Life Song

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Permalink Reply by Michael J. Austin on June 9, 2009 at 6:50pm

Just a couple of deep songs that I hold near and dear ... 1st would be Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle", this song was a favorite of my Dad's (who I lost in 1990 at the age of 45) he would sing it to me as a very young child and and tell me the "some day, that will be you and I". Since that time it has become a favorite of my 20 yr old son (who is on here as well).

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then.

The other one would be Big and Rich's "8th of November" for my time in the Air Force and my Veteran Brotherhood.

Said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.

He was dropped in the jungle
Where the choppers would rumble
With the smell of napalm in the air.
And the sergeant said, "Look up ahead"

Like a dark, evil cloud
1,200 came down
on him and 29 more.
They fought for their lives
But most of them died
In the 173rd Airborne.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Now he's fifty-eight
And his ponytail's grey
But the battle still plays in his head.
He limps when he walks,
But he's strong when he talks
About the shrapnel they left in his leg.

He puts on a grey suit
Over his Airborne tattoo
And He ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen,
As he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around,
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

The 8th of November
The 8th of November

He said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.

The video just may have your eyes tearing up ... http://www.bigandrich.com/node/419

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Permalink Reply by John Clanton on June 9, 2009 at 7:01pm

Thanks man! Those songs are awesome! I was feeling lonely being the only one with a song put up. Hehe,

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Permalink Reply by Michael J. Austin on June 10, 2009 at 9:14am

No worries John, with my shift sometimes I don't see all that is posted so on my days off I dig deeper into the different posts.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Roberts on June 9, 2009 at 11:49pm

i really like the eagles 'desperado' and 'take it easy' because my dad got me into them and i like their message. especially 'take it easy'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsLylyEoLDo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScG0ilS0dgI&feature=related

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Permalink Reply by Dave Pope on August 17, 2009 at 3:58pm

I know that you're in there
I can see you
You're saying you're ok
I don't believe you

And now that the gig is off
The spell is broken
The fat lady sung
The president has spoken

These days that you were waiting for
Will come and go
Like any day
Just another day

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you
While the world is watching
All you need is the thing you forgotten
And that's to learn to live with what you are

So freak out if you wanna
And I'll still be here
Don't call me for years and when you do
Yeah, I'll still be here

I'm not saying the effort is a waste of time - but I
Just love you for the things you couldn't change
Though you've tried
These hours of confusion they will soon expire
Like everything
Does

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you
While the world is watching
All you need is the thing you've forgotten
And that's to learn to live with what you are

Sometimes
Everything you've ever wanted
Floats above
He's sticking out his tongue and laughing
While everything
Anyone can ever need
Is down below
Waiting for you
To know this
There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you
While the world is watching
All you need is the thing you've forgotten
And that's to learn to live with what you are

You got to learn to live with what you
You got to learn to live with what you
Are

-Ben Folds

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Permalink Reply by Nathan T Jeung on September 21, 2009 at 9:20pm

My lifesong is "Just Wasn't Made For These Times" by The Beach Boys from their PET SOUNDS album. It totally spoke to me when I was dealing with depression a few years ago.

I keep looking for a place to fit
Where I can speak my mind
Ive been trying hard to find the people
That I wont leave behind

They say I got brains
But they aint doing me no good
I wish they could

Each time things start to happen again
I think I got something good goin for myself
But what goes wrong

Sometimes I feel very sad
Sometimes I feel very sad
(cant find nothin I can put my heart and soul into)
Sometimes I feel very sad
(cant find nothin I can put my heart and soul into)

I guess I just wasnt made for these times

Every time I get the inspiration
To go change things around
No one wants to help me look for places
Where new things might be found

Where can I turn when my fair weather friends cop out
Whats it all about

Each time things start to happen again
I think I got something good goin for myself
But what goes wrong

Sometimes I feel very sad
Sometimes I feel very sad
(cant find nothin I can put my heart and soul into)
Sometimes I feel very sad
(cant find nothin I can put my heart and soul into)

I guess I just wasnt made for these times

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Permalink Reply by Carlos Infante on October 18, 2009 at 11:46am

There have been quite a few songs that have had some kind of impact in my life. Actually the list is long as many songs remind me of a particular event or experience that I've lived. To name a few the Beatles' "You Won't See", "She Loves You", "Yellow Submarine" and "A Hard Day's Night." These songs are linked to very specific periods and people in my life. The first one reminds me of a girl I liked in the 7th grade, that was around 1992- 93. The second and third were the first Beatles songs that I remember listening to when I was a little kid in the 80's and the last one was the one that got me interested in learning to play the guitar. The opening chord in "A Hard Day's Night" really had a very deep impact on me.

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