Continuing from the previous entry:<\/p>\n
Monday brought my favorite Si Kahn song:<\/p>\n
\n\nFrom this love, the space to grow in;<\/p>\n
From these friends, the will to fight;<\/p>\n
From this peace, the strength to journey<\/p>\n
When the shore is out of sight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
—Si Kahn, \"When the Shore Is Out of Sight<\/a>\" (11:46 AM Feb 15th)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
And then some comic opera:<\/p>\n
\n\n[Katisha:] Volcanoes have a splendour that is grim,<\/p>\n
And earthquakes only terrify the dolts,<\/p>\n
But to him who's scientific there is nothing that's terrific in the falling of a flight of thunderbolts!<\/p>\n
[Ko-Ko:] Yes, in spite of all my meekness, if I have a little weakness, it's a passion for a flight of thunderbolts!<\/p>\n
[Both:] If that is so, sing derry-down-derry, it's evident, very, our tastes are one;<\/p>\n
Away we'll go and merrily marry, nor tardily tarry 'til day is done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
—Gilbert & Sullivan, The Mikado<\/cite>, \"There is beauty in the bellow of the blast<\/a>\" (12:02 PM Feb 15th)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
When I was a kid, listening to an audio recording, I thought that song was romantic. When I finally saw a production of the show (possibly a Stanford Savoyards production, not sure), I was outraged that Ko-Ko sang it sarcastically; I thought they were ruining a nice love song. But my mother (who was the one who introduced me to G&S) told me that was how it was usually performed. I do see now that it's not intended to be serious, and that it's in keeping with the unpleasant treatment accorded to Katisha throughout the show; but it's still a fun song to sing.<\/p>\n
Onward:<\/p>\n
\n\nI met this guy<\/p>\n
And he looked like he might've been a hat check clerk at an ice rink,<\/p>\n
Which, in fact, he turned out to be.<\/p>\n
And I said, \"Oh boy. Right . . . again.\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
—Laurie Anderson, \"Let X=X<\/a>\" (12:10 PM Feb 15th)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
A couple days later, I couldn't resist slipping in one non-song quotation:<\/p>\n
\n\nIt did occur to me that the effect of good literature may be as dizzying as that of alcohol.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
—Pamela Dean, Tam Lin<\/cite> (12:17 AM Feb 17th)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
That evening, still more of the giving-each-other-strength theme from earlier:<\/p>\n
\n\nSometimes two legs<\/p>\n
Simply can't hold us;<\/p>\n
Sometimes two arms<\/p>\n
Are simply too weak.<\/p>\n
Lay it all down<\/p>\n
When you can't hold it;<\/p>\n
Let your life carry you<\/p>\n
Like a boat on the sea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
—Libby Roderick, \"Lay It All Down<\/a>\" (6:47 PM Feb 17th)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
And a couple days later, more romance:<\/p>\n
\n\nDance a little closer to me;<\/p>\n
Dance a little closer now;<\/p>\n
Dance a little closer tonight.<\/p>\n
Dance a little closer to me;<\/p>\n
Hey, it's closing time, and love's on sale<\/p>\n
Tonight at this five and dime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
—Nanci Griffith, \"Love at the Five and Dime<\/a>\" (8:49 PM Feb 19th)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
After which I had to also post my favorite part from her spoken-word intro to that song:<\/p>\n
\n\nWoolworth stores [...] have this wonderful smell to them; they smell like popcorn and chewing gum rubbed around on the bottom of a leather-soled shoe. The first time we went to Europe, we landed in London, and we were driving through central London, and we came around a corner and by golly there was a Woolworth store. And I wanted them to stop the car and let me out so I could go fill up my suitcase with unnecessary plastic objects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
—Nanci Griffith, intro to \"Love at the Five and Dime\" (8:51 PM Feb 19th)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Which made an oddly relevant segue into the next song that came on, which I wished I had thought to quote last summer or the summer before, during my whirlwind rounds of travel travel travel:<\/p>\n
\n\nUnpack the luggage, la la la,<\/p>\n
Pack up the luggage, la la la,<\/p>\n
Unpack the luggage, la la la,<\/p>\n
Hi-ho, the glamorous life!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n