Incongruous iPod shuffle

iPod shuffle hilarity. Just for fun, I took down note of the songs that came up today on “shuffle”. It’s too funny – as I was writing this crap down to share on the blog (because it’s fun, and because I love to hear people’s music choices – and what they like, or don’t like) – but anyway – I read somewhere else today where someone was complaining about having to read about someone’s private life – “Why do I have to read about you snuggling with your boyfriend?” Uhm – the operative word in that question is “have”? Who says you HAVE to read it? Do you even hear yourself? Don’t be a moron. If you find people babbling about their personal lives silly – then … uhm … go read The Wall Street Journal. But it is amusing to me – because I did hesitate to put this up – it is the definition of banal. And personal. Why should anyone care about what the freck comes up on my iPod shuffle? Oh well. Sue me. I find my own life endlessly fascinating.

Moving right along.

The strange incongruity of today’s Shuffle choices. With some commentary. Scratched down on a notepad as I waited in various lines for various reasons throughout Manhattan this morning. As I raced along on the ellipticals, etc. The shuffle was amusing me. So I’m sharing it.

I’ll add to it as I go.

You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You – Dean Martin (nothing like walking through a sunny morning, melting snow banks, birds going NUTS in the bare tree branches, the Hudson so bright with reflected sunshine that it is blinding you … and hearing this song. Seriously. Beautiful.)

Comfort Eagle – Cake (ha. I LOVE this song. It’s so audacious – especially the beginning of it, those chords.)

Ball & Biscuit – White Stripes (talk about audacious. I love this one too.)

Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Dean Martin (More Dino! I love this one because the girl’s part in this song is not sung by ONE female, but a whole chorus of women. So it’s like Dino is trying to convince 20 women to sleep over his apartment because it’s “cold outside”. Man, that guy is smooth. He makes it look so easy that people forget just how good he really is. I have Mr. Bingley to thank for this Christmas with the Rat Pack CD. I love it!!)

Glory – Liz Phair (this is from “Exile to Guyville” – which, as far as I’m concerned, doesn’t have one bad song on it.)

Conversations with my 13 Year Old Self – Pink (sniff. I love this one. I love her voice, too. It is the perfect rock and roll voice. Perfect pitch. Perfect tone. She’s amazing.)

Gambling Man – Pat McCurdy (during some song he played last Friday, I turned to Jen and said, “Uhm … can you tell he’s into Gilbert & Sullivan?”)

If the House is Rockin’ – Lee Roy Parnell (yeah, whatever, this is okay. Not as good as Stevie Ray Vaughn though.)

Kim – Eminem (I think this song – and his performance of it – is absolutely brilliant. I can’t think of another star – rapper or otherwise – who would do such a thing. Would act out such a fantasy – and let us in on that part of himself. I can see people letting us in on those fantasies where they always come off looking like a big tough guy. You know: wish fulfillment kind of stuff. But that’s not what’s happening here. THAT’S why I think this piece is scary brilliant. He starts crying – the tears turn to rage – he has a moment where he sobs – and it’s real – I think Marshall did this song in one take – and you can tell. But anyway – he sobs – “You think I’m ugly, don’t you … you think I’m ugly …” It’s naked. He’s screaming at one point: “I HATE YOU. I FUCKING HATE YOU …” and then it all just shatters, and he starts sobbing, “God, I love you …” I seriously have said those words in exactly that order. Insisting I hate someone who has hurt me – and then crumbling into what is really going on, which is that I am as hurt as a tiny little girl. The song has an internal and emotional logic to it … it’s terrifying, sure – it’s a fantasy. I have some pretty terrifying fantasies too. Or I would call it more of an exorcism. It’s messed UP. And there’s also a weird humor to it. The sing-song chorus, where he sounds completely psychotic. “SO LONG. BITCH YOU DID ME SO WRONG …” It makes me laugh. It’s so sick. But here’s why I think he’s so damn brilliant: what I hear throughout is the hurt. He’s hurt. Sure we get the cover-up – which is the rage – but he lets us in there on the hurt. Again, I can’t think of anybody else out there – especially male rappers – who would do that in such a naked way. It’s strange though, to listen to this psychopathic exorcism as you stroll through the melty snow, buying coffee, and shopping for pillows at TJ Maxx. You feel like you will be arrested at any moment for even listening to the damn thing)

Perfect World – Liz Phair (again. It’s rare that I come across a Liz Phair song that I am not psyched to hear. This one is off “whitespacechocolateegg” and I love it.)

U Got the Look – Prince (Prince. What else needs to be said. Always and forever.)

Angry Inch – John Cameron Mitchell (hahahaha. I love the self-involved tortured line at the very beginning, in the vague Eastern Block accent: “To be free … one must give up a little part of oneself.” This song makes me wince. Just cause of the topic. Ouch??)

Rich, Young, Pretty & Tan – Pat McCurdy (ah. Memories of Summerfest – and teaching Phil and Kenny how to jitterbug for our “choreography” that Ann and I made up – hahahahaha)

Crash Into Me – Dave Matthews (this is the live version from the Live at Luther College double disc – which I can honestly say is one of the most self-indulgent albums of all time. I do enjoy some of it – but others? Yawn. The live version of Crash Into Me on this album – with just 2 guitars playing – no other instruments – is better than the “real” one, though, I think. I LOVE it.)

Comedy Impersonations – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis – hahahahahaha One of their age-old bits. Sammy keeps trying to do impressions, and the other two dudes keep taking over. Frank as Cagney (“you dirty no-good …” etc.) Dean Martin as a ridiculous and very funny Cary Grant (“Judy Judy Judy you cahn’t take a baby out of a man’s life and expect him to go on living the way he has been …” – What? When did Cary Grant ever say such a thing? Dino is so funny. It makes me laugh every time I hear it.) Oh and Dino as Clark Gable. Classic. “I’m crazy about you, Scarlett …”

Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson – Oh HELL yes.

Master of Puppets – Metallica – now this is the version off the S & M album – the live one – the live concert with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra backing them up. I think it might be my favorite of all of their albums. The ROAR (literally) of the crowd – the strings, the horns … the SOUND … Awesome.

What Child Is This? – some woman This is off one of my favorite Christmas albums of all time – it’s a live concert Jane Siberry gave at the Bottom Line (sniff, sniff. The Bottom Line) … with a whole cast of characters – and the album is a double album, Siberry does monologues – tells us about going to midnight mass – other great stories – but then there are the songs. Live. Lots of different singers. Whoever sings the “What Child Is This?” (which is one of my favorite carols) is obviously a black gospel singer. She’s marvelous. Deep rich sincere voice.

Good Times, Bad Times – Led Zeppelin Let’s give it up for Led Z. Sometimes I find their songs too arduous (or sexy, let’s be honest) for casual listening. Like it comes on and I feel like doing crazy shit left and right, no matter where I am. ha. I love the opening to this song.

Overture – “Big River” – this is one of the times when you just have to laugh at what the Shuffle brings up. Led Zeppelin to the freakin’ OVERTURE of “Big River”

The Stuttering Lovers – The Clancy Brothers – hahahahahahaha Again with the ridiculous-ness of shuffle – All together now!
A wee bit over the lee, me lads
A wee bit over the green
The birds went into the poor man’s corn
I fear they’ll never be se-se-se-seen, melads
I fear they’ll never be seen
Then out came a bonny wee lass
And she was so fair
And she went into the poor man’s corn
To see if the birds were the-the-the-there, melads
To see if the birds were there
Etc.
Exeunt.

You Must Trust Someone – Pat McCurdy this is from Intimate Pat – which reminds me that someone at the show last week asked me to burn that CD for him. I will do so tonight. Pat sings like a freakin’ BANSHEE on this one.

Big Fat Idiot – Pat McCurdy – Okay, okay. Enough with the Pat. However, this song is so stupid and so funny. The chorus: “I’m stupid as shit and I’m proud of it.”

Piano Concerto in E Flat – Mozart – Ha. Please look at the lack of segue from the song before to this one. I’m shaking with laughter.

You Oughta Know – Alanis Morrisette – this is the version she did on the Grammys that year. With violins in the background … I think she was already backing off from the true immature rage in that song – feeling embarrassed by it. I got the sense that she was trying to be a bit more above the childish sentiments expressed (no less truthful, by the way – just because they’re childish doesn’t mean they’re human or shouldn’t be expressed). We all think, at one point, “I am here to remind you of the mess you left … IT’S NOT FAIR …” etc. Or whatever – I certainly have thought of those things. I’m feeling that right now. I know it’s childish, but whatever. Some shit is just flat out unfair and it pisses me off. If you think you’re “above” that crap, then good on you for being so evolved and grown-up. But that’s why we have artists who can express stuff that maybe we ain’t so proud of. But Morrissette has pretty much declared that she’s way over that song – you know, now she’s all “let’s all love each other in an eternal loving utopia” – and that’s fine – I’m not all that crazy about “You Oughta Know” actually – definitely not as much as I am about some of her other songs – but I really like the Grammy’s version of it for some reason.

Forever Texas – Robbie Williams – I love this guy. ROBBIE, CAN YOU HEAR ME FROM REHAB?? ROBBIE. PLEASE GET WELL. THERE ARE THOSE OF US IN AMERICA WHO LOVE YOU. WE LOOOOOVE you. The guy is completely insane. And cheesy. And outrageous. And campy. And offensive. I love it all. Excerpt from the song:
The reason I’m doing you is cause your friend said No
I’ve been suicidal since God I don’t know when
So get down on your knees
Let’s say our prayers
Amen
Baby I’m crazy
Maybe I’m lazy
Amaze me.

Cheese-ball. Love him. I hope he gets his act together. I love his whole schtick.

11:11 – Rufus Wainwright Ahhhh, I love this one. Lilting, lyrical, with a strain of melancholy … I adore him.

Easy and Slow – Clancy Brothers -I just love the Clancy Brothers but I have so much of them in my library that they do come up quite a bit. They barge their way in all over the place. Along with Liz Phair and Pat McCurdy. I mean, I just love a song that begins with the line:
“It was down by Christchurch that I first met with Annie …”
And you know, you can just take it from there. To moments like this: “I rolled up her petticoat easy and slow … and I rolled up my sleeve … to buckle her shoe …”

Muddy Water – from “Big River” I still get a strange thrill with this song. Huck and Jim going down the river, singing a rousing duet.
“I got a need for goin’ someplace … I got a need to climb upon your back and ride …”
White voice and black voice – both male – singing harmony. There’s something exquisite and kind of emotional about it. Great song. However … coming on the heels of yet another Clancy Brothers song … it just makes me laugh.

Act One Finale – from “Urinetown” LOVE this. Ridiculous, TOTALLY over-the-top – operatic, suspenseful … Great. I remember seeing the show and laughing out loud as the song came to a close – because it was so unbelievably over the top – with sopranos SHRIEKING …
“Don’t give us tomorrow … just give us today …” Kind of a parody of the end of Act I of Les Miz … very funny.

Thank God It’s Christmas – Queen – I LOVE this Christmas song. Freddie Mercury just WAILS. He reminds me of Judy Garland. Guy said to me when we were watching some clip of Garland sing: “She sings every song as though she is going to die immediately after she finishes.” It has that urgency, that passion … that life-force …

Peaches and Cream – Domestic Science Club You know, this reminds me. I need to delete this song. I liked it for about 2 seconds many years ago … and now it annoys me. It’s from a CD of some women’s music festival – and actually there are a LOT of songs on the CD that are awesome – Cheryl Wheeler, people I love – but this song? Ew. I want to put a frog in these girls beds. Get all tomboy on their girlie asses.

Kill You – Eminem. I swear to God. “Kill You” is the next song after the song about wanting a man like “peaches and cream”. I am dying. SO ABSURD. The chicks (or, like Pat McCurdy would say – the “chyx“) from Domestic Science Club would freak OUT. I love Eminem. Does the word “Vicodin” appear in any other song, I wonder?

Why Don’t You Do Right? – Sinead O’Connor – this is from one of my favorites of her albums. God, I love her. Even when she willingly ruined her career. Trashed it. Quite astonishing to me, still. However – in my opinion – the albums she came out with AFTER trashing her career – were far superior to the ones before. Universal Mother is one of my favorite albums, and I love Faith and Courage too. Some of my favorite songs are from those albums. And yes, Sinead, I will keep supporting you, even now, even though I don’t really like reggae, and now, apparently, you feel that you are Bob Marley reincarnated. I’ll stick up for that crazy bald broad, I don’t care. But anyway – this is from her album of covers – Gershwin and Cole Porter -and other standards. It’s a bit hit or miss, for me – but this particular song ‘Why don’t you do right’? The big band? Her crooning kind of scary voice? Where she turns nearly every song into some kind of ominous threat? She’s not pleading “Why don’t you do right?” She is rather frightening as she asks that question … over and over and over again. It takes on a kind of Fatal Attraction feeling to it. It’s terrific.

Song for Ireland – Dick Gaughan – falcons, silver wings, green green fields, sing a song for Ireland, freedom, brides, western shores … You want to puke with the “oh, sing a song for Ireland” sentimentality. But dude can SING, dude can SING.

Love of My Life – Queen I mean. Queen. Honest to GOD. Can we just all sit here and contemplate the amazing-ness of QUEEN for a second? I never get over them. I’m never “over” Queen.

Little Girls – Dorothy Loudon – from “Annie” – original Broadway sountrack Okay. You want to see a Broadway workhorse bat one out of the freakin’ park? Check out Loudon here. This is a SICK song. Miss Hannigan is SICK. The trills, the self-involved swoops, the sudden “grrr” of hatred … and then when she goes all gutteral at the top of her register:
“Some women are drippin’ with diamonds
Some women are drippin’ with pearls …”
Dorothy Loudon is an absolute LUNATIC and thank God for her.

I Was Hoping – Alanis Morrissette I like her. Don’t hate me. I don’t like ALL of her songs … but I do like this one. I have no idea what the hell she is talking about because she has that weird stupid way of breaking up words and syllables so that her lyrics are incomprehensible … but whatevs. It’s got a good tune.

Carry That Weight – The Beatles For some reason – hearing this song out of sequence with the other ones on Abbey Road makes it sound strange. It doesn’t seem like a real stand-alone song.

Excuse Me Mr. – No Doubt I think I over-listened to this song when it first came out. This whole album, actually. But I love Gwen. I look forward to her coming back to the No Doubt fold because Gwen? Your latest album? It’s a stinkbomb. Honestly. Come on back, girlie. You’ve got fans out here who are sticking by you as you experiment. That’s cool. But enough. Mkay? Enough.

Original of the Species – U2 Yawn. And I’m a HUGE U2 fan. Not really wacky about that particular album, though – there’s just something … muted about it. Or something.

Ebony Eyes – The Everly Brothers Basically I am now laughing at my own music collection. I do love this song, though. I remember being a bit tormented about it when I first heard it as a kid. Noooooooo!!! Flight 1203!!! It’s doomed! “Beautiful ebony eyes” goin’ down! Nooooo! I mean, honestly. And then the bridge, with the “monologue” – the way they used to do in songs back then. A sort of exposition, if you will. hahaha “The airplane was late … the beacon whipped through the sky … as if it were searching for …” Chorus: “EBONY EYES ….” etc. Poor flight 1203.

Go Now – Patty Griffin You know, I’m not crazy about this album (it’s the “Flaming Red” album) – not compared to her first one – but I do like this song. It suits her. That kind of … bluesy big-band-y sound. Patty Griffin is, what, 5 feet tall? Huge voice, a voice to be admired. So so fluid and expressive.

Rock Me – Liz Phair – see what I mean with the Liz Phair?? This is actually one of my all-time favorite songs of hers. The lyrics always remind me of my relationship with Michael. Or something about the spirit of the song. Love it.

Been It – The Cardigans – For some reason I bought one of the Lilith Fair albums – it’s actually a double album – and there are a lot of women on there I love – but the album itself sucks. I don’t know what it is … the live versions of the songs I LOVE just … It’s totally lacking. The exception on the entire album is this song – “Been It” by the Cardigans. They ROCK, first of all … it’s the opposite of introspective or poet-girl dreaming by a rainy window … there’s a BEAT there … Great song. I actually don’t know much about the Cardigans – but I saved that Lilith Fair album for this one song alone.

All Babies – Sinead O’Connor – this is from “Universal Mother” – aweeesome album, post SNL debacle – i think it might be one of my favorite albums ever made, actually. That’s not too hyperbolic. This is one of the most haunting songs on the whole thing. It makes me want to cry.
“All babies are born saying God’s name …” Haunting tune. Terrific album, all in all.

No News – Lonestar I love this song. It’s on every mix I make for myself … I just love it. It’s so funny, the lyrics are great – and there’s just something really catchy about it. “on the road with Pearl Jam” … LOVE it. Great song.

Tonight We Fly – by The Divine Comedy Oh how I love The Divine Comedy. And this song especially. What a VOICE this guy has. I first became aware of him because Siobhan put his wonderful “Gin-Soaked Boy” on a mix she made for me. She had seen him perform in Ireland and just fell in love with him. Then – a couple years ago – Pat McCurdy – the guy who keeps barging his way into this mix – sent me ‘The Best of Divine Comedy’ – completely randomly. He thought I would like it. Every. Song. is special. One of my favorite albums of all time.

Red Football – by Sinead O’Connor Wow. It’s a Sinead type day. It’s also another song from Universal Mother. This is a furious song (does she sing any other kind??) I LOVE this song. It’s terrifying.

Spanish Lady – The Irish Tenors Sue me. I like this album. Even though it’s stupid. And yes. I like this one especially. HUGE horns in the back … MAJOR band going on … I find it quite satisfying. And yes. Self-indulgent and stupid.
“Whack for the toora loora lay.
Whack for the toora loora laddy,
Whack for the toora loora lay ….”
Geek. I am a geek. Sinead would hate that this song came after hers. Ha.

If Love Is a Red Dress – Maria McKee This chick can sing. What a voice. Man. It could cut through glass. Powerful. The song itself is forever linked to the “get out the gimp” scene in my head … so it always gives me a shiver of medieval torture chamber terror. More incongruity.

Dumb – Nirvana This reminds me. It was just Kurt Cobain’s birthday. Happy birthday, you gorgeous genius dumbass. I love this song. Classic Nirvana.

Something – The Beatles Another Abbey Road classic! This one is definitely a stand-alone song. That guitar swoop up the scale … I don’t know how to talk about music … the phrase that begins the song, and that keeps repeating itself throughout … I find it transportive. With Ringo’s drumming beneath it. To me, it is perfection.

Oh George – The Foo Fighters This is from that astonishing first album – that they recorded in, what, 3 days? Where Dave Grohl basically came out of the huge shadow he had been put behind … UnbeLIEVable. I still remember when this album came out. How people whispered about it, talked about it with this hushed amazement … and the songs!!!

Come Together – The Beatles – I think my iPod has a crush on “Abbey Road” today. This song used to really really scare me when I was a child. I don’t know why. Toe jam? Feel his disease? Scary. I thought these might be mean men. I loved the Beatles, but this song scared the crap out of me.

Lo and Behold – James Taylor – This song reminds me so much of my childhood. That album, his face, the songs on it … it’s just an amazing time-traveler to me.

Nightmare – from “The Aviator” soundtrack – This is the music that was playing as Hughes slowly went insane in the screening room. A long slow jazzy film noir-ish sound. But I can’t hear it as just a song. All I can see in my mind’s eye is Leo DiCaprio, naked, with long fingernails, a long beard, and milk bottles full of urine lined up against the wall. Nice!!

Cupid Complained to Venus – Mike Viola and the Candybutchers Ahhhh. I am hard pressed to think of a Mike Viola song that I don’t like. I have Siobhan to thank for introducing me to him. Marvelous.

Ruin My Life – Pat McCurdy – This is the “Gilbert & Sullivan” song from last week’s show – I think he opened with it. (Okay, just checked. Yup. He opened with it. I am insane. At least I’m not alone.) People go NUTS when he plays this. We all know all the words. We sing like maniacs. We jump up and down. We chant like members of some bizarre cult.

Holiday – Green Day – I think this might be one of my favorite songs written in the last 10 years. Maybe even 15. Unbelievably great song.

When You Say Nothing At All – by Alison Krauss This song has been pretty much co-opted by “Notting Hill” – which is fine by me, since I love that movie more than words can express. No shame. Great film. Krauss has less of a sentimental take on the song than whoever sings it in the soundtrack to that movie – I know it’s someone famous, but I’m not really a fan, I guess, whoever the dude is … Krauss’ voice is so pure. I love it.

I’ll Crawl Back To You Again – Pat McCurdy – I swear, he comes up this often in any shuffle and … it’s a bit much, frankly, but what can I do?? I have 25 albums of his with 500 songs per album, or whatever. The odds are that he’ll come up. He and the Clancy Brothers should go on tour.

Roll Over Beethoven – The Beatles This is off of an awesome mix my brother gave me for Christmas. Awesome early Beatles. Makes you want to have guilt-ridden yet kind of hot sex in the backseat of your boyfriend’s car after some sock hop. And then you cry as you pull your dress down over your knees. And have him hold you and tell you he loves you. Before he drops you off at your house and you go inside and curl up in bed, happy and mushy inside, but also wondering if you’re now a slut. And he goes out and meets his friends and brags about what he just did with you. But inside, he’s feeling all mushy too, and he can’t wait to see you again. That’s what this song makes me want to do.

The Needle Has Landed – Neko Case I have Carrie to thank for introducing me to her – and to this song in particular. Carrie told me she thought I would like it … and I do. Beautiful.

Prologue to “Ragtime” – I love this musical. I love the prologue, too – it’s robust, it’s not just orchestration – you get the whole set-up of the musical: the white people, the black people, and the immigrants … The music reflects the shifting characters. It’s quite intricate, and also rather catchy, I must say.

High Fidelity – Elvis Costello & the Attractions I think I over-listened to Elvis Costello about 20 years ago – seriously – he was ALL I could listen to for … what … 2 years? Insane. I’ve seen him a ton in concert … as much as I can … but I kinda burned myself out on the Elvis thing. So I can only take him in small doses … which bums me out. I love “High Fidelity”.

Living On My Own – Queen The beginning of this song … I just love it. I could see it be the background music to some Miami Vice movie nightclub scene – with some horrible murder happening on the dance floor – as everyone gyrates around, strobe-lit, oblivious.

Not So Bad At All – Mike Viola and the Candybutchers From the nearly perfect album “Hang On Mike”. Or no. Not “nearly” perfect. It is perfect.

Send Me The Pillow You Dream On – Dino LOVE him doing this. Makes me feel all romantic and stuff. You know. Stuff.

Coalhouse’s Soliloquy – from “Ragtime” Coalhouse Walker goin’ nuts, getting ready to kick some ass! I actually never saw this show on Broadway – kinda bummed I missed it. Audra McDonald – man, oh man, wish I had seen her!

The Unwelcome Guest – Billy Bragg & Wilco I love this whole album. Mermaid Avenue. It always makes me think of Cashel’s birth and his first year of life – because we all were so into that album during that year – and we would play it as we sat and watched infant Cashel do the most AMAZING EARTH-SHATTERING things like drool, gurgle, and play with his toes.

Saturday Night – The Raunch Hands
Oh you blind fool
You stupid fool
You fool why can’t you see
That’s nothing but a chamber pot me mother sent to me
Well many a mile I traveled
A thousand miles or more
But a chamber pot size six and seven eighths I never saw before.

Welcome to the O’Malley childhood.

What Kind of Woman – from “Ragtime” Mmmkay, guess we’re having a “Ragtime” kind of day. The lovely Marin Mazzie being all tortured about the “newborn Negro child” and mother standing on her doorstep. But you can also hear a smidgeon of anger because her husband leaves her without instructions on what to do. A bit of a boring song, out of context, gotta be honest. Now a song like “Til We Reach That Day” from Ragtime? That song is a flat out good song, no matter where it falls in the plotline of the musical.

A Little More Love – Olivia Newton John AWESOME SONG. AWESOME AWESOME. I love her voice. I love the jamming ridiculous guitars beneath everything. I love the chorus of a million Olivia Newton Johns joining in … I adore this song.

River of No Return – Marilyn Monroe Ohhhh, I love love love it when Marilyn shows up on shuffle. She is just so liquidy delicious. I love her vibrado – and I love it when she has a chorus of male voices behind her. It’s perfect. She shouldn’t sing with women backups ever. She’s too powerful.