Music: Response

You love this town 
Even if that doesn't ring true 
You've been all over 
And it's been all over you 

I am not generally a fan of U2's later work, but Beautiful Day just bounces with hopefulness. This particular verse also reflects my feelings about Vancouver.

I will not pretend
I will not put on a smile
I will not say I'm all right for you
When all I wanted was to be good
To do everything in truth
To do everything in truth

I am more familiar with Rufus' work, but this verse from Martha Wainwright's Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole kicked me in the gut. This song is three chords and the truth.

You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, digging the dancing queen

Disco is just happy, joyful and makes me want to dance. ABBA are the Royal Court of Disco, and Dancing Queen is their anthem.

If you're not dancing, then you're dead.

Just how much fun are Marilyn Manson tunes, really? If I were a club goer, I'd do the jitterbug to this tune. But I'm not and I can't so I'll just use this a walking tune. Fun! Doll-Dagga-Buzz-Buzz-Ziggity-Zag!

And we'll all float on alright
Already we'll all float on alright.
Don't worry even if things end up a bit to heavy
We'll all float on alright

Life has shit happen, but it'll all work out. This is something I'm really impatient about and this helps me remember that. Thanks, Modest Mouse!

I've had enough of hiding underneath my covers
I'm done with all that poop that brings me down

I've taken to singing this song *Really LOUD* whilst Joe is at school. I'd never heard of Cloud Cult before this project but I'm really glad I have heard of them now. I will laugh through hurricanes and fire, and I will link to a youTube video of the song live at some club so you can get on board with the Cloud Cult. It takes a minute of instrumental-ing to get going. And yes they do use the word *poop*.

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed

This is a happy little song. I also like Jason Mraz's use of hats as an affectation. So this song gets a thumbs up. It would get two, but he mentions ear nibbling in the song and I think that's gross.

Hey, I wanna drive the Zamboni
Hey, I wanna drive the Zamboni

I love corny hockey songs; they're a secret vice of mine. Since no one knows about my love of this particular genre, I'm shocked that I know anyone else who does.

Being like you are
Well this is something else, who would comprehend?
But some that do, lay claim
Divine purpose blesses them
That's not what I believe, and it doesn't matter anyway

This song reminds me that I can't let this disease change me, swallow me up whole and become the thing that defines the way I interact with the world. It's a pretty, pretty song that empowers me to keep moving. Illusion by VNV Nation regularly makes me tear up, so no listening to it on public transit.

Feelin pretty good and that's the truth
It's neither drink nor drug induced
No I'm just doin alright

And it's a great day to be alive
I know the sun's still shinin when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?

I generally have a *hate-hate* relationship with country music, but this song came from an old friend of my sister's. She listened to this song a lot while her husband was deployed in Afghanistan, and if it got her through that, then I can sing along to it (again, while Joe's not home) and get something out of that good vibe. That's kind of the point of this exercise; to get a lesson in inspiration, and where it comes from, from my friends.

The next song is an instrumental, so I've got no lyrical content.

Linus and Lucy is a happy, happy song that makes me want to dance like the kids in the Peanuts which is where I'm convinced I would've got some of my best dancefloor moves.

Your hand won't write, not tonight,
But your mind may wander.
Into those deep lagoons that you know.

Sarah Harmer's Lodestar reminds me of summer nights spent near places like Chemong Lake, the Madawaska River, Centennial Lake, Little Lake and the Otonabee River. I've never lived far from a body of water, and I think it's because of these places. I can live with or without the mountains, but I think it's about time to go beach glass hunting again.

I will not fail nor falter, I shall succeed
My perception is altered, I do believe
Faith is so strong now nothing shall bar my way
Firm conviction is no fiction
This is my day

YAY! This one is on the walking list. It makes me want to march. It makes me want to move, move, move any mountain. Of laundry. Or mountains that were previously molehills.

Can't you see, life's easy
If you consider things
From another point of view

This is a groovy wee tune that I sing as well. This song immediately popped into mind as my mental health professional and I were talking about expectations and the future. It's a toe tapper, and has a great beat for walking to as well.

Where's your head at?
Where's your head at?
Where's your head at?
Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up.
Where's your head at? Where's your head at?
Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up.
Where's your head at? Where's your head at?

Ima HUGE fan of mashups. I can't even begin to explain how much joy I have personally enjoyed this song. I haven't heard Where's Your Head At? since 2002 or 2003, and Smack My Bitch Up is a club staple of the late 1990s. This song gets me moving, and when you move as little and as awkwardly as I do, any little bit helps.

Les sanglots longs
des violons
de l’automne
blessent mon coeur .
D’une langueur monotone
tout suffocant
et blême. Quand
sonne l’heure
je me souviens
des jours anciens et je pleure.

The best I could do with translation was by using my Grades 1 through 10 French education, knowledge of Quebec licence plate slogans, and freetranslation.com. This is the best I could come up with.

"The long cries (or sobs, not sure) of the violins of the fall injure my heart
A monotonous languor all suffocating and pale
When the hour rings I remember old days and I cry."

The song sounds a bit happier than it is, but being reminded that I could still probably learn French is a good one. And I love trumpet. Totally dig trumpet. It's way less "honky" than sax.

Tonight I'll dream while in my bed
when silly thoughts go through my head
about the bugs and alphabet
When I wake tomorrow I'll bet
that you and I will walk together again
I can tell that we are going to be friends.
Yes I can tell that we are gonna be friends.

This is song is so innocent and sweet. That's all.

One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then
One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten
Money can't buy you back the love that you had then

This is a happy song about a depressing situation. It reminds that there's nothing I can do to change the past, things are going to change no matter what, and in the end all you can do is put on a purple sequined jumpsuit, dance and take a bow.

I'd just like to thank the friends who helped with this. It taught me a lot about the people I know. I'm not particularly close to the vast majority of people who responded, I had a couple of people punk out on me and were kind of mean about it, and it taught me to find find inspiration in the works of others.

My social worker is sending me to the MS clinic psychiatrist to figure out sleep, depression, and getting a referral to a therapist who can deal with me. It's funny that cognitive behavioural therapists in this town don't deal with people with chronic illnesses. That's too bad because CBT is the only type of therapy I have any sort of confidence in. I'm not sure that therapy can help this time, but I am willing to investigate the possibility.

I've almost completed my Level 1 - Enforcer level in Mafia Wars. YAY.

And we'll all float on alright...