Perhaps it’s typical of warm days to wax nostalgic over summers past? Whatever the reason, of late whenever I hear Craig Morgan’s That’s What I Love About Sunday, it reminds me of the lazy summer days of my youth spent back in Oklahoma. The music is written in a high, minor key with E and A minor chords featured prominently throughout. This point notwithstanding, the song itself is more introspective than it is sad as the chorus picks up with a rich mix of full major chords before the its conclusion. Instruments tend to be acoustic guitar supported by fiddle and percussion. Fairly typical of country music. While the music is good, it really is Morgan’s voice which carries the song and drives its story. The lyrics themselves present the tale of a simple family enjoying their Sunday tracing the day from a morning church service to Sunday lunch afterward before ending with an evening stroll. While it’s certainly an arguable point, in the opinion of yours truly, the song pretty much sums up the perfect day. Sometimes the best of life really is the simple. In all, the song offers an experience enjoyed widely back in Walters and one I hope to enjoy again someday soon. For now, life is humidity and Boston bustle but Morgan’s tune is a nice respite even in the midst of a crowd. The song’s official music video is presented below for your listening and viewing pleasure. Lyrics follow after the jump. That’s What I Love About Sunday Raymond’s in his Sunday best, He’s usually up to his chest in oil an’ grease. There’s the Martin’s walkin’ in, With that mean little freckle-faced kid, Who broke a window last week. Sweet Miss Betty likes to sing off key in the pew behind me. That’s what I love about Sunday: Sing along as the choir sways; Every verse of Amazin’ Grace, An’ then we shake the Preacher’s hand. Go home, into your blue jeans; Have some chicken an’ some baked beans. Pick a back yard football team, Not do much of anything: That’s what I love about Sunday. I stroll to the end of the drive, Pick up the Sunday Times, grab my coffee cup. It looks like Sally an’ Ron, finally tied the knot, Well, it’s about time. It’s 35 cents off a ground round, Baby. cut that coupon out! That’s what I love about Sunday: Cat-napping on the porch swing; You curled up next to me, The smell of jasmine wakes us up. Take a walk down a back road, Tackle box and a cane pole; Carve our names in that white oak, An’ steal a kiss as the sun fades, That’s what I love about Sunday, Oh, yeah. Ooh, new believers gettin’ baptized, Momma’s hands raised up high, Havin’ a Hallelujah good time A smile on everybody’s face. That’s what I love about Sunday, Oh, yeah. That’s what I love about Sunday, Oh, yeah.
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Song of the Week: The Star Spangled Banner
As you can tell from the header above, the anniversary of our Nation’s Independence is nearly upon us.
Accordingly, the Pax Plena song of the week is none other than our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. Normally, I would write a longer post analyzing the song and musical styles but in this instance, I can do very little to add to the powerful words of our Nation’s sacred hymn. Please enjoy this rendition of the Star Spangled Banner as performed by the Charlie Daniels Band. Full lyrics follow after the jump.
The Star Spangled Banner
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?On the shore dimly seen thro’ the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov’d homes and the war’s desolation;
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave! -
Song of the Week: This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of Alternative music sensation Fall Out Boy and is titled, This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.
FOB has been a recent introduction to yours truly although the group has been around on the order of a few years. Like most success stories they seem to have taken off overnight. Today’s featured song appears on their latest album Infinity on High which also includes the hit Thnks fr th Mmrs– a tremendous song in its own right albeit a bit bitter.
FOB’s music is most easily described as punk-alternative; an admittedly pronounced departure for an ardent country music fan such as myself. But what I enjoy most about FOB’s music is its tempo and speed. Anyone needing a shot of adrenaline in the afternoon need look no further than the latest album. Fortunately, the up-beat tempo is seamlessly melded with a cutting edge mix of drums, guitar accompaniment, and even orchestra; all of which combine to underscore the clever lyrics of Pete Wentz and underrated vocals of lead singer Patrick Stump. In terms of style, the sound definitely stays true to its punk origins although there is a bit of R&B mixed in with today’s selection.
The lyrics of this song are incredibly well done for a popular album. This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race forcefully presents the importance of free speech and thought for audiences’ consideration. If I may indulge my own conjecture, the song also sketches a philosophy for the band’s music: arming listeners with the power of words to fight in the battle of ideas. The driving idea behind the song also seems to embrace the medieval notion of singer as bard, poet and scholar. I would normally argue that this role is too much for most public entertainers- after all, how much can Britney Spears and Paris Hilton really contribute to public discourse? But FOB does a good job of rejecting dogma and forcing people to consider their own assumptions; a healthy phenomenon for any culture. In turn, today’s song does an unusually good job of marrying provocative lyrics with memorable sound.
The video below tells the story of this tension and presents a complex picture of music in today’s society. The band’s view of the matter is not clear and leaves any conclusions wonderfully open-ended for listeners and fans to consider themselves. Lyrics follow after the jump. Enjoy.
This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
I am an arms dealer
Fitting you with weapons in the form of words
And I don’t really care, which side wins
As long as the room keeps singing
That’s just the business I’m inThis ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
I’m not a shoulder to cry on, but I digressI’m a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate
I’m a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricateI wrote the gospel on giving up
(You look pretty sinking)
But the real bombshells have already sunk
(Primadonnas of the gutter)
At night we’re painting your trash gold while you sleep
Crashing not like hips or cars
No, more like p-p-p-partiesThis ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
Bandwagon’s full. Please, catch anotherI’m a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate
I’m a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricateAll the boys who the dance floor didn’t love
And all the girls whose lips couldn’t move fast enough
Sing until your lungs give outThis ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
(Now you)
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
(Wear out the groove)
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
(Sing out loud)
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms race
(Oh, oh)
This ain’t a scene, it’s a god damn arms raceI’m a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate
I’m a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate -
Song of the Week: Painter Song
After last week’s 80s blast from the past, this song of the week is of a more mellow hue. Taken from eleven-time Grammy Award winner, Norah Jones, the Pax Plena song of the week is whimsically titled, Painter Song.
Musically, the song carefully opens with the melded strains of acoustic guitar and Jones’ soft vocals. The initial ambiance created by the sound is one which transports the mind to distant places in time as much as it creates a sound which lulls and enchants. What ultimately makes the sound especially unique is its use of the accordion which enters softly for a solo after the opening verse. As the accordion plays, one immediately thinks of Italy and cool summer nights, which only helps to stretch the mind and make the music listening experience last much longer than it really is. The smooth sound of Jones’ vocals provide the closing chorus as the song reaches its clear, folksy end.
Although yours truly is utterly bereft of any artistic ability whatsoever, with its eponymous title, Painter Song tells the story of an individual who yearns to be an artist that she might paint memories of a love past. The thought is not one far removed from most but Jones’ song gives it a unique narration that makes it eminently translatable. Accordingly, more than any particular feature of the song, it is Jones’ peerless voice which prods the mind to reflect upon such distant memories and reconsider those with whom we would meet again in a picture framed only by our mind’s eye.
A video of the song with lyrics is below (no real music video exists to my knowledge). Lyrics follow after the jump.
Painter Song Lyrics
If I were a painter
I would paint my reverie
If that’s the only way for you to be with meWe’d be there together
Just like we used to be
Underneath the swirling skies for all to seeAnd I’m dreaming of a place
Where I could see your face
And I think my brush would take me there
But only…If I were a painter
And could paint a memory
I’d climb inside the swirling skies to be with you
I’d climb inside the skies to be with youAnd I’m dreaming of a place
Where I could see your face
And I think my brush would take me there
But only…If I were a painter
And could paint a memory
I’d climb inside the swirling skies to be with you
I’d climb inside the skies to be with you -
Song of the Week: Walk of Life
We’re all about change here at Pax Plena. After a one time song of the week siesta (due largely to a confused blogger coming off a long weekend), this week’s Pax Plena song of the week is back with a vengeance. Stretching the boundaries of genre, good taste and form, the Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of 80s sensation Dire Straits and is titled Walk of Life.
Time for a scary confession of the sort I typically try to avoid on this blog.
More than any song, Walk of Life defined the earliest memories of my childhood. To this day, I can vividly recall the backseat of my parents dusty, fourth generation Chevy Monte Carlo as we bustled down the country roads of Cotton County listening to the radio. Blaring on the radio was nothing less than our featured tune Walk of Life. Oddly, for some reason, I also recall associating elephants with the song. Silly dancing elephants. Apparently, somethings remain beyond the realm of apprehension. Nevertheless, released in May of 1985 Walk of Life is easily the earliest song I can recall. As an avowed connoisseur of country music, the realization troubles me. Then again, on another level, it really doesn’t. What self-respecting 20-something didn’t hear Walk of Life as a youngster? And what product of the 1980s wasn’t wrought in ostentatious hair and a mellow beat? It could have been worse after all. I might have been born during the 1970s- suffice it to say I’d much rather have been young during the Reagan years than the Carter years any day.
Musically, what Dire Straits did best in the song was take rock ‘n’ roll back to its roots. Literate lyrics, simple chords, and syncopated rhythms. In fact, the song as performed on an acoustic guitar features mainly the A and E chords that any beginner would learn straight away. What most sets the song apart from other works and gives it its rockabilly feel is the memorable keyboard riff and bass guitar line which sustains the song throughout its four minute duration. One word comes to mind while listening: happy. The music video follows suit. While the British version is markedly different, the U.S. video features sports bloopers and features cameo appearances from Michael Jordan to Roger Clemens (back before the Yankees sucked).
Lyrically, the song was said to describe the plight of young music artists trying to make it big in the days before mass marketing and record deals. Think music bard as opposed to American Idol. It’s interesting to note that for an optimistic song, there are a number of darker references but the melody and keyboard riff make it difficult to do anything but smile- in my case, perhaps nostalgically. Feel free to indulge your 80s music craving with the music video below. Lyrics follow after the jump.
Walk of Life
Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lua, Baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Gotta Woman
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the dayHe do the song about the sweet lovin’ woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk, he do the walk of lifeHere comes Johnny and he’ll tell you the story
Hand me down mu walkin’ shoes
Here come Johnny with the power and the glory
Backbeat the talkin’ blues
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the dayHe do the song about the sweet lovin’ woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk, he do the walk of lifeHere comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lula, Baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Gotta Woman
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah the boy can play
Decidation devotion
Turning all the night time into the dayAnd after all the violence and double talk
There’s just a song in the trouble and the strife
You do the walk, you do the walk of life
Pax Plena 