Back the Truck UP!

"Back the truck up!" is one of my favorite phrases -- for use when life is moving a little too fast. (I am known among my co-workers for my wacky, hick colloquialisms – I collect them, but that’s another post)

I am feeling really OLD these days, and the words of one of my favorite John Mayer songs, "Stop This Train," come to mind:

So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
To find a way to say that life has just begun


(and yes I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I have MORE THAN ONE favorite John Mayer song -- he got his start in bubblegum pop, but my gut tells me he's here to stay. I keep his CD's next to James Taylor, Billy Joel and Sting in my visor holder, SO THERE!)


I really never liked that verse as much as I liked the rest of the song, which is about fear of losing his parents (JM, like moi, is the child of older parents). I never thought of myself as afraid of growing older, but maybe I am.


If I gave myself a moment to contemplate, I would realize that I am (and justifiably I believe) in the middle of a full-on middle-aged freak-out (we're way beyond crisis). Losing my father a few years back brought home the realization that I am going to die and all those I love will eventually die -- and it brought it to my doorstep in an undeniably solid, sad package that I trip over every time I try to think about my life.


So yes, John (I call him John), if we could stop the train, even for a short while....I'd love a few extra minutes to cuddle my children, show my husband how much I really do love him, and make my Mom laugh. Hell, I'd settle for just catching my breath every once in a while.


Stop this Train

No, I'm not colorblind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind
But I just can't sleep on this tonight


Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?


Don't know how else to say it
Don't want to see my parents go
One generation's length away
From fighting life out on my own


Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?


So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
To find a way to say that life has just begun


Had a talk with my old man
Said "help me understand"
He said "turn sixty-eight
You renegotiate"


"Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
And don't think I couldn't ever understand
I tried my hand
John, honestly we'll never stop this train"


Once in awhile, when it's good
It'll feel like it should
And they're all still around
And you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
Till you cry when you're driving away in the dark


Singing
Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
Cause now I see I will never stop this train


Title: Stop This Train
Artist: John Mayer
Album: Continuum
Year: 2006
Genre: Pop, Rock

A Twilight Song of Longing....

This unseasonably warm weather has erupted into a nostalgia for summer so palpable that I can taste it. I lay in bed night-before-last listening to the frogs sing and drinking in the breeze from the open window. The mental soundtrack was “after the boys of summer have gone” by Don Henley.

For me that song WAS high-school-era summer nights. Growing up in a coastal town with lots of summer-time visitors, I could feel the angst of the home-town guy watching his girl cavort with the summer people. A twilight song of longing…..

I want to ride in a convertible, walk barefoot on the beach and just plain play hooky!!!! No more cold weather!!!

The spell of warm weather has come to an end, but Summer, “my love for you will still be strong” when you come back for good ….long about May? I can hardly wait!!!!

Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summers out of reach
Empty lake,
Empty streets
The sun goes down alone
I’m drivin’ by your house
Though I know you’re not home
But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your
Sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you
Will still be strong after the boys of
Summer have gone

I never will forget those nights
I wonder if it was a dream
Remember how you made me crazy?
Remember how I made you scream?
Now I don’t understand what’s happened
To our love,
But babe, I’m gonna get you back
I’m gonna’ show you what I’m made of
I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
I see you walkin’ real slow and you’re smilin’ at everyone
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

Out on the road today I saw a deadhead sticker
On a cadillac
A little voice inside my head said, don’t
Look back. you can never look back.
I thought I knew what love was,
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever
I should just let them go but-
I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin’ in the sun
You got that top pulled down and that radio on baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
I can see you-
Your brown skin shining in the sun
You got that hair slicked back and
Those wayfarers on, baby
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

Artist: Don Henley
Album: Building the Perfect Beast
Year: 1984
Genre: Rock

She's On Another Planet...

So it's a beautiful night in the Fan. You can open the windows, turn off the TV, fire up your media player of choice, have an adult beverage and kick back... nights like these are why we live here in the first place.

I spooled up old Media Monkey a few minutes ago and put it on the "Auto DJ" selection. Great little feature, better than iTunes most certainly (I'm not hating on Apple, mind you - they're awesome).

Here comes Matthew Sweet - the best expression I've ever heard regarding this completely underrated music genius was when my buddy Shea said, "I'll listen to anything this guy ever records."

I'll probably have Evangeline stuck in my head all night. Life is good, y'all.


Evangeline

She's on another planet she's in my dream
She's some kind of angel if you know what I mean
Try her on and she fits like a glove
Too bad she only thinks about the Lord above

Evangeline Evangeline
I think I love you
But Evangeline Evangeline
I want you

Now if I called you up do you think you could deliver my soul?
Won't you take a drink little darlin' the cup is full
And every night I bow to pray
But I'll feel a whole lot better once you're coming my way

Evangeline Evangeline
I think I love you
But Evangeline Evangeline
I want you

So come on down [solo]

So tell me how you want it
Come on, tell me how you want it
Just tell me how you want it

Just tell me how you want it we won't be seen
You can tell your father it was all a dream
Try her on she fits like a glove
Too bad the only man you trust is God above

Evangeline Evangeline
I think I love you
But Evangeline Evangeline
I want you

Now Evangeline Evangeline
I think I love you
But Evangeline Evangeline
I want you

She's some kind of angel if you know what I mean

Evangeline

Artist: Matthew Sweet
Album: Girlfriend
Year: 1990
Genre: Power Pop