Michael Embry's Blog, page 50

Story Songs: Goodbye to Love

I believe the Carpenters' "Goodbye to Love" has to be one of the saddest love songs ever recorded. It simply tugs at the heart  from start to finish. 

The song, written by Richard Carpenter and Songwriters Hall of Famer John Bettis, was a departure from the songs by the superstar brother-sister (Richard and Karen) duo that helped define soft rock in the 1970s, with such upbeat hits as "Close to You," "We've Only Just Begun," and "Top of the World."

The tune, as the title implies, deals with the loss of love and the unlikelihood of ever regaining in. Karen's expressive vocal accentuates the moodiness of the lyrics. And right in the middle of it, we hear Tony Peluso's soaring fuzz guitar that takes the song to new heights.

The song opens mournfully and never lets up:

"I'll say goodbye to love
No one ever cared if I should live or dieTime and time again the chance for lovehas passed me byAnd all I know of loveis how to live without itI just can't seem to find it."
Later she sings:


"All the years of useless searchHave finally reached an endLoneliness and empty days will be myonly friend"
If there is a ray of hope, it's in the final verse:

"What lies in the futureis a mystery to us allNo one can predict the wheel of fortuneas it fallsThere may come a time when I see thatI've been wrongBut for now now this is my song."
But it closes on a sad note:

"And it's goodbye to love"I'll say goodbye to love."
And then Peluso's guitar drives the song to a powerful end.
One reason this song touches me so much is because Karen died in 1983,  at the age of 32, of complications from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that causes people to lose weight to the extreme. I often wondered if she felt unloved in her final years.

I'll admit that I wasn't a big fan of the Carpenters during their heyday (although I loved this song), but I've come to admire appreciate them through the years for their mature and heartfelt songs.

"Goodbye to Love"  reached No. 7 on the Billboard charts in 1972. The Carpenters had three No. 1 songs and their catalog of music has more than 100 million in sales. 

"Goodbye to Love" lyrics

Holiday Giveaway

Between now and Christmas Day, I'll be giving away digital copies of "Laments: Short Stories" to the first 25 people who respond to this post.

All you need to do is give me your name, email address and format preference -- Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords. You might also want to give me your country since I would like to acknowledge all the recipients on this blog when the contest is over.

If you'd like a copy, then send the above information with "Holiday Giveway" in the subject line to Michael.Embry@gmail.com. I won't be selling or giving your email address to anyone (I'm not that organized). I simply want to show my appreciation to readers and supporters during this holiday season.

A New Addition

I've got a new addition to my family -- Bailey.Bailey is a little fella -- a Yorkie-Chihauhau mix -- also known as a Chorkie. He's almost ten weeks old and weighs about one pound,  and probably won't get bigger than five pounds. He arrived at my house yesterday (Dec. 14). I received a call from my friend Deb, who had made all the arrangements. She picked up Bailey from a kennel in another town and told us he was ready to go to his new home. My wife and I were expecting a call from her on Dec. 17 so this was an early and wonderful surprise for us -- an early Christmas present!Bailey is nearly coal black with some white streaks on his chest. And he has blue eyes. I'm sure his looks will change as he gets older.We also have Baxter, a Yorkie, who is going to have to get used to having a new "brother" around the house. Baxter is about 15 so there's quite an age difference, but I'm sure he'll show the new kid the ropes. If you follow my blog, you'll be reading more about Bailey and Baxter in the coming months. I promise.Until the next time…

Story Songs: Detroit City

Most of us have been homesick at some point in our lives -- perhaps in college or the military or moving to another city after getting married.

Or maybe, as Bobby Bare sings in "Detroit City," at a job away from the place we consider home. 

The tune, written by the legendary songwriter Danny Dill and Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis, is about a Southerner who goes north to work at one of the automobile factories. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Country Chart in 1963.

So often people seek fame and fortune in other places only to discover they may have lost much more in terms of personal happiness. And on the flip side, sometimes we have to leave home to find happiness -- wherever and whatever that may be.

"Detroit City" opens with the mournful:

"I wanna go home, I wanna go home Oh how I wanna go home"
The narrator then tells of falling asleep and dreaming about the home and loved ones he left behind:

"I dreamed about my mother, my dear old papa, sister and brotherI dreamed about about that girl who's been waiting for so long"
Then we learn that he's been living a lie from he's been telling the folks back home:

"Homefolks think I'm big in Detroit CityFrom the letters that I write they think I'm fineBut by day I make the cars, by night I make the barsIf only they could read between the lines"
Then he admits the he's been wasting time in Detroit and needs to return to where he's happy:


"So I just think I'll take my foolish pride and put it on a southbound freight and rideAnd go back to the loved ones that I left waitin' so far behind"
Bare won a Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording for the song in 1964. Billy Grammer, Dean Martin, and Tom Jones also charted this song on various Billboard charts.

Does the song make you think of times you've been homesick?

"Detroit City" lyrics

NaNoWriMo -- One Week Later

It’s been a week since I completed the 30-day writing marathon – also known as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. Since I closed the file on Nov. 30 -- at 50, 171 words -- I haven’t looked at it. I probably won’t for a few more weeks. I experienced the hodge-podge of words I produced during those weeks of “literay abandon” and I simply don't want to revisit them now.In the meantime, I have spent time doing research on bullying. I have 45 graduate hours in special education (four shy from receiving my master’s degree) so I have some knowledge of the subject. I’ve also been working on another collection of short stories. I think it’s important for writers to write. Another thing is I've been reading because I believe it’s important for writers to read as well.Until the next time…

Story Songs: Shannon

I've had several friends deal with the passing of  a "best friend" in the past month or so -- their beloved dog.  Some people will say it's like losing a member of your family.

For dog (and cat) owners, it is losing a member of your family. It's painful. It's tearful. And it's sad.


Henry Gross wrote about the passing of a dog in "Shannon."  The song was somewhat inspired by the loss of Beach Boy Carl Wilson's Irish setter, Shannon," that was struck and killed by a car. You can read about the story behind the song on Gross's website.
The tune beings with the mother having problems dealing with the loss:

"Another day is at end
Mama says she's tired again
No one can even begin to tell her"

Then we learn about Shannon:

"Shannon is gone I hope she's drifting out to sea
She always loved to swim away
Maybe she'll find an island with a shady tree
Just like the one in our backyard"

And we learn how her loss affects those who loved her:

"But finally the tears fill our eyes
And I know that somewhere tonight
She knows how much we really miss her"

One comment I read about the song was that it couldn't just be about the passing of a dog; that it had to be a metaphor for personal loss. All I can say is that the death of a pet is a painful, personal loss.

Gross, a founding member of Sha Na Na, is so expressive in the lyrics and his high-pitched vocal -- it simply sounds sad without even knowing the story. It can move you to tears.

"Shannon" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Gross, now 61, is still an active singer-songwriter.

So for Doug, Mark, Sharon, Jerry, Jim, Linda, and others who mourn the loss of their dogs (and other pets), this post is dedicated to you.

"Shannon" lyrics

NaNoWriMo -- Mission Accomplished

I finished the National Novel Writing Month on the last day with a few words to spare. The goal was to write 50,000, and I wrote 50,171 words. The working title for the manuscript (and that's all it is until published) is "Bullies." It's a young adult novel about, well, what the title indicates.

This first draft will go through numerous edits and rewrites in the coming months.  I won't look at it for several weeks. I want fresh eyes when I open the file on my computer.

For the other writers who also took part in NaNoWriMo, and especially those who reached the 50k goal, my sincere congratulations. I know firsthand what you had to do to produce that diamond in the rough.
Until the next time…

Story Songs: Love, Me

Collin Raye recorded a story song about lifelong love and devotion  in "Love, Me."

The tune, written by Skip Ewing and Max T. Barnes, tells the story of an enduring love between the narrator's grandparents. It topped the Billboard Country Chart in 1992, Raye's first No. 1 hit.
In the song, the grandfather tells his grandson story of planning to meet his future bride in 1923 so they can run away and get married. When he gets to the meeting place, he finds a letter nailed to a tree:
"If you get there before I doDon't give up on meI'll meet you when my chores are throughI don't know how long I'll be
"But I'm not gonna let you downDarling wait and seeAnd between now and thenTil I see you again
"I'll be loving youLove, me"
The song moves forward to narrator's grandmother deathbed. The grandfather cries as he repeats those words to her.
I believe this song goes straight to the heart with its poignant  lyrics. I think of my paternal maternal grandparents when I hear this song and remember the strong bond and love they shared in their long marriages.
"Love, Me" lyrics

NaNoWriMo Update No. 3

Only a few more days remain in National Novel Writing Month.  So far I've written 37,000 words, which means I need 13,000 more to reach the targeted 50k. According to NaNoWriMo, I have been averaging 1,608 a day and need to produce 1,625 a day through Nov. 30.

I don't really see that as being a problem unless something really crazy happens in my life. I suppose I should cross my fingers, just in case.

This has been more difficult than I first imagined. I believe the main reason is that I'm writing in first person point of view. Everything piece of fiction I've written has been third person so this is an additional challenge for me.

However, when I finish and review the first draft, I will probably change it to third person. I've found first person to be rather confining in developing plot and sub-plots. But I have gained additional respect to those who write in the first person. You rock!

I may have one more update before I finish this NaNoWriMo. And to those who are participating in this month-long marathon, I wish you the best as we enter the homestretch. I hope we'll all be winners.

Until the next time...

(In the spirit of Black Friday and the holiday season, the digital price of "Laments: Short Stories" has been reduced to 99 cents on Amazon.com, B&N.com, and Smashwords.com.  If you decide to purchase, please leave review/feedback).

Story Songs: On Broadway

I must admit that I love songs that inspire, and one of my favorites is "On Broadway."

Wikepedia provides excellent background on the song written by Barrry Mann and Cynthia Weil, in colloboration from Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller -- two of the great songwriting teams in pop music history. The tune was first made popular by The Drifters, one of the legendary groups of the 1960s, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard chart in 1963. George Benson, a great jazz guitarist and vocalist, did even better, taking it to No. 7 in 1978.
For me, the song is about determination and refusing to give up, despite the odds:
"They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway (on Broadway)
They say there's always magic in the air (on Broadway)
But when you're walkin' down that street
And you ain't had enough to eat
The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere (on Broadway)" But the singer has a strong resolve to make a name for himself despite what others are telling him: "Ha! They say that I won't last too long on Broadway (on Broadway)
I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home, they all say (on Broadway)
But oh! They're dead wrong, I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
And I won't quit till I'm a star on Broadway (on Broadway)" I think the message in the song is believe in yourself and not to get discouraged by detractors. And sometimes we can find our worst detractor simply by looking in the mirror. And as the song proclaims, you can succeed with a positive attitude: "I'm gonna make it, yeah (on Broadway)
I'll be a big, big, big man (on Broadway)
I'll have my name in lights (on Broadway)
Everybody, everybody's gonna know me, yes (on Broadway)"  "On Broadway" lyrics