Struck by beauty, drowning in tears

Have you ever been struck by beauty that you just couldn't shake it? I am sure that you have, I have recently been struck by the beauty of a piece of music that I cannot let it go. Amazing that an 8 minute or so piece of music can have such a strong hold on me. The song and its lyric content has had me in tears since Fathers day. My kids gave me an itunes card as a gift and I "discovered" the following song. It's a pain filled song of loss and penitence and hopefully redemption.

The one line that keeps coming back to me is "Lord, how long must this go on"? How many times has this been the cry of my own heart? One thing that struck me about the participants in this version of the song (including the incomparable Billy Preston on the organ) is the amount of emotion spent to play their parts, clearly Clapton wrote and sings the part, but his playing shows such raw emotion exuding the pain. The others, including the drummer, play with such abandon the speaks to their complete commitment to the presentation of this piece. Take a few moments and turn this up, watch and listen, maybe shed a tear for whatever has gone on too long for you.

Remember, at the  end we must move forward and not "drown in this river of tears".

     

Here is another version, I'll let you decide which one you like better, I can't.


Have a great day wherever you are listening to this. How long O lord has been asked by others and He will answer in His perfect timing, not yours or mine. Be patient, wait and persevere. It is this endurance that will have you smile through the tears.

Tuesday Musings # 43

Happy Tuesday everyone

I was driving to Hanover this morning and heard someone on the radio talk about endurance. They were not talking about running a race (or maybe they were) but rather about making a decision in the midst of opposition and then having the internal fortitude to keep going, sometimes against the grain.


How many times have there been when you have made a decision to do something and in the midst of the situation, opposition came and you changed your mind to take the easier road, the road less travelled some say. I have a difference of opinion with someone and I need to express myself (in some ways challenge that person). This is not someone close to me, we have rarely spoken, but "rub shoulders" in a number of arenas and I just can't get the issue off my mind. So to my family, friends work colleagues and others who read this, relax, I won't be calling you anytime soon for a chat. The old "we need to talk" chat.


So, do I have the endurance to call and speak and express my opinion or do I take the easier (or not) road and not say anything and let the issue die. It's all about communication you see. In my less than humble opinion, poor communication and choices lead to a situation where I felt that I could not do my best in a situation where I try to present my best always. Did anyone notice? My wife did and my kids did, they knew that something was up and that I was projecting something less than usual.


The question I need to ask is will my "endurance" in completing this task cause greater harm than if I do nothing. We have been taught to take our issues directly to the one who we have the issue with, so to do an "end around" to the person in charge just doesn't work, although I am sure that this path (end around) is much easier and more often used, or is it? I am not sure that I have the endurance to keep thinking about it (a common practice) so maybe I'll just avoid it and them. Wow, who would have thought that a simple word about something else heard on the radio would cause such consternation? I know this, I will keep thinking, listening and do what is right, sometime soon. I am on holidays for the next two Tuesdays, I may not have anything to muse about and then again, I may.

Happy Tuesday everyone

Obscure lyric for the week of July 6/09

Wow it's July already. We have just come through Canada day and Independence day (yeah Will Smith) and it's Monday. This week, I have intentionally chosen a song by an American and since I have family, and friends who were "Born in the USA" I need to give them equal places on the stage that is the "obscure musical lyric".

This weeks song was written by one of two people or was it written by both? I am not sure so you will have to let me know what is correct. The song was released in 1972 (the year of the original Canada Russia hockey challenge). The song reached number 6 on the U.S. charts. The song was re-issued in 1974 by a set of "brothers" and covered by many others.

Here are some of the lyrics (apropos as we are now in July):

sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom

July is dressed up and playing her tune

when I come home from a hard days work

and you're waiting there, not a care in the world

I would like to know the following:

The name of the song:

The name of the writer (s) and the band:

The name of the "other" band one of the members is/was in:

The name of the "brothers" who covered the song:

Have a great week, I will be on holidays in one week. I am so ready for a few weeks away. No worries though, I will prepare the blog ahead of time so when I am away you will have something to look at on Mondays and Fridays. Oh by the way, for the month of August I am planning on using some of the music from the original Woodstock, seeing that this year is the 40Th anniversary of the little party at Max Yasgur's farm in upstate New York

The big reveal for the week of June 29/09

Welcome to Friday, apparently, the sun is supposed to return for the next few days. I don't know about you but I am ready for some vitamin d big time. I may not have seasonal affective disorder, but I need some sunshine in my life. There you go humming along with Stevie Wonder...... "you are the sunshine of my life................"

I had two correct guesses this week, although neither knew all of the obscure answers and they admitted to it as well. This weeks winners are Chris W. and Paul K. (my bro-in-law). I have some really bad pictures of him (he normally looks nice) from a family gathering but did not have time to get his permission, so maybe the next time. Congrats to the two of you and I assume many more guessed the correct song and band name.

here are your answers:

The name of the song: Sunny Days

The name of the band: Lighthouse

How they got their name: Duke Ellington (yes that Duke Ellington), introduced them for their gig at the Rock Pile (Toronto's Masonic Temple) as follows: " I'm beginning to see the light........house" and the rest as they say is history.

The band's original name: The paupers

Where Howard Shore (Saxophonist for the band and writer of the music for the Lord of the Rings movies and many more) went to work in 1975: Saturday Night Live

I could not find a version on utube that showed the band live, but you know what just listening to this song makes me smile. There is at least one other version on utube that just didn't fit this blog, so I left it there.

Have an awesome weekend, the sun will return. As a friend of mine says, the sun is shining above the clouds. Enjoy some well deserved time away from the grind stone. Wasn't Canada day great in the middle of the week? I loved it. I am planning on finding a song to celebrate our friends from the south for next weeks song, partly because we have American family and we are (actually my son is hosting a "friend" for a few days) having a young lady visit us next week who is from Alabama or somewhere down there. This should be fun!

Love is to the heart what summer is to the farmer's year - it brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul

Tuesday Musings # 42

I saw a rainbow this morning as I drove to work. The rainbow, as a symbol, means a lot to me. I don't think about the legend of the pot of gold, or that a leprechaun will be waiting there to greet me. The symbol is of hope. In recent years members of the gay community have used the rainbow to symbolize something for them, I prefer to think of it as a gift from God as a reminder of His promise. That promise is that He will never flood the earth again.

There is a lot of evil in the world. and if you don't believe in evil, then what do you call Darfur, Sudan, Rwanda, Northern Ireland, Slavery and so on? It's not just bad decisions, I do not believe that we are inherently good, I believe that daily I have to choose to do what is right as I struggle with my inner darkness.

A favourite musician of mine paraphrased Saint Paul in the following way:

the very things I hate, I end up doing

the things I want to do, I just don't do

Why is there such a battle going on between doing what is good (read right) and what I want (read wrong). I have no plans to do anything that would either break the ten commandments or even any of current societal laws, I just know that within my hearts resides the possibility to do wrong.

And then I see a rainbow. There is hope because with the recognition of my inner evil, comes the hope of redemption. I believe that there is no one beyond redemption, including myself, because we all have fallen short of perfection, therefore we all can come to the place of reconciliation. It's that simple, it's just a choice as to whether or not I choose to live in the darkness of my evil or see the beauty and hope of the rainbow and live in the light.

Happy Tuesday everyone

Obscure lyric for the week of June 29/09

Well the last week of June is here and summer music is playing everywhere. I had a great weekend, Jays game with Josh on Friday night, family gathering on Saturday and then rested yesterday after church, what a great time.

I am continuing on my journey of summer music and this week because of the Canada day (I love Canada) I have chosen a relatively easy Canadian summer song. I hope you like it and I hope to hear from some of you that you know and like this song. I was thinking about using Kid Rock, but he's not Canadian and his summer song, while fun, is just a rip off of Skynyrd (Sweet Home Alabama), Warren Zevon (Werewolves of London) and probably others. Shrewd yes, rip off, yes.

This weeks Canadian song is the ultimate summer song for those of us who grew up in the '70's. It was written by a great Canadian band and talks about some of those fun (and sometimes illegal) activities that kids do in the summer. I have used this band once before in the blog, how is your memory? The band was conceived in 1968 by a "chance" meeting of two of the early leaders. The band was often compared to a major american band with "similar" sounds. Some of my research for this song was done using "Making Music, Profiles from a Century of Canadian Music", (Thanks Chief).

Here are some lyrics from the end of the song:

and now the sun's about to fade away

I'm feelin better than I've felt for days

you know there's nothin better for your soul

than lyin' in the sun and listenin' to rock and roll

I would like to know:

The name of the song:

The name of the band:

How they got their name:

The bands original name:

Where Howard Shore went to work in 1975:

Have a great week, enjoy and celebrate Canada Day. Below you will find a rarely sung verse of O Canada, it is my favourite verse. Every time I sing O Canada I am caught up in tears as I realize how blessed I am to live, work and enjoy my life in this amazing country. I was not born here, but I am Canadian.

Ruler Supreme, who hearest humble prayer

Hold our dominion within thy loving care

Help us find, O God in thee

A lasting rich reward

As waiting for the better day

We ever stand on Guard

The big reveal for the week of June 22/09

Good morning and how about the first week of summer? Wow it went from spring to mid-summer in a few days, yikes it's been hot. I don't mind, I like the weather and I enjoy the sunshine too.

I can't believe that I had no guesses this week. I had one person comment on the blog that he enjoyed the song, but no guesses? Oh well I better go to some easier songs for next week.

Here are the answers:

The name of the song: In the Summertime

The writer:Ray Dorset

The name of the band: Mungo Jerry

Here is an earlier "video" for the song:

Have a great weekend. Mine started at about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday so I'm already there. I'm heading to Toronto to enjoy the boys of summer with my boy tonight, go Jays!

"Our fear of death is like our fear that summer will be short, but when we have had our swing of pleasure, our fill of fruit and our swelter of heat, we say we have had our day"

My Boy is 22 today

Twenty two years ago today at 7:56 a.m. Josh came into this world and changed our lives forever. Parenting has been an amazing journey. I would not go back to being a non parent for any reason. Today we celebrate Josh's 22nd birthday and there are lots of reasons to celebrate. He has experienced much in his 22 years and for the most part the experiences have been good. Even if the experiences were "bad" he has had opportunities to learn from them, and learn he has. It's in the most difficult times that we realized what(who) is most important to us.

I will call him at 7:56 a.m. and remind him of the words of the midwife (Cathy Smallbone) who stayed overtime after her shift because she wanted to meet this child she had been waiting for all night: "ten fingers ten toes, 7:56 a.m. it's a boy" and all of a sudden, I was a Daddy. What joy, what terror in the same moment as I realized that nothing could ever place a wedge (unless we were golfing) between my son and I.

Tonight we will celebrate with a birthday dinner. Our tradition is that the birthday person gets breakfast in bed and then gets to choose the meal or restaurant for dinner. In typical Josh style, he has chosen to go to the "Charcoal Steakhouse" probably one of the best steakhouses around and the most expensive too. Oh well, it's only once a year and it's my boy's birthday.

Happy 22nd Birthday Josh

Tuesday Musings (#41)

Happy Tuesday everyone.

I usually write this blog before I start work on Tuesdays, but have changed my work hours somewhat, so I do not have time to write before I start at 7:00. The good thing is that I no longer arrive at work at 6:10 a.m. The demands have slowed somewhat and I have decided that whatever gets done in the allotted time is all that gets done, especially since this is the summer.

I was sitting and thinking (a rare duet for me) on fathers day and took stock of the existence that I try to manage and realized that in the midst of typical life trials, I am doing very well. Sure, there are issues of health for one of my children and lack of ongoing employment for both of my children, but I have never been happier. I am in a great place emotionally and spiritually. I think I may have come to that place of contentment in my existence.

One just needs to have a look at the tv ( a rare occurrence for me these days) to see the lack of respect for people around this globe. I live in the best country in the world. I am so thankful that my parents chose this country and that I have been able to raise my family here. Does this mean that I am lucky (if you believe in luck) or blessed (if you believe in being blessed)? From my perspective, I believe in blessings, I also believe that the difficulties that I experience are blessings waiting to be explored.

It's now Tuesday evening, I am tired and thankful. I have peace and safety as well as freedom. What more can one ask for?

Happy Tuesday everyone!  

Obscure lyric for the week of June 22/09

Fathers day 2009 has come and gone. I hope that all you fathers out there had a great day yesterday. I certainly did. I rested, read the paper(s), listened to my favourite tunes and enjoyed time with all my beloved family. All in all it was a great way to start the summer. So here we go with the summer version of the "obscure musical lyric". I am picking my favourite summer songs and some other tunes to enjoy over the next few weeks. 

This weeks song was written and recorded in 1970. Just hearing it feels like summer. It's not that obscure after all. I hope you enjoy it, I certainly did when I heard it again.

Here are some of the lyrics:

we're no threat, people, we're not dirty, we're not mean

we love everybody, but we do as we please

when the weathers fine

we go fishing or go swimming in the sea 

I would like to know the following:

The name of the song:

The writer:

The name of the band:

Have a great week. Summer is definitely here along with the hot weather. Oh my where did spring go?