There are birds / And some are singing
Apr. 21st, 2011 04:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icepixieThings that make a boring commute marginally more entertaining:
1. Watching a turtledove attempt to roost on the top of the van in front of you at a red light. Aww.
2. Finding that the jackhammer or other percussive construction implement being used at the sprawling downtown convention center site makes a nifty little syncopation with the song you're listening to as you drive.
The song in question was Tracy Chapman's "Sing for You." Depending on your age and your appreciation for folk vs. blues, you probably know her for one of two things: socially conscious songs like "Fast Car" and "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution," both popular in the late eighties/early nineties, or her bluesy 1997 comeback "Give Me One Reason." In fact, there's a lot more to her work. (Not that those aren't great! More on "Fast Car," in particular, in a moment.) Here are some of my favorites:
Sing For You - My new favorite. I adore how the upbeat tune and delivery mask a wistful, melancholic idea. (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gamesiplay, perhaps this would fit on the epic list you're making?) Chapman is really fantastic at the use of symbol and metonym; in this, as in the titular images of "Fast Car" and "Promise," the simple idea of the speaker singing along to the radio for the enjoyment of her ex carries a load of associations and emotions.
Spring - Really a beautiful, beautiful song.
Fast Car - When I make a list of the saddest songs I know, this will fight for space at the top. It's an aching portrayal of broken dreams and lost hope.
The Promise - A simple, but very effective, love song.
Telling Stories - Almost, but not quite, cynical. Maybe just a bit jaded. Either way, fantastic imagery and concept, and +10 for the Godzilla reference.
America - Love the beat, love the thoughtful lyrics.
1. Watching a turtledove attempt to roost on the top of the van in front of you at a red light. Aww.
2. Finding that the jackhammer or other percussive construction implement being used at the sprawling downtown convention center site makes a nifty little syncopation with the song you're listening to as you drive.
The song in question was Tracy Chapman's "Sing for You." Depending on your age and your appreciation for folk vs. blues, you probably know her for one of two things: socially conscious songs like "Fast Car" and "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution," both popular in the late eighties/early nineties, or her bluesy 1997 comeback "Give Me One Reason." In fact, there's a lot more to her work. (Not that those aren't great! More on "Fast Car," in particular, in a moment.) Here are some of my favorites:
Sing For You - My new favorite. I adore how the upbeat tune and delivery mask a wistful, melancholic idea. (
gamesiplay, perhaps this would fit on the epic list you're making?) Chapman is really fantastic at the use of symbol and metonym; in this, as in the titular images of "Fast Car" and "Promise," the simple idea of the speaker singing along to the radio for the enjoyment of her ex carries a load of associations and emotions.Spring - Really a beautiful, beautiful song.
Fast Car - When I make a list of the saddest songs I know, this will fight for space at the top. It's an aching portrayal of broken dreams and lost hope.
The Promise - A simple, but very effective, love song.
Telling Stories - Almost, but not quite, cynical. Maybe just a bit jaded. Either way, fantastic imagery and concept, and +10 for the Godzilla reference.
America - Love the beat, love the thoughtful lyrics.
