Out on the Mira
Beloved learned this song in his high school Choraliers, and he has sung it as a lullaby for me since we were dating. Perhaps the most tender sharing of the song was when we were in labor with Boy and had been transferred to the hospital at 30+ hours. He fell asleep with the words on his lips, holding my hand. We both sing it regularly to the kids.
Old men go fishing with black line and spoons,
And if they catch nothing they never complain,
And I wish I was with them again.
chorus: Can you imagine a piece of the universe
More fit for princes and Kings
I'll trade you ten of your cities For Marion Bridge
And the pleasure it brings
As boys in the boats call to girls on the shore,
Teasing the ones that they dearly adore
And into the evening the courting begins,
And I wish I was with them again
chorus
Out on the Mira on soft summer nights
Bonfires blaze to the children's delight
They dance round the flames singing songs with their friends,
And I wish I was with them again.
chorus
And over the ashes the stories are told
Of witches and werewolves and Oak Island gold.
Stars on the riverface sparkle and spin.
I wish I was with them again
chorus
Out on the Mira, the people are kind -
They'll treat you to homebrew, and help you unwind.
And if you come broken they'll see that you mend
I wish I was with them again
chorus
Now I'll conclude with a wish you go well.
Sweet be your dreams, and your happiness swell.
I'll leave you here for my journey begins,
I'm going to be with them again.
Cruel Crazy Beautiful World
Perhaps there is a tie because of my "Uncle Mafa", but Johnny Clegg is Le Zoulou Blanc, "The White Zulu," who became an important figure in South African popular music history at a time when bridging the cultural gap was to take your life in your own hands. I admire the courage, the rawness of the songs. I love the ethnic flavors (and am amused when Beloved teases me about my non-English bands, since I also enjoy Lady Blacksmith Mambazo and Tjapukai). This particular song echoes in my heart. The lyrics are here, but to appreciate the energy of the song, please listen to it.
You got to swim with the sharks in the sea
You got to live with the crooked politician
Trush those things that you can never see
Ayeye ayeye jesse mfana (jesse boy) ayeye ayeye (x2)
You got to trust your lover when you go away,
Keep on believeing tomorrow brings a better day.
Sometimes you smile while you'r cryin' inside,
Just once you'll turn away while the truth be shinin' bright.
Ayeye ayeye jesse mfana ayeye ayeye (x2)
Chorus:
It's a cruel crazy beautiful world
Every (day first and third chorus)(time second Chorus) you wake up I hope it's under a blue sky.
It's a cruel crazy beautiful world
One day when you wake up I will have to say goodbye
Say goodbye -- It's your world so live in it! Goodbye
(first-third chorus only)
It's your world so live in it!(x11)
Beyond the door, strange cruel beautiful years are waiting for you
It kills me to know you won't escape loneliness,
Maybe you lose hope too
Ayeye ayeye jesse mfana ayeye ayeye (x2)
Chorus
When I hold your small body close to mine
I feel weak and strong at the same time
So few years to give you wings to fly
Show you stars to guide your ship by
Chorus
It's your world so live in it
I hope you dance
I don't remember when I first heard this song by Lee Ann Womack, but every time I do hear it, tears spring to my eyes and I always think of my mom in the lyrics. I can hear her nudging me, encouraging me. Dance.
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'
Don't let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
Wear Sunscreen
Besides the advice being all things that each and every one of us would do well to adopt, I love the story behind this song. The song version was released by Baz Luhrmann in 1999, but is was originally written Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune. In her introduction to the column, she described it as the commencement speech she would give if she were asked to give one. The post went viral and was attributed to Kurt Vonnegut and the MIT commencement, losing the original author. (Incidentally, the column was well-received by Vonnegut. Months after the snafu, he told the New York Times, "What she wrote was funny, wise and charming, so I would have been proud had the words been mine.")
Luhrmann and company decided to use it but were doubtful of getting through to Vonnegut for permission before their deadline, which was only one or two days away. While searching the internet for contact information they came upon the "Sunscreen Controversy" and discovered that Schmich was the actual author. They emailed her and, with her permission, recorded the song the next day.
As a child, Schmich had dreamed of being a song writer. Fate may take an alternate route, but sometimes dreams really do come true!
Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or reliable then my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice....now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, nevermind, you won't understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind: the kind that blindsides you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts; don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive; forget the insults. (if you succeed in doing this, tell me how).
Keep your old love letters; throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of Calcium. Be kind to your knees -- you'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40; maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body: use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it; it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance...even if you have no where to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions (even if you don't follow them).
Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents; you never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings: they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but what a precious few should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps and geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old; and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse, but you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you are 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia;dispensing it is a way of wishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me, I'm the sunscreen.
I'm Getting My Act Together And Taking It On The Road
Written by Gretchen Cryer with music by Nancy Ford, this is actually a 1978 Off Broadway musical. I grew up listening to it on my parents tape deck and it contains a number of songs that I have often referenced. The need to be free, to buck expectations, to be a strong woman in spite of the odds, to celebrate who you ARE, and to rejoice with people who will celebrate with you...These are powerful messages told through a painfully familiar story. I don't know a woman who can't identify with some part of this musical. Unfortunately, I'm cheating here...I'm not going to give you all the lyrics of all the songs. You have a link...if you really wanna know, you'll find it.
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