In many ways it was quite spectacular, and yes I'm speaking on a very personal level here. Around the world, the suckiness factor threatened to go off of the proverbial charts, but I suspect that moving beyond the disasters and other mediated madness we were fed in 2009, there was a lot of quiet non-suckiness going on. People fell in love, got married, had babies, had more babies, finished school, started school, cooked, ate, made new friends, held on to old ones, got new jobs, kept old jobs, took walks, read books, wrote books, had sex, traveled far, traveled wide, and stayed their happy asses at home.
I have no complaints about the year that was. It was full of good times, good food, good friends, new love, and Moondog . . . to whom I was introduced by my new love. I've been given a lot of music by my new man, as he attempts to help us find some common ground between soulless computer-generated electro noise and ear-numbing guitar wailing rock.
With Moondog, he hit the jackpot.
So as I say goodbye to 2009 and throw my arms open to 2010, I'd like to feature my favorite Moondog track. Okay, it's not my absolute favorite, but somehow it fits for this year-end/year-begin phase. I consider these lyrics words to live by and am doing my best to do so.
Happy New Year Y'all. May it be full of all of the stuff that makes you joyful!!
Do Your Thing
Do your thing!
Be fancy-free to call the tune you sing.
Don't give up!
That's not the way to win a loving cup.
Do your best,
and opportunity will do the rest.
Don't give in!
Capitulation is the greatest sin.
Do what's right,
what's right for you, to do with all your might.
Don't regret!
What might have been, you might as well forget.
Stand your ground,
and while you're standing there, be duty-bound.
Learn to wait,
and while you're waiting, learn to concentrate.
Make amends!
All enemies I call potential friends,
Calm your fears,
and hope to cope at least a hundred years.
Make your mark!
If need be, even make it in the dark.
Mum's the word!
My sage advice, pretend you haven't heard.
I once spent an afternoon interviewing Moondog, and he died a couple of months later. He was a really intelligent, but incredibly eccentric old guy, and was really happy to be living in Germany, where they took him seriously. Ever heard his big orchestral stuff?
ReplyDeleteWow. That's nice to hear. Thanks Ed! I only have the German Years 1977-1999 two-disc collection. Since it's a compilation, there's a smattering there, but the second disc, for example, is more jazzy. I definitely want to expand my collection. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteWow. I need to talk with both of you about this guy. Only thing I knew was that he was living in Manhattan for a while. There is some amazing work done by sampling his stuff too... sorry, maybe I don't take him seriously either?
ReplyDelete@Ed Ward... any good stories about him? What an interesting character he was.