Pax Plena

  • Song of the Week: Guitars, Cadillacs

    The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you from country music legend Dwight Yoakam and is titled Guitars, Cadillacs.

    As some fans may recall, way back in 1986 Dwight Yoakam took the country music world by storm introducing an unexpected resurgence of Buck Owens’ “Bakersfield sound” to an ailing industry which had begun to sound more like rock than country. One of the first songs which would catapult the movement still sustained today was Guitars, Cadillacs.

    Yoakam’s sound is unique because it deploys traditional country instruments to create a melody reminiscent of country music’s roots in the bars and dance halls of West Texas- long before it became a multimillion-dollar industry wrought by the kitsch of Nashville.

    Yoakam’s voice in the song, specifically, takes listeners back to the dusty days of a burgeoning California and the trials of those who seek western opportunity and fail. Like most of his songs, Guitars, Cadillacs is a love story, but one written for the blue-collar man. Rather than embracing defeat, the singer ruminates with amusement on his situation finding comfort in, you guessed it, guitars, Cadillacs and hillbilly music.

    In all, it’s a fun song and a great trip down memory lane. The musicianship is spot on and Yoakam’s voice never sounded better. Lyrics follow after the jump. The music video is posted below. Enjoy!

    Guitars, Cadillacs

    Girl, you taught me how to hurt real bad
    And cry myself to sleep
    And showed me how this town can shatter dreams
    Another lesson ’bout a naive fool
    Who came to Babylon
    And found out that the pie
    Don’t taste so sweet

    Now it’s guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
    Lonely, lonely streets that I call home
    Yea, my guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
    It’s the only thing that keep me hangin’ on

    Ain’t no glamour in this tinsle land
    Of lost and wasted lives
    Painful scars are all that’s left of me
    I wanna thank-you girl for teachin’ me
    Brand new ways to be cruel
    Like findin’ mine now I guess I’ll just leave

    And it’s guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
    Lonely, lonely streets that I call home
    Yea, my guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
    It’s the only thing that keep me hangin’ on

    Oh it’s guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
    Lonely, lonely streets that I call home
    Yea, my guitars, cadillacs, hillbilly music
    It’s The only thing that keep me hangin’ on

    It’s the only thing that keep me hangin’ on

    It’s the only thing that keep me hangin’ on

  • Song of the Week: All at Sea

    On this balmy, spring day, the Pax Plena song of the week comes to you direct from the memories of lazy college afternoons past courtesy of Jazz up-and-comer Jamie Cullum and his 2003 hit, All at Sea.

    One remarkable aspect of Cullum’s music is its inexplicable performance style. With Cullum, every song is its own boisterous entity and All at Sea is no exception. In general, the soft melody takes listeners to a personal reprieve away from circumstance, obligation and superficiality but its erratic denouement calls from beyond the smooth drink of isolation and invites (almost challenges) unnamed company to enjoy the nothing.

    Cullum’s voice is unquestionably gifted. It melds a bit of John Mayer with Frank Sinatra to create a unique sound that is hard to define. His piano abilities are commendable as well- a quick watch of the video indicates as much. While All at Sea is among the more mellow numbers in Cullum’s set, it succeeds in its own right due to his ability to take the melody in unanticipated lyrical directions. Not a bad artistic accomplishment for such a fresh voice. Lyrics follow after the jump. Enjoy!


    All at Sea

    I’m all at sea
    Where no one can bother me
    Forgot my roots
    If only for a day
    Just me and my thoughts
    Sailing far away

    Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul
    Please just leave me right here on my own
    Later on you could spend some time with me
    If you want to, all at sea

    I’m all at sea
    Where no-one can bother me
    I sleep by myself
    I drink on my own
    I don’t speak to nobody
    I gave away my phone

    Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul
    Please just leave me right here on my own
    Later on you could spend some time with me
    If you want to, all at sea

    Now I need you more than ever
    I need you more than ever now

    If you don’t need it every day
    But sometimes don’t you just crave
    To disappear within your mind
    You never know what you might find
    So come and spend some time with me
    And we will spend it all at sea

    Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul
    Please just leave me right here on my own
    Later on you could spend some time with me
    If you want to, all at sea

    Ooooh
    If you want to, all at sea
    If you want to

  • Song of the Week: Good Directions

    With 80 degree weather newly come to Boston, my mind turns toward thoughts of summer. Billy Currington’s Good Directions fits the bill just fine.

    The song tells the story of an improbable summer love with a mix of hot weather, pick up trucks, and turnips. It’s a fun little song and just right for this time of year.

    The video below is a fan created music video shot to the song and mixed. It’s not a bad production for a random fan. Nice work.

    Lyrics follow after the jump. Enjoy!

    Good Directions

    I was sittin’ there sellin’ turnips on a flatbed truck
    Crunchin’ or a pork rind when she pulled up
    She had to be thinkin’ “This is where the rednecks come from”
    She had Hollywood written on her license plate
    She was lost and lookin’ for the interstate
    Needin’ directions and I was the man for the job

    [Chorus]
    I told her way up yonder past the caution light
    There’s a little country store with an old Coke sign
    You gotta stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea
    Then a left will take you to the interstate
    But a right will bring you right back here to me

    I was sittin’ there thinkin’ ‘bout her pretty face
    Kickin’ myself for not catchin’ her name
    I threw my hat and thought, “You fool, that coulda been love”
    I knew my old Ford couldn’t run her down
    She probably didn’t like me anyhow
    So I watched her disappear in a cloud of dust.

    [Chorus]
    I told her way up yonder past the caution light
    There’s a little country store with an old Coke sign
    You gotta stop in and ask Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea
    Then a left will take you to the interstate
    But a right will bring you right back here to me

    Is this Georgia heat playin’ tricks on me
    Or am I really seein’ what I think I see
    The woman of my dreams comin’ back to me

    She went way up yonder past the caution light
    Don’t know why, but somethin’ felt right
    When she stopped in and asked Miss Bell for some of her sweet tea
    Mama gave her a big ‘ol glass and sent her right back here to me

    Thank God for good directions…and turnip greens

  • Song of the Week: Estrellita

    The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you from a somewhat different genre featuring classical composer Manuel Ponce’s famous ballad Estrellita. Written in the early 20th century, Estrellita became a unique sensation quickly working its way into the lexicon of Mexican folk songs.

    Originally set to Spanish lyrics, the song tells the story of a female voice who confides in her little star about the hidden love she feels for an unnamed man- a love which may ultimately carry her to the grave. Ponce takes the monologue (which could easily be viewed as a prayer of sorts), and sets it against an opening melody that quickly covers an entire octave. The resonant strains of the violin carry the line to greater heights reminding the listener of the confidence being communicated to the star solitaire.

     The melody remains at all points both tender and intense.

    The song was eventually made famous among western audiences when performed by the renown violinist Jascha Heifetz in the 1939 Archie Mayo film They Shall Have Music. A clip of the Heifetz rendition can be heard below – presumably as extracted from the movie. Lyrics in Spanish and English follow. Enjoy!

    Estrellita
    Estrellita del lejano cielo,
    que miras mi dolor,
    que sabes mi sufrir.
    Baja y dime
    si me quiere un poco,
    porque yo no puedo sin su amor vivir.
    ¡Tu eres estrella mi faro de amor!
    Tu sabes que pronto he de morir.
    Baja y dime
    si me quiere un poco,
    porque yo no puedo sin su amor vivir.
    Estrellita
    Little star of the distant sky,
    you see my pain,
    you know my anguish.
    Come down and tell me
    if he loves me a little,
    because I cannot live without his love.
    You are my star, my beacon of love!
    You know that soon I shall die.
    Come down and tell me
    if he loves me a little,
    because I cannot live without his love.

    Update 09/22/08: This post remains one of the more popular songs of the week we’ve done, so I felt it needed an update.

    To wit, the original video once posted above is no more. But I’ve also included a stunning rendition of Estrellita by violinist Joshua Bell. Enjoy!

  • Song of the Week: Ticks

    The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of country music sensation Brad Paisley and is affectionately titled Ticks.

    Not a lot of depth and introspection this week. Just a great song that mixes equal portions comedy, romance and country. It’s the kinda song most of the kids in Cotton County can understand. For those city slickers reading, I guarantee you’ll never think of pesky ticks in quite the same way.

    The link at the below takes you to a streaming version of the song via Brad Paisley’s myspace page.

    Just click play and enjoy!

    [Link]

    Ticks

    Every time you take a sip
    In this smoky atmosphere
    You press that bottle to your lips
    And I wish I was your beer
    In the small there of your back
    Your jeans are playing peekaboo
    I’d like to see the other half of your butterfly tattoo.

    Hey that gives me an idea
    Let’s get out of this bar
    Drive out into the country
    And find a place to park.

    ‘Cause I’d like to see you out in the moonlight
    I’d like to kiss you way back in the sticks
    I’d like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
    And I’d like to check you for ticks.

    I know the perfect little path
    Out in these woods I used to hunt
    Don’t worry babe I’ve got your back
    And I’ve also got your front
    Now, I’d hate to waste a night like this

    I’ll keep you safe you wait and see
    The only thing allowed to crawl all over you when we get there is me.

    You know every guy in here tonight
    Would like to take you home
    But I’ve got way more class than them
    Babe that ain’t what I want.

    ‘Cause I’d like to see you out in the moonlight
    I’d like to kiss you way back in the sticks
    I’d like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
    And I’d like to check you for ticks.

    You never know where one might be
    There’s lots of place that are hard to reach
    I gotcha.

    I’d like to see you out in the moonlight
    I’d like to kiss you baby way back in the sticks
    I’d like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
    And I’d like to check you for ticks.

    Oh, I’d sure like to check you for ticks…

    *Photo courtesy of PictureCorrect.com