by family and friends and we have many memories from that day.

We made a commitment to God and to each other and we will not break that commitment. I have learned to love my beloved more and more as time has passed and she has likewise learned the same towards me. Over the years we have participated in marriage seminars, read books, listened to tapes, watched videos and have even led numerous small groups of couples wishing to improve their marriages.

Recently we have discovered a book entitled "Love and Respect" by Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs. The title finds its' beginnings in the book of Ephesians which was written by Saint Paul many years ago. The verse states that "husbands love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her and wives respect your husbands". The book and study reveals that women want to "be loved" more than anything else and that men want to "be respected" in a similar fashion and that since it is a commandment there are no options. It has been a great tool in helping me to better understand and love my wife. There is nothing more that I want to do than to demonstrate my love for my beloved.

And now where do we go? We have developed a terrific friendship and a deep love for each other that grows daily. We support each others interests and even put up with things that we don't like. We believe that with each gift received that the person on the receiving end must find a way to "pay it forward" as the movie proposed. Recently Jo and I have been contacted my people who need help in their marriage and have asked us to walk alongside them as they work to improve their marriage. We make it very clear that we are not counsellors, but rather that we are willing to be mentors. The term mentor comes from Greek mythology, in which Odysseus leaves for the Trojan war and places his son Telemachus in the charge of Mentor who becomes a trusted friend, a teacher and counsellor in life.

We celebrate our anniversary by spending time with those whom we can learn from, with our children (in person and on skype) and alone just enjoying the company of each other. 

The big reveal

The big reveal for this week will be posted next week.

Thanks for being there for me during the past year.

One year ago

It has been one year today since a friend left us so tragically.

The circumstances are before the courts and therefore I will make no comment on them.

I just spoke with her mother and children and this is already a very difficult day for them. It is also the celebration of the birthday of her son.

I suppose the question as to why and was there no other alternative ring heavily in my being. Yet, I cannot answer any questions at this time. I embrace the lives that are left behind and attempt to help others pick up the pieces little by little and assist them as they move through the fog of grieving.

Pain and sorrow are so real along with the multitude of other emotions that surprise with their appearance and then with their absence. I have come to the place where I am almost bereft of feelings except for anger.

I am angry with the decisions made and the resulting ripples that continue to flow away and "never come back". It's funny that in this dark post a song comes to mind appropriately called ripples.




May the remembrances of life and the passing of loved ones draw you closer to each other and to the One who knows everything and everyone and who holds the keys and authority for judgement.