Ten years I never spoke your name, now it feels good to say that you're my friend again.

Brandi Carlile   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

I must have been sleeping
I must have been drinking
I haven't been dreaming about you for years
There was a sharp turn and a sunburn
I was too cool for high school that year

Must have have been new years, no one invited you,
You took things too far but I missed you
And your antics
You were lonesome and
Blue-eyed and so special to us

You should have taken a long break
Instead of a long drop from a high place
Ten years I never spoke your name
Now it feels good to say it
You're my friend again

Said he forgave you, I said I hated you
He was the bigger man, I was sixteen
All the innocence it took for
you to finally make the year book
That year
That year

You could have taken some time away
Instead of a long drop, instead of a leap of faith
Ten years I never spoke your name
Now it feels good to say that you're my friend again
You're my friend again

I was angry
I was a baptist
I was a daughter
I was wrong

make love—with your sandwich

I'm not so sure I want a sammich for dinner anymore . . .

SCORPIO [October 23–November 21] Barbara De Angelis wrote a book that offers to help us learn "how to make love all the time." Maybe I'll read it, but right now I'm more interested in your take on the subject. How would you make love—not have sex, but make love—with your sandwich, with the music you listen to, with a vase of flowers, with the familiar strangers sitting in the café, with everything? Your expertise in this art is now at a peak. —Rob Brezsny, Village Voice

Welcome to my iPod.

Time keeps burning, the wheels keep on turning, sometimes I feel I'm wasting my day

So, this past weekend I went to see the amazing Brandi Carlile in NJ. Just. Amazing.

You just don't get much better than a chick and her band who are going to sing almost every song off their new album, a few of their past album highlights, and cover Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Tears for Fears, and Johnny Cash.

Here's a lovely highlight from the actual show (yay for illegal taping!). Dying Day is my favorite track from Brandi's new album so I just quite giddy when the band unplugged themselves and stepped to the front of the stage.



On the actual album:



I left home a long, long time ago
in a tin can for the road
with a suitcase and some songs

Chasing miles through the nighttime making tracks
with no time for looking back
to the place where I belong

How these days grow long
but I'm on my way back home
It's been hard to be away
How I miss you
and I just want to kiss you
and I'm gonna love you till my dying day
How these days grow long

When you're sad,
you know I wish I could be there
to make your sorrows disappear
and set your troubles free
It's not fair for me to be this far from you
but I promise to stay true
wherever I might be

Time keeps burning
The wheels keep on turning sometimes
I feel I'm wasting my day
How I miss you
and I just want to kiss you
and I'm gonna love you till my dying day
How these days grow long
Time keeps burning on
How these days grow long

Now I'm lost in a sea of sunken dreams
while the sound of drunken screams
echoes in the night
But I know all of this will come to pass
and I'll be with you at last
forever by your side

How these days grow long
but I'm on my way back home
It's been hard to be away
How I miss you
and I just want to kiss you
and I'm gonna love you till my dying day

And time keeps burning
The wheels keep on turning sometimes
I feel I'm wasting my day
How I miss you
and I just want to kiss you
and I'm gonna love you till my dying day
How these days grow long
Time keeps burning on
How these days grow long

—Brandi Carlile, Dying Day

And from a show in Portland, Oregon:



All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very mad world . . . world
Enlarge your world
Mad world

—Tears for Fears, Mad World


RIght beautiful.

Well, you made me love you, now your man done come

Lovely little cover.



CC Rider, see what you gone done
CC Rider, see what you gone done
CC Rider, see what you gone done
Well hey, hey, hey, hey

Well, you made me love you, now your man done come
Made me love you, now your man done come
Made me love you, now your man done come
Hey, hey, hey, hey

You were standin’ in the kitchen in that morning gown
Standin’ in the kitchen in that morning gown
Standin’ in the kitchen in that morning gown
Hey, hey, hey, hey

I was lookin’ right at her when that sun went down
Lookin’ right at her when that sun went down
Lookin’ right at her when that sun went down
Hey, hey, hey, hey

Well, CC Rider, see what you gone done
CC Rider, now see what you gone done
CC Rider, you’ll see what you gone done
Hey, hey, hey, hey

—Ma Rainey (I believe), CC Rider

You can never know just where to put all your faith and how it will grow

Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow

Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold

Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold

Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole

—Eddie Vedder, Rise

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

SCORPIO [October 23–November 21] "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" was composed in 1931 by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills. I propose that we make that title your motto in 2010—the standard you'll refer to as you evaluate which experiences you want to pursue and which you don't. Please proceed on the assumption that you should share your life energy with people and situations that make your soul sing and tingle and swing. -Rob Brezsny, Village Voice

And I feel like the last hair, on a head gone bald.

I just don't care
Don't care at all
I've banged my head too long
On these brick walls
Every seed I sow
Shudders and falls
Perishes betweens
Ah these brick walls

And I feel like the last hair
On a head gone bald
Not much point being there
No point at all
How many more years?
Years 'till they fall
On the blind eyes
And deaf ears
And these brick walls

These brick walls
These brick walls
These brick walls
Ah these brick walls

And I'm long past worrying
And I'm way past being appalled
I know history is hurrying up
And time can't be stalled
So don't try to run, no
Before you can crawl
Just wait and the time will come
Hey, for these brick walls

These brick walls
These brick walls
These brick walls
Ah these brick walls

—David Gray / Brick Walls

If it's a friend you need, let it be me

There comes a time
A time in everyone's life
Where nothing seems to go your way
Where nothing seems to turn out right

There may come a time
You just can't seem to find your place
For every door you open
Feels like you get two slammed in your face

That's when you need someone
Someone that you can call
When all your faith is gone
It feels like you can't go on
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend that you need
Let it be me
Let it be me

Feels like you're always coming up last
Pockets full of nothing and you got no cash
No matter where you turn you ain't got no place to stand
You reach out for something and they slap your hand

Now I remember all to well
Just how it feels to be all alone
You feel like you'd give anything
For just a little place you can call your own

That's when you need someone
Someone that you, you can call
When all your faith is gone
It feels like you can't go on
Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me

Let it be me
Let it be me
If it's a friend you need
Let it be me
Let it be me

—Ray LaMontagne, Let It Be Me

so tell your mama I said hello

I won't cry for you
when the night grows long
and I won't lie for you
because you done me wrong
so tell your mama
I said hello
and that she raised you
too damn slow
you're too damn slow
too damn slow.

Because I've been waiting
for your time
And I've been missing
out on mine
So tell your father
that I said so long
and thanks for raising you
so damn wrong
you are so damn wrong
you're so damn wrong, so damn wrong.

—Norah Jones, Tell Your Mama

keep your dancing slippers on, keep me on your mind a while

I saw Ray LaMontagne last night at the Beacon and it was just fantastic . . . except for the high-quotient of douchebags in the audience. Seriously. These people apparently thought we were at a sporting event. Am I getting old or are there just more assholes hanging around nowadays? Sit the fuck down for an hour or so and just listen. You don't need a beverage. You don't need to pee, kiddo. Also, shut your hole.

Dude came through though. He gives good performance. And he's lovely to look at, to boot.

This video is not from last night but from earlier on his tour this year. I heard him cover Loretta (Townes Van Zandt) live for the second time in two months. Of course, this time he wasn't accompanied by Elvis Costello, John Prine, Lyle Lovett (hey there, name-dropping) but it was still delightful. So, listen:



Oh Loretta, she's a barroom girl
wears them sevens on her sleeve
Dances like a diamond shines
Tell me lies I love to believe
Her age is always 22
Her laughing eyes a hazel hue
Spends my money like water falls
Loves me like I want her to
Oh, Loretta, won't you say to me
Darling, put your guitar on
have a little shot of booze
play a blue and wailing song
My guitar rings a melody
My guitar sings, Loretta's fine
Long and lazy, blond and free
and I can have her any time
Sweetest at the break of day
prettiest in the setting sun
she don't cry when I can't stay
'least not till she's all alone
Loretta, I won't be gone long
keep your dancing slippers on
keep me on your mind a while
I'll be back, babe, to make you smile
—Townes Van Zandt, Loretta

P.S. Also, how friggin' cool is it that he referenced performances (from the Spectacle taping I went to . . . yeah, that's right, I'm big-time) I knew about AND saw for myself? Pretty. Damn. Cool. I should get a badge or something.

P.P.S. Lauren: you were wonderful company. Thank you for helping me pick out a t-shirt. And thanks for, well, for being you.

Oh man . . .

I really need to start blogging again. Right? Riiiiiight? Right.

Just awesome.

Regretsy

Telling myself I could be strong or some such brave bullshit

I am in love with this song. In. Love. It's absolutely beautiful. And I'm thrilled that Jolie Holland makes an appearance on this album.

(The whole album, is in fact, awesome.)



Lay down my head by the wayside
My worn out shoes
Quite why she went I can’t decide
Yeah but I sure could use
One plate of food steaming and hot
Clean linen ironed
On a fresh made bed but I ain’t got
One salty dime，one salty dime
One salty dime
Just close your eyes it won’t take long
It won’t hurt a bit
Telling myself I could be strong
Or some such brave bullshit
Trucks are roaring by I’m a red ghost
In their tail light gleam
I’m a tumbleweed，I’m a spit roast
Just turning in your flame
Oh my darlin’ Kathleen
Cars they sound like waves that are breaking
On some distant shore
I gazed so long into the great aching sky
It seemed that I，I wasn’t here no more
That my rushing blood was a river
My eyes two stars
My blowing hair all a quiver
A whispering field of grass
That murmurs as you pass
Oh my darlin’ Kathleen
That whispers out your name
Oh my darlin’ Kathleen
Oh my darlin’ Kathleen

—David Gray / Kathleen

Three words that became hard to say.

Well, this is just fantastic:

Exclusive First Listen: The Avett Brothers
Hear 'I And Love And You' In Its Entirety

cuz when i look around i think this, this is good enough

A hundred freedoms fell on her.

I think this book may be a little too fancy for me but I must admit she can turn a phrase.

In the past few years she had let go her ties to people she did not like, to ironing, to dining out in town, and to buying things not necessary and that themselves needed care. She ignored whatever did not interest her. With those blows she opened her days like a piñata. A hundred freedoms fell on her. She hitched free years to her lifespan like a kite tail. Everyone envied her the time she had, not noticing that they had equal time.

—The Maytrees, Annie Dillard

OK, not all . . .

I'm also finding I'm not built for Diet Coke and muffins before 10:00 a.m.

I need to work on my willpower.

That's all.

I am not built for summer. At all.

I know I'm not that colorful but a bird just the same

Take 'em away, take 'em away Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken cause my spirits not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Some birds feathers are too bright to be caged
I know I'm not that colorful but a bird just the same
Open up your gate now, let me put down my load
So I can feel at ease and go back to my home

Take 'em away, take 'em away Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken cause my spirits not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Sun beating down, my legs can't seem to stand
There's a boss man at a turn row with a rifle in his hand
I've got nine children, nothin' in the pan
My wife she died hungry while I was plowin' land

Take 'em away, take 'em away Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken cause my spirits not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Can't see when I go to work, can't see when I get off
How do you expect a man not to get lost
Every year I just keep getting deeper in debt
If there's a happy day, Lord, I haven't seen one yet

Take 'em away, take 'em away Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken cause my spirits not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Land that I love is the land that I'm workin'
But it's hard to love it all the time when your back is a-hurting
Getting too old now to push this here plow
Please let me lay down so I can look at the clouds

Take 'em away, take 'em away Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken cause my spirits not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Land that I know is where two rivers collide
The Brazos, The Navaso, and the big blue sky
Flood plains, freight trains, watermelon vines
Of any place on God's green earth, this is where I choose to die

Take 'em away, take 'em away Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken cause my spirits not free
Lord take away these chains from me

—Old Crow Medicine Show / Take 'Em Away