Starin' up the road and pray to God I see headlights...

Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show from their album O.C.M.S.

Folks, I'm learning to play the guitar. It seemed only natural that my brother teach me using some of the songs he first taught himself to play when he was a beginner. One of those songs that has remained a central part of our family sing-alongs is this fabulous song by Old Crow Medicine Show...and Bob Dylan. We've been singing this song for aaaages and I never realized that it was built around the chorus which was originally an unfinished song by Bob Dylan. According to Wikipedia (I know, I know, I looked it up around the net...it seems to all be kosher) Ketch Secor of OCMS wrote the verses around Bob Dylan's original lyrics. According to Prariegal Bob Dylan also plays the completed song, though I can't find a clip of it. I'd love to hear it if anyone manages to source one out! Hopefully I'll manage to learn this song well enough that my family won't dread hearing it...that would be sad!

The video I've posted above is their official music video. It's not wildly innapropriate but there are a couple ladies dancing in their undies on stage outside the "gentlemen's tent" at a country fair. If this is likely to offend or upset you check out this video instead!

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And if fate should break my stride, then I'll give you my Vincent to ride...

Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning from his album Rumor and Sigh

In the interest of full disclosure I loved this song for a long time with no clue that this was Richard Thompson's song*. The first time I heard this song was with my family when we saw Jim Henry perform it on stage with Tracy Grammer. He does a really great job, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. He's damn good on that guitar, and Tracy is stellar on harmony. (The video is down below.) A few months later I was driving home in a snowstorm at 5 in the morning and this song came on the radio. (Gotta love WKZE, they play weird music all day long, but in the early hours of the morning they play really great music. I actually enjoyed my early early morning drives...) In any case, I had to pull the car over because I was moved to tears. Every time I hear Thompson sing this song I cry. It always starts out ith goosebumps and I think I'm going to get by without crying, but the final verse in his incredible voice never fails.

*I also have to admit that I grew up listening to Fairport Convention, but had no idea that Richard Thompson was part of the group until a few months ago. I'm a really horrible music fan. This new addition to my blog has been really good for me in that regard.



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On the road again, goin' places that I've never been...

This post isn't going to be just one song, but rather a bunch of songs that either directly relate to travel, or make me want to travel, or that I've always thought of as travel songs!



On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
I know it's kind of cheesy, but what better song to follow my travel map?!



Box of Rain - The Grateful Dead
This one isn't exactly a travel song, but I love these lines and think they fit this situation:
Walk out of any doorway
feel your way, feel your way
like the day before
Maybe you'll find direction
around some corner
where it's been waiting to meet you



Traveler's Prayer - Billy Joel




Che Guevara T-shirt - Richard Shindell




Crocadile Man - Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer
Wouldn't you know it? Whoever recorded that festival, I owe them a great deal.

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On a sleepy endless ocean when the world lay in a dream...

This is a song written by the late, great Dave Carter for himself and his partner Tracy Grammer. The song is called Gentle Arms Of Eden and is available on their album Drum Hat Buddha. It's a great album, I highly recommend it!

I didn't become aware of these two until after Dave had passed away, and that saddens me deeply. I was thrilled when I came across this video of them performing live, because I had never seen him play before! Dave and Tracy are another way that I have kept myself close to home while traveling. Their music is so rich and emotional that it moves me to tears at times. When I need to feel close to my family, this is the music I turn to. My younger brother covers a good number of Dave and Tracy's songs, and we have a great time singing them together as a family. This year I'll miss Tracy's performance at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and I'm hoping that my family will sing extra loud for me!

If you would like to hear more from Tracy she has some really great songs up on her MySpace page! I urge you to support her. I can't think of an album of theirs (or her's alone) that I don't recommend!



I have to add a bonus, because I can't only share one song! This is another family favorite. I didn't make this video, it was made by another Dave and Tracy fan. I think it's great!

Tanglewood Tree by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer from their album Tanglewood Tree.

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Canción Sencilla - Simple Song

I have been meaning to write about Richard Shindell since I got to Argentina, but it wasn't until I started Music Monday that I found a way to bring him up. I first heard this song on "Vuelta" which was the first album he released after moving to Buenos Aires. Though I have always loved this song for it's simplicity, it wasn't until I revisited it today that I was able to understand not only all of the words, but also the sentiment. Vuelta means a number of things, including "turn", "return", "journey", "voyage" and "change", all of which are things I am experiencing here, on my adventure. I can't speak for Shindell, but after spending a lot of time with this song (while compiling all the lyrics for the above video) I am beginning to feel as if this is a love song to Argentina, to his new home. I can't say I share his unconditional love, but this is what I strive to feel towards this country. Right now, this is how I feel about my home, in NY.

I've been talking for several weeks (ok, months) with my best friend Amanda, who is currently working in New Orleans, about whether or not she will be coming home. She told me today that she is back in NY for the week, to think about whether to stay in NOLA or not. She tells me all she can think of is New Orleans. It's home to her now. She could sing this song to the city, and mean every word of it.

A note about the subjunctive: Subjunctive is a conjugation in Spanish that can be used in the past, present or future to imply doubt, uncertainty, or flexibility. It's sort of the difference between stating something as fact (I know) or stating something as opinion (I think). When Shindell refers to the fascinating, impenetrable mystery that he doesn't need to understand because his love is certain, that's what he's referring to.

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Little bird, little bird fly through my window...

Little Bird, Little Bird - Elizabeth Mitchell
I first encountered this wonderful song by Elizabeth Mitchell over on Cover Lay Down, the awe-inspiring blog of a teacher and friend of mine. Since then I've been unable to resist an ear to ear grin every time I hear it. I hum it on my way to birdwatching class, in the shower, and pretty much everywhere else. Not only is it name-appropriate for my new blog title, but it's an absolutely lovely song!

There was no video on YouTube, and rather than just provide a link to the audio I decided it would be fun to see what sort of child-bird related items I could find on Etsy.com. I hope you enjoy what I discovered! There were so many beautiful pieces, I couldn't include every single one, but you'll see that I added the names of the shops to each photo so you can go and see more if you want!

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You got roots cannot be torn from under...

The Be Good Tanyas - Human Thing

I love this song and the video as well. It reminds me of a book my mom has from long ago, with all sorts of beautiful, earth-loving drawings in it. I spent the day cooking in a soul-hungry attempt to eat some food that really tasted of home, and this song makes me feel at home even though I'm far away.

You can find more information about The Be Good Tanyas on their website. I hope you love them as much as I do!

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#14 The King of Ireland's Son

What I do when the flu's got me? I read, and read, and knit, and watch movies, and read. And drink more tea than I thought humanly possible. I should also mention that the flu is a great diet plan, I can't taste, so I don't eat!



For the YA Challenge.

Book: The King of Ireland's Son by Padriac Colum
Pages: 275
Entertainment Rating: 5/5
Snooty Rating: 4/5
Total Rating: 9/10
Books Read Total: 14/50
Pages Read Total: 2353/15,000

I remember being completely obsessed with this book when I was very young. My babysitter would read it to me and to her youngest children on rainy days. This book wasn't exactly as I remembered it, for some reason I've jumbled it in my head with another book that has Baba Yaga in it. (In retrospect that's silly of me because Baba Yaga is Russian and this is a book of tales from Ireland) Never the less it's a great book of classic folktales from Ireland constructed in a creative manner, a story of a story within a story, rather than just listed one after the other. Really a great book, I recommend it to anyone with children, looking to entertain children, or who simply enjoys children's books!

I'm currently reading Nancy Farmer's The Sea of Trolls and I love it!