MLK

I used to sing this to my daughter when she was a tiny baby. It is one of the saddest and sweetest songs I know.

It is my prayer for Martin Luther King tonight on this the 50th anniversary of his death.

RIP Dr King.

Advertisements

Pride (in the name of love)

“Early morning, April four. Shot rings out in the Memphis sky. Free at last, they took your life. They could not take your pride.”

It’s almost a pity that Bono got the time wrong. Martin Luther King was killed in the evening of April 4th 1968. 50 years ago today. But it was not the little details that matter. What matters is his message. It still matters. It is a message of harmony and acceptance. A message that many people have still not accepted.

There’s another person referred to in that song. A man betrayed by a kiss. We commemorated the night of that kiss just last Thursday. He also preached a message of love and harmony. He came to bring a light into the world for all.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

This is essentially a fun song that I remember from my childhood. I don’t know when I first heard it but I feel it’s kind of an anthem for women of my generation…or at least it may have been when we were young.

I took on some singing students last year and I have been working with one student on this song. She’s into pop and this is about as poppy as it gets. She’s also the right age to sing a song like this. In teaching it to her my joy in hearing it was renewed. I’ve also recently introduced it to my three and a half year old daughter who is pretty into it.

Lyrically, it’s all about empowerment. Musically, it has that magical power of being catchy, fun and motivating. I usually wouldn’t be drawn to pop like this but how can you not?!

No need to argue

[for the record – I wrote this weeks ago but just got around to posting today]

Another of my favourite Cranberries songs is this little beauty from the album with the same title…No Need To Argue.

This is my go-to breakup song. Heartbreakingly mournful and full of insecurity with undercurrents of anger. I have played and sung this song more times than I care to count, wallowing in the futility of broken relationships.

Saving Grace – RIP Dolores

Today I woke to the news that one of my favourite female singers had died. Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries had an instantly recognisable voice and one that I find I could listen to for hours on end…and have done.

To choose one song to include in #mymusical tribute to her is impossible for me so I will almost certainly post a few Cranberries songs over the next little while. However, I have to start somewhere so I will start with one that I have listened to on loop during some of the more difficult moments of my life.

Saving Grace.

As with most of her songs, this has her trademark vocal style. Soft, effortless, sweet. It’s a simple little song but so comforting.

 

River

Nothing to do with today being the anniversary of the Brisbane Floods of 2011.

This song came up on my random playlist today and I remembered how much I liked it at the time. Not sure I feel the same way now. Still, it’s fun for a bit of nostalgia.

River

Song 2

My second song for #mymusical2018 is an obvious choice. Song 2! I’d be a fool to pass up the opportunity!

But seriously…

This is not a song I’d go out of my way to listen to. I like Blur in a passive sort of way. I wouldn’t typically seek out their music to listen to but I wouldn’t turn it off if it came into my hearing. I’d even enjoy it and sing along.

This isn’t even my favourite Blur song. That title goes to Girls and Boys because of that semi-industrial electronic sound in vaguely minor tones underpinning it all.

But Song 2 gets the prize today simply for it’s title…and it’s always fun to scream out “WOO HOOOO!!!”