Tag Archives: music

Love is…

Love is… a lot of things. Love can be demonstrated through big, extravagant actions, but I tend to think that the small, quiet actions can often speak the loudest. Why? Because those small things show how well we know our partner, how well we see the little things that make their heart happy. Before I get into the heart of this post, you need to know a few things about Kenn and me: when it comes to music, our tastes are very similar – until they’re not. I like John Mellencamp; Kenn does not. Kenn loves Sting while Sting is the musical equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to me. I like what I call “fun” music. (Think Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! and Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off.) I’m also old enough to have lived through disco and am not ashamed to say that I like it.

Kenn’s former guitar teacher provided him with a musical library on CD; it covered a wide range of decades and genres. On a recent trip to South Carolina to visit the kids, Kenn pulled up his library and said he had created a playlist for me; he set it to “shuffle” and hit play. I knew he had nailed it with the first song. As the music played, every couple of songs I pulled up the notepad on my phone and scribbled some notes. Kenn eventually asked what I was doing and I told him that I was making a list of all of the songs. When he asked why, I told him “because I want to remember; this is one of the sweetest things you’ve done for me.” I think he was surprised I felt that way, but I stand by my statement.

The songs on the playlist are (in the order they played):

  • YMCA by the Village People. Kenn does not share my love of the Village People, but he grinned as he drove while I did the arm motions for the song.
  • Annie’s Song by John Denver (IMO there are two singers who make singing seem effortless. One is John Denver, the other is Karen Carpenter.)
  • Somebody to Love by Queen
  • Disco Inferno by The Trammps
  • More Than A Woman by the Bee Gees
  • Wild Montana Skies by John Denver
  • That’s the Way (I Like It) by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • Killer Queen by Queen
  • Trying to Get The Feeling Again by Barry Manilow
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
  • Can’t Smile Without You by Barry Manilow
  • Open Arms by Journey
  • All Out of Love by Air Supply
  • I’m Sorry by John Denver
  • Calypso by John Denver
  • In the Navy by the Village People
  • Looks Like We Made It by Barry Manilow
  • Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees
  • Lost in Love by Air Supply
  • How Deep is Your Love by the Bee Gees
  • Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
  • Making Love Out of Nothing at All by Air Supply
  • Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen (My favorite Queen song)
  • Back Home Again by John Denver
  • Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
  • It’s a Miracle by Barry Manilow
  • Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey
  • Still the One by Orleans (This is “our song.”)
  • Saturday Night by the Bay City Rollers (In my early teens I was a die-hard Roller fan. The walls of my room were covered with BCR posters.)
  • Mandy by Barry Manilow
  • Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass
  • Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen
  • Daybreak by Barry Manilow
  • You’re My Best Friend by Queen
  • Get Down Tonight by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • Evil Woman by Elecric Light Orchestra
  • I’m Your Boogie Man by KC and the Sunshine Band
  • We Will Rock You by Queen
  • Even Now by Barry Manilow
  • Who’s Crying Now by Journey

We discussed the list and I told him he could remove Disco Inferno, but that there are a few artists I’d like to have added such as the Carpenters and the Eagles. We also agreed that Elton John and more ELO would be good. Then I told him that I’m indifferent to the Bee Gees; I don’t hate them, but I don’t go out of the way to listen to them either. I told him that I wasn’t sure why he had recently decided that I’m a big Bee Gees fan. He just looked at me in stunned silence and finally managed to say, “It’s not just recently. I’ve always thought you like the Bee Gees.” Nope.

Originally this post would have ended here. However, Kenn came home from an estate sale last weekend with these gems for me.🥰

I will be investing in some album frames so I can hang them on the wall in my game room. Side note: I did not know until I read the album covers that the Village People had recorded Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody so I looked it up. David Lee Roth did it better.🤷‍♀️

What is your favorite type of music?

At Last

Well, this isn’t the post I was planning for today, but that’s the joy of blogging – I can always zig when I was planning to zag. Today, I’m musing about weddings and music. Kenn and I married in 1986 and we were among the last of our friends and acquaintances to wed. One of the most popular songs for weddings during that period was There is Love, also known as The Wedding Song. Now, don’t get me wrong.There is Love is a beautiful song and you can listen to my favorite version by the Captain and Tennille HERE. The only problem was, we heard this song at so many weddings, it got to the point where we’d get the giggles as soon as it started playing. Since most people don’t appreciate people snickering during their vows, we would attempt to swallow our laughter and hope that people assumed our tears were due to the occasion and not our reaction to the music.

Over the years I’ve also come to associate the song At Last with weddings. (The Etta James version is probably the best known.) However, earlier today I was watching the episode of Bones where the main characters, FBI agent Seeley Booth and forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan married. Cyndi Lauper (yes, that Cyndi Lauper) played a small recurring role as Avalon the psychic. Cyndi/Avalon sang At Last at the wedding and I. Was. Floored. She absolutely knocked it out of the park.😮 A little research showed that Cyndi also recorded the song; if you haven’t listened to her version, I hope you do. It’s wonderful.

However, thanks to The Big Bang Theory (the tv show, not BigBang the K-pop group) Kenn and I now get the giggles whenever any version of At Last plays. Barry Kripke, a recurring character on The Big Bang Theory, suffers a speech impediment which causes him to have problems pronouncing the letter L. When characters Sheldon and Amy Farrah Fowler (finally!) get married, Kripke performs At Last at the end of the wedding. Kripke’s version will now and forever be my favorite version of this song.

The song is near the end of this video

What songs do you associate with weddings?

The Earworms from Hell

Wow. It’s been over a month since my last regular post.😲 I knew I had been busy but didn’t realize I had been that busy. Side note: I have also learned that working at an agricultural center in Spring means that all of the things have to be done at once. Walking eleven miles over the course of two days kind of brought home how much we were doing. However, I digress.

Merriam Webster defines an earworm as “as song or melody that keeps repeating in one’s mind.” In my opinion, some songs are more earworm material than others. I once had Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk stuck in my head for six days; to make it worse, I don’t even know all the lyrics.🤷‍♀️Kid’s songs are perfect earworm material; they’re short and catchy with simple, repetitive lyrics. (Don’t even get me started on the lyrics that make absolutely no sense. “Here we go looby loo, here we go looby light.” What does that even mean? And why is it just on Saturday night? Never mind. I don’t really want to know.)

I was reminded of the earworm-ness of children’s songs last week when we spent a few days helping out with our grandkids while our daughter-in-law recovered from surgery. The twins just turned one and are big fans of Ms. Rachel. Ms. Rachel and her Songs for Littles is currently the hot show for children four and younger. (When my boys were young, it was Barney & Friends.) Over the course of our visit we watched a few hours of Ms. Rachel. Sadly, Ms. Rachel came home with us in the form of persistent, annoying earworms. I’ll share my “favorites” below. (I’m using “favorite” sarcastically here.) Play at your own risk.

The Banana Song is the first song in this hour long video.

Trust me, having “Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas” on repeat in your head is enough to have you searching for something, anything to take its place. I was relieved to get in the truck to go home from work, turn on the radio, and hear Walk The Moon’s Shut Up and Dance. Ahhhhh. Sweet relief and a replacement for the Banana Song… at least temporarily.

What are your favorite and least favorite earworms? Is there even such a thing as a favorite earworm?

Friday Funnies

Commercials frequently make me say “What the fox?” – especially perfume/cologne commercials. However, there are those that make me happy and this is one of them.

Here’s hoping that one of the things that makes me happy can also bring a little happy to you! (Side note: the official video for Call Me Maybe is also good for a few laughs.)