♫ Vincent ♫

Posted on January 30, 2023 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I last played this in 2019 … it’s one of those that you don’t think about until you see it mentioned or hear it played, and then you say, “Oh yeah … I remember that one!”

Vincent by Don McLean was released in 1972. The words and imagery of this song represent the life, work, and death of Vincent Van Gogh. The Starry Night is one of the Dutch impressionist’s most famous paintings.The lyrics, “Paint your palette blue and gray” reflect the prominent colors of the painting, and are probably a reference to Vincent’s habit of sucking on or biting his paintbrushes while he worked. The “ragged men in ragged clothes” and “how you tried to set them free” refer to Van Gogh’s humanitarian activities and love of the socially outcast as also reflected in his paintings and drawings. “They would not listen/They did not know how” refers to Van Gogh’s family and some associates who were critical of his kindness to “the wretched.”

According to McLean …

“It was inspired by a book. And it said that it was written by Vincent’s brother, Theo. And Theo also had this illness, the same one Van Gogh had. So what caused the idea to percolate in my head was, first of all, what a beautiful idea for a piece of music. Secondly, I could set the record straight, basically, he wasn’t crazy. But then I thought, well, how do you do this? Again, I wanted to have each thing be different.

I’m looking through the book and fiddling around and I saw the painting. I said, Wow, just tell the story using the color, the imagery, the movement, everything that’s in the painting. Because that’s him more than he is him.

One thing I want to say is that music is like poetry in so many ways. You have wit and drama and humor and pathos and anger and all of these things create the subtle tools that an artist, a stage artist, a good one, uses. Sadly, this has really gone out of music completely. So it makes someone like me a relic, because I am doing things and people like me are doing things that utilize all the classic means of emotional expression.”

This hit #1 in the UK, #3 in Canada, and #12 in the U.S.

Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)
Don McLean

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life, as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you

Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frameless heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget
Like the strangers that you’ve met
The ragged men in the ragged clothes
The silver thorn, a bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will

Songwriters: Don McLean
Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

♫ American Pie ♫ (Redux)

Posted on January 25, 2023 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I went in search of a song that I hadn’t played in the past two years, and one that also had meaning. This is what I decided on for today’s song, as we are coming up on the 64th anniversary of “The Day the Music Died”.

“The Day The Music Died” is February 3, 1959, when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash after a concert. Don McLean was a 13-year-old paperboy in New Rochelle, New York when Holly died. He learned about the plane crash when he cut into his stack of papers and saw the lead story.

According to McLean …

“For some reason I wanted to write a big song about America and about politics, but I wanted to do it in a different way. As I was fiddling around, I started singing this thing about the Buddy Holly crash, the thing that came out (singing), ‘Long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile.’

I thought, Whoa, what’s that? And then the day the music died, it just came out. And I said, Oh, that is such a great idea. And so that’s all I had. And then I thought, I can’t have another slow song on this record. I’ve got to speed this up. I came up with this chorus, crazy chorus. And then one time about a month later I just woke up and wrote the other five verses. Because I realized what it was, I knew what I had. And basically, all I had to do was speed up the slow verse with the chorus and then slow down the last verse so it was like the first verse, and then tell the story, which was a dream. It is from all these fantasies, all these memories that I made personal. Buddy Holly’s death to me was a personal tragedy. As a child, a 15-year-old, I had no idea that nobody else felt that way much. I mean, I went to school and mentioned it and they said, ‘So what?’ So I carried this yearning and longing, if you will, this weird sadness that would overtake me when I would look at this album, The Buddy Holly Story, because that was my last Buddy record before he passed away.”

Our friend Ellen added to my knowledge last night …

“This commemorates the untimely deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson in a plane crash in 1959. Their tour bus was scrapped and replaced with an airplane which crashed not far from the airport. Valens and Richardson were not supposed to be on that plane, but Tommy Allsup lost to Valens in a coin toss and Waylon Jennings gave his seat to an ill Richardson.”

American Pie
Don McLean

A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they’d be happy for a while

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn’t take one more step

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
So

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you’re in love with him
‘Cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died
I started singin’

Now, for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But, that’s not how it used to be

When the jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me

Oh and while the king was looking down
The jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned

And while Lennon read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died
We were singin’

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
And singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die

Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast

It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance

‘Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?
We started singin’

Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again

So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
‘Cause fire is the devil’s only friend

Oh and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in Hell
Could break that Satan’s spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died
He was singin’

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die
This’ll be the day that I die

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away

I went down to the sacred store
Where I’d heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play

And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing

They were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die

Songwriters: Don McLean
American Pie lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

A Few Thoughts From My Bouncing Mind

Posted on May 27, 2022 by jilldennison under education, Election 2022, guns, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

First, I start with a short, passionate and heartfelt clip from Jimmy Kimmel …

Next, a shout-out to singer/songwriter Don McLean of American Pie fame for having a conscience. He has cancelled his appearance at the upcoming NRA annual meeting this weekend in, of all places, Houston, Texas. McLean issued a statement saying …

“In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week. I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans.”

Of course, if he truly had a conscience, he would never have agreed to appear at their event in the first place, but … better late than never I suppose. Others are also pulling out and I will have a good laugh if the venue is only about 2% full all weekend!

Daniel Defense, the company that manufactured the weapon used in Tuesday’s school massacre, has also pulled out of the NRA convention this weekend. Their reason is not likely any sudden attack of conscience so much as fear of being assaulted by people who are angry and looking for a target for their anger. And there should be fury toward this company who not so long ago posted this picture …

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 🙏

I am sickened.

Some, such as the not-so-illustrious Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz, still plan to attend … surprised, aren’t you? Every single person who attends that convention is a target for my anger, so they should probably be thankful that I won’t be there, eh? Does anybody else see the irony in that this nation is banning books by the dozens … BOOKS 📕 📚 that open minds, educate, and help us make the world a better place … while at the same time refusing to ban assault weapons such as the one used on Tuesday, the ones that have been used so many times to kill thousands of innocent people? There is something intrinsically wrong here …

The following chart lists the 50 senators who have taken the most money from the NRA. Is one or more of your state’s senators on this list? One of my own state’s senators, Rob Portman, has taken more than $3 million in donations from the NRA and I am more ashamed of him than ever before. He is retiring this year, but I’m not doing any happy dances because he’s likely to be replaced by someone even worse, J.D. Vance … an unqualified bozo who loves guns, lies, and will do just about anything to get his name in print. Read those senator’s names and look at the amounts … now do you understand why our lives mean less than nothing to these men and women who we have elected to act in our best interests?

Senator	NRA Donations	Gun Deaths in State per Year

Mitt Romney (UT)	$13,647,676	365
Richard Burr (NC)	$6,987,380	1,311
Roy Blunt (MO)	$4,555,722	1,074
Thom Tillis (NC)	$4,421,333	1,311
Cory Gardner (CO)	$3,939,199	715
Marco Rubio (FL)	$3,303,355	2,568
Joni Ernst (IA)	$3,124,773	264
Rob Portman (OH)	$3,063,327	1,402
Todd C. Young (IN)	$2,897,582	907
Bill Cassidy (LA)	$2,867,074	946
David Perdue (GA)	$2,002,462	1,459
Tom Cotton (AR)	$1,968,714	534
Pat Roberts (KS)	$1,581,153	368
Pat Toomey (PA)	$1,475,448	1,503
Josh Hawley (MO)	$1,391,548	1,074
Marsha Blackburn (TN)	$1,306,130	1,103
Ronald Harold “Ron” Johnson (WI)	$1,269,486	592
Mitch McConnell (KY)	$1,267,139	690
Mike Braun (IN)	$1,249,967	907
John Thune (SD)	$638,942	95
Shelley Moore Capito (WV)	$341,738	305
Martha McSally (AZ)	$303,853	1,013
Richard Shelby (AL)	$258,514	961
Chuck Grassley (IA)	$226,007	264
John Neely Kennedy (LA)	$215,788	946
Ted Cruz (TX)	$176,274	3,139
Lisa Murkowski (AK)	$146,262	165
Johnny Isakson (GA)	$131,571	1,459
Steve Daines (MT)	$123,711	197
Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS)	$109,547	576
Roger Wicker (MS)	$106,680	576
Rand Paul (KY)	$104,456	690
Mike Rounds (SD)	$95,049	95
John Boozman (AR)	$82,352	534
John Cornyn (TX)	$78,945	3,139
Ben Sasse (NE)	$68,623	169
Jim Inhofe (OK)	$66,758	679
Lindsey Graham (SC)	$55,961	829
Mike Crapo (ID)	$55,039	242
Jerry Moran (KS)	$34,718	368
John Barrasso (WY)	$26,989	104
Lamar Alexander (TN)	$25,293	1,103
Mike Enzi (WY)	$24,722	104
John Hoeven (ND)	$22,050	93
Susan Collins (ME)	$19,800	146
Deb Fischer (NE)	$19,638	169
James Lankford (OK)	$18,955	679
Jim Risch (ID)	$18,850	242
Tim Scott (SC)	$18,513	829
Kevin Cramer (ND)	$13,255	93

I am writing to a number of members of Congress this week with a simple, single question: 89% of people in this nation support stricter gun regulations, and some 67% support a ban on assault weapons – so why don’t you? How can you claim to represent the people of this nation when you are voting against their will, against their best interests?

Fellow countrymen … now is the time for us to stop the madness, to stop electing and re-electing men and women who have no conscience, whose own lust for power and wealth are their only priority. Research the candidates in your district and state, make sure the candidate you support does NOT support the NRA, does not support wealthy corporations over the interests of the people. Look at that list above … if any of them are from your state and are up for re-election this year, vote them out!!!

♫ American Pie ♫

Posted on February 3, 2022 by jilldennison under History, music

I haven’t posted music posts much of late … actually only one or two in the last 4-5 months, I think … but today, February 3^rd, cried out for me to post one. Why, you ask? Because it was 63 years ago today that a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa took the lives of 22-year-old Buddy Holly, 17-year-old Ritchie Valens, and 28-year-old J. P. Richardson, aka: “The Big Bopper” as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson.

Richie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper (left to right)

Buddy Holly’s band was on tour and had played at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. They were headed to their next destination in Moorhead, Minnesota. For this leg of their journey, they decided to take a charter plane rather than go with their tour bus. Richardson “The Big Bopper”, had swapped places with Waylon Jennings, taking the latter’s place on the plane and Tommy Allsup had lost his place to Ritchie Valens in a coin toss.

Not long after takeoff, they were no longer able to be reached by radio, and they did not reach their destination. The aircraft was reported missing. The next day, the wreckage was found less than 6 miles northwest of the airport in a cornfield. Poor weather conditions and pilot error were determined, during the investigation, to have been the cause of the pilot losing control of the plane.

“The day the music died” is a line in the 1972 Don McLean hit American Pie. McLean’s song, which he wrote in the late 1960s and released in 1971, was in part inspired by the tragic event which took the lives of three great musicians and their pilot.

Don McLean was a 13-year-old paperboy in New Rochelle, New York on that fateful day. He learned about the plane crash when he cut into his stack of papers and saw the lead story.

According to McLean …

And so, today I present for your listening pleasure and remembrance …