#and we both hate bob dylan

[theclowncowboy]

almost just burst into tears because im not his bestfriend .

[aheathen-conceivably]

Long before the last note Antoine had grown aware of Zelda’s presence; but as he finished, he looked up at her with a newfound vulnerability in his eyes. As she stared at him unmoving, he absentmindedly moved his hand along the strings to fill the quiet left by the watching stars, “Was it alright, you think? Writing lyrics, it’s new. Harder than assembling notes, if you ask me.”

She looked at him in amazed silence. His original piano pieces had been brilliant, and sometimes he had written ditties for her to sing, but never before had she heard him sing his own lyrics. She had always known how much he loved it - this place that he had left but that walked alongside him everywhere he went; but it was so much clearer this way, so full of both love and hate, loyalty and disdain, longing and relief, that it was difficult for anything other than music to encompass it. 

She brought her hands together in something that may have been a clap if she wasn’t so afraid to disrupt the stillness of the desert air. On silent footsteps, she left her reverie behind and moved to sit where he had made room for her on the worn wooden bench.

She looked at him earnestly, trying to ease his fear with even just the movement of her eyes, “It’s brilliant, Antoine, truly.” And she meant it, not just because she was under his spell and not her own now; the judgmental eyes of God and her sisters were shut out when she was in his orbit. Now there was only him and his memories for her to get lost in. 

He left his hands on the strings, still playing the familiar notes as though they helped make the admittance easier to utter, “You were right, you know? When I play it’s like I can see it all laid out in front of me. Or better yet, under me. Like I’m above it, observing it all like a story. Makes me realize I loved it more than I thought I did. That house. That place. Her. I wrote it because I know it’s gone now, probably nothing but rubble under a cheap government build. I just don’t want to forget. Or maybe I don’t want the world to forget.”

The stars looked down on them as his smile widened with every inch she drew closer to him. They reflected brightly in her eyes as she leveled them to his, “Would you sing it again? So I can hear it better?”

He let out a small laugh, just as much in relief as in humor. “Surely you would prefer to sing it? With a voice like yours I would hate to imagine what mine must sound like.”

She brought her knee up on the bench with them, curling as close as she could without dislodging the guitar from his arms. “Hush and sing. You don’t need me now.”

“I always will, Mrs. Duplanchier. No matter what. But as you wish….” 🎶

Part 3/3

(As Antoine is meant to have written House of the Rising Son in this universe, I’m going to leave a little disclaimer about this song and its origins under the cut, in case you are interested!)

The origins of the song House of the Rising Sun are much older and more complicated than I have presented here. Folklorist Alan Lomax has written more on it if you are interested, but it is commonly thought to have originated as an English folk song, morphing into the version we know today amongst various groups of American immigrants.

Perhaps best known for its 1964 version by The Animals, it has long formed a staple of American folk, blues, rock, and country recordings, with recorded versions by everyone from Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Doc Watson, Nina Simone, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Alt-J (amongst so many others). However, I have taken inspiration from the earliest known recorded version, which was done in Appalachia in 1933.

Of course, in having Antoine write this song I have compressed much of this history into a single figure, as well as slightly twisted the meaning of the song to fit the story line. The latter is mostly based on personal interpretation of the lyrics and is purposefully meant to draw a line from this family’s musical heritage through the 1960s and beyond. It also gives a face to the very real figures behind many of the staples of American music that have come to us from the early part of the 20th century, many of which were written or played by black men and women whose songs have continued onward while many of their names and stories may have been forgotten.

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

VHSCC OH MY GOD

(no spoilers)

Starkid nation, you aren't ready.

So let's start with the obvious. Look, I spent thirteen years growing up with Starkid. That initial Michigan gang are deeply special to me and I will always miss Dylan, Brian R., and Corey in any show they aren't in. And this one's no different. But just as Janaya came in and took over Belle from Britney so flawlessly, Curt, Brian, and AJ were all WONDERFUL in their new roles. The gentle-but-high-energy, truly decent, romantic himbo charm Curt brought to our Springsteen boy Jim (you all are going to LOVE Jim, I promise) perfectly offset the defiant, sneering anger of Young Scrooge in "That Scrooge." Brian's reactions (particularly to the "rather take my own life" line) were so funny and some of my favorite parts of the show. And AJ... this is now my favorite thing AJ has ever done. And that's saying something. The smaller casting shake-up moments (Joey as Fezziwig, other little line re-distributions) were so fun as well!

The new act 1 is PERFECTION. I was actually surprised by how absolutely hysterical it was? Like, I won't tell you what was up with that clip on Instagram of Brian, Lauren, and Joey doing a freak-out dance, but I can tell you that their whole Act 1 deal threatened to steal the show every. Single. Time. I already mentioned Curt as Jim, but you will also love Della, who is so funny and real and truly carries us through the start of the show (Janaya is a STAR and she Curt have brilliant chemistry). Ali did a terrific job of balancing the sadness and hope that are both at the center of the devastating little Match Girl. And Jamie's Grandma... well, honestly I have no idea how to talk about Jamie's song without giving stuff away.

But the real star of the show in Act 1, as he should be, was our man Clark. I can't emphasize enough how much he nailed the writing of this whole new act. I mentioned that the new stuff is hilarious, but it's also deeply heartfelt, and also sad exactly when it needs to be. Like, the transition after Jamie's song? I can't really talk about it yet, but what that moment does with emotion is unreal. And, as expected, every song is a banger! My one complaint about this show, and it IS a big one, is that there is no cast recording of the Act 1 songs. I want to listen to them all the time.

But the good news is, I CAN listen to Christmas Carol as much as I want! The classic that started it all is back, with so many people reprising the hell out of their truly iconic roles (God I love the VHS Cratchits), and better than ever. I traditionally hate change, and I love the version of VHSCC Live! we already have so much, but I think I somehow loved this version even more? The staging is alive and clever and there are some additions and changes, particularly in "Final Ghost"/"Christmas Day," that frankly blew my mind and somehow managed to elevate the material even further. I can't wait for the digital ticket to come out so that I can talk about them. To put it simply, James Tolbert mastered his Starkid directorial debut like you won't believe. I'm so proud of him and grateful for the larger role he's taken in Starkid since they moved base to LA.

Also, the Ghost of Christmas Past is extra unhinged this year? Jaime pulled out all of the impish stops and it was the BEST.

Basically, everyone more than delivered. I haven't talked about Meredith yet but she rocked it in the band and continued to validate the hell out of my opinion that "3 Spirits" is the dark horse best song in the show.

And a special shout-out to June Saito for continuing to be a costuming GENIUS. I always love her work and this production is no exception. I honestly wanted to give the return of the Bob Cratchit costume its own round of applause.

You know, the world is a mess and everything is pretty much terrible. It's been a hard year in an impossible decade. But every once in a while you come across some art that takes all of that, acknowledges the truth of it, and somehow pulls back the curtains to harness the joy and hope that's still there under the rubble. To me, Starkid in particular has always been about finding and holding onto the hope and the beauty and humanity that allows us to endure an existence that can so often feel bleak. And VHSCC is maybe the most perfect encapsulation of that idea.

So thank you Clark, James, Meredith, Brian, and everyone who worked so hard on this little bit of magic. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Let's make a little light.

[have-a-hiddles]

Papas' Favorite Music

I was trying to think of what the various Papas all like to listen to (besides their own music, of course). I'm taking into account what we know of their personalities, their ages, overall vibe, etc. Granted, Copia will probably be the most detailed since he is the one we know the most about thanks to the Chapters.

Primo: Dude is nearly a generation removed from his brothers. He was already a teenager in the sixties, so his taste skews towards the hippie movement. Although I doubt he was active in anti-war protests, I think he likely enjoyed the resulting music. Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Doors, Rolling Stones. Was dude at Woodstock? Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe... Strangely, he is NOT into Elvis at all. Not that he hates him or anything, but he will change the station if Elvis comes on the radio. Jailhouse Rock is the exception to this rule. Also really likes Johnny Cash and wishes to Satan and all of the Kings of Hell that his range was as deep as Johnny's. Modern music? Today's music often leaves him a bit empty since it's so mass-produced and lacks much complexity. There are some exceptions. Adele, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, even some Taylor Swift.

Secondo: Mister I Must Be Edgy himself, Secondo is one of those people who detests anything deemed "popular" by the masses. As such, he actively dislikes The Beatles, The BeeGees, the Monkees, etc. Any artist/band that had screaming teenagers after them, really. That being said, he did latch on to the burgeoning hard rock/metal genre. Aerosmith, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath. There were two main exceptions to his hatred of popular music: Queen and David Bowie. He's not entirely sure if it's because the music is actually that good, or if he just really wants to fuck David Bowie and/or Freddie Mercury. (He did both, by the way, although not at the same time, much to his regret.) Want to see him singing into a hairbrush like a teen girl? Play Under Pressure.

Terzo: He likes EVERYTHING. He doesn't give a shit what genre a song is from; if he likes it then he fucking likes it! Shakira? Yeah, his hips don't lie either, gorgeous. Backstreet Boys? Yes, please! Britney Spears? Hit HIM baby one more time! Taylor Swift? Well he was definitely trouble when he walked in. Dolly Parton? Jolene, Jolene, JOLENE, JO-LEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEE-EEEEEEEN! Opera? You can try to tear Marriage of Figaro from his white-gloved hands. Broadway? Homeboy will belt out Defying Gravity with the best of them. Disney? He will make you WEEP with his rendition of When You Wish Upon A Star. He even likes bands that constitute his "competition". Rammstein? JAWOHL. Nightwish? He will happily walk the Elvenpath. Random internet hits? He literally harassed Secondo with What Does the Fox Say? for three weeks when the song first came out. And Baby Shark. If a song spawns a meme, Terzo is all over that shit. And, yes, he has Rick-Rolled pretty much everyone at one point or another. Copia continues to fall for it. However, he LIKES that song, so the joke's on Terzo.

Copia: Speaking of Copia; much like Terzo, his tastes defy genres. He is very much into anything with a theatrical bend. Broadway and movie musicals are his bread and butter, including Disney/Dreamworks/etc soundtracks. He will put on entire one-man versions of shows to an audience consisting entirely of his pet rats. He ALMOST has that rap in Hamilton down. You know the one. There is a debate on whether taking Copia to Walt Disney World at any point would be a fantastic idea or a terrible one. Because he absolutely will sing at the top of his lungs the entire time and may frighten some small children. And yes, he absolutely has cried listening to Terzo sing When You Wish. With that as the foundation for his music tastes, he mostly likes music that tells a story or that has an accompanying music video that plays out a story of some kind. Think Meatloaf, Michael Jackson, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds To Mars, etc. That need for a story does spill over into his own music videos; Rats, Danse Macabre, Hunter's Moon, and Jesus He Knows Me. (I consider anything released after 2018 to be Copia's writing, with the exception of Mary On A Cross and Kiss the Go-Goat since they are Nihil's songs in-universe).

Fun Unrelated Fact: If my math is right, Primo is a baby boomer, albeit a young one. Meanwhile, the other three are thick into Gen X territory. Splains a lot, eh?

[romanarose]

Hey, I love your HCs of the Triple Frontier boys <3 I was thinking about what are some of their hobbies/interests and what kind of music they like to listen to. What do you think?

excellant question nonnie!!! I have LOTS of hc's, thanks for asking!!!

Santiago Garcia

We know Santi loves Metallica

And the sountrack to TF has Fleetwood Mac and Bob Dylan

I think Santi just loves music! He flies a lot so he spends time listening to full albums.

He doesn't have a lot of free time

Despite everyones teasing, he's not here to fuck pretty women. He's here to work.

Still, despite onl a few personal items he does have his guitar. Plays it a lot.

It does help with women

When he was a kid he thought he'd become a singer, he loves Vicente Ferdanez and Juan Gabriel

Alas, for a poor immigrant family Santi couldn't abandon them to persu wishy-washy dreams, he needed to work. Hence the military.

Still, it makes him happy when he sit and play guitar, watching people smile.

He learns songs from all his friends and families favorite bands.

William Miller

Will hates modern country.

Growing up in the yee haw south I think he hates what it's become

Was not upset when Tobey Keith died at all, think he ruined the genre in the post-9/11 nationalism

He enjoys thegrassroots rock movement (springsteen, melloncamp, petty) and the blues.

Him and Santiago both love Fleetwood Mac. It combines Santi's love of rock and Will's love of the blues.

Enjoys jazz but also classical music. He has more interest in the instruments than the lyrics of music anyway.

Him and Frankie both love love love Johnny Cash (who doesn't?)

Will loves suduko

He loves things that calm his mind.

Will likes sports, it was how him and Ben spent a lot of time on the farm.

To this day he likes going out to play ball with Ben. It helps Benny with his ADHD.

Benjamin Miller

Benny does not find tossing a ball around or playing basketball helps his ADHD at all

What he does find is that is helps Will's obbsessive obsessive worrying about him.

So, in that sense, Ben likes it because 1. it's fun and 2. it's a rare chance where he can help Will. Will doesn't let people help him much

Benny looooooves trash TV

The Bachelor, Love after Lockup, Love is Blind

He likes shows he doesn'thave to pay a whole lot of attentionto.

Not that Benny isn't smart bc I haaaaate when people act like he isn't.

But with his ADHD (which I hc he has) he tends to have a lot of things going at once. He's not going to be able to sit down and fully commit to something like The Handmaid's Tale.

Will go head to head on country music with Will and Frankie

he likes the bro country like Florida Goergia Line, Jason Aldean

No one ever accussed him of great taste, okay?

He's here for a good time, not a long time.

He doesn't like the racist or anti-lgbt artists and won't give them his money for concerts

But you can't fauly him for getting don to Red Solo Cup

Also loves classic hair metal (wore an AC/DC shirt most of the movie)

Francisco Morales

Frankie loves country music and grunge

His favorite Benny singing tho

Favorite is anything Chris Cornell and I'll stand by that!!!

Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, his solo work

Frankie is a busy man, but I like to think he likes lego's

He's an enginier, so you know he's a smart man. I bet he loves making lego sets come together

Frankie has very strong opinions on children's television.

Bubble Guppies > Paw Patrol

Hates Paw Patrol but his daughter likes Skye becuase she's a hellicopter/pilot dog so he allows it.

Loves being out in nature. He's trying ot instill a love of the outdoors in his daughter, but also loves pending time with the guy, or even by himself

When he's overwhelmed, Frankie likes to go for a walks in the woods.

Will fuck up a farmers market all DAY

Oddly enjoys mowing the lawn

My man is Hank Hill

"Why would anyone do drugs hen they could just mow their lawn."

Now that he's sober, he finds lawncare is a great way to distract himself while still being a present father. He can do that while his daughter plays.

******************

thank you so much for the ask!!!! i love chatting about my boys <3

[buck1eys]

steve's parents kick him out for missing his college application and refusing to do a day of hard work (i.e. struggling after being tortured and watching billy get his chest ripped out) and robin takes him in and this is a WONDER to steve... robin's family eat together EVERY NIGHT, weird things steve has never tried like tofu and dahl and chilli with no meat in it and talk about their days - after a week with the buckleys steve knows all about mrs buckley's energy healing and how mr buckley hates his job but loves his coworker who was there the concert dylan went electric, once steve has figured out dylan is bob dylan and bob dylan is sacred to the three of them, even if mrs buckley prefers joan baez as a singer, but even when they argue he can see how much they all genuinely LIKE each other. sure, he puts his foot in it a couple of times, complaining about the cold or finishing the milk without thinking, but they are endlessly patient with him and, and this is the bit steve can't get his head around, endlessly curious about him - who he listens to, how he met robin, what he thinks of ronald reagan and where would he live if he could live anywhere on earth, things steve had never bothered to ask himself, and so at first he's tongue tied, offering to do the dishes and hang the laundry just so he feels he has something to offer because he can hardly keep up with them, three robins with thoughts spiralling off in all directions, and they do seem to appreciate it, because though steve would never ever say it and hates himself for even thinking it, their house is the messiest house he's ever been in. they go along like this quite happily, steve gets a job and starts paying rent and driving mrs buckley to dollar tree and driving robin round the bend as his sense of humour comes back to him, until one day steve decides he's gonna do something nice, partly out of gratitude and partly because it's his day off and if he doesn't do something, anything, to stop the thoughts of last summer and the look on his mother's face as his dad threw his duffel bag out the door after him he thinks he might fall apart, so he sets about deep cleaning the kitchen. he gets into it, bleaching the skirting boards and organising the spice rack (they have a SPICE RACK) and he even puts a record on for company - the beach boys - and it's all going so well until he starts on the fridge, until the sudden noise of the key in the lock makes him jump in sudden panic and drop the glass pane he's cleaning, which shatters on the floor. and steve's stood among all this broken glass he knows the buckleys can't afford to replace as robin and her mom burst into the kitchen, and oh god, his chest is tightening and his eyes are burning and he tries to speak to say sorry, i'm sorry but all that comes out is a gasp and he's on the floor among the glass having a panic attack, pathetic, pathetic, but then there's a hand on his shoulder and a laugh as robin says "you've got that one right Harrington, that fridge was pretty pathetic". Steve looks up at her, so grateful to have a friend like robin, but nothing prepares him for robin's mom, who crouches down in front of him and rests her hands on both his kneecaps and tells him to breathe, breathe Steve, we can fix the fridge, it's you that's irreplaceable.

[foxes-that-run]

Betty

Betty was written with William Bowery. In the credits, Joe is a producer. In the Long Pond Session, Taylor said James and Betty wind up together, but he really put her through it. In the Eras Tour Taylor introduces Betty, (Transcribed Betty Speeches) likening it to HYGTG. She says it is about a teenage boy trying to apologise to the love of his life:

There are songs with a high school metaphor (Betty, August, INTHAF, MA&HBP & Suburban Legends) that have Haylor references. The metaphor of 17 year old James for late teen HS and Betty for Taylor is clearer. To me, I think Augustine is loosely based on Kendall Jenner, but Taylor has also shown she identifies with this role also.

To Vulture Aaron said:

This one Taylor and William wrote, and then both Jack and I worked on it. We all kind of passed it around. This is the one where Taylor wanted a reference. She wanted it to have an early Bob Dylan, sort of a Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

It's unusual for Taylor to have a direct throw back musical reference like that play such a role in the song. This may be William Bowery's influence, Taylor said that William Bowery played her a lot of diverse music. Harry Styles has a similar approach.

Lyrics

Betty, I won't make assumptions About why you switched your homeroom but I think it's 'cause of me Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard When I passed your house It's like I couldn't breathe

The opening reminds me of Wish you Would & Style with him passing her house, now on a skateboard rather than Range Rover. (cute video of Taylor recording the skateboard)

Harry has Asthma and uses oxygen on stage. This last line also reminds me of his anxiety, which Taylor has referred to in New Years Day (squeeze my hand in the backseat of the taxi) and Now that we don't talk ( Did you get anxious though On the way home?)

You heard the rumors from Inez You can't believe a word she says Most times, but this time it was true The worst thing that I ever did Was what I did to you

It's well known that James, Inez and Betty are Blake and Ryan's kids. I always wonder how Inez will feel about this line when she's older.

Here I think her name is standing in for the media, specifically I think of Perez Hilton which was a bigger thing in 2012. This is a call back to when Harry kissed a girl in Australia in April 2012.

The worst thing line is a reference to Where do broken hearts go's line "Counted all my mistakes and there's only one / Standing out from the list of the things I've done / All the rest of my crimes don't come close / To the look on your face when I let you go"

[Chorus] But if I just showed up at your party Would you have me? Would you want me? Would you tell me to go fuck myself? Or lead me to the garden? In the garden would you trust me If I told you it was just a summer thing? I'm only 17, I don't know anything But I know I miss you

In the Long Pond Sessions, Taylor said 'William Bowery' wrote this whole chorus. It includes references to a number of songs about Harry and Taylor's relationship:

HYGTG "Stand there like a ghost / Shaking come the rain, rain / She'll open up the door / And say, are you insane, -ane?"

Cruel Summer "And I snuck in through the garden gate every night that summer just to seal my fate"

Style: " I heard / That you've been out and about with some other girl, some other girl" / He says, "What you heard is true, but I Can't stop thinkin' 'bout you and I" / I said, "I've been there too a few times"

To be so Lonely: "Don't blame me for falling / I was just a little boy Don’t blame the drunk caller / Wasn't ready for it all" and "You said you cared / And you missed me, too"

Betty, I know where it all went wrong Your favorite song was playing From the far side of the gym I was nowhere to be found I hate the crowds, you know that Plus, I saw you dance with him

Suburban Legends "“I am standin’ in a 1950s gymnasium” in Suburban Legends and here Taylor is using a metaphor for a prom or school dance for an event. In Suburban Legends she is proud to be with him, here they are using it as a reason to escape together.

Wildest Dreams "He said, "Let's get out of this town / Drive out of the city, away from the crowds"" and who could blame either of them. I Know Places is also all about the avoiding crowds

The seeing Betty dance with someone else reminds us of Exile (I can see you standing, honey / With his arms around your body), Woman ("While he’s touching your skin He’s right where I should, where I should be") and To be So Lonely "Do you think it's easy being of the jealous kind?"

I was walking home on broken cobblestones Just thinking of you when she pulled up like A figment of my worst intentions She said "James, get in, let's drive" Those days turned into nights Slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long

Cobblestones links it to Cardigan, and indicates it is set in London or New York.

I love 'figment of my worst intentions' for temptation, in Style she sings of him being with someone else and thinking of TS.

Betty, I'm here on your doorstep And I planned it out for weeks now But it's finally sinkin' in Betty, right now is the last time I can dream about what happens when You see my face again The only thing I wanna do Is make it up to you So I showed up at your party

This verse is similar to HYGTG, Wish You Would and The Last Time.

Also this is similar to the leaked Half the World Away "I messed up, you'll be fine / I'm gonna sleep alone tonight / Never gonna be the same"

Yeah, I showed up at your party Yeah, I showed up at your party Will you have me? Will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch In front of all your stupid friends? If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? Will it patch your broken wings? I'm only 17, I don't know anything But I know I miss you

The stupid friends like reminds me of Suburban Legends "I had the fantasy that maybe our mismatched star signs / Would surprise the whole school / When I ended up back at our class reunion/ Walkin' in with you" They are both expressing wanting HS and TS to be showing off their relationship, which they kept private.

Standing in your cardigan Kissin' in my car again Stopped at a streetlight You know I miss you

Kissing in cars matches Cardigan "To kiss in cars and downtown bars was all we needed" and also matches the many references to driving.

If I could fly "I'm missing half of me when we're apart"

TBSL "You said you cared / And you missed me, too"

[simsthesammyway]

Inspiration!!

I give credit to @moonravensims for this particular legacy.

I call this the Legacy Where I Actually Play Ravenwood. :o LOL Joke, I call this the Larkin Legacy. And I know that I was going to get back into TS2 and TS3 but holy jeez, TS4 is soooo fun!!

Here we go!

I gave her a random first name, but I kind of chose the surname based off of it being a favorite surname...

To me, she looks like a living doll with that face and that hair do?

I don't know about you, but macabre sims kind of freak me out... it's just the way they hold themselves I guess???

Cataleya (or Cat if you will) loves the Moggy Manor (?) In Brit a moggy is a cat so... idk.

What do you know! It is Ekade from my other legacy lol!!!

I had to add that, love Bob Dylan 🩶🩶🩶🩶

Did I mention how much I hate Brytani Cho?? 💯💯💯💯💯

Nothing says "I'm into you." like a guitar shoved into your chest cavity! 🤘😅

🤪

Someone got wasted tonight.

Who the eff knew that these two who previously were at the bar together, would hit it off as great as they do?? 🫨😲🤯

Embracing the Gloom!

THEY FUCKING DID IT IN A CRYPT!! I am soooooooo jealous!!!!! I want to have sex in a crypt/cemetery!!! (I'm a weird weird biche I know.)

That's it! I want a wedding in a cemetery too!!

Cat talks to a dude named Warez, I'm guessing he was robbed and left to die. o_O

I love ravens/crows. I fucking belong in this ep.

Sexy Mitch Larkin!

Is it just me, or does the mac and cheese in TS3 look more realistic than both TS2 and TS4?

I am so shipping these two. 🩶🩶🩶

Next time,

Cat and Mitch get jobs, and they hire a nanny.

Baby Larkin is born!

idk what else.. lol

Tell me what y'all think!!

Sammy

[mad-prophet-of-the-airwaves]

In preparation for "A Complete Unknown" I watched "Dont Look Back" and I have some thoughts.

It's very interesting to me that, despite being the earliest rockumentary, it feels like an intentional deconstruction of the genre.

In general, I hate rockumentaries. It doesn't matter which artist it's following, I absolutely hate the self-aggrandizing, egotistical concept of the entire genre, but Bob Dylan's "Dont Look Back" is one I have a huge soft spot for.

It's perhaps the most unflattering portrait of any artist I've ever seen.

It's baffling that Dylan would allow the film to be released when he's at his absolute worst. He's petty, rude, vindictive, pretentious and suffering from an extreme God complex.

He's a hard hero to root for, but we're constantly assured through both first-hand accounts that he's a genius, but we never really get to see that. Sure, his musical performances in the film are terrific, but who talks about those? Think about the movie for a minute: what are some of the iconic scenes from the movie? I bet most of you thought of scenes where Dylan harasses the teenage reporter or throws a fit over a missing glass if you didn't think of "Subterranean Homesick Blues", but even that performance, as iconic as it is, is famous for being completely detached. Dylan doesn't even seem to care enough to show the lyric cards in time to the music most of the time.

By its end, Dylan himself doesn't even seem sure of his relevance as a celebrity. That final scene where he seems to begrudgingly accept his status as an "anarchist" feels like a particularly bitter jab towards the entire genre that came after it.

All of this genuinely feels satirical. It's clear that D.A. Pennrbaker saw Dylan for who he was at the time, but I feel how ahead of the curve his portrayal of the superficiality of celebrity is very understated.

It's a brilliant movie without a doubt. I haven't seen a music documentary that I've liked this much before.

[therecordchanger62279]

BEEN THERE, SAW THEM

For somebody that spent most of his working life in the retail record business, and whose passion has always been music, I was never an avid concert-goer. I never liked the long drives to and from. I hated shows where I had a seat but was forced to stand all evening because everyone else did. I hated the excess smoke - when that was still permitted. I often seemed to get seats behind someone who stood all evening, or was a head taller than me when seated. The volume was a problem, too as I suffered some hearing loss at a Springsteen concert in 1978, via some Steve Van Zandt guitar feedback that was actually painful, and caused me to cover my ears. I was in the last row of Vets Arena in Columbus, Ohio. If I'd been front row, I'd probably be deaf now. I hated the exits after the concerts, too. It took more time to leave the Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio after The Rolling Stones show I saw there in 1989 than it did to watch the show.

My aversion to concerts became legendary, and I used to get needled all the time about it by the people I worked with at record shops. Eventually, I got tired of it, and lied about attending shows I never saw (a Joe Henderson show at a high school auditorium in Lima, Ohio, and a Neil Young show with Sonic Youth opening on the Ragged Glory tour - in Cincinnati, if memory serves). I saw my last live show in 2014. I wouldn't even remember that date except that I had a notion of trying to compile a master list of every concert I've seen since my first one in August of 1975. By my count, and to the best of my recollection, I saw more than 40 concerts over a 39 year span. That's one concert a year. And given that I grew up in a small town where nobody ever played, and never lived anywhere bigger than Toledo or Dayton, Ohio, I don't think that's too bad.

I could've been to many, many more. For years I had access to free concert tickets through my record retailing connections, but since the people who worked for me made less money, and were more into live shows than I was, I used up my favors to score tickets for them when I could. I was content to buy live albums, and experience the shows from the comfort of my recliner.

In any case, I've compiled the complete list - at least everything I can remember - including the opening act(s) if there were any. If there was something worth noting about the show, I've made comments after the entry.

Beach Boys / Ambrosia. 8/21/75 Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio. My first concert. We had floor tickets, so I stood the entire time. Great sets from both bands, but this was still before Brian Wilson had rejoined for live shows. That was my only real disappointment.

Buddy Rich Orchestra. Lima Senior High Auditorium, Lima, Ohio 1977. I went with my mother. I was still living at home, going to college, and just beginning to really explore Jazz. I knew Rich from The Tonight Show. It was a terrific experience.

Bruce Springsteen. Vets, Columbus, Ohio 9/5/78. The night of the hearing loss. But it's still one of the three or four best shows I ever saw. I also saw him in Cincinnati, Ohio at Riverfront Coliseum in July '84 on the Born In The U.S.A. tour. Still great, but not on a level with that '78 show.

Bob Dylan. Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio 10/22/78. Also Riverbend Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio 8/10/89, Hara Arena 11/2/2002, and Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio 8/5/11. The '78 show was mindblowing. The '89 show was one of those nights when the sound was bad, and you couldn't recognize the songs unless you happened to catch a familiar lyric. Awful. The last two were quite good, though.

Elvis Costello / The Rubinoos. The Agora, Columbus, Ohio 3/15/79. The Rubinoos were great. Costello wasn't. He played all of 45 minutes. Left without ever saying a word to the audience. No encore - not that anyone minded. Later that night, he and his band got into an altercation with Stephen Stills and his band at a Holiday Inn Bar in Columbus that made national headlines when Costello uttered a racial slur at Ray Charles. I was a huge Costello fan before the show, but after - not so much. I swore I'd never see him live again, and I never did.

Crosby, Stills & Nash. Toledo, Ohio 11/9/82. I was nervous about this one because I knew they had a reputation for sometimes being awful in concert. We got lucky. They were incredible. They were so good that Nash even made a comment about it from the stage. One of the best live performances I've ever seen.

Weather Report. Ann Arbor, Michigan 1983. Some other managers at the mall where I worked in Toledo took me to this. I loved the band, and I've been forever grateful to them for inviting me.

Yes. Indianapolis, 4/12/84. I went with some people I worked with. I drove. This was the 90125 tour. The show was fantastic. But one of my pals knew the band. She co-published the Relayer fanzine, and had actually interviewed band members. She took us to the backstage area afterwards promising to get us in to meet the band. But the bouncers gave her, and another female co-worker access, but denied me, and two of my male friends. We were waiting around for them to come out when some bouncers approached us, and told us to leave. We told them our friends were inside, but they couldn't have cared less, and threatened to remove us bodily if we didn't leave. So, we went to the car where we sat for more than two hours waiting for our pals to return. When they finally did, they breathlessly told us they'd been invited to join them at a party at the hotel. They claimed again that they would get us in. But I was skeptical for obvious reasons. Besides, it was now past 1 a.m., and we still had a 90 minute drive home, and I was opening the store in the morning. We argued for probably 20 minutes, and put it to a vote. It was two in favor, and two against, and one abstention. But it was my car. So we left. I was very unpopular for a long time after that (actually, I've never been very popular anyway), but given the same circumstances at another time, I'd have done the same thing. Fortunately the Yes show I saw at Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio 5/4/91 was a better show, and a far better experience.

Pat Metheny Group. Memorial Hall, Dayton, Ohio 7/18/85. Ohio Theatre, Columbus Ohio 11/22/87. One of only a few acts I've seen more than once. Fantastic - both shows.

Stevie Ray Vaughan / Johnny Copeland. Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio 1985. Incredible show.

Pretenders / Iggy Pop. Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio 3/24/87. Great show all around.

Billy Idol / The Cult. Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio 4/21/87. I could only score one ticket to see this show. I only wanted to see The Cult, and one of my co-workers was dying to see Billy Idol. He was closing the store that night just up the street from the venue. Since The Cult opened, I went to see them, and during intermission, I went back to the store, gave my ticket stub to my buddy, closed the store for him, and told him to go to the venue, and pretend he'd gone outside during intermission for a smoke. He presented my stub, and got in to see Billy idol. Win win!

Heart. Riverbend Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio 7/87. Courtesy a Capitol Records rep, and it included a ride in a Steamboat down the Ohio river to the venue. Heart was great!

R.E.M. / 10,000 Maniacs. Vets, Columbus, Ohio 10/24/87. Really fine show. I went with a co-worker and her boyfriend. He drove, and had one hand on the wheel, and with the other changed the radio stations constantly all the way there and back. He was wound far too tight for my liking.

Pink Floyd. Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio 5/28/88. History says this was the first ever concert at the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes. What I remember was the spectacle itself. It was the first big budget production I'd ever seen, and it was something extraordinary.

Dio / Megadeth / Savatage. Hara Arena 8/2/88. I was dragged kicking and screaming to this show. I liked Dio's records, but I had no desire to see him or the openers at all. But I gave in. Savatage and Megadeth were so loud, I stayed in the lobby and girl-watched. Dio, I'll admit was really great.

The Rolling Stones. Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio 9/14/89. The Steel Wheels Tour. My only Stones show, but it was incredible. I watched Charlie most of the night, and Ronnie played his ass off.

Tina Turner. Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio 8/25/90. She was everything you'd expect of a living legend.

Gordon Lightfoot. Memorial Hall, Dayton, Ohio 4/91. Lightfoot and his band were terrific, but we had balcony seats, and the chairs were the smallest, hardest, and most uncomfortable I've ever experienced. I remember getting up three or four times during the show, and standing in the aisle to alleviate the discomfort.

Don Henley / Susanna Hoffs. Riverbend Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio. 7/23/91. The Columbia rep knew what a huge Hoffs fan I was, so he provided the ticket. We had a meet and greet with Hoffs after, and I got autographs, and a picture someone else took for me that I never received. Hoffs killed, and Henley was good, too.

Neil Young. Nutter Center, Fairborn, Ohio 9/11/92. Completely solo show, and a great one from start to finish.

Roseanne Cash / Lyle Lovett. Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio 1994 (I believe). Couldn't track down the exact date for this, or find my ticket stub. But I recall it was when Lovett was having a romance, and short marriage to Julia Roberts, and he was in the news so much he'd decided to have some fun with it. So he had a roadie put a wig and a dress on to introduce him each night. When the roadie walked out, he was indeed mistaken for Julia Roberts. The gasps, and whispers were quickly drowned out by laughter when we realized the ruse. Great night all around.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio 8/30/95. A dream come true for me. They were great. It was the only time I got to see them.

James Taylor. Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio 7/9/97. Another artist who lived up to his legend.

Guided By Voices. Gilly's, Dayton, Ohio 1/99. There was GBV fever at the shop I worked in at the time. I thought the show was good musically, but Bob Pollard's constant beer swilling throughout the set got on my nerves after awhile, and my wife was none too fond of that performance either. We left early, and I never again listened much to them. In fact, a couple of years later, I sold all my albums, and 45s of the band to a shop, and kept only a couple of homemade cassettes.

Black Sabbath / Pantera / The Deftones. Nutter Center, Fairborn, Ohio. 2/99. There's an account of this rather memorable night on this very blog under the title Me and Dime (May '23). I even submitted an account of the show to Record Collector for their 'Memorable Concert' feature from fans that runs in their letters section. They never responded to the submission, and to date, have never published it. That's why I have a blog.

B.B. King / Boz Scaggs / Bobby "Blue" Bland. Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio, 6/19/99. Three legends for one price. Great, great night.

Emmylou Harris / Shawn Colvin. Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio 8/25/01. We sat outside in a torrential downpour all evening. But Emmylou and Shawn were so good, we didn't care.

Black Crowes / Beachwood Sparks. Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio 10/10/01. Just a month after 9/11 which Chris Robinson referenced from the stage. Very good night, and seeing Beachwood Sparks was a bonus for me. I was one of the few in the crowd who knew them, and had their record at the time.

Sheryl Crow. Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio 7/03. I had wanted to see this, but it sold out so fast I couldn't get a ticket - until a customer walked into the shop that afternoon and offered the ticket to any of us who wanted to go. I snatched it up, and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want to see it, too, the entire thing was filmed, and released on a DVD titled C'mon America.

Leon Russell. Gilly's, Dayton, Ohio 1/3/2004. Leon completely solo at a bank of keyboards in a small club. Much as I'd liked to have seen him with his big band in the 1970s during his heyday, there was some magic on this night that I'll never forget.

Rock 'N' Blues Fest with Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, and Kim Simonds of Savoy Brown. Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio. 2012. My disappointment at hearing that the great Leslie West had to drop out due to health issues at the last minute was somewhat mitigated by the opportunity to see the others. I'd been a fan of each since the 1970s. Edgar stole the show. But it was poignant seeing Johnny since he passed away less than 2 years later. And Rick and Kim still had it all these years later.

Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band. Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio. 7/14. To date, this was my last concert, and I don't expect there will be any more - unless someone wants to provide a free ticket and transportation to see Yuja Wang, or Taylor Swift somewhere. I'd leave the recliner to see either. Everyone else has passed away or retired, or isn't worth seeing at this late date. So, after 40 years, I finally saw a Beatle live, and the bonus for me was also finally getting to see another legend - Todd Rundgren. Ringo does not disappoint. A good one to go out on.

Appendix (courtesy my wife): When you're married, sometimes you make sacrifices. My wife wanted to see Neil Diamond at Nutter center in Fairborn in November of 2001. I accompanied her because I'll confess an affection for his early hits - several of which he played, and played well. My wife also wanted to see John Tesh - twice. We went - twice. It was sometime in the 90s. I wasn't a fan of his music, but the shows were professional, and the crowd, and my wife very much enjoyed them. And, finally, she wanted me to take her to see Josh Groban, again at The Fraze in Kettering, Ohio. The date is foggy, but it was sometime between 2005 and 2010. And though I am not a fan of his music, the show was impressive, and there's no denying he has one of the great voices in recent pop history. He's also a very engaging, and likable sort who is great with audiences.

Appendix II (courtesy my wife): She also tells me I bought tickets and took her to a Jim Brickman concert (New Age pianist who recorded for the Windham Hill label) at Memorial Hall in Dayton, Ohio some time in the early 90s. I have almost no recollection of any of it, although it seems like something I would've done, and I do remember she had a couple of his CDs.

[a300lbman]

Six Decibels of Separation: The Big Lebowski Soundtrack

I can toe-tally understand the cult mentality of The Big Lebowski, a movie that can be both adored and completely overlooked by so many people. “You want a toe? I can get you a toe. Believe me. There are ways, dude. You don’t want to know about it.  Believe me. Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o’clock this afternoon.... with nail polish.”

Forget about the fucking toe. This movie is one of my favorites and I am slowly realizing that I have probably already written a fanboy piece about this movie. This is probably due to the fact that I drink when I watch this movie and I write when I drink. This is like a G-rated Burroughs scenario and I am down for a time. 

For the sake of argument, I would like to focus on the music in the movie. It is in this comfy space that I think we might all find some common ground. 

Lets start out with some Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lookin Out My Back Door, a classic song, but if you only have a minute and you want something to laugh at, the video above will check those boxes. 

Being a huge fan of Santana, I always enjoy the musical backdrop to the punch line of an amazing joke in the movie. If you haven’t seen it, the smashed out windshield and Jeff Bridges visual frustration aren’t nearly as comical, but this loop of the guys riding to Oye Como Va cracks me up every time!

Nobody fucks with tha jesus. You know this or you don’t, but if you’ve seen The Big Lebowski, you know that given his pedo backstory, tha jesus might not be someone you want to fuck with. In either case, I’d like the share an anecdote from my youth. To properly date myself, I had asked a friend to burn a CD for me and I asked that he put Hotel California on there for me. I ended up getting the cut by the Gypsy Kings and while I might have been pissed at first, I have come to love this version more than any other... 

https://youtu.be/61NJnUL7Fcs

Arguably the intro song would have been the poetic beginning, or even end, to this foray into Musical Lebowskianism, but do you see what happens? Do you see what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass? The Man in Me is not an appropriate answer to this question, but it does make sweet ear candy for the lazy malaise of the film. Bob Dylan was a chameleon and this song is but one example.  

It is important to respect the classics. While I won’t pretend to have known the song made famous by the Sons of the Pioneers, Tumbling Tumbleweeds has a soothing nature about it and I’m here for it. Add to it Sam Elliot’s baritone twang and you’ve got the setup for an epic movie indeed.  

Impossible it would be to talk about classics and not mention Requiem in D Minor, a song you’ve heard a thousand times and might not know the name. After you rewatch this movie, or based on this musical journey decide to watch for the first time, do yourself a favor and grab a book off the shelf, loop this song and shock yourself at how much better you read with this music in the background. Say what you want, but you’ll feel like a genius. For those looking only for a tune and a laugh, click to watch the scene below and enjoy The Dude’s ability to say ‘fuck it’ better than anyone (sorry I can’t post the video directly, evidently you can only post five video’s per post... probably should have learned that by now). 

The Big Lebowski (clip 10) "What makes a man, Mr. Lebowski?"

Well I hope you enjoyed your journey through the musical folly and forte of the soundtrack to the cult classic Coen Brothers film, The Big Lebowski. I would highly recommend it, whether it stands the test of time or not, but at the very least I hope you come to appreciate the soundtrack.

“Look, I had a rough night and I hate the fuckin Eagles, Man.” 

[beautifulcinephile]

10 Songs To Know Me Better

I've made this tag myself in the past, but I decided to update it because I don't listen to some of the songs included in there. The rules are: List 10 songs and how you got into them. 1. Orinoco Flow - Enya: When I was a kid, I used to have ballet classes and my ballet teacher had an Enya CD with this song. I was always hypnotized by this song, then one day I asked my teacher what was its name and who sang it. She told me it was Enya, but didn't tell me the name of the song. One day, when I was at my dad's house, my sister found it, and we both listened to it together. I smiled gleefully and to this day, I cherish this song a lot.

2. Stop Crying Your Heart Out - Another one from my childhood. Back then, my sister had a VHS tape with music videos she recorded from MTV and this was one of them. As a kid, I loved the music video, even though I was too young to understand it and when I understood it, years later, my heart felt crushed because I realized the protagonist died. But if I see someone striking a match, or even myself striking a match, I will automatically get reminded of the music video.

3. Whenever, Wherever - Shakira: OH, GOSH, THIS ONE! I think it's time for me to finally reveal the reason why I like this song. When I was a kid, for some reason, I started having recurring dreams that I was watching the music video, right at the beginning when Shakira comes out of the water and kneels on that rock. I downloaded the music video (It took days because, keep in mind, it was 2006, the Internet was slower back then and a download of a music video took days and not seconds as it is today), watched it, thought it was awesome at the time, now I know that it has aged kinda badly. I still love it, though.

Then, I started doing AI arts of Timothée Chalamet reenacting the music video because I thought: "Why not? He's in the desert, shirtless, barefoot, I need this. There are no barefoot pictures of him at the moment, so why not make ones?" And the song ended up helping me during one of the most stressful moments of 2022. I even have some memories of the real Timmy (to differentiate him from the AI-generated version of him) with this song involved, which are when I watched him at LFF and the "Bones and All" premiere in Milan.

4. The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats: I think I've never talked about this song before, it's one of my favorites. Well, I listened to this song in 2015, and my crush on Mark Hamill came back in full force because of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and there was a video of him in which this song played. It comforted me during a dark time in my life, which was ending. Listening to this song makes me feel like a 17 year-old which was coming out of a dark place to one of happiness again.

5. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan: Compared to the others, this song is quite recent and I feel it represents my early 20s quite well. I started listening to it in late 2020, but it was in 2021 that this song came into my life. I was going through another dark moment in my life, luckily this one only lasted for a month as far as I remember. Bob Dylan's songs helped me through this moment, and "Like a Rolling Stone" was the song of his that I was really hooked into.

I remember one day that I was searching for an apartment because I was still in the process of moving, and this was the song that I was listening to the most during that day. Despite its dark lyrics, this song for some reason gives me a feeling of comfort, the same goes for "Positively 4th Street".

6. Shape of My Heart - Backstreet Boys: If I told you that I used to hate this song, would you believe it? Yes, I used to hate this song in my childhood, but somehow I kinda liked the music video. It was only when I was 15 years old that I took a liking to this song and the music video, I remember listening to this song on road trips.

But I only started loving this song after I had a dream that Timothée Chalamet and I were recreating the music video, more precisely, at the 2:43 mark of the song. I was wearing a gray shirt and blue denim, Timmy wore a black tank top and black pants, and he was barefoot, and during this part, I stroked his hair while the camera panned down on his bare feet (A dream in which I would never like to wake up from. A barefoot Timothée Chalamet with a blue tint, clad in black? IT WAS MY AWESOMEST DREAM EVER!) and everytime I listen to this song, I remember the dream and there's even fanfiction inspired by it (Thank you, @timottea!)

7. Safari Song - Greta Van Fleet: February 2019 marked when I listened to this song for the first time. This is the song that made me a Greta Van Fleet fan. I remember the countless times when I walked through college listening to that song while going to my classroom, or just hanging out during break time, or when I was ready to go home after classes. Nowadays I don't listen to Greta Van Fleet that much like I used to, but this song will always have a special place in my heart.

8. Paul's Dream - Hans Zimmer: I don't remember when I listened to this song for the first time, but I do remember lots of good moments with it, such as listening to it on my dad's car, so I could feel the bass kicking in and I closed my eyes in utter joy while listening to this song. And when my dad and I went to watch "Dune" in the theaters, we sang this song because we were completely in awe with the movie. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SONG.

9. Commuter Love - The Divine Comedy: I’ve only heard about this band because Neil Hannon will compose the songs for "Wonka" and I wanted to have a glimpse of what the soundtrack would sound like. When I listened to this song, I was immediately transported to a black-and-white music video set on a subway which is all about that person we see on the subway, have a slight crush on, and then we never see this person again (I had this experience, so I know how it is) and I consider this song to be one of the best of theirs.

10. Visions of Gideon - Sufjan Stevens: Well, I really love this song. It obviously reminds me of "Call Me By Your Name" and I remember that I was listening to it during a stormy night (Not rainy night. Stormy night. There were lightning bolts everywhere.) Initially I was scared, but I was listening to that song and thinking about Timmy, so I comforted myself and went home safely.

Tagging: @softhecreator @cocoamoonmalfoy @whole-other-layer

[loplainlointhemorning]

i hate when my parents are like "did kurt cobain study commercial music....did bob dylan study commercial music...did lou reed study commercial music...." because it doesn't matter. those are one in a million chance artists. firstly, the programs i'm interested in didn't develop until after a lot of those artists had already surpassed their prime or died, secondly, one in a million. as a musician, that's all you ever hear. you just have to be good enough, you just have to be special. that's a lie. you have to know the right people and get lucky and bust ur ass. that's the formula. if you break it down and take away the glow of celebrity and the romance of history and try to really find out how people became both brilliant and successful, it's trial and error and continuing to work and meeting the right people. it's very much a people game, even in local music. you get what you get because of who you know. race, sexuality, and gender all influence these things. only men have been held up to me as symbols of people who "didn't have to"- that's because the commercial music industry is extremely sexist and they didn't have to because it wasn't required, especially decades ago. it's also agitating because it very much is a business, and i don't want it to be, but it is, and part of that is finding a community who can support you and get you where you desire to be in the world. aside from luck, which has never been my friend, the best way i can see to do it is to take it to an environment where i can really study it and get to know people who understand that i'm there to WORK, not be buddy-buddy. we have a mutual agreement already. it's not just sitting around in a garage hoping everybody shows up again next week. for me i truly feel like it's time to move beyond the local level and the "hehe i wanna be this when i grow up" and truly figure out what's expected of me and how to get there. even if it takes forever.

[gimmeshelter]

the one musician my mum irrationally hates is bob dylan she'll concede he's a genius songwriter and she (begrudgingly) loves desire but apart from that she hates him whenever i mention someone famous who follows through their political convictions or is faithful to their partner or can sing or whatever she'll say unlike SOMEONE we both know. i find it hilarious

[mo0n-water]

hello! sorry, my day yesterday wasn’t the best so i just gave up when it deleted itself but i’m trying again today! also, that grammar mistake when i said ‘do’ instead of ‘did’ is literally painful to look at, i’m sorry.

also hello to your friend, she sounds like a great person :)

i love finding comfort in art. it’s a feeling like no other when you are reading a book written in the 19th century or a poem from the 18th century or looking at a painting from the 16th century and it understands you more than your close friends or even yourself. there’s a line in a bob dylan song: ‘then she opened up a book of poems, and handed it to me, written by an italian poet from the 13th century. and every one of them words rang true and glowed like burning coal, pouring off of every page like it was written in my soul”, i think that describes it perfectly.

life would be boring without a healthy dose of unnecessary personification.

i completely get what you are saying with the photo, i have this photo on my phone of a clearing in the woods which is quite blurry and unremarkable to the untrained eye but it’s from the first date i ever went on. i tried to take a photo of the girl i was with but she moved out of the way and i didn’t see her again in person for months and so all i had to remember being together by was a photo of some trees and the forest floor. though i’m not on speaking terms with her anymore, i can’t bear to delete the photo because it represents a whole era of my life and as much as i’d love to forget her, i think i’d hate it if i did.

i’ve never told anyone that before, woah.

I LOVE CLEOPATRA SO MUCH. it’s such a nostalgic song.

your lyric… i wish i could hear how it was sung. the best kind of music is when you can tell that it was written by someone who felt the words they spoke and that there’s a story hidden behind every line. i think it’s special that only you will ever truly understand what your songs mean.

i think whenever anyone asks me this question my first thought will always be this stupid innocent fantasy i’ve had since early childhood of time stopping and everyone i love and have ever loved coming together and just getting to be in their presence, peacefully and without expectation. i want to dance and hug and cry and be who i am when i’m alone with them.

but more realistically, i really really want someone to give me an annotated copy of their favourite book. i’d think i’d marry anyone who did that for me.

i like being anonymous because i feel like there’s less pressure and i can ask questions i wouldn’t normally ask. i also enjoy that we both know these tiny things about each other but none of the things you’d normally know about someone you’ve had multiple ‘conversations’ with.

my favourite lyric is, like, the whole of suzanne by leonard cohen but specifically: ‘and you know that she’s half crazy/but that’s why you want to be there/and she feeds you tea and oranges/that come all the way from china’. i think a lot about why i like those lyrics is how he sings it though.

my favourite harry songs are canyon moon, fine line and little freak :)

questions for you:

- what was the moment when you realised you were no longer a child?

- what kind of old person do you think you’ll be?

- what’s your dream house like?

- what do people forget?

- what’s the first thing you think about when you wake up?

hope your week is going well xx

ps. 🌷🌺🌸🌼🌻💐

pps. you wrote a song about me?? i’m SOBBING right now, i love you

ppps. 168 HOURS

help me. i didn’t even notice the grammar mistake (i was tired) but i’m laughing so hard now… lmfao. anyway, no worries on the timing! i hope your day today was better than the one before. (i am assuming it’s mostly over, thought that’s a bold assumption i guess!)

i did write a song about you 😭 i was wondering if you’d end up seeing that post, looks like you did haha. i was thinking about anonymity & what it means to know someone, literally exactly what you said about knowing tiny details but none of the things that you’d usually know about someone.

i’ve been thinking a lot about a question you asked a couple asks ago, which was something along the lines of what’s something that everyone should know about you. i think i said something which, in hindsight, was a longwinded & romanticized way of getting across the fact that i’m an extrovert. but an actual disclaimer is that if i meet you & decide that you’re interesting, you’re gonna get a song written about you & you do NOT wanna hear it lolol

okay, about your answers! i like what you said about sharing a space with people you know. i remember when i was growing up teachers would often ask “organize a dinner party of x amount of people, real or fictional, dead or alive” & i’d always pick friends & family. people i missed, & just people who i like to see.

i’m annotating a copy of one of my favorite books for a friend right now. she’s always said that she thinks it’s be the most phenomenal gift, & incidentally what you said about the flowers inspired me to finally go & do it. i think that’s a sweet idea, & i hope someone does it for you. it says a lot about you that what you want from someone else is just their thoughts on something they care about, plain & simple & honest.

clearly your music taste is phenomenal. suzanne, my beloved… leonard cohen is just AHHHH. ahhhh. good taste in harry songs as well, but it’s hard to have bad taste in harry songs… little freak is my favorite as well!

to answer your questions:

i don’t think i can put the one about childhood on the internet, for whatever that says about my upbringing. i’ll give you an ominous overview. i was in elementary school, & my parents had me sit down in my great grandma’s wicker chair because they needed to talk to me about something. i think the fact i was in elementary school is very sad. it wasn’t the first time i thought “i need to be grown up and mature from now on” but it was the first time i actually did. sounds like the opening to a book!

that’s a bummer. that’s such a bummer. sorry lolol

next question! by G-d, i will answer this in a positive & upbeat way. i don’t know what i’m gonna be like as an old person. i feel like that’s gonna be based on how i live my life? nostalgic, i think. i’m nostalgic as is, so i think that’s gonna get more and more true the older i get. always trying to preserve things, you know? i like nostalgia. my friends say i’m pretty grannycore as is, though.

i want my great granny’s old house in kentucky. it ain’t in the family anymore but that is genuinely the exact place i want to live. i’m a bit insane about it.

uhhhh i’ve been thinking a lot about something someone said about how pain is the one thing your mind will never ever remember right, & that’s why it’s hard to learn from your mistakes. i also think people forget that life comes in cycles, it’s very cyclical in nature, & that the phases you go through are never going to stick around forever. that goes for the good & the bad, you know?

today my first thought was “i wonder if question anon ever sent that ask in,” my second was “i wonder how (best friend) is doing in japan,” & my third was “i wonder if (girl i am Still Not Over) texted me.” i feel like in general, when i wake up, my first thoughts are always about people & what they’re up to. for the record, i did immediately go to check all three of those things, so i still haven’t gotten out of bed haha.

that’s that!

questions for you:

- what’s a silly life goal of yours? (random deja vu moment accompanied this)

- i can tell you appreciate people who are thoughtful & vulnerable, so what’s another quality you’d appreciate in a friend?

- if you could host a dinner party with any guests, living or dead or entirely fictional, who would you pick?

- what the fuck is that countdown for? favorite quote?

wishing you the best!

& for you:

[n3spr3sso]

today as i was rushing into work right out the metro i narrowly passed the only man other than my boyfriend i almost loved. we met at a show months ago and as i was going to interview the host she convinced him to tag along to be interviewed and so i interviewed him. sheepish and giddy. i could’ve interviewed him forever. i found out he was in two bands, one named after a bob dylan lyric, we went to the same university but while i was a first year, he was in his last studying photography. a week later out of curiosity and loneliness i messaged him to hang out and he suggested a photography exhibit at a museum downtown. but our schedules and the exhibit’s collided so ultimately he just came over to my dorm in between his 3 hour break between his classes. he sat on my little chair as i played my oldies playlists (to which he loved and commented on nearly every song in adoration), decorated my walls and we spoke for the entirety of those hours, completely immersed with each other. i lent him beautiful world, where are you by salles rooney because i knew he’d like that. he watched as i plastered various images on my wall, getting to know me through my room. the next time we saw each other we were in his apartment. i had hastily brought rosé for the event. i sat in his kitchen as he made us dinner, chickpea curry and rice. we talked about the origins of our names and the beautiful ties to our familial history. i inspected his cd, book and vinyl collection and we laid in his bed where i made the first move to kiss him. my red lipstick smeared both our faces but we didn’t mind. he then drove me home and it was so late and we were so tired but neither of us wanted the night to end so i lent him some heart speckled shorts and asked him to sleep over. he held me in my sleep and in the morning we said goodbye. the next time we saw each other was in the brief 2 hour window i had after work and before a night out with friends. he picked me i up in his red beetle and i gave him three chocolate strawberries from my shift and he gave me a book about writing endings. i complimented the tie he wore as a bandana and he complimented my fur coat. for those 2 hours we sipped wine as he watched me dance to more of my oldies playlist that he loved while i tried on various outfits. once a slow song hit we started kissing on the door and then the song switched to wonderful tonight by eric clapton. the cheesiness and sheer sweetness of the moment made us pause and laugh and dance to the song together. he half jokingly begged me not to go and thanked me not being able to find my sock so that we had more time. he drove me to where i was supposed to meet my friends and i held his hands as he drove. we kept talking about how much we like each other and loved spending time with one another. we kissed goodbye and i left. hours later, drunk and alone my friends had ditched me and i had no way home so i called him asking to come over and he couldn’t come and get me because he had smoked and couldn’t drive and wanted to be alone. i embarrassed myself. the last time we saw each other he had come over to tell me that things are moving too fast and he had just gotten out of a 5 year relationship and wasn’t ready for something so serious yet and that he still had things to resolve with his ex. he apologized profusely and begged me not to hate him. i dont and i couldn’t because i sort of felt the same but not enough to have wanted it to end like he did. after that week we didn’t speak or see each other for months, that is until about an hour ago.