Friday, June 14, 2013

Sad and Deep As You

by Dave Mason

Lips that are as warm could be
Lips that speak too soon
Lips that tell a story
Sad and deep as you

Smile that's warm as summer sun
Smile that gets you through
Smile that tells a story
Sad and deep you

Eyes that are the windows
Eyes that are the dew
Eyes that tell a story
Sad and deep as you

Tears that are unspoken words
Tears that are the truth
Tears that tell a story
Sad and deep as you

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Shadow of the Sun

by Paul Weller

Do you still feel the same way about it?
Like you always said you would
Or has time rewritten everything?
Like you never dreamt it could

Remember when we wanted to fly forever
On a magic carpet ride
Forever seems a long time
Cutting us down in size
No matter how hard we try

I could see all I had done
Just chasing dreams across the fields
In the shadow of the sun
I plan to have it all while I'm still young
And chase the fields across my dreams
In the shadow of the sun

Once upon a time I might have told you
But now nothing seems that plain
However much we're changing
There are some things the same
And those same things still say

I could see all I had done
Just chasing dreams across the fields
In the shadow of the sun
I plan to have it all while I'm still young
And chase the fields across my dreams
In the shadow of the sun

Monday, May 27, 2013

Peace

by Langston Hughes

We passed their graves:
The dead men there,
Winners or losers,
Did not care.

In the dark
They could not see
Who had gained
The victory.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Isoldes Liebestod

by Richard Wagner
Trans. by Frederick Jameson


How softly and gently
he smiles,
how sweetly
his eyes open —
can you see, my friends,
do you not see it?
How he glows
ever brighter,
raising himself high
amidst the stars?
Do you not see it?
How his heart
swells with courage,
gushing full and majestic
in his breast?
How in tender bliss
sweet breath
gently wafts
from his lips —
Friends! Look!
Do you not feel and see it?
Do I alone hear
this melody
so wondrously
and gently
sounding from within him,
in bliss lamenting,
all-expressing,
gently reconciling,
piercing me,
soaring aloft,
its sweet echoes
resounding about me?
Are they gentle
aerial waves
ringing out clearly,
surging around me?
Are they billows
of blissful fragrance?
As they seethe
and roar about me,
shall I breathe,
shall I give ear?
Shall I drink of them,
plunge beneath them?
Breathe my life away
in sweet scents?
In the heaving swell,
in the resounding echoes,
in the universal stream
of the world-breath —
to drown,
to founder —
unconscious —
utmost rapture!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

It's Raining Today

by Scott Walker

It's raining today
And I'm just about to forget
The train window girl
That wonderful day we met
She smiles through the smoke
From my cigarette

It's raining today
But once there was summer and you
And dark little rooms
And sleep in late afternoons
Those moments descend
On my windowpane

I've hung around too long
Listening to the old landlady's hard-luck stories
You out of me, me out of you
We go like lovers
To replace the empty space
Repeat our dreams to someone new

It's raining today
And I watch the cellophane streets
No hang-ups for me
'Cause hang-ups need company
The street corner girl's
A cold trembling leaf
It's raining today
It's raining today

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Shiny Happy People

by Michael Stipe

Shiny happy people laughing

Meet me in the crowd
People, people
Throw your love around
Love me, love me
Take it into town
Happy, happy

Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

Everyone around
Love them, love them
Put it in your hands
Take it, take it
There's no time to cry
Happy, happy

Put it in your heart
Where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine

Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing

Thursday, May 2, 2013

from Die Walküre

by Richard Wagner
Trans. by Frederick Jameson


Winter storms have waned in the moon of May,
with tender radiance sparkles the Spring;
on balmy breezes, light and lovely,
weaving wonders, on he floats;
o'er wood and meadow wafts his breathing,
widely open laughs his eye:
in blithesome song of birds resounds his voice,
sweetest frangrance breathes he forth:
from his ardent blood bloom out all joy-giving blossoms,
bud and shoot spring up by his might.
With gentle weapons' charm he forces the world;
winter and storm yield to his strong attack:
assailed by his hardy strokes now
the doors are shattered that, fast and
defiant, once held us parted from him.

Thou art the spring
that I have so longed for
in frosty winter's spell.
My heart greeted thee with blissfullest dread,
as they look at first on me lightened.
Strange has seemed all I e'er saw,
friendless all that was round me;
like far off things and unknown,
all that ever came near.
When thou camest all was made clear:
as my eyes on thee fell, mine wert thou only:
all I hid in my heart, all I am;
bright as the day dawned on my sight,
like echoing tones struck on my ear,
as in winter's frosty desert
my eyes first beheld the friend.