Tag: song

Posted on

Emotion vs feeling things deeply

I got so caught up in finding the perfect version of the song for yesterday’s blog that I didn’t complete my thought about feeling unexpectedly emotional throughout the day.

But as I think back on it, I find myself pondering the distinction between being emotional and feeling something deeply. And I think I was experiencing the latter.

It seems likely that the song started things off by opening my heart extra-wide from the moment I woke up.

Later I was reading my book — a light romantic novel — but the plot involved the anguish of a doctor who had lost his wife and unborn child. And somehow the grief of my 1995 stillbirth was suddenly right there…almost at the surface, making me feel it deeply once again.

There were a few similar instances during the day, but finally, it was time for our regular Friday date night. We decided to watch the 2015 version of Cinderella, which we hadn’t seen since shortly after it came out.

Oh. My. Goodness.

It’s so beautiful and SO well done. Especially the way the entire story is oriented around the profoundly deep message: “Have courage and be kind.”

I found myself in tears over and over again, because so many of the characters really had…character! On display were qualities like goodness, sweetness, honesty, compassion, playfulness, and so much more.

I think my heart really felt it because — deep inside — my soul knows that a world based on such beautiful qualities is the true reality that we all aspire to…whether we know it or not.

Posted on

Loving all the things you are

I’ve no idea why, but I found myself getting unexpectedly emotional off and on throughout the day.

It started when I woke up from a dream with a melody playing in my mind. No, not an original melody of my own(!), but the beautiful jazz standard, “All the Things You Are.”

Of course, I had to look it up and learned it was from a 1939 Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein musical that I’d never heard of before, titled Very Warm for May.

Well! Over two hours and many renditions later, I finally have a version of this beautiful song to share in today’s blog. But I must confess that it was quite the rabbit hole I went down.

First of all, I wanted a version that included the intro. I also wanted to hear expressivity on the part of the singer, as if they actually were feeling what they were singing about.

It was fascinating hearing so many different approaches, by so many different types of singers from different eras — jazz, Broadway, crooners, pop, you name it!

But what I found extremely disappointing was the number of times when I was sure I had found the perfect version — with the intro; a beautiful voice; sensitively sung — only to have the singer suddenly shift into overdrive as they neared the end, then ending the song with a huge crescendo to a jarring high note that they held out forever…basically just to show off.

Oohhh…I get so irritated because to me that’s disrespecting the essence of the song. Only my opinion, of course. But I believe Kern and Hammerstein really tapped into something. That there’s something about the combination of the uplifting, soaring melody and the evocative, tender, hopeful lyrics that can touch us on a very deep level. In fact, I think it calls to the part of us that yearns for the divine adventure and a divine love.

And now that I’m done with my rant, I hope you find the song as beautiful as I do.

All the Things You Are
Time and again I’ve longed for adventure
Something to make my heart beat the faster
What did I long for, I never really knew.
Finding your love, I found my adventure,
Touching your hand my heart beat the faster
All that I want in all of this world is you.

You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights the star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Someday my happy arms will hold you,
And someday I’ll know that moment divine
When all the things you are, are mine.

Posted on

Dr. Seuss memories

So, I was going to write about laundry, because that’s all I’ve been doing this evening.

In fact, I had made up a laundry song. The lyrics started out like this: “Laundry, laundry, I love laundry…”

But I realized I was singing it to the tune of a song from the Dr. Seuss songbook that I used to check out of the library when I was in elementary school. And, of course, it doesn’t make sense to share a song with a melody that no knows.

So, I went searching for what I remembered as the “Hungry, hungry, I am hungry” song, and I’m so tickled to have found it that I have to share both song and lyrics with you all.

Bottom line? I love Dr. Seuss just as much today as when I was a child!

The Super-Supper March Lyrics
Hungry, hungry I am hungry
Table, table here I come
I could eat a goose-moose burger
Fifteen pickles and a purple plum

I could eat three bowls of goulash
Half a pound of wuzzled wheat
I could eat a peck of poobers
Then I’d really get to work and eat

Oysters, noodles, strawberry stroodles
French fries, fish hash, one red beet
Lamb chops, wham chops
Huckleberry mish mash
Oh, the things that I could eat

Doughnuts, dump-a-lings
Blueberry bump-a-lings
Chocolate mush-mush, super sweet
Clam stew, ham stew,
Watermelon wush wush
Oh, the stuff that I could eat

Deep dish rhubarb, upside-down cake
I could eat a frittered flum
Hungry, hungry, I am starving
Table, table, table here I come