Songs That I Love #75 Sun Kil Moon - I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love

I bought this album (Benji) a couple of months ago and never got round to listening to it, I would always eject it halfway through the first song, not because I didn't like it, it just didn't seem the right time.

2 weeks ago whilst driving I decided to play it again, when this came on I had to pull over such was the impact of the lyrics. 

I can live with the sky falling out from above
I can live with your scorn, your sourness, your smug
I can live growing old alone if push comes to shove
But I can't live without my mother's love

I can live flying round at an impossible pace
I can live with the bad etiquette that's falling on this place
I can live with anything you've got to throw in my face
But I can't live without my mother's embrace

My mother is seventy five
She's the closest friend I have in my life
Take her from me, I'll break down and bawl
And wither away like old leaves in the fall

You can be cruel all you want, talk bad on my brothers
Shoot me full of holes and I won't by bothered
Judge me for my ways and my slew of ex-lovers
But don't ever dare say a bad word about my mother

When she's gone I'll miss our slow easy walks
Playing scrabble with the chimes of the grandfather clock
I'll even miss the times that we fought
But mostly I'll miss being able to call her and talk.

I can live without watching the classic old fights
I can live without a lover beside me at night
I can live without what you might call a charmed life
But I can't live without my mother providing her light

My mother is seventy five
One day she won't be here to hear me cry
When the day comes for her to let go
I'll die off like a lemon tree in the snow
When the day comes for her to leave
I won't have the courage to sort through her things
With my sisters and all our memories
I cannot bear all the pain it will bring

Songs That I Love #74 Glen Hansard - The Gift

I had written a blog about my Mum's battle with cancer over the last 14 months, but to be honest  reading it back it's maybe a bit personal so the next few songs are songs that have accompanied me through the last few months for one reason or another. 

This song kept me sane in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. It has lifted my spirits in my darkest moments.

This gift will last forever
This gift will never let you down
Some things are made from better stuff
This gift is waiting to be found

Your heart's in wide receiving
Been too long buried in the sand
Some things require leaving
This gift will fall right in your hand
Just try to understand...

If you long enough
And you don't give up
If you're strong enough
And you don't give up
And you...

You'll be no harbor to the sorrow
Just let it go.

Don't hang your head in sorrow
Don't give up just before you win
Don't wait around for tomorrow
Open up your arms and let it in

This gift will last forever
This gift will never let you down
Some things are made from better stuff
This gift is ready to be found
Just you believe it now 

This gift will last forever
This gift will never let you down
Some things are made from better stuff
This gift is ready to be found
Your heart's in wide receiving
Been too long buried in the sand
Some things require believing
These things just fall right in your hand
Just try to understand

If you long enough
And you don't give up
If you're strong enough
And you don't give up [x2]

Songs I Love #73 U2 - With A Shout (Jerusalem)

I was going to say from a time when there was an element of danger to the music of U2 but who am I kidding, not sure if U2 were ever dangerous but at least they had a bit of edge (if you pardon the pun) about them.

In truth at the time of this track the band were pretty close to being a Christian Rock band and this making of the album from which this track is taken (October) nearly split the band up, as I think Adam didn't want to be a God Botherer! 

Anyway Christian Rock or not I still love this track.

Oh, and where do we go?
Where do we go from here?
Where to go
To the side of a hill
Blood was spilt
We were still looking at each other
Oh, we're goin' back there
Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Shout
Shout
With a shout, shout it out
Shout
Shout it out

I wanna go
To the foot of Mount Zion
To the foot of he who made me see
To the side of a hill
Where we were still
We were filled
With our love

We're gonna be there again
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Woah...oh...
Shout
Shout
With a shout
Shout

Songs That I Love #72 Thomas Feiner & Anywhen - Yonderland

I know nothing about this artist, this track was played at a Fyfe Dangerfield gig, a friend tracked down the artist and I got the album. It is from start to finish memorising. 

My spine and leverage
Were not mine
Some items borrowed
And now gone

Pick me up, animate me, render me
Take me back, to the ghosts
Of the day

Lend me a life
Put me on a loop again
Define, define me 'yonderhead'

My plots and purposes
Were not mine
Just items borrowed
And now gone

Hook me up and ignite me, play the coarse
Bring me back, to the ghosts
Of the day

Lend me a life
Put me on a loop again
Define, define me 'yonderhead'

Lend me a life
Put me on a loop again
Just spine me up for liberty and hopes
Liberties and hopes, and liberties and hopes
Define me
And bind me
And I'll crawl the pretty path
I'll crawl the pretty path...

Songs That I Love #71 Elton John - Tiny Dancer

I have included the scene from the film Almost Famous (at the bottom of this blog) when this song is played as this is how I discovered the song. I am sure I will have heard this song before but the bus scene where everyone starts singing just brought the song to life.

The film is loosely based on the early career of Cameron Crowe (who directed the film) when he was a teenage journalist for Rolling stone Magazine. He is assigned to interview the fictional band Stillwater (rumoured to be based on a number of 70's rock bands) and ends up being part of their entourage. In the scene he manages persuade the drugged out singer of the band to leave a party and join the waiting tour bus and as the bus pulls away this song starts playing... 

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad

Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows the tune she hums

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly slowly

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand

But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly slowly

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Songs That I Love #70 Sufjan Stevens - Size Too Small

A very simple tune by a very complicated artist. 

I was the best man in a size too small
You were my best friend, going at it all
And what if I put off my inheritance?
Where is the best man? All arise us all in peace

I still know you
And I still like you, the best man
And I still owe you

Everything rises, going at it all
All the surprises in a size too small
And what if I told you I was still in love with this?
Would you surprise us in a size for all of me?

I still know you
And I still like you, the best man
I still know you, the best man
I still owe you

 

Songs That I Love #69 Pearl Jam - Just Breathe

I have nothing to say about this that isn't said in the lyrics.

Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh-huh
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh-huh
Oh I'm a lucky man, to count on both hands the ones I love
Some folks just have one, yeah, others, they've got none

Stay with me...
Let's just breathe...

Practiced all my sins, never gonna let me win, uh-huh
Under everything, just another human being, uh-huh
I don't wanna hurt, there's so much in this world to make me bleed

Stay with me
You're all I see...

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see
No one knows this more than me

As I come clean...
I wonder everyday, as I look upon your face, uh-huh
Everything you gave
And nothing you would save, oh no

Nothing you would take
Everything you gave...

Did I say that I need you?
Oh, did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see
No one knows this more than me
And I come clean, ah...

Nothing you would take
Everything you gave
Hold me til I die
Meet you on the other side...