Words to Song

I have a collection of favorite  vinyl albums I  enjoy listening to on my vintage   turntable when I'm doing chores around the house,  sitting at the PC, or  on our well worn  wingback chair doing nothing.   Some  I play over and over, like today with Frank, Ella and Bing. Besides their voice and style,  I like the music and words they sing.  Especially the songs with words by Lorenz Hart, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Gershwin, Mercer, Sondheim (and so many more).  I'm awed and amazed at the flow of their lyrics; the phrasing and prose.

I've heard some say, " The lyric is nothing  without the music",  but  one can  also pose,  "What is the music without the words?"   Yes. Yes. Of course,    many songs  are beautifully arranged as  instrumentals only,  helping to sooth the soul and lift the spirit,  and  I appreciate those arrangements greatly, but  suggest even when listening to the' instrumental only'  arrangement, what pops into your mind are the words !

A perfect example of   a great  lyricist's  poetic flare  is   Johnny Mercer's " I Remember You" :

'When my life is through,
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of them all,
Then I shall tell them
I remember you'

or Hart's - any of Hart's - "Mountain Greenery", There's a Small Hotel" , I Could Write a Book", " I Didn't Know What  Time It Was", "My Funny Valentine", "Blue Moon" :

'And then there suddenly appeared before me,
the only one my arms will ever hold
I heard somebody whisper, "Please adore me",
and when I looked,
the moon had turned to gold.'

And the more contemporary Paul Simon:

'When you're weary, feelin' small,
When tears are in your eyes,
I'll dry them all;  I'm on your side.
Oh, when times get rough,
And friends just can't be found
Like a  bridge
over troubled water
I will lay me down.'

Song words. Poetic words. Beautifully written  words. Not just for a time, but timeless .

1.26.2011

This day:
books to read
songs to sing
a walk outside
dreams to dream
letters to write
a kind word said
prayers to pray
love to give

More Than Words and Paint

I find that words, as wonderful as they are, can't always describe true beauty, intense feeling  or a heart overflowing with marvelous joy.
Even the artist, while being able to paint the scene of a wooded landscape, seascape , or mountain lake with just the right shadows and hue can't completely translate what one experiences  when witnessing such an awesome, spectacular view.
 A feeling so sublime;  Perfectly at peace,  tranquil.   The spirit within is lifted higher, enriching the soul.  If even for a moment, allowing   one to  grasp the sure  knowledge,  God's grace abides.

The Written Word

Email and texting can be quick and immediate - depending if the recipient replies within a  minute, and while  most of us today would be lost without  internet connection,   and checking our e-messages  every day, I still think there's  something special about receiving a hand written note in the U.S. Mail , or card from a friend wishing you well.

The other day  I read educators in some districts are no longer going to teach  cursive writing in school. In my opinion, a sad change in curriculum.   I remember my own grade school years and thought about the dedicated   nuns and how they placed such  importance on their students  learning good  penmanship. Besides being  a discipline in perseverance , we were learning a skill  - knowing how to write our thoughts  would allow  us to communicate in another away. Everyday we  would practice writing letters of the alphabet, then whole words , and eventually full sentences over and over until it met with Sister's approval.

I then thought about the handwritten letters  and journals throughout history - many of them  held sacred , displayed   in museums and other great archives - letters of popes, poet, kings, queens, presidents and layman describing their place and time in the world.  Not only  do they tell us of a particular  era, but also   a part of  who they were are preserved in the actual writing of their own words, in their own hand.

Finally, I thought about letters and notes written to me by  those I know and have known, those  I   love  and hold dear - some  no longer on this earth. To  re-read  their  words written  personally to me brings a smile to my face and  joy to my heart. In their hand written word, a part of them still near.

Winter

Winter has fallen
upon my spirit
like it covers
the earth; Cold
and bleak
Dark days, darker nights
i search  the light of the sun.
Nature's music - a babbling
brook, the bird's sweet song
remain silent, still.
For how long?
Until seasons change
and Spring comes again