Make

I haven't been feeling particularly creative lately. I have a long mental list of things I want to write about and none of it is coming together like I want it to. I'm sorry, I have to jumpstart my brain and writing about music often does that for me. So we are playing i-pod shuffle today. 10 songs, in order, no skipping, a little blurb on each one.

1. A Change is Gonna Come-Sam Cooke

Who writes good protest songs anymore? It's one thing to take swipes at specific politicians and quite another to come up with something thoughtful and subtle. I am so tired of this election and all the hysteria coming from both sides. I am ready for everyone to stop talking and start acting. And although I think many of you know which way I am voting, I am pretty convinced that either candidate will be a refreshing change from the current yahoos (sorry dad.) Anyway, this song has great lyrics, Sam Cooke has such a smooth voice and in less then a month, change is comin' whether you like it or not.



2. Thank God I'm A Country Boy-John Denver

Some of the first things I can remember about my life are the times my dad would play John Denver and Neil Diamond songs on the guitar for my brother and me. There are several songs that I can still see him throwing back his head and singing with wild abandon-a characterisic my laid back dad rarely exhibits. Thank God I'm a Country Boy, Grandma's Feather Bed and Kentucky Woman are those songs. A few years ago pops gave me John Denver's greatest hits for my birthday and I knew every last word to this song even though I hadn't heard it in years. It's really too bad we lost Mr. Denver so early. Dude knew how to write a song.

*note, this is a fan video for the show "Alias" but whatever, the song is the point.


3. Falling-Ben Kweller

This might be one of my favorite love songs of all time. Doesn't it just seem like the perfect soundtrack to a romantic montage from some cheesy chick flick? Except that it's not cheesy, it's more like totally awesome? It just feels like the first little while when you like someone and everything they say is funny or brilliant and every text or call makes your head kind of explode in a good way. Like there are balloon launches happening in your stomach or something. That's what this song feels like. Internal exploding balloon launches.



4. The Hit Parade-Unkle Bob

Corey and I were driving somewhere in California and this song came on and I couldn't pay attention to what she was saying anymore. It's sad, he wants to forget her but also still kind of wants her to love him. I'll tell you that it was a perfect soundtrack for some of my favorite runs at Crystal Cove, a place I'm definitely still trying to get over.



5. Time After Time-Eva Cassidy

I've already posted about this song on this blog. So I'm letting you watch Cindy Lauper sing with Sarah McLachlan because they are both awesome. And anytime you add strings to a song that didn't have them before I am happy.



6. Dead Men's Will-Iron and Wine

YES! What a happy accident that this song means I get to talk about the fact that FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS IS BACK!!! This song was on some really sad scene in season one when both Tim Riggins and Matt Saracen were losing at life which is to say, I don't even remember specifically which episode it was. It's only on DirecTV this year which means I have to keep asking my friend with the Dish to let a few us come over to watch it but I feel like I'm amongst family again. The season premiere felt a little forced but last night's was right back to family drama and teen love and the boys on the field. My little show. I love you.



7. This Year's Love-David Gray

For about a year after my mission and a year of my time working for the Olympics I lived with two of my favorite girls in a cute little house on a cute little street in cute little Sugarhouse. I loved my job, I had a fun group of friends, I was dating for the first time in my life and I had this wonderful gigantic bedroom in the basement of our house. There are four or five albums from that time period that I played to death to death to death. White Ladder from David Gray was one of those CD's I wore through. My sister and I went to see him at Salt Air one night and made friends with a funny red haired kid who shared his M&M's with us and it was wonderful. I still listen to David Gray from time to time but it nearly always makes me feel homesick.



8. I See You, You See Me-The Magic Numbers

OH I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH! The Magic Numbers are two sets of brother-sister siblings (it will probably not surprise you that it would be a fantasy of mine to be in a band with my sibs and travel all over the world in a little musical bubble with in-laws and kids and puppies running about backstage)and they sound like heaven when you see them live. I put this song on a CD for my friend Emily a million years ago and knew we would be fast friends when she became as obsessed with it as I was. It makes me think of Boston in the fall which is terribly appropriate for today.



9. Meditate-INXS

In 12th grade a girl named Sarah moved into my ward from Modesto, California. She was living with her older sister who had a tall handsome husband and a beautiful baby and could pull off red lipstick. Sarah was like a fascinating alien to me. She dressed in vintage clothes and wore platform shoes and carried a purse instead of a backpack to school. She wanted to be a furniture designer and she made friends with all the dirty boys in the South Hall. Her last name was Italian and fun to say and she'd been to raves but was still a really good girl. She was beautiful and cool and incredibly confident and if I didn't feel like I fit in at school, Sarah DEFINITELY didn't fit in. But for some reason she and I hit it off at church her first Sunday and soon we were BFF like can happen in 20 seconds when you are a teenager. She was one of the girls that helped me realize there was probably life beyond the Wasatch Front and my 17 year old concerns for my future. The Valentine's Dance that year was a girl's choice but I didn't want to go and she didn't want to go so instead we went to the second concert of my life which was INXS at the Salt Palace. It felt all grownup and slightly dangerous to me to be at a rock concert while everyone our age was dancing awkwardly in the gym at school. I lost contact with Sarah after I went off to college and she drifted out of Utah. I like to think she's living in San Francisco in some beautiful space she designed herself, making furniture for her and lovely things for everyone around her. She was smart and creative and not afraid to be her outside the norm self and I think of her pretty much anytime I hear this song. It also has my name in it which is cool.



10. Miss Independent-Ne Yo

My friend Delvique's phone plays this song when you call her. I get her voicemail a lot so I've heard it through more then a few times and the lyrics kinda got me.

Ooh there's something about
Kinda woman that can do for herself
I look at her and it makes me proud
There's something about her

Something, ooh, so sexy about
Kinda woman that don't even need my help

She's got her own thing
That's why I love her

Come on, how could I resist a celebration of the independent girl? And whatever, it's the first Ne-Yo song to hit my iPod either. Leave me alone.




And there we go. I feel like a million times more creatively juicy then before!