Baba Yetu, Christopher Tin, Civilization IV

I hope I don't get out of control adding things from YouTube!

I started playing Civilization at version II. I'm not very good at the game. I can only play at the lower levels; I don't have a military mind that can strategize on a grand scale. My favorite part of the game is discovering the surrounding territory, founding cities, and connecting the cities with roads.

Oh! I'm having a childhood memory: We had a gravel driveway. I spent hours dragging the inside edge of my foot along the gravel making "roads" and building a whole town in the gravel. I loved that! Weird, huh? I loved the book "Harriet the Spy". I remember she had a notebook and kept a detailed description of everything that happened in the town. I must like building towns and creating environments - even abstractly.

Back to the point of the post...What I love about Civilization IV is the music. The video above is the main theme song and game graphics.
You never know where you're going to find interesting music.
The composer is Christopher Tin. I'm keeping my eye out for a CD he's creating called "Calling All Dawns". The singers are Talisman Acapella (Stanford University).

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Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

"Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads on the Stop Making Sense DVD
I know for sure I didn't appreciate this when it came out. As I recall I thought it was very negative and destructive to sing about Burning Down a House in those days. The truth is, I have a hard time hearing lyrics in songs and don't pay much attention to them. My evidence is that I thought "Bang Bang Maxwell Hammer" (Beatles) was a cute song about a happy guy named Maxwell Hammer. Sheesh!
Now, Talking Heads/David Byrne is one of my faves. I wish I'd known myself better then.

The most recent David Byrne/Brian Eno collaboration is "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today". I'm enjoying it.

Update 03/22/2009 - Apparently, the video from the DVD "Stop Making Sense" is gone, so here is a link to the music video for the song.

In a Big Country - Big Country

"In a Big Country" by Big Country
I don't know if I appreciated this song when it was popular. Now, its my favorite song to turn up loud! I dance and sing around wherever I am - gotta love it!

The lyrics don't fully make sense to me...
"In a big country, dreams stay with you, like a lover's voice fires the mountainside. Stay alive."
My interpretation is that its about a guy who wants to stay in the town where he grew up, but his girlfriend wants to explore the world and has big dreams. He doesn't hold her back. Or, something bad happened to her and she has to leave, but he can't.
"I never meant to take the smile away from anybody's face. And that's a desperate way to look for someone who is still a child."
"Cry out for everything you ever might have wanted. I thought that pain and truth were things that really mattered, but you can't stay here when every single hope you had is shattered."

The sound of the song makes sense to me emotionally, even if the specific lyrics don't.

This was my first YouTube video embed. Yay!!

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Britney Spears

Okay - I'm going to do it - put my two cents in about Britney Spears 'comeback'. Ugh. I'm not a big fan or anything, but I can't help but notice all the talk on the web.

She's getting mediocre reviews of her live performances of "Womanizer" in Germany, France , and Good Morning America.

My two cents is that the song is boring, the staging is mediocre, and the choreography is lacking energy. Any performer would look mediocre given the same song, staging, and choreography.

I'm not sure Britney should be judged by these performances. That's all.

Song Lyrics

How important are song lyrics? I'm beyond my teen years, but 'in my day' we didn't take song lyrics all that seriously. I knew that references to sex and drugs weren't part of my real life. But, I still reveled in the audaciousness and abandon of singing about them.

I'm older now and understand words do have meaning. I'm concerned when I hear lyrics that devalue young women and trivialize young men and glamorize behavior without consequences. I don't think its healthy for anyone. And often, the lyrics are so trivial or narcissistic that its almost a mockery of the serious problems our world is facing (including wars in which American young people are dying). Its like Nero fiddling while Rome burnt.

On the other hand, if I liked it, but didn't take it seriously, why can't I feel safe that the kids of today don't take it seriously either?

Its worth a discussion. And I hope its the kind of discussion that happens at home between parent and child. 'Cause that's where its going to do the most good. (And yet, if not there, I hope somewhere)

The two song lyrics I was stunned to hear recently fit into the category of "Is This How You Want To Live Your Life?"

I heard both these songs when they were performed on "So You Think You Can Dance"

1. "When I Grow Up" by the Pussycat Dolls
I find this particularly offensive because it plays into the idea that none of us are real unless we're famous. What surprised me when I first heard it was the part of the lyrics when the girl says "I want boobies". Wow. Seriously? See, here's where the scary part comes in - I think girls really DO think that way. And people DO go on reality TV shows just to be famous. Ugh.

[Intro, x2]
Boys call you sexy (What's up, sexy)
And you don’t care what they say
See, every time you turn around
They screamin' your name

[Verse 1]
Now I've got a confession
When I was young I wanted attention
And I promised myself that I’d do anything
Anything at all for the boys to notice me

[Bridge]
But I ain't complaining
We all wanna be famous
So go ahead and say what you wanna say
You know what it's like to be nameless
Want them to know what your name is
'Cause see when I was younger I would say

[Chorus]
When I grow up
I wanna be famous
I wanna be a star
I wanna be in movies
When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have boobies
When I grow up
Be on TV
People know me
Be on magazines
When I grow up
Fresh and clean
Number one chick
when I step out on the scene

[Hook x2]
But be careful what you wish for
'Cause you just might get it
But you just might get it
But You just might get it

[Verse 2]
They used to tell me I was silly
Until I popped up on the TV
I always wanted to be a superstar
And knew that singing songs would get me this far

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

[Verse]
I see them staring at me
Oh I'm a trendsetter
Yes this is true
'cause what I do,
no one can do it better
You can talk about me
'Cause I'm a hot topic
I see you watching me,
watching me, and
I know you want it


2. "Baby" by LL Cool J featuring The Dream
I'm only including the rap - the 'chorus' is repetitive and not enlightening.
So You Think You Can Dance is supposed to be a show for families. The audience is filled with screaming young girls. Its irresponsible to have this song on the show. Its about a man's experience with a prostitute. Although, on the show, he didn't sing the last section about the cops and that he had to pay for it. But, this is the way men think about sex and girls.

Met this little girl, she was off the hook I got cold chills when her body shook Hot sex on the platter no need to cook I let her steal my heart like a horny crook Had her grinding and winding against my leg She messin with my head, wanna play in the bed Sexy pumps on, toenails red Your bodys a gun baby, pump me full of lead It hard to hold you when you movin' vulgar Peace sign on your eyes like John Travolta My pulp ain't fiction, it's an addiction To see your booty clap on the floor in the kitchen Nasty girl, taught me all the lingo While mama play bingo, she ride mandingo She dont give a damn if im married or single She makes me tingle

She likes Hip-Hop and R&B Her life time goal is to be on TV She looking for a man that could give her a break Like Usher or Justin Timberlake Im really not sure if her breasts are fake Cuz wit whipped cream on em, they taste just like cake We drink some beer, inside of daddy's '64 She shot me in the back with cupids arrow We finish the 6-pac, she push the seat back Pulled up her dress n she let me peep that Im Drunk as a skunk, feeling all dirty Truck stop bathroom at 7:30 Bought her some dessert, give a damn if its early Head spinnin around like roller derby Everything about her says you dont deserve me I hope im worthy

In the back of the pickup, clothes the rip up She see my chrome wheels, it gets more real Running and laughing, music blasting Side over the road, bent over crashing Mouth all dry, can feel the urge If you see my mama, dont say a word The cops wanna know im a word are slurred Dont ask me officer ask her Wanna another drink baby she like sure Wanna hit the club she like I dont curr She all in the rearview doin her hurr Hairspray and lip gloss everywhurr This all happens on an average day Your life is a trip girl, im here to stay Never had a girl make me feel this way Even tho I had to pay

Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit

I can't resist the allure of a good sing-along. I gave myself a smile this afternoon singing along with John Denver...
Take Me Home Country Roads
Rocky Mountain High
Annie's Song
Thank God I'm a Country Boy
Calypso

Which led to singing with Jim...Jim Croce
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
You Don't Mess Around with Jim
Operator
I Have a Name

Now, back to Shuffle

Today's iPod Shuffle

I liked today's music shuffle...its put me in a frame of mind that I quite enjoy.

"Comin' Home Baby" by Michael Buble
"Djagneba" by Amadou & Mariam
"Greased Lightnin'" by Jeff Conaway and John Travolta
"Cooties" from Hairspray
"Headscarf" from Band of Brothers
"Right in the Head" by M Ward
"Flathead" by The Fratellis
"Still" by The Commodores
"Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders
"Nothin' At All" by Heart
"My Last Word (Love Is)" by Kathy Mattea
"Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op 31: X Tebe Poem : (We Prase Thee) by Harry Christophers and the Sixteen
"Its So Easy" by The Crickets
"This Place" by Joni Mitchell
"The Higher You Climb" by Tasmin Archer
"Ripped Inside" by Tasmin Archer (I selected this one; didn't shuffle to it)
"The Rooster" by Big Boi
"Dracula Moon" by Joan Osborne
"Without Love" from Hairspray
"Carprice for Three" by Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor & Edgar Meyer
"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skinner
"Bright Morning Star" by Mary Chapin Carpenter