In 1998, I was lucky enough to wake up in Florence, Italy on my birthday. The friends who hosted me during that trip gave me a CD, which was a collection of Lucio Battisti's greatest hits. They picked this gift because of "29 Settembre," a song Battisti recorded in 1969. As far as I understand it, the song is about a young man meeting a pretty girl in a cafe. It's a lovely song and I enjoyed the other tracks on the CD as well. Unfortunately, there are no videos on YouTube which feature live performances of this song, but there are some nice photos in this tribute.
Released by the Loving Spoonfuls in 1966, "Daydream" was my absolute favorite song when I was a little kid . . . well, at least until "I Want You Back" was released a few years later in 1969. In any case, I'll never forget sitting at the breakfast table one morning before school and hearing "Daydream" dedicated to me on the radio. The dedication came from my mom, who sent birthday greetings to me that the entire city could hear if they were listening. What an incredible feeling, what a great song, and a very nice video from Hullabaloo.
And to wrap up this little musical musing on birthdays past, I can't forget last year, when I woke up with the music in me. Unfortunately, the video is no longer available due to copyright claims, but what does remain from that post is my dear friend Marty, who found my blog after Googling the New Young Radicals, thus beginning a transatlantic, southern folk, meeting of the minds. Marty, thanks for all of your stories, comments, and advice. Keep fighting the good fight for justice and equality, which is so desperately needed in the world.
This one is for you my friend.
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Belated Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteYour mother, I believe, has a significant musical impact on you, just like myself. I think I told you once when we were in J14 or D21 that I love Shanghai pop because they are my cradle songs.
In Taiwan, we also call someone's birthday the day of his/her mother's suffering day, because umpteen years or decades ago mother delivered him/her with great physical pain.
On your birthday, in order to mark how much your mother has done for you musically in the past to make today's Dr Templeton, I would like to say Viva Mrs Templeton!
Having myself said there are no coincidences in life just pre arranged timing. This was never so apparent than with this incident with Inez..
ReplyDeleteThere's a quote i especially like by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
“Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body.”
If something is concerning to me and i think about it before going to sleep. When i wake i find that the lyrics of some obscure song running in my mind. A song i haven't heard for years is stuck in my head. Always the one thing consistent is the song says something to the problem i was considering while going to sleep.
So it was with a friend Terry Neal whom i had ran completely out of word of encouragement for my friend going threw Leukemia. Woke up singing the song Earthbound by Rodney Crowell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R6UH3k4ksg
Beautiful song. He married Johnny Cash's Daughter, Rosanne. Some of this song about her.
Sent him a itunes of it. To say it helped? he says it did more than i could know.
That same morning There was a message from an old soul certainly from many lives and adventured past i have no other reason for why. It was Inez. A message i had received on an Google search for New Radicals. The song "You Only Get What You Give" Appropatatly. She was talking about how she woke up with this song in her head.
There are far to many of these coincidences. De Ja Viox, timing, in my life to be explained with out having any significance. At my age there have been to many at the right time and place. I know better. There is a connection with each of these incidences / connections in life. My best and only explanation is. Were all sticks floating in the stream of conscience. We pass get stuck but drift in time endlessly. Occasionally you pass a soul you recognise with out knowing. One you know you passed before somewhere before. Often that soul appears when you need them the most. Past lives Past connections past times today that seem all to familiar to not be real.
I think it was Vonnegut that said. You did it. You have always done it. You will always do it. We always let you. We cannot prevent you from it. The moment is just structured that way. So true.
The souls we encounter in life are kinda like that.
Inez you are, Have always been, Will always be. You always let me be. It cannot be prevented. Life is just structured for you to be a friend throughout time.
I don't know Why.....Why is not as important as that you are. Coincidence or not.
WOW! Marty is Killer!!! Anywhoobe, great post, and Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI won't say belated, cause I can't be late for not knowing. :)
@Wei, thanks my dear!!! My mom will be really flattered when I send her your good wishes. You're absolutely right, too. She set me on my musical path and for that I will always be grateful.
ReplyDelete@Janice, thanks so much for continuing to stop by. Thanks also for the birthday greetings! And as far as Marty is concerned, you're right, the man is to be reckoned with.
@Marty, I'll get back to you later my friend.