The Moor

I just had to share this lovely poem with you as well as post my 'U' song.  I hope you enjoy both.

Next it is 'V's turn..... may this be a problem I wonder?

First the poem by a fine Welsh poet.


The Moor

 

It was like a church to me.
I entered it on soft foot,
Breath held like a cap in the hand.
It was quiet.
What God was there made himself felt,
Not listened to, in clean colours
That brought a moistening of the eye,
In movement of the wind over grass.

There were no prayers said. But stillness
Of the heart's passions -- that was praise
Enough; and the mind's cession
Of its kingdom. I walked on,
Simple and poor, while the air crumbled
And broke on me generously as bread.

R S Thomas 1913-2000

 

And now for something completely different.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Dear Frances of City Views and Country Dreams fame must be on my musical wavelength as she picked this one too. I found this version on YouTube which features more than just Roberta Flack and she still has a great voice, don't you agree?

It brought tears to my eyes.

Enjoy.

Summertime

Several folk had the same idea as me for 'S'. It just has to be Summertime.

And it is Summertime; the sun is showing herself a wee bit today though it could be a tad warmer.
Never mind, just  listen to Ella Fitzgerald, what a voice, what a song!
Enjoy.

Summertime

Summertime
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mamma standing by

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

George Gershwin

Any suggestions for 'T'?

Raglan Road

This is my choice for 'R'.  There were lots to choose from but my love of poetry won out.
It is a fusion of a much-loved poem by a much-loved poet -  put to music and sung with raw emotion by a fine singer, Luke Kelly -  God rest his soul.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Raglan Road

On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue; I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way, And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day. On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge Of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion's pledge, The Queen of Hearts still making tarts and I not making hay - O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away. I gave her gifts of the mind I gave her the secret sign that's known To the artists who have known the true gods of sound and stone And word and tint. I did not stint for I gave her poems to say. With her own name there and her own dark hair like clouds over fields of May On a quiet street where old ghosts meet I see her walking now Away from me so hurriedly my reason must allow That I had wooed not as I should a creature made of clay - When the angel woos the clay he'd lose his wings at the dawn of day.  Patrick Kavanagh

Que Sera

Up to 'Q' now, nearly finished the alphabet!

I have had a comment saying I seem to be avoiding 'proper blogging' by posting these songs but the majority of people who comment seem to be enjoying them. For me it's a case of having started (the alphabet) so I shall finish but I shall try and do a bit of a blog alongside the song when I have the time. It does actually take a lot of time searching for songs, re-listening to them and deciding on a favourite; any journey into nostalgia can while away the hours whether it is going through old photos (another job waiting for me and I have chestfuls to sort) or listening to old songs again. And they do all seem to be old songs, why is that? Is there no contemporary music with esteem worthy of mention? There is of course and I would love to post some - any suggestions would be very welcome.

The garden has been calling me too and a myriad of other things fight for my attention on my days off. I do long to write my more usual type of blogs again with pictures, poems, photos and of course blessings and I do apologise for their absence. I shall try and make up for it in future posts.

Well Q is a bit of a cop-out I guess. The song does remind me of my childhood but I can't say I love it. I couldn't find anything else, though I expect someone will come up with one and I shall kick myself for not thinking of it.

Here it is anyway, it's a cheerful song for sure so sing along do, I bet you know all the words..  A friend told me only this week  that scientists have recently discovered the benefits to our health of singing and humming - apparently they do wonderful things to the brain and help with problems like anxiety and depression. There does seem to be an upsurge in interest in singing lately.  (I sing all the time but only when there is no-one around.  How about you?).

Enjoy!



Bye for now,
Cait

Love Songs

I spent days thinking I would never find a 'P' song and now I have three! I am posting two of them simply because I know a lot of people dislike Celine Dion but the first is The Power of Love Personally I love her voice and have asked to be able to sing with such power in my next life, that's all, it would do me. I defy anyone to say she cannot sing!

The Eric Clapton song, the very gentle Please Be With Me is an old favourite of mine from one of my favourite albums 461 Ocean Boulevard. It takes me back but it remains a very beautiful song. I hope you enjoy it.

Going back to powerful voices simply raw with emotion. The third song? An absolute classic, it's
Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin. I haven't posted it but if anyone wants me to I will.

So it's all about love folks - as most songs seem to be: the striving for, the celebration of, or the grieving over its loss.

Enjoy.

(Any suggestions for 'Q'?)




Please Be With Me

Oh my word, what does it mean?
Is it love or is it me
That makes me change so suddenly?
Looking out, feeling free.

Sit here lying in my bed,
Wondering what it was I'd said
That made me think I'd lost my head,
When I knew I lost my heart instead.

Won't you please read my signs, be a gypsy.
Tell me what I hope to find deep within me.
Because you can find my mind, please be with me.

Of all the better things I've heard,
Loving you has made the words
And all the rest seem so absurd,
'Cause in the end it all comes out unsure.

Eric Clapton

On a Bus to St Cloud

On a bus to St. Cloud, Minnesota
I thought I saw you there
With the snow falling down around you
Like a silent prayer
And once on a street in New York City
With the jazz and the sin in the air
And once on a cold L.A. freeway
Going nowhere
And it's strange, but it's true
I was sure it was you
Just a face in the crowd
On a bus to St. Cloud

In a church in downtown New Orleans
I got down on my knees and prayed
And I wept in the arms of Jesus
For the choice you made
We were just gettin' to the good part
Just gettin' past the mystery
Oh, and it's just like you, it's just like you
To disagree
And it's strange but it's true
You just slipped out of view
Like a face in the crowd
On a bus to St. Cloud

And you chase me like a shadow
And you haunt me like a ghost
And I hate you some, and I love you some
But I miss you most...

On a bus to St. Cloud, Minnesota
I thought I saw you there
With the snow falling down around you
Like a silent prayer


Trisha Yearwood

Here sung by Gretchen Peters.
Enjoy:

Nothing Compares to You

The Man With the Child in His Eyes

It's Lola and Layla!

I have taken the liberty of posting two songs for the letter 'L'. One is especially for Frances in New York but I love it too and it certainly takes me back.


LOLA

I met her in a club down in old Soho Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola Coca-Cola] C-O-L-A cola She walked up to me and she asked me to dance I asked her her name and in a DARK BROWN voice she said Lola L-O-L-A Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola Well I'm not the world's most physical guy But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine Oh my Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola Well I'm not dumb but I can't understand Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man Oh my Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola Well we drank champagne and danced all night Under electric candlelight She picked me up and sat me on her knee And said little boy won't you come home with me Well I'm not the world's most passionate guy But when I looked in her eyes well I almost fell for my Lola Lo-lo-lo-lo Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola I pushed her away I walked to the door I fell to the floor I got down on my knees Well I looked at her and she at me Well that's the way that I want it to stay And I'll always want it to be that way for my Lola Lo-lo-lo-lo Lola Girls will be boys and boys will be girls It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world except for Lola Lo-lo-lo-lo Lola Well I'd left home just a week before And I'd never ever kissed a woman before But Lola smiled and took me by the hand And said little boy I'm gonna make you a man Well I'm not the world's most masculine man But I know what I am and IN BED I'm a man And so is Lola Lo-lo-lo-lo Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola lo-lo-lo-lo Lola

Enjoy!







I am a huge Clapton fan and this song means a lot to me.

LAYLA


What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.

Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.

Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain.

Kathy's Song

This song, 'K' in my alphabet of songs, is from one of the first LP's I ever bought and is one of my favourite Paul Simon songs. He wrote it for Kathleen Mary (which happens to be my name!) who was a girl he met at his first ever gig in England, in Brentwood in Essex. They had a relationship and she went to the USA with him but then returned to England.

Kathy's Song

I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls.

And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies.

My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day.

And a song I was writing is left undone
I don't know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can't believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme.

And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.

And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I.


Paul Simon

Joan of Arc

'J' was a problem at first. Then I remembered Jealous Guy and the gorgeous Brian Ferry and also Joe Cocker's version. But then I suddenly remembered Joan of Arc - I just hope you can stand a bit more from the genius Leonard Cohen who is one of my favourite poets.

I used to own the tape that this is from and I would play it over and over; now I have the CD and still love it. I love Song of Bernadette too but that might come later, you never know.

I have 'K' all lined up, I can't wait to post that one!

Enjoy!

Joan of Arc

Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc As she came riding through the dark; No moon to keep her armour bright, No man to get her through this very smoky night. She said, I’m tired of the war, I want the kind of work I had before, A wedding dress or something white To wear upon my swollen appetite. Well, I’m glad to hear you talk this way, You know I’ve watched you riding every day And something in me yearns to win Such a cold and lonesome heroine. And who are you? she sternly spoke To the one beneath the smoke. Why, I’m fire, he replied, And I love your solitude, I love your pride. Then fire, make your body cold, I’m going to give you mine to hold, Saying this she climbed inside To be his one, to be his only bride. And deep into his fiery heart He took the dust of Joan of Arc, And high above the wedding guests He hung the ashes of her wedding dress. It was deep into his fiery heart He took the dust of Joan of Arc, And then she clearly understood If he was fire, oh then she must be wood. I saw her wince, I saw her cry, I saw the glory in her eye. Myself I long for love and light, But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?

I want to know what love is

It's 'I' time.  I  didn't look elsewhere, it has to be this one.

I just love this song, it would be one of my Desert Island Discs.  I know it is really sad but it touches me somewhere deep within which is what music or any form of art should do, don't you think?

I hope you enjoy it too.

'H' for Hallelujah

It has to be Hallelujah for 'H'. I also like Alison Crowe's version of the song but Leonard Cohen (whose words I adore) surely owns it.


Hallelujah


Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Now maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Is how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
And it's not complaint you hear tonight
And it's not some pilgrim who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Good Vibrations

I'm on a roll now and already have 'H' lined up.
I must contain myself.
Tell me if you like this one.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

This is 'F' in my Alphabet of Songs.

Roberta Flack owns this song as far as I am concerned, there is no contest.

Just listen.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the empty skies, my love,
To the dark and the empty skies.

The first time ever I kissed your mouth
And felt your heart beat close to mine
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command, my love
That was there at my command.

And the first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last till the end of time my love
It would last till the end of time my love

The first time ever I saw your face, your face,
your face, your face

Ewan McCall

Everytime We Say Goodbye

It's 'E' time for the Alphabet of Songs. It was hard to whittle it down as there were so many good ones.

For example:

Everybody Hurts by REM
Every Day by Buddy Holly
Everything I do, I do it for you by Bryan Adams

Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles
Every breath you take by The Police

and more. When I get to 'Z' (which may be a challenge?) I think I will have to start all over again as there are so many lovely songs out there.

This beautiful song sung by Ella Fitzgerald was Cottage Garden's choice and I must admit I love it too. I always find partings hard, even day to day 'leavings' and this song resonates with me somewhere deep within. I am no fan of goodbyes.

I listened to many versions on YouTube and I stumbled upon a version by Robbie Williams, I am a fan of his and am including it here too.

Enjoy.









Goodbye,
Cait.

Don't let the sun catch you crying

I have not blogged for many days; I apologise. I seem to have been busy with life, the good weather has filled me with energy bringing about a need to spring clean and de-clutter (yet again) and it has also drawn me outside which is not a bad thing. I am continuing my Alphabet of Songs now.

The letter 'D' has been a hard one and in the end I have chosen a song I loved when I was very young. I still love it and think it is underrated. Hope you love it too.

Any ideas for 'E' would be welcomed as I only have one or two ideas so far.

Don't let the sun catch you crying.
Bye for now,
Cait.

Democracy



Someone said there could be a Hung Parliament.
Someone else said ‘Who shall we string up first?’
The warmonger Blair or the liars,
the money-grabbers or the thieves,
the gamblers or the swindlers,
the bleeders or the cheats?

The con-men in the background? Men in black?
Spin-artists, brain-washers and blackmailers?
Or the handful of token females who crept around or simpered
with those feeble and spineless Yes-Men in their wake,
eyes only on a place in some future Cabinet?

To whom shall we grant a pardon?
Who shall we parade and proudly honour
for their brave forthrightness and their honesty?
(Answers on a postcard please, but don’t all rush).

Or shall I see you at the polling station,
an eager pencil in your hand,
itching just to make your little mark
to the Left or to the Right
or even in some real or just-imagined,
one-time-believed-in-and-hoped-for Middle Way?

As if there was a choice.

As if you had a voice.

Democracy?

They’re having a laugh aren’t they?



Cait O’Connor

Doves' resurrection

Doves’ resurrection


A pair of collared doves are nesting in the pine again;
one of the giants, a Scottish one of three,
planted ages past in someone’s sweet sad memory.
In only days gone past I have watched these birds
courting and cavorting at the river’s edge
but it is Nature’s mating dance and I can only peek.
I lay hidden now, a secret within my own nest,
peering outward through the tiny cottage window.
I see them later, landing on the branches,
creeping stealthily amongst the fronds of green,
seemingly safe and protected, (I hope all will be well).
They know not that I am there each morning
like a spy, watching, waiting for what might be new life signs.
And I wonder on this Easter Day
as I lie low - what looks in on me?
And I pray for resurrection for this world.


Cait O’Connor