May the Road Rise to Meet You

I love Cathie Ryan's voice. She ladies do a nice job with this old Irish blessing, and I certainly could use an old Irish blessing right about now.

Tom

The Bald-Headed Men (of which I am one)

Sheila, the boys and I once spent a Sunday at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. One of the performers was a perky little woman named Christine Lavin. While she's aged some since we saw her live, she's still funny and odd even with white hair. One of my favorite of her songs is a tribute to men without hair and as a man who is losing his hair with startling rapidity, I find myself quite fond of this song. She also did a version some years ago with five other women who called themselves "Six Bitchin' Babes", a nom de plume somewhat at odds with their collective feminism.

Great song, though. Christine can be forgiven for her politics if she keeps writing funny songs.

Tom

It is Well With My Soul

 This song has a heart-breaking history. Horatio Spafford, a well-to-do Christian man went through the very trials of Job. His wife and daughters traveled by ship to England ahead of Spafford. Their ship was struck by an iron vessel and sank in 12 minutes. Only his wife Anna survived. Spafford took a ship to England to be with her. As the ship passed over the spot where his 4 daughters had been lost, the ship's captain informed Spafford. He went down to his cabin and wrote this song. The rest of Spafford's story is one of heartbreak and triumph. The Spafford's are buried in Jerusalem where they finished their lives doing mission work.

The song is performed by Acapeldridge, a "group" consisting of just one guy singing all 4 parts, which accounts for the amazing blend of voices. A sad but as hopeful a song as you'll ever here.

Tom

 

 

Centerfield

 

 The sun is out and there's new grass on the field. There are some familiar songs about baseball out there and some not so familiar. They range from "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to Peter Paul & Mary's poignant "Right Field". Right Field is sort of my baseball theme song. But this song by CCR's John Fogarty is the one that gets me charged up to see a game.

Now if only Major League Baseball doesn't shoot its fans in the foot like the NFL did with a load of woke, LGBQT double plus ungood nonsense, I might even go to a game.

Boy how I miss Nolan Ryan and Pudge Rodriguez!

Tom King 2013

 

Pretty Little One - A Different Kind of Murder Ballad

This Steve Martin/Edic Brickell song is an untraditional traditional murder ballad. Usually the girl dies by strangulation, stabbing or drowning at the hands of her evil lover and left for dead somewhere. Sometimes she turns into a swan or something. It's all very tragic. Often the killer is caught and hanged. The country gal in this song, however, has a Daddy who taught her how to take care of herself. Probably comes from one of those families that "cling to their guns and religion." The ending of this murder ballad is rather different from the way most of these things turn out. You will smile, I promise.


Tom King

I Can Only Imagine - One Voice Children's Choir

 

 I love "I Can Only Imagine". It's very powerful. We played it at Micah's memorial service. The song was one of his favorites. This version is incredible. Masafumi "Masa" Fukuda, a Japanese-American songwriter, composer and music arranger is the choir director and founder of One Voice Children's Choir. He gifted and does incredible things with the children he draws together from across American culture. His music includes religious and non-religious numbers, but there is always a kind of spiritual kind of reverence for the well-chosen pieces the choir performs. I sat through this song tonight and had tears running down my face and I'm not ashamed.

This piece is nothing short of awesome (and not the sort of awesome people throw out for something that is merely pretty good).

Tom King

 

 

 

 

Do They See Jesus in Me

Once again, my second favorite singer in all the world (her Mama is still my #1 favorite) with a song for Sabbath.  I tell people Meghan got her singing ability from me because her Mom still has hers. Actually, she got her perfect pitch and lovely voice from the gene pool on her Mom's side. On my side we play guitar and kind of hum along in the background because we've been told not to sing too loud. It throws the others off. We tend to wander off key a lot. I've gotten better at it, but Miss Sheila still has to stop up her ears whenever I get musical.

Not so with Miss Meghan. I have a few brief clips of the two of them singing together. One day I'll post them on Youtube and here. In the meantime here's Meghan singing a lovely song call Do They See Jesus in Me? Knowing my daughter, I think they can.

Tom King