Today’s Words of Wisdom: “Don’t Go Back to Rockville”
One one of Johnny Cash’s final television appearances, Johnny Cash told Larry King that he always had music playing in his head. I don’t know what form it took for The Man in Black, but I can identify with it on a certain level. I constantly have fragments of songs playing in my head. Most of the time, I can tell you exactly what song it is. There are times I get stumped and I have a piece of a song repeating in my mind and I can’t place it.
I knew exactly what song was playing in my mind as I awakened this morning, and I have declared it as my mantra for the day: “Don’t Go Back to Rockville.”
On a completely unrelated sidenote, I mentioned in yesterday’s “Let’s Talk About My iPod” that I was working on a piece for BC while listening to The Byrds. That piece was published this afternoon and I would like to share it with you. Yesterday, President Bush presented the Congressional Medal of Honor on the Tuskegee Airmen. A few years ago, while in college, I had the opportunity to interview Lt. Col. Charles W. Dryden, one of the Airmen, and I wrote about that experience and re-published some of the text of that interview. I think you’d enjoy it. I’d be honored if you took a jaunt over to BC and read it.
Filed under: Let's Talk About My iPod, R.E.M., The Byrds
Very cool Josh, I will check it out. It’s amazing how much music-in-the-head can inform regular life, isn’t it?
Unquestionably, EB. I listened to the …And I Feel Fine compilation all morning. I fell in love with “Feeling Gravity’s Pull” all over again. I’m sure I’ll wake up with that one in my head one morning.
All too often the songs in my head escape from my mouth in small tidbits. Usually during a very quiet and serious moment around people I don’t know that well.
I’ve done that three times today, Sir Brewster. I’ve been lucky in that for months I have sat in a room by myself. That was supposed to stop today. My move got fucked up, so it should end Monday. I’m going to have to work on that.
Yeaaaah, it’s probably bad to be in the midst of a big meeting and suddenly shout out “baby we were born to run!”
This is pretty random, but the Wu Tang Clan got me through some serious hikes during my trip in New Zealand. I don’t know what I would have done without them fellers and their shao-lin stylings.
i have music running in my head all the time too. unfortunately, it’s stuff that i make up. i say unfortunately because for the most part i have no way of making any sort of record of it…so i have to let it go.
really annoying. like a freaking internal radio station.
EB, you never know what the songs in your head can do for you or to you in a crunch.
Sir Saleski, there’s nothing wrong with being kept company by your own music. There’s value in music beyond its sales figures.
Just wondering if you have a live version of Feeling Gravity’s Pull. I’ve got a version circa the 1989 Green World Tour. I love the guitar on it and would consider it a song folks tend to overlook/forget about from an often overlooked album. Side note I really hate the alternate version of Gardening at Night on the …I Feel Fine comp. One of the few songs I skip over.
I’m usually always “internally” (and externally) listening to songs. I always like how certain songs trigger certain memories for me.
MoL, welcome to the site and the discussion. I think “Gravity” is very overlooked- I’ve been known to overlook it myself. It’s a great song, and it will be making the rounds again soon, I can feel it. I don’t have a live version of it that I am aware of. That’s something I’ll need to try digging up.
I don’t hate the “Gardening” remaster on the compilation. I know there have been many R.E.M. fans who are not happy with the remastering job. I’ve been pleased with it for the most part. What are your issues with it, out of curiosity?
On the new comp I think the tempo is just too slow. For me the song just drags, big time. This is the third version of the song that has been released. The other two suit the job just fine. I would have liked a proper release of “When We We Young” or some other “lost gem.”