21 posts tagged “melissa etheridge”

Same one as last year and the year before. We can heal, but we should never forget all those that were unselfish and heroes in the face of extreme circumstances.  But this time, instead of quoting The West Wing, I'm just going to say that it was extremism that got us here.  And there is nothing about Sarah Palin - especially her religious views - that is not extremely scary for a nation that claims to be tolerant and open to all.  We should be the land of the free - and there is nothing about her that wants us to be that.

Up and down this road I go
Skippin' and dodgin'
From a 44.

10:03 on a Tuesday morning
In the fall of an American dream,
A man is doing what he knows is right
On flight 93.
He loved his mom and he loved his dad.
He loved his home and he loved his man.
But on that bloody Tuesday morning
He died an American.

Now you cannot change this.
You can't erase this.
You can't pretend this is not the truth.

Even though he could not marry,
Or teach your children in our schools
Because who he wants to love
Is breaking your gods' rules.
He stood up on a Tuesday morning.
In the terror he was brave.
And he made his choice
And without a doubt
A hundred lives he must have saved.

And the things you might take for granted -
Your inalienable rights -
Some might chose to deny him
Even though he gave his life.
Can you live with yourself in the land of the free
And make him less of a hero than the other three?
Well it might begin to change ya
In a field in Pennsylvania.

Stand up America.
Hear the bell now as it tolls.
Wake up America
It's Tuesday morning
Come on
Let's roll.
- Melissa Etheridge, "Tuesday Morning"

Back on the ME kick...sorry.  But I have been obsessed with this song for about a week now...

A perfect song,
My love is wrong.
So I ache the dark.

The hero's close.
The story goes on.
But I hate the part
I chose to fall
Destroy it all
But I will
Rise again.
I believe in love,
Please send me love
And I will try again.

Oh yeah
And the universe listened.

Remove the dark.
Heal my heart.
Make my body whole.
I found my angels
Found my spirit
Yes, I found my soul.

Teach me how,
Show me now.
This light has taken me.
I'm not ashamed
Help me explain
This awakening.
- Melissa Etheridge, "The Universe Listened"

I'm back.  And discovered several things on the Tracey Vacation.  One of the least important is that this song is 7 minutes of sex - the rhythm, the way it builds, the way it ends - it's sex.  Good sex.  I just wish it lasted longer.  ;)   The rhythm on the guitar and the pacing of the words, oh my.  Listen, though it doesn't come across quite as well in the live version.  (And I hope to be off the Melissa Etheridge kick sometime soon.  My apologies for having too many of her lyrics recently.)

I've got this whisky
To take care of my lips.
I've got these long, cool, steel strings
At my fingertips.
And I ain't got nothing
To soothe my aching soul.
Except this screeching and screaming iron
To tell me where I ought to go.
- Melissa Etheridge, "Royal Station 4/16"

This just dawned on me yesterday as I was driving back from my attorney's office.   I don't give a new Melissa Etheridge album a true listen, and often really don't like it, until after I've seen her play the songs in concert.  I know it happened with Your Little Secret, Lucky & it jsut happened with The Awakening. Of course I bought them all the day they came out and gave instantly give it a cursory listen or 2 (in fact posted a LoD with the catchiest song on the new album).  But it didn't grab me until I saw her last week perform it live. 
For those who haven't seen Melissa perform, it is an intense, amazing experience.  Not only is she probably one of the best acoustic rhythm guitarists out there, or maybe ever, she is the consummate performer, being able to instantly grab an audience and hold them in her hand, controlling them, making them act as one until the show is over.  There's never been a time I've seen her (and I've seen her at least 5 times) that she hasn't been able to do that.  I walk out of every show both drained and invigorated.  Kind of like after having good sex.
Anyway, where am I going with this?  Well, I had said that I wasn't a fan of the new album.  But I gave it a listen after the concert and now it's in heavy rotation.  Most of the songs are very good and some, like the one below (which I hated on first listen, and am still not a fan of the sha lalalas) are outstanding.  So, thanks, Pam for taking me to the concert, because I probably would have written the album off as mediocre and let it go.

I warned myself of the blackness in my
Chest.
The razors in my heart would never
Rest.
It's funny how you find
Just what you seek.
Love is what you get
When love what you speak.

I'm sending out a message to myself
So that when I hear it on the radio
I will know that I am fine.
I will know that I am loved.

I made every choice along the
Way.
Each day I spent in hell I chose to
Stay.
It's funny what you fear can make you weak.
Truth is what you get
When truth is what you speak.
- Melissa Etheridge, "A Message To Myself"

Concert rocked.  Absolutely rocked.  She closed with this, then came back out and did Piece of My Heart.  I'm not a huge fan of the new album, but the political stuff on it is fabu. 

I believe that we are waking up from the spell,
That those that profit
From the fear cast so well.
And good people of the earth
Now can tell
There is no us and them.

If not now,
When?
If not today,
Then
What happens tomorrow?
What happens tomorrow?

All is love.
All is choice.
Everyone
And every voice.
All of life that you see,
All are possibilities.
As above
So below.
To wed the sense into the soul.

This is the truth I believe.

I believe -
Truth is of the people.
By the people.
For the people.
- Melissa Etheridge, "What Happens Tomorrow"

What are your top five break-up songs?
Submitted by gt.

I'm with Bookmole on this one.  There are so many different kinds of breakups that I'm not sure that 5 songs covers it. And I'm joining this with my lyric of the day, because it seems silly not to.

However, if I need to pick 5, the ones below come to mind.  And I know they're female heavy.  When I think of breakup songs,, I do think of women, mostly because I think they sing about heartbreak better than men.

Sarah McLachlan - Do What You Have To Do (Mirroball Live)

Sarah McLachlan - Full of Grace

These 2 I call the "5/9 loop".  I know I'm in a bad place with someone when I can't listen to any songs other than these 2.  I should have known my marriage was over when Mick and I were both in the "5/9 loop" at the same time.  It actually took me a little over a year from that point to leave him.

Stronger Than Me - Melissa Etheridge

"Well, it's too late then
You could have told me when
Living died;
When passion lied."

Invisible Ink (Inara & Mal - Firefly vid)

1 comment

"I suppose I should be happy to be misread
Better be that
Than some of the other things I have become.
But nobody wants to hear this tale.
The plot is cliched,
The jokes are stale."

She wants revenge - she loves me, she loves me not

"For all the things I said to her
And all the ways I tried.
And all the things I did for her
Are lost with one goodbye."

What's your ultimate rainy day song?
Submitted by J-Len.

Depends on the type of day.  These are the ones that come to mind right now and can always change.  Because there is no "ultimate" song.
Answer - Sarah McLachlan
Strong Persuader - Robert Cray
A Go Go - John Scofield
Box of Rain - Grateful Dead
Royal Station 4/16 - Melissa Etheridge
Wind Beneath My Wings - Sheena Easton
Darling Nikki - Prince

I'm sure there's more.  And I'm sure that I'm forgetting an obvious one or six.  But those are the ones that come to mind.

I love my life.  I really do.  I enjoy what I do.  I may not have a lot of money, but I also don't worry about the fact that I shop sales, Old Navy, Publix brand foods.  However, I love me; I have people I care a lot about and who care about me (despite the fact both sides of that freak me out).  I am secure in the fact that I am going to be ok, regardless of what others say or think about me (NSEX comes to mind b/c we did taxes tonight but that's another post).  All of which inspire this LOD.  And you get the whole song.

Morning's hard
Coffee's cold.
Pretending that the days mean more than getting old.
Stale headlines,
Others drenched in pride
Marching to their drum
With fear standing beside.

But if I close my eyes and throw back my head,
I can see his face and I hear the words he said.
And my memories ache
And my senses burn.
Did he dream too late?
Will we ever learn?

I,
I want to testify.
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why.
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break;
And don't let children cry;
Before it gets too late
I want to testify.

I take what's said
As my daily bread.
I turn the page
And I turn my head.
I pick I choose
On the evening news;
Cause by cause they fight
And one by one they lose.
Must I live my days in these concrete ways?
Will the fire break through this smoky haze?
And I swear tonight I'm gonna find that place -
It's not the love that dies but the understanding ways.

I,
I want to testify.
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why.
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break;
And don't let children cry;
Before it gets too late
I want to testify.

Rip through the wire
That screens in my window.
Throw open the shade
That covers my mind.
I'm going to touch
I've got to believe -
The bell tolls for me.
- Melissa Etheridge, "Testify"

Sorry, thought I posted this last night.   I get into grooves with music - like many of us do - and can't shake certain songs, certain parts of songs.  So I apologize for all the Melissa Etheridge posts recently.  This one has been in my head pretty much since Sunday, and one of the lines has morphed into my status message for my IM clients.

Someone's spittin' blood,
Face down in the dirt.
Someone's thinkin' about a gun
To try and stop the hurt.
Someone drew conclusions
On the wall of destiny
Someone's gettin' louder.
That someone
Would be
Me.

You think if you don't answer,
The world will pass you by.
But there's a fire in your kitchen
And the water's three feet high
And risin'
- Melissa Etheridge, "Beloved"

I tried to post this last night, but my wireless router was on the fritz (still is & I'm hardwired to the laptop now).  I had a very good weekend - actually from last Tuesday night through yesterday was really good.  And today's starting out quite nicely too.

Baby whatcha doing tonight?
I'll go anywhere that you wanna go.
I'll jump into my car,
Go down to that bar
Pretend I'm someone that you don't know.

I'll ask you if you would like to dance.
Slip myself up close to your thighs.
You can buy me a drink,
We'll make everyone think
That love is so damn perfect tonight.

Kiss me
Kiss me
Kiss everything away
Oh honey now kiss me
Kiss me
Kiss me
Come out and play
- Melissa Etheridge, "Kiss Me"