They Write the Songs That Make the Whole World Sing

Generally, I am not a huge cable TV fan. I have about a million channels and nothing is ever on. For the first time in my life I have Showtime and about 10 variants thereof, but I have yet to see anything. MTV and VH1 never have music on--I don't even know how they call themselves music channels. It is all mindrot, and I am bored with it. I will make exceptions for Disney (love the Little Einsteins),Nickelodean (ditto Dora and Diego), and Bravo (Project Runway).

I have come to love IControl movie rentals however. You can order off the TV, never have to take it back and you can still manipulate the movies for 24 hours as you wish i.e. pause to take the 5 restroom breaks that a preggo girl needs.

The other night I rented Neil Young's Prairie Wind. I expected a documentary, but what I got was a concert. That was ok with me. I love Neil Young and I was thrilled to see Emmylou Harris singing alongside him. This particular album was made in a brief span of time in 2005 when Neil Young had been diagnosed with a life-threatening aneurysm and was awaiting a dangerous procedure to fix it. The music is steeped in the consciousness of mortality. "It's a Dream" is a beautiful song that makes me both sad and incredibly happy to be alive. It is the type of song that pulls me out of my own head and illuminates the world around me. This is the type of song that can make one resolve to not waste another minute of life because it is so precious.

Today, I just want to send a little shout out to artists who make me feel. I will admit that I am jealous as hell of musicians, writers, poets, dancers, and anyone who transcends the ordinary.
I know, I know, they often lead miserable lives which in turn fuel their art, and I am not wishing for misery--I actually quite like happiness, thank you very much, but art is powerful. Powerful because it is a mutual creation. I have no idea if anyone would have the same reaction to "It's a Dream" that I do. It might be construed as melodramatic, or ho-hum to some, but it moves me, and for that I am grateful. I laugh to myself a bit when my daughter shouts from the backseat that she wants to hear Coldplay # 2 (which is "In My Place," from A Rush of Blood to the Head ). She sings along word for word and she is moved. She gets it at 4. Actually, I think all kids get it, some just forget it as they grow up. Happily, I am married to a man who gets it too. I don't really understand people for whom the arts don't appeal.

I love all types of music, some happy, some sad. I feel lucky that I don't have to stick to a certain genre or risk ridicule. I think I mentioned in a post long ago that "End of the Line" by the Traveling Wilburys makes me feel like I can conquer the world--it is like a musical drug. I love classical, I love motown music. I would eat just about anything fear-factor style, to sing "Summertime" like Janis Joplin, "Ain't No Way" (or anything for that matter) like Aretha Franklin, "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones, "Hold you in my arms" by Ray Lemontagne, and I could go on and on. I would do the same to play guitar like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, or John Mayer.

So here's to the creative types...you make this world more interesting.
what moves you?