MM#83, "My Town", Montgomery Gentry 1/9/12
This was the last Monday Melody I posted on my Xanga. And, when I posted it, I was referring to the town I'd lived in for 7½ years, Severance Kansas.
But really, although the country references more fit a town of 100 in a county of 8,000 ... the emotion fits the city I currently live in - Leavenworth, KS. By my math, it's a large plurality - 17 of my 36 years have been in Leavenworth, with smaller pieces in Severance, Lansing, Troy, St. Joseph, and New Jersey.
Leavenworth is my home. Where I was born, where I was raised. Where I keep all my yesterdays.
... Where I came back to settle down, It's where they'll put me in the ground: This is my town.
There's a "For Sale" sign on a big old rusty tractor.
You can't miss it, it's the first thing that you see.
Just up the road, a pale-blue water tower,
With "I Love Jenny" painted in bright green.
Hey, that's my Uncle Bill, there by the courthouse.
He'll be lowerin' the flag when the sun goes down.
And this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Yeah, this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Hey!
Where I was born, where I was raised.
Where I keep all my yesterdays.
Where I ran off 'cos I got mad,
An' it came to blows with my old man.
Where I came back to settle down,
It's where they'll put me in the ground:
This is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Yeah, this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
My town.
There ain't much goin' on here since they closed the mill.
But that whistle still blows ev'ry day at noon.
A bunch of us still go down to the diner.
I wonder if that interstate's still comin' through.
Come Sunday morning service, at the Church of Christ,
Well there ain't an empty seat to be found.
And this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Yeah, this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Where I was born, where I was raised.
Where I keep all my yesterdays.
Where I ran off 'cos I got mad,
An' it came to blows with my old man.
Where I came back to settle down,
It's where they'll put me in the ground:
This is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Yeah, this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
My town.
Well, I bought and painted up that rusty tractor.
You can't miss it, it's sittin' right there in our yard.
The County came and took that water tower,
And that's Jenny, with a baby, in the car.
Ah, we're off to Sunday service at the Church of Christ,
And if we want a seat, we better leave right now.
And maybe later, me an old T-roy will show you around,
Our town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Yeah, this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Yeah, where I was born, where I was raised.
Where I keep all my yesterdays.
Where I ran off 'cos I got mad,
An' it came to blows with my old man.
Where I came back to settle down,
It's where they'll put me in the ground:
This is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
Yeah, this is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
This is my town.
(Na, na, na, na, na.)
My town.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
Concert with the Covington twins
MM#59, "A Father's Love (the only way he knew how)", Bucky Covington 3/7/11
Once upon a time, I won tickets to a Bucky Covington concert. And I ended up doing a couple Monday Melodies off his songs (the other one was A Different World, MM#58)
I can't pinpoint the last time I saw my father alive. Maybe Christmas 2011 or 2012. He'd moved to the KC area, and that was four counties away. And I had my own problems.
He's been gone three years. I miss him. I wish I could've thanked him for what he did for me.
For the longest time, I guess I thought
He didn't give a damn
Hard to read, hard to please
Yeah, that was my old man
On the day I left for college
It was nothing new
We never had that heart-to-heart
He had too much to do
[Chorus:]
He checked the air in my tires
The belts and all the spark plug wires
Said "When the hell's the last time
"You had this oil changed"
And as I pulled out the drive
He said "Be sure and call your mom sometime"
And I didn't hear it then
But I hear it now
He was saying "I love you"
(He was saying "I love you")
The only way he knew how
120,000 miles
Six years down the road
A brand new life and a brand new wife
We'd just bought our first home
When he finally came to visit
I thought he'd be so proud
He never said he liked the place
He just got his tool belt out
And put new locks on the doors
Went back and forth to the hardware store
Said "Come and hold this flashlight"
As he crawled beneath the sink
And "These old wires ain't up to code"
And "That circuit box is gonna overload"
And I didn't hear it then
But I hear it now
He was saying "I love you"
The only way he knew how
Last Sunday, we all gathered
For his 65th birthday
And I knew he'd stiffen up
But I hugged him anyway
When it was finally time to say goodbye
I knew what was next
Just like he always does
Right before we left
[Repeat Chorus]
Once upon a time, I won tickets to a Bucky Covington concert. And I ended up doing a couple Monday Melodies off his songs (the other one was A Different World, MM#58)
I can't pinpoint the last time I saw my father alive. Maybe Christmas 2011 or 2012. He'd moved to the KC area, and that was four counties away. And I had my own problems.
He's been gone three years. I miss him. I wish I could've thanked him for what he did for me.
For the longest time, I guess I thought
He didn't give a damn
Hard to read, hard to please
Yeah, that was my old man
On the day I left for college
It was nothing new
We never had that heart-to-heart
He had too much to do
[Chorus:]
He checked the air in my tires
The belts and all the spark plug wires
Said "When the hell's the last time
"You had this oil changed"
And as I pulled out the drive
He said "Be sure and call your mom sometime"
And I didn't hear it then
But I hear it now
He was saying "I love you"
(He was saying "I love you")
The only way he knew how
120,000 miles
Six years down the road
A brand new life and a brand new wife
We'd just bought our first home
When he finally came to visit
I thought he'd be so proud
He never said he liked the place
He just got his tool belt out
And put new locks on the doors
Went back and forth to the hardware store
Said "Come and hold this flashlight"
As he crawled beneath the sink
And "These old wires ain't up to code"
And "That circuit box is gonna overload"
And I didn't hear it then
But I hear it now
He was saying "I love you"
The only way he knew how
Last Sunday, we all gathered
For his 65th birthday
And I knew he'd stiffen up
But I hugged him anyway
When it was finally time to say goodbye
I knew what was next
Just like he always does
Right before we left
[Repeat Chorus]
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Pick a controversy, any controversy
I wrote this before I went block-happy on Facebook, so it's not quite as applicable as previously.
Perusing my social media feeds, I often see people retweeting or reposting comments or memes about recent events. And sometimes I see other pictures, tweets or memes which basically say, 'if you threw a fit about situation A, but didn't throw a fit about situation B, you're screwed up in the head."
Which is why sometimes I want to create a filtering App for News and social media. So I can ignore anything about the Kardashians, or whichever presidential candidate I've decided I'm never ever ever ever ever voting for, etcetera. Or maybe find a way to ignore the flood of comments about the latest sports idiot doing something mildly idiotic. Just wait a week, there will be a new idiot.
And often I question the relevance and importance of the news. Which events really matter? Do acts of violence hundreds or thousands of miles away affect me? Do the minor awareness efforts of minor celebrities matter? Do I need anymore information about the candidates to make an over informed decision on my ballot? (which I'm voting early, this month)
Or do I have to endure it because my neighbors care, and I need to be informed when it comes up at the water cooler?
Perusing my social media feeds, I often see people retweeting or reposting comments or memes about recent events. And sometimes I see other pictures, tweets or memes which basically say, 'if you threw a fit about situation A, but didn't throw a fit about situation B, you're screwed up in the head."
Which is why sometimes I want to create a filtering App for News and social media. So I can ignore anything about the Kardashians, or whichever presidential candidate I've decided I'm never ever ever ever ever voting for, etcetera. Or maybe find a way to ignore the flood of comments about the latest sports idiot doing something mildly idiotic. Just wait a week, there will be a new idiot.
And often I question the relevance and importance of the news. Which events really matter? Do acts of violence hundreds or thousands of miles away affect me? Do the minor awareness efforts of minor celebrities matter? Do I need anymore information about the candidates to make an over informed decision on my ballot? (which I'm voting early, this month)
Or do I have to endure it because my neighbors care, and I need to be informed when it comes up at the water cooler?
Monday, October 17, 2016
But the tigers come at night
MM#45, "I Dreamed A Dream", Les Mis (Schönberg/Kretzmer/Boubill/Hugo), Sung by character Fantine 4/20/09
For what it's worth, I concede that the Xanga - Monday Melody Era (Oct 2007 to Jan 2012) were a tough time in my life, and so a bunch of these are downers. And although I reserve the right to be as vague as I damn well please...
This song was posted 10 years to the day after I fell in love with my wife.
"There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong"
By 2009, it all went wrong. I often think back, trying to figure out how I could've sailed the boat differently, avoiding the major shipwreck. But I didn't.
"But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame"
In 2004, I thought I'd reached the pinnacle. And in 2008, for a brief moment, I thought I'd reached the top. But...it all came crashing down. I knew things were on the downhill in April '09, although I still had a couple things going for me...a couple more things I would end up losing...
"I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed."
For what it's worth, I concede that the Xanga - Monday Melody Era (Oct 2007 to Jan 2012) were a tough time in my life, and so a bunch of these are downers. And although I reserve the right to be as vague as I damn well please...
This song was posted 10 years to the day after I fell in love with my wife.
"There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong"
By 2009, it all went wrong. I often think back, trying to figure out how I could've sailed the boat differently, avoiding the major shipwreck. But I didn't.
"But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame"
In 2004, I thought I'd reached the pinnacle. And in 2008, for a brief moment, I thought I'd reached the top. But...it all came crashing down. I knew things were on the downhill in April '09, although I still had a couple things going for me...a couple more things I would end up losing...
"I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed."
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Scourge of Zuck / What Friends
Didn't expect to have a reason to combine two of my posts this Saturday.. But then I saw this on the bottom of my New Feed.
Scourge of Zuck
Currently I am currently running an experiment on my Facebook newsfeed. I have decided to block most of the meme Pages, partisan news pages, and pretty much any page that you are likely to see a picture and share it with everybody.
Which means, when this is complete, all I will see is posts that my friends actually posted, links my friends share, and Facebook ads - although I'm fixing that too to just the ones I'm more interested in.
Which reminds me again how meager the feed of original content on social media is, especially original content from people I actually care about, or at least am even friends with on Facebook, currently somewhere around a hundred and forty people.
There used to be a lot more people using the notes feature on Facebook, but I'm just not really comfortable with posting all this stuff on Facebook. Perhaps a bit crazy, because sometimes I wish people would listen to me and what do I have to say... but I really don't want to get into a political argument about why none of the names on the ballot are getting my vote for president.
********************
Although I respond to some people's FB posts...I don't post that much.
What Friends
"The people of Odyssey have taught me a valuable lesson. Nothing lasts forever." - J. Whitaker, "Recollections"
"I miss having a bunch of pals.
Aaron and Andy and Joe S and Joe T and Richie and Ryan and Shane
Carolyn and Cassie and busy Lizzy and Sonia and Rachel" - May 01, 2007
I wanted to believe the one song, "friends are friends forever..."
but I can't.
I had some friends once. Went from folks at church who sat across from us at Sunday School, to invited to a Super Bowl party, to phase 10 card games, watching movies..I was a groomsman at their wedding.
You can guess what happened. We both changed churches, both moved. We're friends on Facebook, but barely.
As mentioned before, I generally don't keep in touch with coworkers when jobs change. And I may talk with them, but not about the big stuff. Never the big stuff.
I may have 140 friends on Facebook... But it's really 4 close friends, a lot of family - some of whom are as close as these close friends, and a lot of people who I barely talk to anymore.
I'm seeing a pattern where I say less and less, assume no one wants to hear what I say, and I shut up even more.
Don't text messages go both ways?
A songwriter once wrote "friends are friends forever..." But I can no longer believe that. Time heals everything, but sometimes like continental drift, it pulls people away. Even the close friends, even ones under the same roof.
Don't believe me? The church I was baptized in. The school I got my associate's from. The school I got my bachelor's from. The four clubs I was a part of. The men of dorm B-216. Either employment at Abernathy building. The pothole in K-120 known as Severance. The church I got married in. The greatest blogging website ever.
Dust in the wind. I knew hundreds of people from those places...
Daughter of Stella. Daughter of Barbara. Father of Julian. Father of Asher.
Add Friends to See More Stories
You'll have more stories in News Feed if you add more friends.
Scourge of Zuck
Currently I am currently running an experiment on my Facebook newsfeed. I have decided to block most of the meme Pages, partisan news pages, and pretty much any page that you are likely to see a picture and share it with everybody.
Which means, when this is complete, all I will see is posts that my friends actually posted, links my friends share, and Facebook ads - although I'm fixing that too to just the ones I'm more interested in.
Which reminds me again how meager the feed of original content on social media is, especially original content from people I actually care about, or at least am even friends with on Facebook, currently somewhere around a hundred and forty people.
There used to be a lot more people using the notes feature on Facebook, but I'm just not really comfortable with posting all this stuff on Facebook. Perhaps a bit crazy, because sometimes I wish people would listen to me and what do I have to say... but I really don't want to get into a political argument about why none of the names on the ballot are getting my vote for president.
********************
Although I respond to some people's FB posts...I don't post that much.
What Friends
"The people of Odyssey have taught me a valuable lesson. Nothing lasts forever." - J. Whitaker, "Recollections"
"I miss having a bunch of pals.
Aaron and Andy and Joe S and Joe T and Richie and Ryan and Shane
Carolyn and Cassie and busy Lizzy and Sonia and Rachel" - May 01, 2007
I wanted to believe the one song, "friends are friends forever..."
but I can't.
I had some friends once. Went from folks at church who sat across from us at Sunday School, to invited to a Super Bowl party, to phase 10 card games, watching movies..I was a groomsman at their wedding.
You can guess what happened. We both changed churches, both moved. We're friends on Facebook, but barely.
As mentioned before, I generally don't keep in touch with coworkers when jobs change. And I may talk with them, but not about the big stuff. Never the big stuff.
I may have 140 friends on Facebook... But it's really 4 close friends, a lot of family - some of whom are as close as these close friends, and a lot of people who I barely talk to anymore.
I'm seeing a pattern where I say less and less, assume no one wants to hear what I say, and I shut up even more.
Don't text messages go both ways?
A songwriter once wrote "friends are friends forever..." But I can no longer believe that. Time heals everything, but sometimes like continental drift, it pulls people away. Even the close friends, even ones under the same roof.
Don't believe me? The church I was baptized in. The school I got my associate's from. The school I got my bachelor's from. The four clubs I was a part of. The men of dorm B-216. Either employment at Abernathy building. The pothole in K-120 known as Severance. The church I got married in. The greatest blogging website ever.
Dust in the wind. I knew hundreds of people from those places...
Daughter of Stella. Daughter of Barbara. Father of Julian. Father of Asher.
you blame almighty God for everything you do...
One of the few (ok, 8) pastors who I follow on twitter tweeted,
"To ignore prophecy is to ignore something God has given for our good."
And, a verse I've heard for years - 2 Chronicles 20:20
"Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful"
But...if you've read this blog at all, you know where I'm going.
If I desire the truth, find me the true oracle of God. Find me the man - or the woman - who has consistently heard the voice of God, consistently delivered the voice of God, and consistently seen the hand of God provide what was promised.
I come back to those blood moons. What do the defenders of Hagee say now? Heck, what does Hagee say now? What was different? And why did God - if He did time things - send the blood moons before some events and after others?
I remember looking at a very respected 20th century evangelist and prophet. Although he ... hit a home run on one of his prophecies, he missed on several others - trust me, there are people who have nothing better to do than list a famous prophet's misses.
Having been in the end-times for almost 2 millennia, how do we know if we have 2 years left, or 2 centuries left, or 2 more millennia left?
Again, if you say "thus saith the Lord" on a potential and unlikely event this winter...and you're wrong...maybe you should just read large passages verbatim from the gospels and epistles, then set the bible down and sit back down.
**************************
But...I do wish there was a way to get many of the local churches together on anything.
"To ignore prophecy is to ignore something God has given for our good."
And, a verse I've heard for years - 2 Chronicles 20:20
"Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful"
But...if you've read this blog at all, you know where I'm going.
If I desire the truth, find me the true oracle of God. Find me the man - or the woman - who has consistently heard the voice of God, consistently delivered the voice of God, and consistently seen the hand of God provide what was promised.
I come back to those blood moons. What do the defenders of Hagee say now? Heck, what does Hagee say now? What was different? And why did God - if He did time things - send the blood moons before some events and after others?
I remember looking at a very respected 20th century evangelist and prophet. Although he ... hit a home run on one of his prophecies, he missed on several others - trust me, there are people who have nothing better to do than list a famous prophet's misses.
Having been in the end-times for almost 2 millennia, how do we know if we have 2 years left, or 2 centuries left, or 2 more millennia left?
Again, if you say "thus saith the Lord" on a potential and unlikely event this winter...and you're wrong...maybe you should just read large passages verbatim from the gospels and epistles, then set the bible down and sit back down.
**************************
But...I do wish there was a way to get many of the local churches together on anything.
Monday, October 10, 2016
bloody but unbowed
MM#26 Bounce 6/9/08 (Bon Jovi)
This one is what I consider one of the five essential Monday Melodies (along with MM51 Second Chance, MM86 This Is The Good Life, MM96 not-announced-yet, and room for a 5th if I decide to.)
This one was chosen in the 2008 Monday melody March Madness something, beating such songs as "In The Light" and "Jesus Freak" by dc Talk and "If You're Going Through Hell" by Rodney Atkins
(And I thought I had problems back then. I was so naive.)
I been knocked down so many times
Counted out 6, 7, 8, 9
Written off like some bad deal
If you're breathing you know how it feels
Call it karma, call it luck
Me, I just don't give a
[Chorus:]
Bounce, Bounce Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
This ain't no game; I play it hard
Kicked around, cut, stitched and scarred
I'll take the hit but not the fall
I know no fear, still standing tall
You can call it karma, call it luck
Me, I just don't give a
[Chorus:]
Bounce, Bounce Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
Bounce!
[Guitar Solo]
Bring it on, I like it rough
In your face, I call your bluff
It ain't karma, it ain't luck
Me, I just don't give a
[Chorus:]
Bounce, Bounce Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
Bounce, Bounce
Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
"Never give up. Never surrender." - Peter Quincy Taggart
This one is what I consider one of the five essential Monday Melodies (along with MM51 Second Chance, MM86 This Is The Good Life, MM96 not-announced-yet, and room for a 5th if I decide to.)
This one was chosen in the 2008 Monday melody March Madness something, beating such songs as "In The Light" and "Jesus Freak" by dc Talk and "If You're Going Through Hell" by Rodney Atkins
(And I thought I had problems back then. I was so naive.)
I been knocked down so many times
Counted out 6, 7, 8, 9
Written off like some bad deal
If you're breathing you know how it feels
Call it karma, call it luck
Me, I just don't give a
[Chorus:]
Bounce, Bounce Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
This ain't no game; I play it hard
Kicked around, cut, stitched and scarred
I'll take the hit but not the fall
I know no fear, still standing tall
You can call it karma, call it luck
Me, I just don't give a
[Chorus:]
Bounce, Bounce Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
Bounce!
[Guitar Solo]
Bring it on, I like it rough
In your face, I call your bluff
It ain't karma, it ain't luck
Me, I just don't give a
[Chorus:]
Bounce, Bounce Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
Bounce, Bounce
Nothing's gonna keep me down
Bounce, Bounce Stand up, shout it out
Bounce, Bounce I play hard, I play to win
Count me out, count me in
I'll be bouncing back again
"Never give up. Never surrender." - Peter Quincy Taggart
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