Empi Baryeh's Blog, page 32

I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack

There was no contest today. While there are many ‘I’ song titles that I like – even love – I Hope you Dance by Lee Ann Womack is by far my favourite. When you wiki the song, the first line you get is: “I Hope You Dance” is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers, and recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack. [Note to self: check out other songs written by Mark D. Sanders & Tia Sillers]

I discovered the song about ten years ago (thanks, Delilah of WSRS) and it’s just one of those songs that hooked me from day 1. I figure it has such touching lyrics that it has got to mean something to everyone. On the radio, parents especially like to request it for their children, but I think they are just words that one must remind oneself of every now and then.

And just because I love the lyrics so much, I’ve posted them below the video.

♫I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’

Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’

Don’t let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter

When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)

I hope you dance

I hope you dance

(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder, where those years have gone?)♫

What do you think?

 

 

Hello Hello by Ofori Amponsah

I decided to come back home with H. It was a tough decision because there were four songs competing for this spot.

Hello Hello won out because…well…I don’t want to be disowned by my country people. Okay, the truth is probably more that I hadn’t listened to it in a while, so when I sampled all the H songs it stood out. Whatever the case, I am pimping Ghanaian music today – deal with it!

My taste in Ghanaian music is limited, and this song never really hit the local charts, but (as in the case with Janet Jackson) this song is my favourite from Ofori Amponsah – actually, it’s the only of his songs that I like. The others are the usual high-life with a beat that says ‘you must dance’ – even if you just want to listen.

So here goes:

Other songs competing for this spot:

How You Remind Me – Nickelback
Hoy – Gloria Estefan
Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen

 

Good Gone Girl by Mika

I discovered Mika through my brother, and quickly liked his music, although my guess is that his bubblegum angle may not appeal to many.

Good Gone Girl is a song on his album “The Boy Who Knew Too Much”. It was written by Mika and Jodi Marr. I love the lyrics expecially and the harmony toward the end of the song.

 

♫She’s walkin around all over the town.

Needs somebody to notice but the goodness gets her down.

She’s happy to choose somebody to use.

Good gone girl she’s got nothin left to lose♫

Let’s see what you think of it.

Like it?

 

Frema by Richie

It would be unfair to not pay homage to Ghana music, so F is for Frema (name of a girl) Ghanaian music producer, Richie. I think he pulled a Daniel Beddingfield here, in the sense that he doesn’t call himself a musician/singer and spends more of his career on other musicians than on his own music, but once in a while decides to release a song of his own.

Frema was first of such songs (as far as I know) and one of my favourite songs to come from a Ghanaian artiste. At the time it came out, it was very different from what everyone else was doing, so that made this song stand out.

I hope  you enjoy it…

Everytime by Janet Jackson

Remember when Janet Jackson suddenly realised she was a woman, and she really got her sexy on? Yeah, that sudden awakening resulted in the album, Velvet Rope. Frankly, I have never really been a fan of Janet Jackson’s music, but with Everytime, she hit gold. I simply love the instrumentation. I would even admit to using this song to get in the zone for a love scene.

Everytime was written by Janet Jackson along with James Harris III, Terry Lewis, René Elizondo, Jr. The lyrics are great, but I love the instrumentation even more – plus those little sighs she makes in the song. Well, done, Janet. Well done.

Any thoughts?

Drop The Pilot by Joan Armatrading

 

(sorry, guys, I thought I’d scheduled this, but apparently, I hadn’t. This is for yesterday)

The funny thing about Drop the Pilot is that I’d probably not readily put it on my all time favourite list, but it never ceases to energise me when I  here it. And I did try very hard to get a copy of it, so it makes the list. It was written and first performed by Joan Armatrading and was the first song released from her album The Key in 1983 (yes, I was alive then, although I didn’t hear the song till much later in life).

Apparently, Mandy Moore has also performed this song before, but I haven’t heard it before. My philosophy when it comes to music is that, the original is always best. I know at least one person is going to try to argue with that, but I am unrepentant!

I like this song simply because it’s fun.

What do you think?

Can’t Be Really Gone by Tim McGraw

Country music…a couple of friends have threatened to unfriend me because of my love for country music, but I am unrepentant. Blame Tonton (Uncle) Mao who gave me a Dolly Parton cassette (remember those?) as a birthday gift back in the 80s. Her voice was an acquired taste, I have to admit, but her music I loved instantly.

Anyway, enough history. When I decided to embark on this challenge, I didn’t have to think about what song was going into the ‘C’ slot.

Can’t Be Really Gone was written by Gary Burr (whom I have only recently discovered has written a ton of the songs I love). The song is performed by Tim McGraw and is one of those songs that didn’t need to grow on me; I instantly fell in love with it, and I’ve never grown tired of listening to it. Some country music is hard-core, and just like root reggae, is for a select few, but this is more modern country and you can’t not like it. Just listen to the words and the music.

What do you think?

Back To My Root by Lucky Dube

We’re still in South Africa, but with a whole different tune – Reggae. When people ask me what kind of music I like, part of the answer is always ‘some reggae‘, and Lucky Dube’s music is my kind of reggae. It’s a little soft for those who like hard core reggae, but I always liked what I felt was an African touch to the genre.

Back To My Roots, is by far one of my favourite Lucky Dube and reggae songs, especially this (later, and IMO, more ‘roots’) version, which I believe was recorded from a live performance. I hope you like it too:

What do you think?

#Aphrodite (Feeling Much More) by Coleske

Allow me to introduce you to South African band, Coleske, made up of two brothers – Ewald and Arnold Coleske. As far as music is concerned, they can do no wrong. I have yet to hear a Coleske song that I don’t like. In fact, I’m even more convinced because I’ve heard songs they’ve featured in or produced for other musicians – and those songs have Coleske’s unique oomph. It’s their voices, their lyrics … the music.

Aphrodite was their second song that I heard, and I was just blown away. Admittedly, I do have a slight thing for Greek mythology and the goddess Aphrodite in particular, but you just have to listen to the lyrics and the instrumentation to see what I’m yapping about.

Composed by Ewald Coleske and A. Swiegers, ladies and gentlemen, my signature song:

I hope you enjoyed that.

Word Wednesday: Bathetic

Nope, you aren’t seeing things. Today’s word, looks a lot like pathetic, which is why I thought it interesting in the first place. Let’s get right to it.

BATHETIC \pronounced: bu-THE-tik \ an adjective meaning:

Effusively or insincerely emotional. e.g ”a bathetic novel”.

Dictionary(dot)com gives the following meaning (which I share simply because I like the choice of words):

Displaying or characterized by bathos (bey-thos): e.g.: ”the bathetic emotionalism of soap operas.”

 

Related forms

bathetically (adverb)

 

Synonyms

Cheesy
Cutesy
Drippy
Kitschy
Mushy
Schmaltzy etc etc.

 

Origin:

1825–35; bath(os) + -etic, on the model of pathetic

 

Cheers,