La mer Qu’on voit danser le long des golfes clairs A des reflets d’argent La mer Des reflets changeants Sous la pluie
La mer Au ciel d’ete confond Ses blancs moutons Avec les anges si purs La mer bergere d’azur Infinie Voyez
Pres des etangs Ces grands roseaux mouilles Voyez Ces oiseaux blancs Et ces maisons rouillees
La mer Les a berces Le long des golfes clairs Et d’une chanson d’amour La mer A berce mon coeur pour la vie
I love this song. It just is beautiful and poetic and French in its unique way. Today would be Charles Trenet’s 100th birthday and it’s the most perfect way to celebrate his talent and remind you that La Mer (The Sea) came before Bobby Darin’s Under The Sea!
Track Name
Spring Cleaning
Album
The Very Best of Fats Waller
Artist
Fats Waller
I’ll polish the leaves, make them green again;Shake out the trees, change the scene again;Spring cleaning – gettin’ ready for love.I’ll sweep out the nook down in lover’s lane;Turn on the brook, make it run again;Spring cleaning – getting ready for love. I’ll dust those wintry bowers,Wash them out with April showers,Cover them with fragrant flowers,Shine up the silvery moon.‘Cause soon you and I have a rendezvousUnder the sky, like we used to do;Spring cleaning – getting ready for love
This is unoriginal, but this is what I listen to when Spring Cleaning — and it takes me twice as much time because I can’t help dancing to Fats Waller!
Track Name
Emily Paints
Album
The Ortolan
Artist
The Deadly Syndrome
Why don’t we move ourselves up the road? I don’t know which turn was wrong But the roughest roads are the ones that take us home Why don’t we lay peacefully at night? I can’t count the minutes we’ve lain here Something ain’t right Something ain’t right Something ain’t right Something ain’t, no it ain’t, ain’t Something ain’t right
Emily Paints is one of my favorite songs by The Deadly Syndrome. It just is beautiful. I’d love to see them live.
Track Name
You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini)
Album
Compact Jazz
Artist
Ella Fitzgerald
I have probably already told you how much I love and admire Ella Fitzgerald. Her voice is a wonderful instrument and she is a virtuoso. I wish I could have seen her live, at Carnegie Hall. I know she would have been dazzling. All I can do is listen to her records and enjoy every second of it. Today would have been her 96th birthday and I thought we could celebrate with this live of (If You Can’t Sing It) You’ll Have To Swing It!
Happy Birthday Queen of Jazz!
Track Name
You and Me
Album
Lifehouse
Artist
Lifehouse
You and Me - Lifehouse
‘Cause it’s you and me and all of the people with nothing to do Nothing to lose And it’s you and me and all other people And I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you
I just love this song, ever since I first heard it in a Cold Case episode.
Track Name
Hello, I Love You
Album
Waiting for the Sun
Artist
Doors
She’s walking down the street
Blind to every eye she meets
Do you think you’ll be the guy
To make the queen of the angels sigh?
The Doors need no introduction, so I’ll just say this: Jim Morrison came up with the best pick-up line (for us to use that is: if the person’s creeped out, you just say it’s a quotation!)
Track Name
El Scorcho
Album
Pinkerton
Artist
Weezer
I’m a lot like you, so please…Hello! I’m Here. I’m waiting. I think I’d be good for you and you’d be good for me.
El Scorcho is my favorite song by Weezer. I love Say It Ain’t So or Island In The Sunvery much too, but El Scorcho has that vibe to it that draws me to it. And when I say it draws me, I mean it draws me. I listen to it on a loop and I sing to it all day. I wake up to “Goddamn you half-Japanese girls”, I shower “listening to Cio-Cio San” and I mouth or shout the chorus depending on the company! I get crazy with this song. Well, I’m already crazy, so crazier!
Track Name
Time After Time
Album
1984 BillBoard Top USA Singles
Artist
Cyndi Lauper
If you’re lost you can look - and you will find me Time after time If you fall I will catch you - I’ll be waiting Time after time
If you’ve seen last night’s Parks and Rec, you know why Time After Time is stuck in my head. And also, I love Cyndi Lauper!
Track Name
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
Artist
Cat Stevens
I grew up with Tea For The Tillerman playing on a regular basis in my house, so I’ve always loved Cat Stevens. Also, I’ve seen Harold and Maudea great numbers of times. I asked my parents for a guitar so I could play his, Johnny Cash’s, Dolly Parton’s and Bob Dylan’s songs, mostly. I do a pretty good Folsom Prison Blues and my Joleneis okay -last time I touched my guitar, which is a long time ago. But playing and singing If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Outis one of my proudest achievement. Every time I felt insecure as a teen, I’d play it and it made me feel better. To be honest, I hadn’t listened to Cat Stevens in a while. Until I watched Charlie Bartlett recently and heard the lovely Kat Dennigs sing the song with an even lovelier voice. I really need to start playing the guitar again…
Track Name
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
Album
Wizard of Ahhhs
Artist
Black Kids
I was looking for Brothers by The Black Keys at my favorite disc store a couple of years ago when I first got my hand on Wizard of Ahhs by Black Kids. I turned to Chris -one of the store’s very handsome owners whom I had a serious crush on to be honest- to ask him if he knew about them. He walked to me and looking at the other CD -Brothers- I was holding, he asked: “You like The Black Keys?” “Dude, I love them. Ever since Rubber Factory”. He looked impressed. “Then you have a great taste and you will definitely like Black Kids”. Then we spoke for a while. It was the first time I talked with him, really. Which only made my crush on him grow! And last May I kissed him (on the cheek) and we became friends.
This song is still one of my favorite of them. And I’ve been listening to it a lot back in the fall when it seem it was written about me…
You are the girl that I’ve been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl You are the girl that I’ve been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl
One, I’m biting my tongue Two, He’s kissin’ on you Three, Oh, why can’t you see? One! Two! Three! Four!
The word’s on the streets and it’s on the news I’m not gonna teach him how to dance with you. He’s got two left feet and he bites my moves. I’m not gonna teach him how to dance, dance, dance, dance
Track Name
Moon River
Album
Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn
Artist
Audrey Hepburn
Moon river, wider than a mile I’m crossing you in style some day Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker Wherever you’re goin’, I’m goin’ your way
There is something incredibly moving in Audrey Hepburn’s cover of the song. Not only because Holly Golightly is very nostalgic when she takes her guitar and sings it in the film -Breakfast at Tiffany’sfor those (I hope you’re not many) who wonder. It’s a beautiful song, and it’s only fair it won Henri Mancini (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1962.
Track Name
My Funny Valentine
Album
Ella Sings Love Songs
Artist
Ella Fitzgerald
Well, I guess this is the day for it, right? Besides My Funny Valentine is a wonderful song, even more wonderful when sung by Ella Fitzgerald. She makes is so moving, so genuine. And I love that, the Valentine of the song has “laughable, unphotographable looks”. Because, as you all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, first. And also, as Joanne Woodward would tell you, beauty may fade but there’s nothing sexier than someone who makes you laugh. And she knows what she’s talking about: she and Paul Newman were married for 50 years.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!
Track Name
Hey Julie
Album
Fountains of Wayne
Artist
Welcome Interstate Managers
Julie I swear it’s so hard to bear it and I’d never make it through without you around
How I found out about Fountains of Wayne is actually a funny story. Sort of. My sister was turning 16 five years ago and I wanted to do something special for her: so I made her a mix CD (we still listened to CDs in 2008 I guess)! And I had to find a song with her name in it. I couldn’t think of any song I knew so I googled it and that’s how I first listened to Hey Julie. Boring desk job and obvious romantic relationship aside, this song actually works for my sister and me. Jules is the best and I love her to pieces and whenever I’m having a bad day, she makes it better when she’s around. So, I guess Hey Jude would have worked too. Oh, and my mom told me David Bowie had a song called “Julie“…
Track Name
Accidents
Album
Accidents and Good Intentions
Artist
The One am Radio
I’ve probably been listening to Accidents every day since I first saw the trailer for Save The Date (I immediately bought their 3-track album here afterwards). I love this song, it just talks to me (or sings to me) beautifully. And there’s so much truth in it, hopefully. I mean I hope the mistakes we make really make us grow and lead us somewhere on the right path. The One am Radio definitely is a band to discover, so I share the love!
All of the mistakes I made, All the ways that I fucked up the plans I laid, All the times I showed up late, All the places I left when i should have stayed, I know. Now I know. All the chances I let by, All the accidents that dot the maps of my life, All of those long worthless nights, All the times that i know I didn’t get it right, Now I know — It brought me to you. All the shit I went through, Well, it brought me to you so I don’t care what it took. All the shit I went through, it brought me to you. Yeah, it got kind of rough, it seemed like hoping never mattered enough, But then it ended with me falling in love, because it brought me to you.
Track Name
Cant Help Falling In Love
Artist
Elvis Presley
During Christmas break, I caught this Elvis Presley concert on TV. It was in Hawaii, maybe in 1976, and I watched it all and sang along, alone in the living-room. And I couldn’t help crying when he sang Can’t Help Falling in Love. This song, his voice, it always gets me emotional. And maybe it’s because I felt the truth, the plain truth of falling in love. You can’t help it, even if it’s gonna hurt or if it’s one-sided. You can’t help falling in love and you can only hope that the one you love is going to take your hand and your whole heart too. It’s beautiful and adventurous, falling in love. The King got it right!
