Well, As it’s nearly halloween, I thought I would flick through my notebook to find a post from yesteryear to share with you and I found this poem that I wrote in response to a challenge set by that fantastic blogger, A Guy Called Bloke. It’s sort of appropriate for Valentines day or for Halloween… Enjoy:
Well it may be far too late now, but A Guy Called Bloke set a challenge to write a horror story (or Poem) including the following items:
Last week I took part in Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday Challenge, the theme was Communication, Information, News, Telephone suggested by Di of pensitivity101.
Heavenly Bodies, Planets, Moon, Sun, Stars, as suggested by King Ben’s Grandma.
The Song Lyric Sunday Challenge this week the theme is Atoll, Island, Key, Lagoon, Peninsula, Reef, Tropical suggested by Tales from the mind of Kristian (oh that’s me!) . I remember now suggesting this, but I can be so forgetful at times! This is a great challenge and I’d like to thank Jim Adams for hosting it and for including my suggestion for this week.
Click on the link below to see Jim Adam’s post and to take part in the challenge.
It made me thing quite deep and meaningfully about how we are all Islands being battered by the storms of life, occasionally we manage to build bridges with other Islands, but sometimes they are fragile and collapse and sometimes they endure.
My choice of song is called Island of Dreams, I may have posted this before but I do love it.
The Lyrics
I wandered the streets and the gay crowded places Trying to forget you but somehow it seems My thoughts ever stray to our last sweet embraces Over the sea on the island of dreams
High in the sky is the bird on the wing Please carry me with you Far far away from the mad rushing crowd Please carry me with you
Again I would wander where memories enfold me There on the beautiful island of dreams
High in the sky is the bird on the wing Please carry me with you Far far away from the mad rushing crowd Please carry me with you
Again I would wander where memories enfold me There on the beautiful island of dreams Far far away on the island of dreams
The Song was written by Tom Springfield who was the brother of Dusty Springfield who went on to have a famous solo career. The song was originally written and realeased in 1962 for the band that Tom and Dusty were in together called The Springfields, and here is a recording of them singing it.
Apart from the overly folksy sound, it’s still a great version and you could see that Dusty was bound to go far. Her voice is amazing.
Last week I took part in Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday Challenge, the theme was Heavenly Bodies, Planets, Moon, Sun, Stars, as suggested by King Ben’s Grandma.
I started think about communications and the media and I remembered that back in the late 70’s or early 80’s when I was a wee nipper, there had been a song released by the Carpenters (in 1977) that referenced something called “World Contact Day”.
Rather than communication with humans, this was an attempt to send out a massive communication from Earth to any life forces out in the universe in the hope of obtaining even the merest vestige of a response. Of course any response would have been put down as a Swindle of some kind.
I remember the song well because despite being a huge fan of the Carpenters, my mother found this song to be totally balmy (in the informal sense of the word) and even repugnant!
The Introduction to the song was a talking bit that was supposed to be a radio DJ and then someone with a very strange voice dials in trying to make contact with humans. Then, the gorgeous voice of Karen Carpenter rings out.
It is the most bizaare song.
Lyrics
All Hit Radio! Alright, you’re listening to All Hit Radio And it’s 53 degrees at 30 minutes past the hour And right now on our all request line I’ve got Mike Ledgerwood on the phone Hey, babe, what would you like to hear? We’ve been observing your Earth Hey babe, I’m sorry, I can’t hear you too well You’re gonna have to speak a little closer into the phone Okay, babe? What would you like to hear again? We are observing your Earth Hey Mike, I’m sorry babe, but that’s not on our playlist And by the way, you sound great over the phone Anyway, if you’d give us your request We’ll be glad to play it for ya, babe So let’s hear it! We are observing your Earth Uh, listen Mike, I’m sorry babe but we can’t- And we’d like to make I’m sorry Mike, we there’s- A contact (uh) With you, baby
In your mind you have capacities, you know To telepath messages through the vast unknown Please close your eyes and concentrate With every thought you think Upon the recitation we’re about to sing
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft Calling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craft
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft Calling occupants of interplanetary craft Calling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craft
You’ve been observing our Earth And we’d like to make A contact with you
We are your friends
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft Calling occupants of interplanetary, ultra emissaries
We’ve been observing your Earth And one night we’ll make A contact with you
We are your friends
Calling occupants of interplanetary, quite extraordinary craft
And please come in peace, we beseech you Only our love we will teach them Our Earth may never survive So do come, we beg you
Please, interstellar policeman Oh won’t you give us a sign Give us a sign That we’ve reached you Oh do
With your mind you have ability to form And transmit thought energy far beyond the norm You close your eyes, you concentrate Together, that’s the way To send the message we declare World Contact Day
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft Calling occupants of interplanetary craft Calling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craft
Ah ah ah ahhAh ah ah ahhAh ah ah ahh
Calling occupants Calling occupants Calling occupants of interplanetary, anti-adversary craft
Last week I took part in Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday Challenge and despite being one of my favourite challenges, I don’t always manage to take part, but I just wanted to squeeze this post in.
Click on the link below to see Jim Adam’s post and to take part in the challenge.
The Song Lyric Sunday Challenge this week the theme is Heavenly Bodies, Planets, Moon, Sun, Stars, as suggested by King Ben’s Grandma.
There is something restful about listening to music about the heavens, the stars, the moon etc. It is ideal if you are struggling with life’s torments, to sit back and listen to some celestial music.
In the face of the stresses of life, I try to remain stoic, which can often come across as a cavalier attitude to life as I sit back on my recliner on holiday, but believe me, I am not unaffected by what is going on in the world around me, but just like to reflect.
Listening to these songs helps me maintain my composure.
Firstly, no lyrics, but my favourite piece of classical music is part of a suite called The Planets written by Gustav Holst, it is called Jupiter. It was written in 1916 and first performed in 1918. The middle section of the piece has been turned into a hymn/anthem, “I vow to thee my country” and also a Rugby anthem, but the lyrics do not mention the planets and so don’t count. The music is quite heavenly though.
And a bit more in-keeping with the rules, here is the song “Fly Me to the Moon“. originally titled “In Other Words“, it was written in 1954 by Bart Howard. Kaye Ballard made the first recording of the song the year it was written. Frank Sinatra’s 1964 version was closely associated with the Apollo missions to the Moon, but my favourite version is by Julie London also released in 1964.
“Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)”
Fly me to the moon Let me play among the stars Let me see what spring is like On a-Jupiter and Mars
In other words: hold my hand In other words: baby, kiss me
Fill my heart with song And let me sing for ever more You are all I long for All I worship and adore
In other words: please, be true In other words: I love you
Fill my heart with song Let me sing for ever more You are all I long for All I worship and adore
In other words: please, be true In other words, in other words: I love you
I hope you enjoy these songs. Happy Sunday.
I have also included the following word prompts in my post:
It’s been a while since I’ve taken part in Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday Challenge but that was just because of a very busy schedule. It is one of my favourite challenges.
Click on the link below to see Jim Adam’s post and to take part in the challenge.
The Song Lyric Sunday Challenge this week the theme is …ahem….you know….Thingy….that thing that us Brits don’t talk about much…. or at least we didn’t and now some do rather a lot but, here goes…. SEX. (Wow not struck by lightning after all!).
As an old fashioned kind of guy. It’s impossible to talk about Sex without a slight shiver or being cryptic about it, and I instantly thought of a song from yesteryear that I used to enjoy in my innocence because I thought it was all about going for a picnic. I never dreamed it was about sex! Who can blame me?
Billie Jo Spears – Blanket on the Ground
Written by Roger Bowling and performed by Billie Jo Spears in February 1975
Come and look out through the window That big old moon is shining down Tell me now, don’t it remind you Of a blanket on the ground
Remember back when love first found us We’d go slipping out of town And we’d love beneath the moonlight On a blanket on the ground
I’ll get the blanket from the bedroom And we’ll go walking once again To that spot down by the river Where our sweet love first began Just because we are married Don’t mean we can’t slip around So let’s walk out through the moonlight And lay the blanket on the ground
Oh, remember how excited We used to get when love was young That old moon was our best buddy We couldn’t wait for night to come
Now you know you still excite me I know you love me like I am Just once more I wish you’d love me On the blanket on the ground
I’ll get the blanket from the bedroom And we’ll go walking once again To that spot down by the river Where our sweet love first began Just because we our married Don’t mean we can’t slip around So let’s walk out through the moonlight And lay the blanket on the ground
I thought of a song that was in keeping with the theme, and considering people who know me already know that I love old songs, if I expose myself to any criticism of posting old music in preference to the latest hits, I think this becomes a moot point.
So here is a song from 1952, the wonderful Kay Starr singing Wheel of Fortune.
The wheel of fortune Goes spinning around Will the arrow point my way? Will this be my day?
Oh, wheel of fortune Please don’t pass me by Let me know the magic of A kiss and a sigh
While the wheel is spinning, spinning, spinning I’ll not dream of winning, fortune or even fame While the wheel is turning, turning, turning I’ll be yearning, yearning For love’s precious flame
Oh, wheel of fortune I’m hoping somehow If you ever smile on me Please let it be now
While the wheel is spinning, spinning, spinning I’ll not dream of winning, fortune or even fame While the wheel is turning, turning, turning I’ll be yearning, yearning For love’s precious flame
Oh, wheel of fortune I’m hoping sometime If you ever smile on me Please let it be now
My Good Pal, Mel, who’s blog Caramel is always entertaining, is organising a Bloggers Bake-off event on the 21st/22nd of August. Click on the link to her post to find out more.
