time

I’ve been chewing on the lyrics of Pink Floyd’s song ‘Time’ from The Dark Side of the Moon record. It reads a lot like the book of Ecclesiastes. Essentially time is an unstoppable constant that consumes us completely in the/our end. Its easy to just live, spinning our wheels, keeping the merry-go-round greased, but many years will quickly come upon us and our present will come back to haunt us with all kinds of questions–namely, “why not?”. We’re currently kicking around on a piece of ground in my home town, waiting for someone or something to show us the way. The last 2.5 years have felt like a hamster wheel and we feel like something has got to give. It’s not just frustration. We really feel like something huge is on the horizon. I can’t waste another year, month, even day. I am ready to truly be alive. I’m ready to live this life with my beautiful wife and 3 incredible children (who constantly remind us that time is moving faster than we think). Something needs to happen, I’m starting to feel older.

Time

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older,
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation…

John Lennon 1940 – 1980

Twenty-eight years ago today, the world lost a truly remarkable human being.  Not the most lovable.  Not the most endearing.  Not the kindest.  But nothing short of sheer musical genius.  Perhaps the most complicated of the Beatles, and perhaps even more so after the break-up, John Lennon remains one of the most brilliant musician/songwriters of all time, with an unparalleled–gut wrenching honesty that still speaks (or sings) louder than ever today.

Mother, You had Me I never had you
I wanted you but you didn’t want me
So I got to tell you
Goodbye , Goodbye

Father, You left me but I never left you
I needed you but you didn’t need me
So I just got to tell you
Goodbye , Goodbye

Children, Don’t do what I have done
I couldn’t walk so I tried to run
So I got to tell you
Goodbye , Goodbye

lyrics from “Mother”, 1970

Happy Birthday to ‘The Beatles’

It was 40 years ago…yesterday, that one of the greatest musical endeavors of all time was released. ‘The Beatles’, a double length LP also known as ‘The White Album’, was revealed on November 22, 1968. If you have it, listen to it again. If you don’t, shame on you, go buy it.

Try listening to it, without interruption, all the way through-all 93 minutes worth. Be sure to especially enjoy:

1. Back In The U.S.S.R. (McCartney may have meant it as “I’m backin’ the USSR”).
2. Dear Prudence (written for Mia Farrow’s sister; also Julian Lennon’s favorite John song)
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George’s number with a guest appearance by Eric Clapton)
4. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (3 Lennon songs strung together)
5. I’m So Tired (Lennon loves sleeping, check out ‘Revolver’s’ I’m Only Sleeping)
6. Blackbird (Paul’s homage to the civil rights movement)
7. Piggies (one of George’s social commentary songs, like Taxman; love the “eat their bacon” line).
8. Don’t Pass Me By (after four years Ringo’s first write gets recorded).
9. Mother Nature’s Son (Paul’s shout out to the earth).
10. Sexy Sadie (Lennon originally titled it Maharishi after their time in India that ended badly).
11. Helter Skelter (Paul based this amazing song on a water slide in England; listen to Ringo shout “I’ve got blisters on my fingers!”, at the very end).
12. Savoy Truffle (George’s song about his friend Eric Clapton’s sweet tooth).
13. Cry Baby Cry (A very underrated Lennon song for sure, with a node to the nursery rhyme Sing A Song Of Sixpence).
14. Good Night (John Lennon wrote this song for Julian, unfortunately Ringo sings it. It’s still agreat song though, especially if you have kids to sing it to).

Enjoy!