My version of lyrical Monday Melees have involved musicals, but here is one using only lyrics from the lovely Baby James. (Pardon me for posting slightly ahead of Monday--I have an early morning tomorrow)
1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.
This ability we have to hold grudges for generations:
There are rifles buried in the countryside for the rising of the moon
May they lie there long forgotten till they rust away into the ground
Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end
Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a country man
Who will say "this far no further, oh lord, if I die today"
Send no weapons no more money. Send no vengeance across the seas
Just the blessing of forgiveness for my new countryman and me
Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground
Could we but hear them could they not tell us
"Time to lay God's rifle down"
Who will say this far no further, oh Lord, if I die today.
2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.
When people feign love and devotion, but when you get "too big to keep," look out:
When you where just a football
At your mama's side
I reckon everyone figured you
For a bar-b-que when you died
And here I'm thinking about you
Lying underground
Pushing up a pine tree in my field
Oh Mona Mona
You can close your eyes
I've got a twelve gauge surprise
Waiting for you
3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.
Our priorities seem to be out of order:
Take all the money that we need for school
And to keep the street people in out of the cold
Spend it on a weapon you can never use
Make the world an offer that they can't refuse
Open up the door and let the shark-men feed
Hoover of the future in the land of greed
Sell the Ponderosa to the Japanese
Slap leather, head for that line of trees, yeah
4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.
The whole human race for recognizing that music, even a simple song sung in solitude, can ease the soul:
There is a young cowboy he lives on the range
His horse and his cattle are his only companions
He works in the saddle and he sleeps in the canyons
Waiting for Summer, his pastures to change
And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
Thinking about women and glasses of beer
And closing his eyes as the doggies retire
He sings out a song which is soft but it's clear
As if maybe someone could hear
Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rock-a-bye sweet baby James
5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it.
I'm a pretty good friend in a time of need, and I am very happy doing the small things, as opposed to the "loaves and fishes" things:
I'm not much for making little wishes
But I'd like a little wish to come true for you
I'm not talking about loaves and fishes
But I wish that there was something I could do for you
6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.
I wish for world peace:
Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound
1. The Misanthtropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate.
This ability we have to hold grudges for generations:
There are rifles buried in the countryside for the rising of the moon
May they lie there long forgotten till they rust away into the ground
Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end
Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a country man
Who will say "this far no further, oh lord, if I die today"
Send no weapons no more money. Send no vengeance across the seas
Just the blessing of forgiveness for my new countryman and me
Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground
Could we but hear them could they not tell us
"Time to lay God's rifle down"
Who will say this far no further, oh Lord, if I die today.
2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus.
When people feign love and devotion, but when you get "too big to keep," look out:
When you where just a football
At your mama's side
I reckon everyone figured you
For a bar-b-que when you died
And here I'm thinking about you
Lying underground
Pushing up a pine tree in my field
Oh Mona Mona
You can close your eyes
I've got a twelve gauge surprise
Waiting for you
3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with.
Our priorities seem to be out of order:
Take all the money that we need for school
And to keep the street people in out of the cold
Spend it on a weapon you can never use
Make the world an offer that they can't refuse
Open up the door and let the shark-men feed
Hoover of the future in the land of greed
Sell the Ponderosa to the Japanese
Slap leather, head for that line of trees, yeah
4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can.
The whole human race for recognizing that music, even a simple song sung in solitude, can ease the soul:
There is a young cowboy he lives on the range
His horse and his cattle are his only companions
He works in the saddle and he sleeps in the canyons
Waiting for Summer, his pastures to change
And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
Thinking about women and glasses of beer
And closing his eyes as the doggies retire
He sings out a song which is soft but it's clear
As if maybe someone could hear
Goodnight you moonlight ladies
Rock-a-bye sweet baby James
5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it.
I'm a pretty good friend in a time of need, and I am very happy doing the small things, as opposed to the "loaves and fishes" things:
I'm not much for making little wishes
But I'd like a little wish to come true for you
I'm not talking about loaves and fishes
But I wish that there was something I could do for you
6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for.
I wish for world peace:
Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound
Comments
I'm going to listen to James Taylor all day now.
Thanks for reminding me how good he is.