Ancient Memories Sparked by the Music Playing in My Head

(Source)

So you've probably noticed by now that Beans has been doing yeoman's work keeping The Chant a going concern during my sabbatical of sorts. Lots of music to accompany his always interesting commentary about what's going on in his life.

On Monday, late Monday as I recall, while I was brushing my teeth, an old song sprang into my head from seemingly nowhere. (Though looking back at it, most probably it was sparked by the rain falling outside.)

After the song started I found myself back on Okinawa, sometime in the late 70s. It was a rainy night, I had the next day off, and I was house sitting for a buddy of mine who was TDY to the Philippines and his wife (a friend of The Missus Herself) was back home in Korea, visiting family. He didn't live on Kadena, his house was on Camp Butler, IIRC. Different vibe as I think back on it.

I was drinking a beer and listening to music, had the lights down low in the living room, the front door was open, most of the light was coming from a streetlight across the street. Oddly enough I was listening to a Joni Mitchell album. This was during my mellow period, I was on Okinawa, The Missus Herself was in Korea, and I was as lonely as can be.

Something about Monday night brought that all flooding back. So I just had to go to the Tube of You and find the album. Which I did, as I recall, this was one of my favorite songs on that album, The Hissing of Summer Lawns, released in 1975.

Great tune, haven't ever really thought about the lyrics, until now ...

Don't interrupt the sorrow

Joni Mitchell

Don't interrupt the sorrow

Darn right

In flames our prophet witches

Be polite

A room full of glasses

He says "Your notches, liberation doll"

And he chains me with that serpent

To that Ethiopian wall

Anima rising

Queen of Queens

Wash my guilt of Eden

Wash and balance me

Anima rising

Uprising in me tonight

She's a vengeful little goddess

With an ancient crown to fight

Truth goes up in vapors

The steeples lean

Winds of change patriarchs

Snug in your bible belt dreams

God goes up the chimney

Like childhood Santa Claus

The good slaves love the good book

A rebel loves a cause

I'm leaving on the 1:15

You're darn right

Since I was seventeen

I've had no one over me

He says "Anima rising

So what

Petrified wood process

Tall timber down to rock"

Don't interrupt the sorrow

Darn right

He says "We walked on the moon

You be polite"

Don't let up the sorrow

Death and birth and death and birth

He says "Bring that bottle kindly

And I'll pad your purse

I've got a head full of quandary

And a mighty mighty thirst"

Seventeen glasses

Rhine wine

Milk of the Madonna

Clandestine

He don't let up the sorrow

He lies and he cheats

It takes a heart like Mary's these days

When your man gets weak

Now that I have ... Damn! Pretty powerful stuff.

It's amazing the memories which can be brought back to life by an aroma, a song, even the way a soft breeze feels against your face on a warm afternoon. Another favorite of mine, off of the Court and Spark album (1974), is Free Man in Paris. Though I was never in the music business, something about the song speaks to me.

But then, like Dave Grohl said, 

“That's one of the great things about music. You can sing a song to 85,000 people and they'll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons.”

Free Man In Paris

Joni Mitchell

The way I see it he said

You just can't win it

Everybody's in it for their own gain

You can't please 'em all

There's always somebody calling you down

I do my best

And I do good business

There's a lot of people asking for my time

They're trying to get ahead

They're trying to be a good friend of mine

I was a free man in Paris

I felt unfettered and alive

There was nobody calling me up for favors

And no one's future to decide

You know I'd go back there tomorrow

But for the work I've taken on

Stoking the star maker machinery

Behind the popular song

I deal in dreamers

And telephone screamers

Lately I wonder what I do it for

If l had my way

I'd just walk through those doors

And wander

Down the Champs Elysées

Going café to cabaret

Thinking how I'll feel when I find

That very good friend of mine

I was a free man in Paris

I felt unfettered and alive

Nobody was calling me up for favors

No one's future to decide

You know I'd go back there tomorrow

But for the work I've taken on

Stoking the star maker machinery

Behind the popular song

Music.

It's what drives me.