Passed Too Swiftly

There is a recently released biopic of Freddie Mercury out now, which means there are numerous social media links to the music of Queen.  Now, there is (IMHO) little doubt Queen was one of the most significant rock bands of the 1970’s – 80’s.  Everyone has heard of “Bohemian Rhapsody“, “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions“, but I’ve recently been listening to one of the bands last releases: “These Are the Days of Our Lives” – over and over again.  I hope you enjoy the video (and the lyrics below) as much I do…
These Are the Days of Our Lives
Sometimes I get to feelin’
I was back in the old days,
long ago
When we were kids,
when we were young
Things seemed so perfect,
you know?
The days were endless, we were crazy, we were young
The sun was always shinin’,
we just lived for fun
Sometimes it seems like lately,
I just don’t know
The rest of my life’s been,
just a show
Those are the days
of our lives
The bad things in life
were so few
Those days are all gone now but
one thing is true
When I look
and I find
I still love you.
You can’t turn back the clock,
you can’t turn back the tide
Ain’t that a shame?
Ooh, I’d like to go back one time
on a roller coaster ride
When life was just a game
No use in sitting and thinkin’ on what you did
When you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids
Sometimes it seems like lately,
I just don’t know
Better sit back and go,
with the flow
These are the days
of our lives
They’ve flown in the swiftness of time
These days are all gone now but
some things remain
When I look
and I find,
no change
Those were the days of our lives,
yeah
The bad things in life
were so few
Those days are all gone now but
one thing’s still true
When I look
and I find,
I still love you
I still love you
Performed by:  Queen
Written by:  Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor
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On This Day In:
2017	On Our Wall (Part 1)
2016	Or The Ripples From A Good Life
2015	Titles And Reputations
2014	Unfolding
2013	Again
2012	Needs
	Damned
2011	Potter & Prejudice
	Blink, Blink

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Ways

True Love Ways
Just you know why
Why you and I
Will bye and bye
Know true love ways
Sometimes we’ll sigh
Sometimes we’ll cry
And we’ll know why
Just you and I
Know true love ways
Throughout the days
Our true love ways
Will bring us joys to share
With those who really care
Sometimes we’ll sigh
Sometimes we’ll cry
And we’ll know why
Just you and I
Know true love ways
Throughout the days
Our true love ways
Will bring us joys to share
With those who really care
Sometimes we’ll sigh
Sometimes we’ll cry
And we’ll know why
Just you and I
Know true love ways
Songwriters: Buddy Holly and  Norman Petty
Performed by: Buddy Holly
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On This Day In:
2015	Be Happy, Too
2014	At Least Smile
2013	Comfortably Bound
2012	Certainty
	Thinking About Fathers
2011	And In Every Level Of Media

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Love Is Just A State Of Mind

The following is a song I recently stumbled upon on YouTube.com. It’s not one I remember, so obviously it never changed my life, but I like it so much I’ve added it to the lyrics on my “poems” page. Enjoy the song, then read the lyrics…
The world I used to know…
Some day some old
familiar rain
Will come along
and know my name.
And then my shelter
will be gone
And I’ll have to
move along.
But ’till I do
I’ll stay awhile
And track the
hidden country
of your smile.
Some day the man
I used to be
Will come along
and call on me.
And then because I’m
just a man,
You’ll find my feet
are made of sand.
But ’till that time
I’ll tell you lies
And chart the
hidden bound’ries
of your eyes.
Some day the world
I used to know
Will come along
and bid me go.
Then I’ll be leaving
you behind
For love is just
a state of mind.
But ’till that day
I’ll be your man
And love away
your troubles
if I can.
But ’till that day
I’ll be your man
And love away
your troubles
if I can.
In the world
I used to know
Written by: Rod McKuen
Performed by: Jimmie Rodgers
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On This Day In:
2015	Waiting?
2014	Big C, Little B (II)
	Where God Has Not
2013	Chasing His Dragon
	Shaped And Molded
2012	Believe In Yourself
2011	Cultural Equivalence
	Why Not?
	Books About Books
	The Basis For Adult Continuing Education

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Additions

Today I’ve added two song lyrics to my Poems page.  I’ve also updated six more of the ones already on the page to include the YouTube videos.
The additions are: “Lydia – The Tattooed Lady” and “People Got To Be Free“.  The performances are by Groucho Marx, and The Young Rascals, respectively.
Both of these songs are songs which just popped into my head when I woke up and stuck there for the rest of the day.  Both are from my earlier years – the first (“Lydia“) before I understood the “implications” of being a female in the circus and “tattooed”.  While humorously presented, it has a quite serious side.
The second song is from one of my all time favorite groups as an early youth: “The Young Rascals“, later shortened to just “The Rascals“.  These guys had a string of hits, and this is one of my favorites.  I’m sure there will be more to come…
My favorite lines are:
“Ask me my opinion, My opinion will be It’s a natural situation For a man to be free“
The six updates are:
I Am A Rock Like A Rock I Hope You Dance She’s Gone Like A Rolling Stone I’m A Believer
If you don’t know these songs or haven’t read the lyrics lately, you owe it to yourself to check them out.  Then you can drop down to the bottom of the page to enjoy the performance.
As always, read the lyrics, enjoy the performances, then go support these artists or the artists of your choice.  Participate in supporting the Arts locally!  Keep Art alive in your community!
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On This Day In:
2012	Telling Her
2011	On Torture

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R.I.P. – Tom Laughlin

Thomas Robert “Tom” Laughlin (August 10, 1931 – December 12, 2013)
Before Steven Seagal (all three word title movies), before John Rambo (“Rambo” series), before John McClane (“Die Hard” series), before Paul Kersey (“Death Wish” series), before Kwai Chang Caine (“Kung Fu” TV series) – there was Billy Jack in “Born Losers” (1967).  Tom Laughlin brought to the big screen the start of the modern vigilante movie genre with the character of Billy Jack.  It seems strange how a little martial arts on the big screen, mixed with some social awareness and righteous indignation can affect people’s lives.
As a twelve year old kid I remember thinking, “Wow, I’ve got to learn how to do that!”  What I was looking at was Hapkido – a Korean form of Karate (open hand fighting).  Ten years later, I found a Hapkido dojo in Germany and studied it for almost a year during my off hours (I was in the Army).  That was set aside once I returned to civilian life…  Until I found Judo, while I was in college.  I took that for a semester, too.  When I moved to England in the ’90’s, a friend from work (who was a black belt in judo) said he’d love to get me on a mat and asked if I was interested in going to a dojo to learn Aikido.  My friend (Dave) and I found a local dojo and began our lessons.  We continued on with that for about two years.  It was great having someone who was a lifelong martial artist as a co-student because he could explain things in much greater detail than I could ever have gotten (except in one-on-one personal lessons).  For his side, he got someone who was bigger and heavier who he could throw around for a couple of hours twice a week.  We both moved on and I stumbled on to a Philippine “combat” style of Aikido while I was in Saudi Arabia which I tried for another year.  And then finally, once back home in America, I was back to traditional Aikido at a local dojo for several years (until I developed AFib and went on blood thinners).
Practicing martial arts, of course, lead me to read about martial arts, which in turn lead to me reading about martial philosophy and then philosophy in general.
Did I ever “become” a martial artist?  No.  Did I ever learn how to do that?  Not hardly.  I never took it seriously enough to be more than what I was – a novice and a bit of a dojo sampler.  Did I enjoy it?  Yes, very much.  Did it affect me?  Yes!  And for at least some small part of that, I have to thank Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin).
Beyond the enjoyment of playing Aikido itself, I learned timing, balance, grace, philosophy, and I gained a certain amount of inner peace.  For all of which, I will always be extremely grateful.
R.I.P. Tom
Signed, KMAB (A Fan)
[Please also go check out the song lyrics to “One Tin Soldier – (The Legend of Billy Jack)” on my poems page.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2012	All Aboard
2011	Sail On, Sailor

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Uncle Joe’s Song

Today, I took Hil and my mom to my sister’s so I could watch the football game with her husband, while the ladies went out for some wine tasting.  On the way home, my mom asked me if I remembered “Old Uncle Joe”.  Joe wasn’t really our uncle.  He was just an elderly man who lived in the same apartment building we did.  Joe was a World War I veteran.  He used to sing us little songs from the early days of radio and phonographs.  My mom’s comment was that not many people can say they grew up actually knowing someone who fought in World War I (tomorrow is Veterans Day).
I said that I did remember Joe and I asked if she remembered that little song about the Irishman which he taught us.  She said she did not.  After a few minutes, some of it came back to me and I started singing it for them.  I didn’t remember all of it.  Just the part after “rigged him out so gay”…
As usual, curiosity got the better of me and I looked the song up on Google…  The first verse and chorus follow:
Jim O’Shea
Was cast away
Upon an Indian
Isle
The natives there
They loved red hair
They loved his
Irish smile
They made him
Chief Panjandrum
The Nabob
Of them all
They called him
Jij-i-bob Jhai
And rigged him out
So gay
He wrote
To Dublin Bay
To
His
Sweet-
Heart,
Just
To
Say
Sure,
I’ve got
Rings on my fingers,
And bells on my toes
Elephants
To ride upon,
My little Irish
Rose
So come to
Your Nabob,
On next
Patrick’s Day
Be
Missus
Mumbo
Jumbo
Jij-i-bob
J.
O’Shea
Song Title: “I’ve Got Rings On My Fingers” Written by: F. J. Barnes and R. P. Weston Originally written in 1909
I didn’t know this was a “proper” song or that it was fairly popular in its day.  I also didn’t know there were other verses.  At least I don’t remember ever hearing them or singing them.  You can Google the song title and the lyrics are available on multiple sites and a couple of recordings are available on YouTube – including one version on a scratchy gramophone.
Hil commented (while we were in the car) she was surprised I remembered so much of the song since I obviously learned it quite young.  I admitted I was pretty surprised too.
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On This Day In:
2012	Still Trying
2011	Not Deserving

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Bruises Before Bed (Or Why You Didn’t Answer)

This week I was driving to work, bored with sports and political radio, I switched over to some easy listening and lo and behold heard two great songs!  One I’d heard before and the other I don’t remember hearing before.
Anyway, they were both so terrific I immediately committed to remembering their catch lines (not all that easy for someone who’s getting on in years) and wrote them down when I got to work so I could listen to them when I got home.  (We are not allowed to listen to internet music at work…)
The two songs are: “Bruises“, performed by Train (featuring Ashley Monroe) and “Should’ve Gone To Bed“, performed by Plain White T’s.  They are both easy listing cross-overs between Pop and Modern Country sounds.  Very enjoyable with ear-candy / stick in your head hooks.  Bruises is another classic song about boy and girl meeting ten years later and asking about what’s been happening.  The interesting thing is although there is an obvious “connection” happening in the song, both are “once burned, twice shy” and nothing may happen except the “promise” to keep in touch.  My favorite verse is:
These bruises Make for better conversation Loses the vibe that separates It’s good to let you in again You’re not alone and how you’ve been Everybody loses We all got bruises We all got bruises
The second song (“Should’ve Gone To Bed“) is the new one for me.  On the radio, it sounds as if it’s a song about regrets and calling some number of “Ex’es” after the relationships are over.  In the “official” video, it appears to be a song about a man who’s afraid to tell his girlfriend how he feels until he’s on the verge of losing her.  …And then they make up (to presumably live happily ever after).  It surprised me to come away with the two completely different reactions to the same song depending on if you were listening to it, listening to it and following the lyrics, or watching the official video.  I guess the line which strikes me is most of us have broken up in our relationships, tried to move on and then when there’s a problem (or were just feeling lonely), we pick up the phone and call the “Ex”.  Sometimes they answer and the cycle starts again.  Sometimes they answer but the cycle doesn’t restart.  Sometimes it ends just as badly as before; and sometimes everyone is spared the drama because the other party just doesn’t answer the phone or return the call.  Being human, we assume it’s because they don’t want to talk to us anymore.
Someday the geezer’s among us will be telling the kids how (in our day) people didn’t have caller ID or voice mail or home answering machines, and sometimes relationships didn’t work out – not because one or both sides didn’t reach out to the other to make up – but simply because one party wasn’t there to answer the call.  The concept seems “funny” in this age of always-on connectivity…  Sometimes things just happen (or don’t happen) for no particular reason.
As always, check out the lyrics off of my Poems page, then go listen to the recordings – and in this instance, make sure you go find the “official” video for “Should’ve Gone To Bed“.  Let me know if you got the same reaction to the lyrics versus the song versus the video.  And remember to support the Arts in your local community.
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On This Day In:
2012	Extra Gears
2011	Say What?
2010	Hello Frogs…

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