Is there anything more glorious than a free day off? I am between projects today and even though my house is a sty and there are certainly always errands I could run, I have declared this to be Queen Terrilynn Day. Liam is at school, Sweetie is at work, it cold and gloomy outside and I have a stack of new library books and several boxes of Girl Scout cookies and all is right with the world (spit, turn around three times, jump one one foot).
My sister made me some new mix CDs that I'm just getting around to listening to. One of the fun things (insert eyeroll here) about them is that T does not label the damned things. Well, I can't have that; I have to know who and what and so I spend an inordinate amount of time Googling scraps of lyrics to songs I don't know so I can type up a proper label. The two I'm listening to today weren't as challenging as some have been, but she threw in a few where I didn't recognize either artist or song, so I got to play a cyber-age Nancy Drew.
T does give the discs names, though, and they are all attributed to "tracyradio," which always makes me laugh, but is entirely accurate-she's my own private dj and sometimes I can't hit the "next" button fast enough, but often, probably more often than not, I really like what she's chosen.
The first one that I listened to today is called The Gospel of 44 and here's the song list:
- Jubilee-Patti Smith
- Knockin on Heaven's Door-Bob Dylan
- Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing-Stevie Wonder
- Shaking the Tree-Peter Gabriel
- Losing My Religion-REM
- Higher Ground-Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Drops of Jupiter-Train
- Privilege (Set Me Free)-Patti Smith
- Lady Madonna-the Beatles
- May This Be Love-Emmylou Harris
- You Can't Always Get What You Want-the Rolling Stones
- Do You Wanna Dance?-the Ramones
- Bare Necessities-Phil Harris
- The Weight-the Band with the Staple Singers
- Sankofa-Cassandra Wilson
- Imagine-John Lennon
Just as she did with Tom Waits, T is pushing Patti Smith on me bigtime. I haven't anything for or against her; I've just never really listened to her music and T finds that a shocking hole in my musical education and so the next several discs that she makes for me will undoubtedly include a lot of Patti Smith, and I can live with that, I think.
This CD's surprise cut was, of course, Bare Necessities. That's from one of my all-time favorite movies and I get a big goofy grin on my face whenever I hear it. T is really great about putting these kinds of unexpected things in her mixes. One that she made for me and Liam had the Munchkins singing The Lollipop Guild as well as a Spongebob Mix and we loved it.
Disc number two is called The Long and Winding Road. Hopefully no one from Apple Music reads this journal and she won't get sued. The song list for that one is a little more mainstream than usual for T and has no surprise silliness, but I like it:
- Every Day I Write the Book-Elvis Costello
- Reflections-Diana Ross
- Reelin' in the Years-Steely Dan
- Saturday in the Park-Chicago
- Everybody Must Get Stoned-Bob Dylan
- We're on a Road to Nowhere-Talking Heads
- This Song Has No Title-Elton John
- The Shape I'm In-the Band
- One More Night-Bob Dylan
- Please Call Me, Baby-Tom Waits
- Where Are You Tonight-Cowboy Junkies
- Drown in My Own Tears-Aretha Franklin
- Cry Love-John Hiatt
- Secret to a Long Life-Michelle Shocked
- Trouble No More-Jimmy Rogers with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
- Fumblin' with the Blues-Tom Waits
- Clap Hands-Tom Waits
- The Sky is Cryin'-Stevie Ray Vaughn
- Can I Sleep in Your Arms-Willie Nelson
- Keep Me, God-Iris DeMent
I can see a very deliberate life-story progression in this mix and I am very envious of her ability to do this with songs. She's a very gifted writer, so I shouldn't be surprised that she can tell stories using song lists, I guess.
I've managed to be the laziest woman in Wilmington this morning, and it has felt shockingly good. I really do need to scrub the bathrooms and blast the inch-thick dust off the living room tables and shelves. Tonight we're having our regular Friday night family movie night and we're watching Shark Tale, and Sweetie and I also have both The Bourne Supremacy and Ray waiting for us, in addition to disc one from the fourth season of The Sopranos. Just right for a cold gloomy weekend.
*There was a song that was popular when I was a wee girl called Queen of the House. It was written by Roger Miller and was sort of a companion piece to his King of the Road.
Up everyday at six
Bacon and Eggs to fix
Four kids from 1 to 4
Pretty soon there'll be one more
I got four floors to wax and scrub
And there's a dirty old ring in the tub
I'll get a maid someday, but till then, I'm
Queen of the House
No time to fix my hair
Need a new dress to wear
Old clothes will have to do
Cause the kids all need new shoes
I got bridge club each Tuesday night
He's goes out with the boys and gets tight
But when the evenin's through he comes home to
Queen of the House
I know the milkman, iceman, they come every day
They give me tips on the horses to play
And when I've got the time to spare
I sit and wish that I'd picked
A rich millionaire...I sing...
...and it repeats a couple of times. I'd say she needs a new queendom, but fortunately hers is not mine and I'm quite liking mine today (spit, turn around three times, jump on one foot). Maybe I'll wear my tiara while I scrub the bathroom.
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