The Hollow Men

by T.S. Eliot (with music from the soundtrack of "Amen." composed by Armand Amar)

So, I was cleaning up my digital music library and making sure all the music I had on my laptop was also on my iPod when I came across this. I had made a mix of a reading of the poem "The Hollow Men" and music from the soundtrack of "Amen." a while ago but somehow it slipped through the cracks and it remained forgotten for a few months in the depths of my mac's memory. Oh by the way, I'm not sure but I think T.S. Eliot is the one reading the poem, if not then it's Robert Speaight.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

sung by Martin Carthy (second youtube vid = The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem)

This song has been stuck in my head since last week, I keep randomly humming it without realizing I'm doing so. I blame St. Patrick's day, it makes me do all sorts of silly things like dancing around the house, wearing my hair down, using my pseudo-irish accent, and eating loads of Irish butter. I'm probably only 1/128 Irish but I can't help my love for all things Irish ^_^

And now about the song, this melancholy ballad (written by Robert Dwyer Joyce) is about a young rebel who is about to give up his relationship with the girl he loves and become part of the 1798 rebellion (aka the United Irishmen Rebellion), an uprising that against British rule which would last several months.

Now that I think about it a little more I guess there's also the bit of rebellious blood (and revolutionary thinking ^_~) in me inherited from my great-grandparents that makes me sympathetic to the Irish rebels (however, I am NOT a fan of the IRA, the Real IRA, or any other affiliated parties).

UPDATE 3/28/11: Here is the version performed by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem

lyrics:

I sat within a valley green

I sat me with my true love

My sad heart strove to choose between

The old love and the new love

The old for her, the new that made

Me think on Ireland dearly

While soft the wind blew down the glade

And shook the golden barley

Twas hard the woeful words to frame

To break the ties that bound us

But harder still to bear the shame

Of foreign chains around us

And so I said, "The mountain glen

I'll seek at morning early

And join the bold United Men

While soft winds shake the barley"

While sad I kissed away her tears

My fond arms 'round her flinging

The foeman's shot burst on our ears

From out the wildwood ringing

A bullet pierced my true love's side

In life's young spring so early

And on my breast in blood she died

While soft winds shook the barley

I bore her to some mountain stream

And many's the summer blossom

I placed with branches soft and green

About her gore-stained bosom

I wept and kissed her clay-cold corpse

Then rushed o'er vale and valley

My vengeance on the foe to wreak

While soft winds shook the barley

But blood for blood without remorse

I've taken at Oulart Hollow

And laid my true love's clay-cold corpse

Where I full soon may follow

As 'round her grave I wander drear

Noon, night and morning early

With breaking heart when e'er I hear

The wind that shakes the barley

Fisherman's Blues

by The Waterboys

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Waterboys live:

-=My St. Patrick's Day Feast=-

Miracle Drug

by A.C. Newman

Last week my sister asked me for some music, anything that I had that isn't widely popular (basically 2/3 of my iTunes library haha) and this is one of the songs I sent her. I still don't know why she needed the music so urgently but I do know that this became her "obsession of the week". What can I say, my musical tastes are just that contagious ;-)... if that statement were actually true I'd be ridiculously popular and maybe even rich... but I'm not... so.... ^_^

Prairie Love Song

music produced and arranged by Matthias Gohl

"The West" is one of a handful of documentaries that I vividly remember watching as a child and some of the music managed to stay in the crevices of my mind for several years (especially the main title which I will definitely be posting here soon). I was overjoyed when I found eMusic had the entire soundtrack. I present to you one of my favorites:

A tiny clip from the doc:

O Field, My Field / Polyushko Polye

performed by the Red Army Choir

In Russian mode... again... haha ^_^

I blame my Regional World Geography class. Last night we covered Russia and it finally hit me how MASSIVE Russia is, I mean I've always known it was big but I don't think I ever really absorbed Russia's size or how far north it is in relation to the continental U.S. until yesterday's class. Another thing I learned last night: Russia currently has one of the most rapidly decreasing populations in the world -_-* Isn't learning fun? Hopefully this knowledge will come to my aid while I'm on Jeopardy in the very distant future ^_~

Map of the World

by Sunny Day Sets Fire

I randomly started singing this song when I woke up yesterday morning and hummed it all through my refreshingly cool shower and later in the day I started humming it again while I totally bombed almost an entire geography category on Jeopardy. Time to pull out some maps ^_^

P.S. I was born in one of the places seen in the video, take a wild guess where ;-)

Totentanz

composed by Liszt

I'm a big fan of Liszt's compositions and until recently I hadn't heard this piece in it's entirety. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do! ^_^

Come Come Ye Saints

performed by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, lyrics by William Clayton (1814-1879)

I am currently in Provo, Utah, where temperature highs have been in the low 30s (fahrenheit) and lows are in the single digits. There is snow and ice EVERYWHERE. While I accompanied my sister to her classes at BYU and we trekked uphill a fairly short distance to one of the buildings on campus I complained about Jack Frost nipping at my entire face and the cold tickling my mitten covered fingertips but after a tiny bit of complaining my sister and I couldn't help thinking about the Mormon pioneers who traveled in all sorts of adverse conditions and persevered. The LDS Hymn "Come, Come, Ye Saints" is one of my favorites and one that I sang often in the past since my former stake president (the equivalent of a bishop who oversees a diocese in other Christian religions) is a descendent of the lyricist of this hymn . This hymn is also one of the few things I can play on the harmonica ^_^

Here are the lyrics of the hymn:

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell-
All is well! all is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward,
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take;
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell-
All is well! all is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell--
All is well! all is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! all is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
O how we'll make this chorus swell--
All is well! all is well!

Mary Mary

sung by Harry Belafonte

Here's a little reminder of why Christmas is celebrated sung with the dulcet tones of Mr. Belafonte...

Mary, Mary had a little baby

Oh, pretty little baby

Oh, pretty little baby

Glory be to the newborn king

Star a-shinin', shinin' on the manger

Oh, shinin' on the manger

Oh, welcoming a stranger

Glory be to the newborn king

Mary, Mary who was here, who knew him

Oh, did anybody know him

The ox and the donkey

They bowed right down before him

Glory be to the newborn king

Mary, what you gonna name your baby

Oh, pretty little baby

Mm, pretty little baby

Glory be to the newborn king

Some call him Emanuel

Think I'll call him Jesus

Mm, my pretty little Jesus

Glory to the newborn king

The Little Drummer Boy

performed by Burl Ives

Christmas is fast approaching so I've decided to share one of my favorite songs of the season. This song has always held a special place in my heart because when I was 7 my Uncle Ivan led our little "Choir of Cousins" in a rendition of The Little Drummer Boy in Spanish. I don't remember if we were any good but I do remember that I had a lot of fun singing with my cousins.

P.S. I also like this song because I'm a percussionist ^_~

The Last Thing on My Mind

by Tom Paxton

This is one of my absolute favorites. The words and Paxton's voice always manage to get me into my "emo" state and by the time he gets around to the chorus it almost physically hurts (I'm a such a masochist).

When They Sound the Last 'All Clear'

by Vera Lynn

Because today is Veteran's Day (aka Remembrance Day) I've decided to post this WWII era song. I may not agree with the politics behind some conflicts but I'd like to thank all the veterans who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country.

LYRICS:

When they sound the last all-clear

How happy, my darling, we'll be

When they turn up the lights

And the dark lonely nights

Are only a memory

Never more we'll be apart

Always together, sweetheart

For the peace-bells will ring

And the whole world will sing

When they sound the last all-clear

We've got our troubles and we've got our cares

But as long as we keep smiling through

There'll come a day

When the clouds roll away

And the sun will be shining anew

When they sound the last all-clear

How happy, my darling, we'll be

When they turn up the lights

And the dark lonely nights

Are only a memory

Never more we'll be apart

Always together, sweetheart

For the peace-bells will ring

And the whole world will sing

When they sound the last all-clear

song purchased from eMusic

Busby Berkeley Dreams

by The Magnetic Fields

A few nights ago the Busby Berkeley film "Golddiggers of 1933" was on tv and I managed to catch a bit of the end (my favorite part of the film!). My brother was there with me and I was excited to share with him the artistry of the of the talented Berkeley. Enjoy the song and the dance numbers choreographed by Berkeley!

Theme from Jean de Florette

I'm prone to obsessive behavior, like a match I just need a firm strike and I burst into all-consuming flames (though I don't burn out so quickly). My current obsession is the film Jean de Florette and its soundtrack. I rented it from Netflix a few days ago mainly because I was in the mood to watch two of my favorite French actors, Gerard Depardieu and Yves Montand, at work and I was not disappointed even though I struggled with Montand's character because my adoration for Montand made it difficult to swallow the darker parts of his character. Without further adieu I present to you the lovely piece of music that I can now sort of pick out on the piano and am slowly managing to play on the harmonica:

And here's the cheesy trailer (keep in mind the trailer is very much from the '80s ^_^)

12/30/10 EDIT

Here is a clip of Toscanini conducting the piece "La Forza del Destino" by Verdi which inspired the "Jean de Florette" soundtrack

Girls Who Play Guitars

by Maximo Park

I'm a pretty random person that does all sorts of random things. On a whim I typed "russian literature" in the emusic search box and I came across Maximo Park's album "Our Earthly Pleasures" which contains a track with the title "Russian Literature". I liked what I heard so I downloaded the following:

Here's the same song live:

AMA Song

by Phil Ochs

(A.M.A. = American Medical Association)

I didn't know I had this song until it popped up on my iPod's shuffle and I was pleasantly surprised.

I couldn't help but laugh because it seems that the "Healthcare Debate" has been going on for quite a long time and will probably continue for years to come because 1) The system will always try to screw us over and 2) We'll never be satisfied because we can always demand better (especially if we are being screwed). I feel silly for forgetting that the times don't really change very much.

Star Star

by The Frames

Today when I picked my brothers up from school something amazing happened the elder of my two brothers didn't change the music I had playing a single time during our long ride (after school traffic is the worst!). He is quick to find fault with the music I have on my iPod, he doesn't appreciate folk or opera (and I don't appreciate rap or hip hop ^_^), but today my iPod was left untouched until "Star Star" started playing and he picked it up to see the name of the song and the name of the band. Here's to other people liking what you listen to!

At Last

from "Breaker Morant"

performed by Edward Morant

Still feeling really crummy (cold+..."other".. -_-). I managed to make it to church today, though I only went to the last hour so I could play the piano during the relief society meeting. When I got home to wallow in the joys of being sick I decided to listen to my favorite record, the soundtrack to Breaker Morant. I love listening to Woodward's gorgeous voice ^_^

Here is Woodward performing in the film, he sings at around 2:52

Goodnight

by The Beatles

Since the NyQuil I just took is shipping me off to the poppy filled lair of Morpheus I figured I'd share this lullaby with you all. Nighty night.