Get Together by The Youngbloods is the Song of the Day. This was a wedding song of the Duke and Duchess of Peace. It was performed by their friends at a waterside ceremony. All the killing and death in the world made me yearn for a life-affirming song about peace, unity and harmony.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WybIhLJjlTY”>watch?v=WybIhLJjlTY] Continue reading Royal Song of the Day: Wednesday 7/27/11
An unusual song for today, plucked from an on-line search for the terms “drive” and “safe”.
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Susanna, Duchess of Peace explains: Continue reading Royal Song of the Day: Tuesday 7/26/2011
Girl in the War by Josh Ritter is the Royal Song of the Day. The US media daily fails to report that the US is in five wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Libya) spanning the Middle East and northern Africa. For instance, the cost of this war is trashing the US economy, yet in all the discussion of the potential default on US debt that is not mentioned.
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The Duchess & I first became fans of Ritter’s 2003 break-out album Hello Starling. The title of the album came from the breakout single, Snow is Gone. The song Kathleen also garnered radio play.
It’s seems that Ritter has now become a crossover artist. His first novel Bright’s Passage has been getting excellent reviews. Former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky said it is
An adventure story with the penetrating emotional colors of a fable; a myth-like survival quest with the convincing texture of a movie; a good read that stays in the memory.
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is the Royal Song of the Day. Never heard of it? That is because Duchess Susanna made it up today. It is to the tune of “Frere Jacques” aka “Brother John”.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4umTWX-1ok] Continue reading Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Peace Song for 7/24/2011
“Banks of Marble” is the Royal Song of the Day. This song was written by Les Rice. You can find this song on page 180 of Rise Up Singing. It’s still hot out. Just like yesterday. And entirely coincidentally we are on the next page of Rise Up Singing from yesterday. My friend Linda introduced me to this song last week.
I spend a good part of my daylight hours helping people deal with their mortgage banks. The mortgage industry is such a disaster because everything is broken up between different corporations so no one has any responsibility. The simplest explanation of the mortgage industry is that it is broken up between two different entities: 1) the investor who owns the promissory note and 2) the servicer who is basically a bill collector. You only get to deal with the front man, the servicer, rather than the investor who holds the real power. If you try to contact the investor, they give you a Sgt. Shultz “I know nothing attitude.” The servicers are byzantine, disorganized, redundant, bureaucratic and sometimes arbitrary. Occasionally, I will hop over to Linda’s office to express my frustration. Her response was to introduce me to this song which, like so many great songs, was popularized by Pete Seeger:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-o3CJytIPE] Continue reading Song of the Day: Saturday 7/23/11
“Yellow Submarine” is the Royal Song of the Day for today. You can find this song on page 179 of Rise Up Singing. It’s hot! And we need something fun to sing that reminds of cool water. Close your eyes and dive deep into a technicolor cartoon ocean. The blue meanies have taken the day off. So sing-o along with Ringo as the credits roll by.
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In a town
where I was born
lived a man
who sailed the sea
“If I Had A Hammer” is the Royal Song of the Day for today. You can find this song on page 215 of Rise Up Singing.
I chose this song to continue the idea that singing out will keep us cool. Also, because it has such bold images and patterns, I think it would be a great song to make new lyrics for.
So, this week, while the temps in New York (and elsewhere) are in the 90’s, I am going to sing… Continue reading Royal Song of the Day: Thursday 7/21/11