British Music Again!

Everyone who knows me is surprised by my patriotism on 4th of July. The truth is I feel like I’m pretty pessimistic and critical of the U.S. 364 days of the year, and I like having a day to celebrate the great ideas of our founding fathers and the crazy dream that is America. So I get pretty into 4th of July (also because I think fireworks are gorgeous and magical). This 4th I decided to listen to only American artists (forgoing any of my usual Beatles) for the day. This exercise actually proved quite difficult for those around me and made all of us realize how many foreign artists we could never live without. My best friend, Mia, was TORTURED by not being able to play any Rhianna (Barbados) or Drake (Canada), and my mother was upset that I skipped Gimme Shelter (Stones, England) when it came on Pandora. When it hit midnight (I was driving home) even I was ready to get my British music back.

Happy 4th of July!

It’s foggy here in San Francisco, but it doesn’t matter. We all know that the best rock songs can bring the sun out. So go sit outside with a portable speaker or a guitar, good food and good friends. While enjoying the food and fireworks take a few minutes to think about the Declaration of Independence and consider the progress we’ve made towards equality and the work we still need to do. But mostly just sit back and enjoy some good (American) music.

Here’s to peace, love and a more inclusive and compassionate (not greater) America!

Almost Famous

Almost Famous has to be one of my favorite movies, and without doubt this is the best scene in the movie. Everyone on the bus is disappointed to be going home and sad the adventure is over, and then suddenly “Tiny Dancer” just bursts out of all of them. It feels like the perfect illustration of music’s unique power to unite. And it really is one of those songs that makes your heart so purely happy.

Strange News of the Day

Today, the shirt used to bandage John Lennon’s fatal wounds sold at auction for $40,000. How morbid and weird is that? The shirt is stained with his blood which is apparently what garnered such a price. As the title of the linked article above quips “$40,000 can’t buy you love, but it can buy a shirt stained with John Lennon’s blood.”

If that’s something you want.

Here, There and Everywhere

Here, There and Everywhere is my favorite love song Paul ever wrote if not my favorite love song of all time. Every lyric is beautiful, and it doesn’t rely on love song clichés.

I want her everywhere and if she’s beside me
I know I need never care
But to love her is to need her everywhere
Knowing that love is to share

It is so painfully romantic (but also painfully true) that to love someone is to need them everywhere. The idea of physically wanting them everywhere but also to share life with them because that is love is beautifully but simply articulated in the song. It resonates as so true, honest and perceptive.

UPDATE: I forgot about “I Will” at the time I wrote this post. Also I could never actually choose a favorite Beatles song of any category (love song or otherwise). Obviously would be a folly.