Songs for a Sunday — Duke Ellington

Now this is music. Have been awake all night, unable to sleep. So I listened to Duke for company.

Song for a Sunday

Song for a Saturday

I can’t wait for tomorrow to do the Song for a Sunday.

For a few of my friends going through some heartache right now. It’s tough and it hurts, but … well, I won’t waste your time with platitudes. You do know things will get better. Chin up, comrades.

Song for a Sunday

Thanks to a friend for introducing me to Infected Mushroom. I love this and just want to bop around my bedroom to it. Which I did anyway. These guys also did remixes of The Doors and they did it so well. Good stuff.

Song for a Sunday

OK, so it’s Sunday evening, less than six hours until it’s Monday. And already I’ve got Friday on my mind.

Will attempt to resume blogging this week.

Song for a Sunday

Months and months ago, this song was something I couldn’t listen to because it struck a chord inside while I was crying and hurting inside. It wasn’t necessarily the lyrics or the music or Etta James’ voice, but the whole package. It was a song at that time that perfectly captured how I was feeling. It was doubly galling as it is a song I absolutely love, although I can’t pin-point why. It’s one of those songs I could listen to over and over and never get sick of (as is the case with most of Etta James’ songs).

It wasn’t until the past week that I finally listened to this song again and realised I still love it. Sure, it reminded me of that time in my life, like certain songs remind us of a time or a place or a person. But it was a great feeling that I could listen to it without it hurting me anymore. Instead, it gave me joy. Joy because the pain has been so great that I savour happiness and good times with greater appreciation now. I still get the sads, still get melancholy sometimes and recently was going through a very rough patch (from which I think I’ve come through), but now I know I can be sad and I know there will be happy days ahead. I know that I can ride it through and I will get there. And I’m going to love it all the more.

Song for a Sunday

Had a rough time during the week and felt a bit despondent. But during that time, this song kept going around and around in my head — and it (as well as the support of wonderful friends) eventually got me to focus on the future, rather than the past.

Song for a Sunday

Her theatrics kind of remind me of the awesome KK Juggy/Christa Hughes.

(h/t ClubWah)

Song for a Sunday

I’m in the middle of trying to sell my crap on eBay as well as offload it in any way I can. I am scrimping now (even drinking cheap white wine found at the back of the fridge rather than buy a new bottle of not-that-cheap red wine on Saturday evening to go with my cheap vegetable stir-fry dinner) for I am on the move at last — I’m finally moving to Brisbane. No more talking and wishing about it, I’m doing it. At this stage it looks like it’s happening at the end of November or beginning of December.

Anyway, I need to save money so money is on my mind lately.

Thus it is that the song for today relates to money. I love reggae music with a passion and I was listening to reggae a lot last night for it was the right night — balmy, cheap wine, cheap dinner, windows and doors open, and one mosquito giving me a hicky on my arm. Summer is coming. But then it started raining and I realised with despair that my towels were still on the line…

Debout, les damnés de la terre…

My Dad introduced me to Paul Robeson a few years ago and I immediately fell in love with his gorgeous and powerful bass voice. Dad also loaned me a biography of Robeson, which I’m still yet to finish (having started it about 2 years ago). He lead an incredibly rich and fascinating life as not only a singer of renown, but also as a:

professional athlete, writer, multi-lingual orator and lawyer who was also noted for his wide-ranging social justice activism. A forerunner of the civil rights movement, Robeson was a trade union activist, peace activist, Phi Beta Kappa Society laureate, and a recipient of the Spingarn Medal and Lenin Peace Prize. Robeson achieved worldwide fame during his life for his artistic accomplishments, and his outspoken, radical beliefs which largely clashed with the colonial powers of Western Europe and the Jim Crow climate of pre-civil rights America thus becoming a prime target during the McCarthy era.

You can read more about him here. Go on.

Anyway, since I’m erroneously assumed by some ignorant fools to be a filthy commie (because I happen to be of teh Left), I thought it wouldn’t matter to reinforce that unfounded belief by posting a YouTube clip of Paul Robeson singing his version of the Chinese National Anthem for this week’s Song on a Sunday.

Arise! You who refuse to be bound slaves

Let’s stand up and fight for liberty and true democracy

All the world is facing the change of the tyrant

Everyone who works for freedom is now crying Arise! Arise! Arise!

All of us with one heart with the torch of freedom

March on!

With the torch of freedom

March on! March on! March on! And on!