Drippin' with Cheeze

Howdy Blog pals!

One of the primary components of the Drippin' with Cheeze songs is loss.

Loss of life, lose of love, loss of a way of life...loss of something.

Let's do a re-cap of the songs we've had so far:

Run Joey Run - Joey dies
The Night Chigao Died - at least 100 cops were dead and some mobsters too!
One Tin Soldier - Everyone on the mountain died
The Night that the Lights Went out in Georgia - Andy dies and so does the cheatin' wife!
Copacabana - Tony dies
Wildfire - "she" dies. I am not quite sure who she is...but she dies.
I've Never Been to Me - Let see...she lost her virginity, she lost her dignity, she hints around that there were a few children in there that she may have lost somehow, and she definitely lost a life she could have had.
Cherokee Nation - They lost their way of life

Kind of depressing in a way.

Today's song though - has them all beat in my book!

:::WARNING - IF YOU ARE NURSING A HEARTACHE OR SUFFER FROM SEVERE DEPRESSION PLEASE STOP READING NOW:::

The poor guy in this song gets left at the altar and then is thinking about ending his life.

I remember singing the lyrics to this song for years, but never really understanding the meaning of it and then one day...one sad lonely day; I was in my room alone, sitting in my bean bag chair, big funky headphones on my head...all of the lights out except for my lava lamp - feeling sorry for myself for some reason...and this song came on the radio.

The first notes of the piano hit my ears and I knew the song instantly, but this time I really listened to it.

Oh...I cried...and cried...and cried. (I am a bit of a sap)

This poor man - how awful. He's so all alone...gosh...I guess my life doesn't seem so bad now does it?

It's amazing what a sappy song and a good cry can do for your mood. This one totally snapped me out of whatever funk I was in.

This song is in a certain category I call "over the edge suicidal songs". They are really good to listen to when you need to cry because the desperation of these songs is so intense you can't but bawl your eyes out. (Adia is another one...but we'll save that for another day.)

When you're in a good mood though, it's just sappy drippin', cheezy, wheezy....ugh...yuck.

Anyway - I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I'll leave you with this happy little tune:

Alone Again (Naturally)
by Gilbert O'Sullivan

In a little while from now,
If I'm not feeling any less sour
I promised myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower,
And climbing to the top,
Will throw myself off
In an effort to make it clear to who
Ever what it's like when your shattered
Left standing in the lurch, at a church
Where people 're saying,
"My God that's tough, she stood him up!
No point in us remaining.
May as well go home."
As I did on my own,
Alone again, naturally

To think that only yesterday,
I was cheerful, bright and gay,
Looking forward to,
but who wouldn't do,
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down,
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch,
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt,
All about God and His mercy
For if He really does exist
Why did He desert me
In my hour of need?
I truly am indeed,
Alone again,
naturally

It seems to me that
There are more hearts
Broken in the world That can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do?
What do we do?

(instrumental break)

Now looking back over the years,
And what ever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to have cried the tears
And at sixty-five years old,
My mother, God rest her soul,
Couldn't understand, why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start with a heart So badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally

Drippin' with Cheeze

Greetings all -

This past week we all read that the number of American soldiers did in the Iraq war reached 4000.

4000!

I could turn this post into a debate of why we are there and my opinions of the war, but out of respect for those 4000 who have sacrificed their life...I will not.

The song I picked for this week was considered an anti-war song when it came out, which was in 1974 and Vietnam was still going on, but the lyrics are really about soldiers going off to war and the people they left behind.

Written by Mitch Murry and Peter Callander, there were two almost simultaneous recordings of this song:

Paper Lace made it a hit in the UK and Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods went to #1 in the US.

It tells the tale of a young man signing up for the army and his young fiance telling him to be safe and "keep your head low" so that he can come back and marry her.

Well, since this song is on my Cheeze drippin's....You can kind of guess the outcome!

Here you have it:

Billy Don't Be a Hero
Written by:
Mitch Murry and Peter Callander
Performed by:
Paper Lace
or
Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
(I'll let you choose which version you like better - but you gotta dig those 70's outfits!)

The marchin' band came down along Main Street
The soldier blues fell in behind
I looked across and there I saw Billy
Waiting to go and join the line
And with her head upon his shoulder
His young and lovely fiancee
From where I stood I saw she was cryin'
And through her tears I heard her say

Billy, don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life
Billy, don't be a hero, come back and make me your wife
And as he started to go she said,
Billy, keep your head low
Billy, don't be a hero, come back to me

The soldier blues were trapped on a hillside
The battle raging all around
The sergeant cried, We've got to hang on, boys
We've got to hold this piece of ground
I need a volunteer to ride up
And bring us back some extra men
And Billy's hand was up in a moment
Forgettin' all the words she said

She said
Billy, don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life
Billy, don't be a hero, come back and make me your wife
And as he started to go she said,
Billy, keep your head low
Billy, don't be a hero, come back to me

I heard his fiancee got a letter
That told how Billy died that day
The letter said that he was a hero
She should be proud he died that way
I heard she threw that letter away ...


Peace to all

Drippin' with Cheeze

Okay kiddies...I know you've been anxiously awaiting today's installment of "Drippin' with Cheeze" and I hope I don't disappoint.

This has to be one of my favorite cheez-ee songs of all time.

It has all of the classic elements: conflict, tension, anticipation, the dramatic build up and of course and a climactic ending.

I also found some interesting facts about this song on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Chicago_Died

Today's song: The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace

Daddy was a cop
On the east side of Chicago
Back in the USA
Back in the good ol' Days

In the heat of a summer night
In the land of the dollar bill
When the town of Chicago died
And they talk about it still

When a man named Al Capone
Tried to make that town his own
And he called his gang to war
With the forces of the law

I heard my mama cry
I heard her pray the night Chicago died
Brother what a night it really was
Brother what a fight it really was
Glory be

I heard my mama cry
I heard her pray the night Chicago died
Brother what a night the people saw
Brother what a fight the people saw
Yes indeed

And the sound of the battle rang
Through the streets of the old east side
'Til the last of the hoodlum gang
Had surrendered up or died

There was shouting in the street
And the sound of running feet
And I asked someone who said
Bout a hundred cops are dead

I heard my mama cry
I heard her pray the night Chicago died
Brother what a night it really was
Brother what a fight it really was
Glory be!

I heard my mama cry
I heard her pray the night Chicago died
Brother what a night the people saw
Brother what a fight the people saw
Yes indeed

And ther was no sound at all
But the clock upon the wall
Then the door burst open wide
And my daddy stepped inside
And he kissed my mama's face
And he brushed her tears away

The night Chicago died
The night Chicago died
Brother what a night the people saw
Brother what a fight the people saw
Yes indeed

The night Chicago died
The night Chicago died
Brother what a night it really was
Brother what a fight it really was
Glory be

The night Chicago died
The night Chicago died
Brother what a night the people saw
Brother what a fight the people saw
Yes indeed

Drippin' with Cheeze

There were two very good candidates I had in mind for todays "Drippin' with Cheeze" installment. I deliberated them both carefully, but the weather here in the Northeast made up my mind for me.

It's rainy and cold and dreary, so why not a sad, sappy, depressing song to go with it?

When you think about the year that this song came out, 1971 and the history that was happening during that time you can see what inspired it. It also became the theme song for a popular movie "The Legend of Billy Jack"

The song was recorded originally by the group "Original Caste" and it was a semi-hit for them, but it was the group Coven's cover of the song that became the most popular. There was some controversy over the song and it's intended meaning, but to me it's always been a very simple message about war.

I think even as a child the imagery that it evoked and the message it delivered stayed with me for a really long time.

It is definitely one of my favorites.

Ladies and gentlemen:

One Tin Soldier

Listen, children, to a story
That was written long ago
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley folk below
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath a stone
And the valley people swore
They'd have it for their very own

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

So, the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure,
Tons of gold for which they'd kill
Came an answer from the kingdom,
"With our brothers, we will share
All the secrets of our mountain,
All the riches buried there

"Now, the valley cried with anger,
"Mount your horses, draw your swords!"
And they killed the mountain people
So, they won their just reward
Now, they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain dark and red
Turned the stone and looked beneath it...
"Peace on Earth" was all it said

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of
HeavenYou can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning afterOne tin soldier rides away

Drippin' with Cheeze

Remember those drippy, sappy, cheezy songs of the 60's and 70's. They told heartbreaking stories and built up to a climactic ending?

We all hate to admit it but we know all the words to these melodramatic musical musings and then find we can't get them out of our heads long after the song has played on the radio.

Today will be the first installment of "DRIPPIN' WITH CHEEZE"

For the next several Friday's I will post the lyrics to some of my favorite cheezy songs.

We need to start this off right and cheeze just wouldn't be dripping without a little teenage heartbreak. No other song illustrates this better than: Run Joey Run by David Geddes. This song depicted teenage pregnancy long before Madonna came around and with a horrible and tragic ending to boot!!!

Run Joey Run
David Geddes


Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault,
he means so much to me
Daddy please don't,
we're gonna get married...just you wait and see.

She called me up, late last night, she said Joe, don't come over
My dad and I just had a fight, and he stormed out the door
I've never seen him act his this way, my God, hes going crazy
He says he's gonna make you pay, for what we've done, he's got a gun, so
Run Joey Run Joey Run

Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault, he means so much to me
Daddy please don't, we're gonna get married...just you wait and see.

I got in my car and I drove like mad, till I reached Julie's place
She ran to me, with tears in her eyes, and bruises on her face
All at once, I saw him there, sneaking up behind me, WATCH OUT!
Then Julie yelled, he's got a gun, and she stepped in front of me
Suddenly, a shot rang out, and I saw Julie falling
I ran to her, I held her close, when I looked down, my hands were red,
and here's the last words Julie said

...Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault, he means so much to me
Daddy please don't, we're gonna get married.....aaahhh..ahhhhahhhh....ahhhhh

Run Joey run Joey run Joey run Joey run Joey run

Drippin' with Cheeze

Greetings from our nations capitol - Washington, DC!

I may be out traveling around, but I didn't want you all to miss this week's drippin's!

Maria over at Just Eat Your Cupcake had an interesting post about the "What ifs" in your life and it got me to thinking about this song.

We all have what ifs, and we all think that the grass could be greener on the other side, but if you listen to Charlene - you'll see that maybe it isn't!!!


I've Never Been To Me
( Charlene )

Hey lady, you lady,
cursing at your life
You're a discontented mother and a regimented wife
I've no doubt you dream about the things you'll never do
But, I wish someone had talked to me
Like I wanna talk to you.....

Oh, I've been to Georgia and California and anywhere I could run
I took the hand of a preacher man and we made love in the sun
But I ran out of places and friendly faces because I had to be free
I've been to paradise but I've never been to me

Please lady, please lady, don't just walk away
'Cause I have this need to tell you why I'm all alone today
I can see so much of me still living in your eyes
Won't you share a part of a weary heart that has lived million lies....

Oh, I've been to Niece and the Isle of Greece while I've sipped champagne on a yacht
I've moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo and showed 'em what I've got
I've been undressed by kings and I've seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see
I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me

[spoken] This part just gets me every time...oh...the raw emotion of it!!!
Hey, you know what paradise is?
It's a lie, a fantasy we create about people and places as we'd like them to be
But you know what truth is?
It's that little baby you're holding, it's that man you fought with this morning
The same one you're going to make love with tonight
That's truth, that's love......

Sometimes I've been to crying for unborn children that might have made me complete
But I took the sweet life, I never knew I'd be bitter from the sweet
I've spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free

Hey lady......I've been to paradise,
(I've been to paradise)
But I've never been to me
(I've been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run)
I've been to paradise, never been to me
(I've been to Neice and the isle of Greece while I've sipped champagne on a yacht)
I've been to paradise, never been to me
(I've been to cryin' for unborn children that might have made me complete)
I've been to paradise, never been to me
(I've been to Georgia and California, and anywhere I could run)
I've been to paradise, never been to me

Drippin' with Cheeze

I'm taking a break from the Beanbag Chronicles to bring you a special edition of:

Drippin' with Cheeze

I give a big thanks to my big sis "Neetzy" over at Negative Space because I have never heard of this song before. (You gotta get some of your paintings up there Sis!)

What happens if you get trapped in a coal mine with your friends and you start to run out of food and water?

I guess our basic instinct to survive kicks in and "you do what you gotta do" ya know?!

The song was writing by Rupert Holmes - you know - Mr. Pina Colada guy, and when I looked up the info about this on Song Facts he has this to say about how the song came about:

Holmes: "At the time, I was working on an arrangement of '16 Tons,' the Tennessee Ernie Ford hit from the '50s, for an artist named Andy Kim. While I was working on the arrangement, there was a cooking show on the TV in the kitchen. It was called The Galloping Gourmet with Graham Kerr. It's on in the background and I'm singing the lyrics to '16 Tons,' playing it to a kind of vamp sort of like 'Proud Mary,' and I sing 'Some people say a man is made out of mud, a coal man's made out of muscle and blood. Muscle and blood and skin and bones, a mind that's weak and a back that's...' and I think, you know, that almost sounds like a recipe - muscle and blood and skin and bones, bake in a moderate oven for 2 hours, top with Miracle Whip. I had seen the movie Suddenly Last Summer about a week earlier on TV, and it had a revelation about cannibalism in it, and I thought, If it's good enough for Tennessee Williams, it's good enough for The Buoys. So I thought, Cannibalism during a mining disaster, that'll get banned. It's not like I'm really telling people to go out and eat someone, this is just this dark, horrible thing that happened in this story. So I write this lyric: 'Timothy, Timothy, where on Earth did you go?' It's about three boys who are trapped in a mine with water but no food for maybe a week. When they're pulled free, they don't remember what happened, but they know they're not hungry. One of them is missing, and that's Timothy. We record this on the weekend and I don't think about it again."

I don't think I can add anymore to this story...so here you go!

Bon apetite!




Timothy
Written by Rupert Holmes
Sung by: The Bouys


Trapped in a mine that had caved in
And everyone knows the only ones left
Were Joe and me and Tim
When they broke through to pull us free
The only ones left to tell the tale
Were Joe and me

Timothy, Timothy, where on earth did you go?
Timothy, Timothy, God why don't I know?

Hungry as hell no food to eat
And Joe said that he would sell his soul
For just a piece of meat
Water enough to drink for two
And Joe said to me, "I'll have a swig
And then there's some for you."

Timothy, Timothy, Joe was looking at you
Timothy, Timothy, God what did we do?

I must have blacked out just around then
'Cause the very next thing that I could see
Was the light of the day again
My stomach was full as it could be
And nobody ever got around
To finding Timothy
Timothy...

Drippin' with Cheeze

This friday's edition of "Drippin' with Cheeze" is dedicated to my blog pals: The Village Carpenter and her partner Presbyfruit.

They got a lot going on at the moment and I thought this one might cheer them up a bit!

Bar none, this is definitely my favorite cheezy song! It's a song that you love to hate and hate to love, but you know all the lyrics and you can't help but tap your toes and sing along whenever you hear it!

The story is a bit tragic...as are most of the songs in this collection, but the uplifting beat just makes you want to go out and dig out the ol' tube top and hot pants or polyester liesure suit and head out to the disco!

This is also a favorite drunken asses song...the more inebriated you become the louder you sing it.

And...it's one of the most annoying earworms - if you hear it once, your singing this little ditty for the rest of the freakin' day! One of my favorite things to do is walk by my bosses office and sing a few lines of this song and next thing you know...she's signing it too! It's infectious!

So...to VC and PB...keep your chins up m'dears!

Copacabana (the link to the You Tube video on this one just cracked me up, it definitely fits in with the cheeze)
by Barry Manilow

Her name was Lola,
she was a showgirl
With yellow feathers in her hair
and a dress cut down to there
She would merengue
and do the cha-cha
And while she tried to be a star,
Tony always tended bar
Across a crowded floor,
they worked from 8 till 4
They were young and they had each other
Who could ask for more?

At the Copa (CO!),
Copacabana (Copacabana)
The hottest spot north of Havana (here)
At the Copa (CO!),
CopacabanaMusic and passion were always the fashion
At the Copa....they fell in love(Copa Copacabana)

His name was Rico,
he wore a diamond
He was escorted to his chair,
he saw Lola dancin' there
And when she finished,
he called her over
But Rico went a bit too far,
Tony sailed across the bar
And then the punches flew
and chairs were smashed in two
There was blood and a single gun shot
But just who shot who?

At the Copa (CO!),
Copacabana (Copacabana)
The hottest spot north of Havana (here)
At the Copa (CO!),
CopacabanaMusic and passion were always the fashion
At the Copa....she lost her love
(Copa. . Copacabana)
(Copa Copacabana)
(Copacabana, ahh ahh ahh ahh)
(Ahh ahh ahh ahh Copa Copacabana)
(Talking Havana have a banana)
(Music and passion...always the fash--shun)

Her name is Lola,
she was a showgirl
But that was 30 years ago,
when they used to have a show
Now it's a disco,
but not for Lola
Still in the dress she used to wear,
faded feathers in her hair
She sits there so refined,
and drinks herself half-blind
She lost her youth and she lost her Tony
Now she's lost her mind!

At the Copa (CO!),
Copacabana (Copacabana)
The hottest spot north of Havana (here)
At the Copa (CO!),
CopacabanaMusic and passion were always the fashion
At the Copa....don't fall in love(Copa)
don't fall in love
Copacabana
Copacabana

Drippin' with Cheeze

Happy Friday Cheeze Whiz fans! I hope that where ever it is you call home you are getting a little spring weather your way.

It's supposed to rain like the dickens here this weekend - oh well...April showers bring May flowers and all that happy horse shit.

Today's song, in my mind...is THE drippiest, sappiest, soggiest, and saddest of them all. Even the person who sings it should be crowned the reigning King of Cheezedom because even though this song is a mushy piece of over saturated milk toast...he actually recorded others along the same theme. (what was he thinking)

But...you can't really blame the singer entirely...someone actually had to write the lyrics in the first place. The gentleman who did...is actually responsible for another Cheeze Whiz song: The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia - Mr. Bobby Russell.

Now technically - this is a bit outside of my criteria because it was released in 1968, but for this one I'll make an exception because the singer had his own variety show during the early 70's and it revived the songs popularity.

Have you figured it out yet?

I'll give you a hint - the singer had the most amazing head of helmet hair I've ever known!

Ladies and Gentleman and Bloggers of all ages I give you:

Honey

Written by: Bobby Russell
Sung by Bobby Goldsboro




See the tree, how big it's grown
But friend it hasn't been too long
It wasn't big

I laughed at her and she got mad
The first day that she planted it
Was just a twig

Then the first snow came
And she ran out to brush the snow away
So it wouldn't die

Came runnin' in all excited
Slipped and almost hurt herself
And I laughed till I cried

She was always young at heart
Kinda dumb and kinda smart
And I loved her so

And I surprised her with a puppy
Kept me up all Christmas Eve
Two years ago

And it would sure embarrass her
When I came in from workin' late
'Cause I would know

That she'd been sittin' there and cryin'
Over some sad and silly
Late, late show

And honey, I miss you
And I'm bein' good
And I'd love to be with you
If only I could

She wrecked the car and she was sad
And so afraid that I'd be mad
But what the heck

Though I pretended hard to be
Guess you could say she saw through me
And hugged my neck

I came home unexpectedly
And caught her cryin' needlessly
In the middle of the day

And it was in the early spring
When flowers bloom and robins sing
She went away

And honey, I miss you
And I'm bein' good
And I'd love to be with you If only I could

One day while I was not at home
While she was there and all alone
The angels came

Now all I have is memories Of Honey
and I wake up nights
And call her name

Now my life's an empty stage
Where Honey lived and Honey played
And love grew up

And a small cloud passes overhead
And cries down on the flowerbed
That Honey loved

And see the tree how big it's grown
But friend it hasn't been too long
It wasn't big

And I laughed at her and she got mad
The first day that she planted it,
was just a twig

***

This song was the singers first hit, but as I mentioned he also recorded similar sappy songs like: Watchin' Scotty Grow and Butterflies for Bucky...eeks.

This is the last installation of Drippin' With Cheeze - I've kind of run out of songs to post and I'm getting a bit bored with this, but fear not...I will have something equally mind numbing for you all next week!

Have a great weekend all and thanks for tuning in!

Shaz

Drippin' with Cheeze

Whew...it's been kind of an emotional week. Thanks for hanging in there while I was "away".

I've re-grouped...for the moment anyway.

I had a special request for revival of the "Drippin' with Cheeze" series.

Please understand...the Cheezee songs have to meet a certain criteria in order for me to post them:

1. They have to tell a story


2. There has to be a loss of some kind (life, limb, mind, virginity - whatever)


3. They have to be so BAD...they are good...in a "I will sing this song at a Karaoke bar if I am really, REALLY drunk, on a dare and if someone paid me " kind of way.

This song fits those 3 very "critical" criteria!

To me...there is only one true version of this song...but it's been covered so many times it's hard to keep track of them all.

But - before I reveal the song...let me give you a bit of background thanks to my friends over at Songfacts.

Originally written as a 22 minute "cantata", it was scaled down to just the last portion or "coda" that when finally recorded ran 7 minutes and 20 seconds. ("Hey Jude" by the Beatles which came out prior to this song ran 7:11)

The writer, Jimmy Webb...also wrote some other great cheezee songs like: "Up, up and Away", "Witchita Lineman" and "Galveston."

It wasn't sung...so much as it was acted out and over dramatized and that is what makes this song kind of unique. The person "singing" it...was not a singer at all...he was an actor.

Are you catching on?

The original version was performed by Richard Harris.
Dumbledore?

Yup...that guy!

Before he was the bearded wizard he looked like this:


I am not of the age of remembering him EVER looking like this...but I thought he looked so gorgeous in this picture I had to put it up there!

The song is MacArthur Park and it's a classic!

When I was a kid and heard it on the radio...I thought to myself: "wow...that is a really BAD song...why is he talking about a cake melting in the rain?"

This guy can't sing! He's horrible!

Well hey...it was 1967 and everyone was "turning on, tuning in and dropping out" so I guess it was "really cool in a hip and happenin' kind of way!"

Far out!

Ya dig?

(Soooooooo...I need a little work on my 60's speak - I was more the 80's girl - so sue me!)

Hey you groovy guys and gals...put on your love beads or put some flowers in your hair and relax and take 7:20 out of your life and just listen for a while!

MacArthur Park

Written by: Jimmy Webb
Performed by: Richard Harris

Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

[break]

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why

[extended break]

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!

If you want to listen to the Donna Summer version ...click here.

This one's for you Neetzy!!!

Have a great weekend all!

Peace...love...far out - solid!

Don't Quit Your Day Job

Happy 2009 everyone!

I was trying to come up with a follow up to my "Drippin' with Cheeze" series that would be both interesting and terrifying at the same time.

I think I've found it.

My inspiration for this series came about when I was looking for a hotel to say at while up in Rhode Island. Visiting various travel websites: Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com I finally checked out Priceline.com.

There he was, William Shatner in his little suit trying to be very ninja like.

Let me preface this to say I am a BIG Star Trek fan. My brother and I watched it as a kid, I got my son addicted to it when he was little (the only action figures he ever owned were from Star Trek).

I liked the original Star Trek, with Captain Kirk, Spock, Lt. Ohura, Scotty, Doctor McCoy, Chekov, Sulu, Nurse Chapman the whole group.

I even liked the Next Generation: Captain Picard, Riker, Worf, Dianna Troi (ggrrrrrr!) and Data.

I wasn't much of a Deep Space Nine fan, but I did like Star Trek Voyager, mostly because I liked Captain Janeway.

Some of my favorite episodes of the original Star Trek are: Plato's Stepchildren (Where the crew of the Enterprise are controlled by a race who re-create Ancient Greece and then use the crew in a play. Captain Kirk and Ohura actually kiss!

The Paradise Syndrome where Kirk is treated like a God. This one cracks me up every time!

Operation Annihilate - where these weird jelly like creature attached themselves to the crew and kill them.

The Man Trap - where a monster sucks all of the salt out of it's victims.

Sooooooooooooo many more, too many to list actually, but you get the picture.

William Shatner has become the poster child for over acting and I don't think he's afraid to make fun of himself at all, which is always a plus in my book.

Dive introduced me to Leonord Nimoy singing the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins song. It has been etched on my brain ever since. If he wasn't on drugs when he made that, he should have. It's a classic case of why some actors should not attempt to sing. Don't quit your day job dude and you'll be just fine!

But there is one performance that will always stand out in my brain: Rocket Man

Introduced by Bernie Taupin: William Shatner "interprets" his version of Rocket Man.

Here he is sitting in his tux, posed dramatically with his cigarette acting out this song. The screen splits and you see 3 different versions of William, but my favorite is when he loosens up his tie and just gets down with his badself.

It's a classic. You don't know whether or not to laugh or cringe.

Peace all, have a great weekend!

Drippin' with Cheeze

Ahhhhhhhhh...another Friday has finally arrived.

Time for your weekly dose of sugar coated, mind numbing, ear bleeding, suicide inducing, drama laden, "what where they thinking" songs of the 70's.

Luckily - you don't hear this song too often on the radio. I think most DJ's today would not have the intestinal fortitude to play it. If you are into those mushy long distance call in radio shows like Delilah though then it is sure to pop up on there at least once a week.

This definitely fits into the category of all time great ear bleeding song, not only because the guy hits these ridiculous high notes; it's because you want to jab something sharp into your hears so you don't have to hear anymore of it's drivel.

Interestingly enough I found out through Song Facts that this song provoked an off air foul mouthed tirade by the legendary Casey Kasem!!! Apparently, this song was to be played after an uptempo song called "Dare Me" by the Pointer Sisters. When you hear this song...it's anything but uptempo.

Wow Casey - I didn't know you had it in you dude!

The song is about a dog - a golden retriever named Shannon. Now I love my dog, he's my best little buddy in the world, but eeeeks...I hope I can write something a little more upbeat when he passes away.

Unfortunately I could not find a recording of the original artist Henry Gross on YouTube, so you'll just have to listen to some sensitive guy and a guitar.

It kind of adds to the cheeze.

He doesn't do too bad with the high notes!

Shannon <- click here for the other sensitive guy and his guitar!
by Henry Gross

ANOTHER DAY IS AT END
MAMA SAYS SHE'S TIRED AGAIN
NO ONE CAN EVEN BEGIN TO TELL HER
I HARDLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY
BUT MAYBE IT'S BETTER THAT WAY
IF PAPA WERE HERE I'M SURE HE'D TELL HER

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

MAMA TRIES HARD TO PRETEND
THINGS WILL GET BETTER AGAIN
SOMEHOW SHE'S KEEPING IT ALL INSIDE HER

BUT FINALLY THE TEARS FILL OUR EYES
AND I KNOW THAT SOMEWHERE TONIGHT
SHE KNOWS HOW MUCH WE REALLY MISS HER

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
JUST LIKE THE ONE IN OUR BACKYARD

Happy Weekend all!

CheezEE Stuff

I've gotten requests to replay some my ol' Drippin' With Cheeze posts believe it or not.

Sooooo I created a link on the side bar that you can click on if you really need a good dose of sappy, crappy songs.

Yes...you can go back and view the whole CheezEE Mess that I created.

Anyone who is lactose intolerant please be warned. These posts have been known to cause:

• Stomach rumbling, abdominal distension and increased wind
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal colic
• Nausea

(burp....'scuse me)

Drippin' with Cheeze

TGIF Bloggers!

It's a snowy morning here in the northeast. We've been lucky that we really haven't had a bad winter here in NJ. It's been pretty mild so far, but March has been known to throw us a curveball or two, so I don't want to jinx myself!

I tried to pick a song that was reflective of the weather that was happening outside - otherwise I was going to use the ol' "eenie, meenie, miney, mo" which is a very reliable decision making technique!

This song is truely sappy and syrupy sweet, but when I was a teenie bopper...I loved the story. I think it was because I've always loved horses, but it was sooooooooooo sad...I almost cried.

Wildfire (1975)
by: Michael Martin Murphey

She Comes down from yellow mountain
On a dark, flat land she rides
On a pony she named Wildfire
When the world went by her side
On a cold Nebraska night

Oh they say she died one winter
When there came a killing frost
And the pony she named Wildfire
Busted down his stall
In a blizzard he was lost

She ran calling WILDFIRE!
she ran calling WILDFIRE!
she ran calling WILDFIRE!

By the dark of the moon I planted
But there came an early snow
Theres been a hoot owl howling by my window now
For six nights in a row
Shes coming for me I know
And on WildFire were both gonna go

We'll be riding WILDFIRE!
We'll be riding WILDFIRE!
We'll be riding WILDFIRE!
On WILDFIRE (were gonna ride)
(were gonna leave some behind)
WILDFIRE!
(get these hard times right on outta our minds..riding wildfire)
WILDFIRE!

Drippin' with Cheeze

Greetings and salutations Cheezy fans!

I have an exciting weekend planned - M and I are headed out to Lancaster, PA for their first Friday because my big sister is a featured artist at the Red Raven Art Company! We're going to hang with her and my brother in-law and lend our support.

Then on Saturday, we've arranged to meet fellow blog pals: The Village Carpenter and her partner Presbyfruit for lunch since we will be in the general vicinity to where they live!

M and I are looking forward to it! I predict a lot of laughing this weekend!

Today's cheeze whiz is sort of a favorite of mine. Back when this song was popular I was in middle school and we were learning "modern dance" in Phys Ed. We still had segregated Phys Ed classes at this time and the boys and girls were seperated.

Believe it or not - I actually liked modern dance - it was a hell of a lot better than square dancing I tell you!

Sooooooo...anyway - my friend Sue and I taped this song off the radio (this is back in the days where you had to hold a microphone up to the speaker with your little radio shack cassette player) and we created a modern dance to this song.

Ok...you can all stop laughing now.

...

I'll just wait a minute or two while you all compose yourselves OK?

...

Looking back at this...I realize what a total geek I was, but hey...I was what 10-11 years old or something...what the hell did I know?

I was also into this whole cowboys and Indians and horses kick, so I absolutely LOVED this song. We're talking about an era when Grizzly Adams and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were popular.

This song gets the cheeze vote because it does tell a story and that is one of the main criteria here, and it's a bit political as well since we really screwed over the Native Americans in this country.

Also - this commercial really hit home for me and it was playing on TV right around the same time.

So sit back and relax and try to imagine a younger Shazza being very serious channeling her inner Martha Graham as she performed and tried to express through modern dance the deep emotions that this song tries to convey.

(luckily it is a pretty short song!)

Cherokee Nation
Written by: Don Fardon
Performed by: Paul Revere and the Raiders

They took the whole Cherokee nation
And put us on this reservation
They took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife
They took away our native tongue
And taught their English to our young
And all the beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan

Cherokee people
Cherokee tribe
So proud to live
So proud to die

They took the whole Indian nation
Locked us on this reservation
And though I wear a shirt and tie
I still part Redman deep inside

Cherokee people
Cherokee tribe
So proud to live
So proud to die

And some day when they've learned
Cherokee Indian will return
Will return
will return
Will return
will return

*********
On a recent trip to Washington, DC I checked out the National Museum of the American Indian...wonderful museum, I highly recommend it.

Have a fabulous weekend all!

Worst Video of the Week

TGIF Bloggers!

I haven't quite come up with a new theme to replace the Drippin' with Cheeze series, but a fellow blog pal - Poetikat turned me on to this little gem!

What do you get when you mix: The Brady Bunch, ABBA, Grease and the Saturday Night Fever all in one?

One horrifically bad video!

As soon as "the dancers" come across the screen you immediately cringe. They start off with a number that looks a bit like a 1970's gym class! Then the sea of derange dancers part and you see the father for all of the children of the Village of the Damned.



What a manly man he is in his tight bell bottoms, white puffy shirt and gold chains! Yeeeowwzzzzaaaa!

He is joined later by a woman that I am guessing they were trying to dress up as Sandra Dee.

You can't keep your eyes off the dancers though...it's just mesmerizing.

At about 1:38 on the video...the guy in the front makes a move that would have made John Travolta swoon!

And the song...well...Kat warned me...because once it's in your brain...it sticks there and no matter how many times you listen to anything else...you mysteriously start humming it all over again.

It's a plague on humanity!




Pay attention to the very end....what are the dancers eating?

Musical Musings

What a fabulous Friday it is fellow bloggers!

Here in the Garden state it's about 68 degrees(well...it was when I first started writing this...but I've had a few interruptions)...the skies are clear, bright and blue and the weekend looks like it's going to be beautiful, warm and sunny!

It's good to be alive on days like this.

Since normally my Friday blogs have something to do with music, I wanted to keep the same theme going here.

I'm taking a bit of a break from my normal posting of songs that are "so bad but you still sing along with anyway" to post something a bit different.

So...no Drippin' with Cheeze and no Beanbag Chronicles.

Not to worry though...I will have more musical mutations for you in the upcoming weeks!

Today I just want to post something about one of my all time favorite groups.

aaaannnd the reason I'm doing this post today is because we saw them in concert last night and they were freakin' AWESOME!!!

M had told me this group was coming to one of the small concert venues near us and asked if I would like to go!

Hell yeah!

There were three bands that were playing. The first one...eh....the second one...FREAKIN' AWESOME...the third one..eh.

We had lawn seats...which were fine because I wanted to "hear" the music more than "see" the groups. Plus it was a beautiful night to be outside.

The first group that sang was Cheap Trick. Not one of my favorites, but I did know the songs they played.

They really had a hard time pulling it together on a few songs and Robin Zander's voice cracked a bit. We did get to see one of those crazy 5 necked guitars though...that was kind of fun.

It was very intersting to see a lot of Mom's and Dad's who brought their kids to this concert. The Mom's and Dad's who are all in their 40's, 50's and perhaps 60's were rockin' out while the kids - mostly teenagers...sang right along with them.

I don't know about you, but I never went to a rock concert with my Mom and Dad.

M rocked out!

She sang every song!

Next up....the best act all night in my opinion!

The beautiful and talented sisters from the Northwest: Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart.

They were fucking amazing!

They were polished and had a clean sound and Ann's voice!!!! Oh...that woman has THE most beautiful and THE most powerful female rock voices in the world. It's clean and it's clear and she can scream without sounding harsh and belt out blues that will just make you weep.

I LOVE...Heart!

Love them.

Nancy is no slouch either!!!! She can play that freakin' guitar and mandolin and dance and jump all over the damn stage and still sing like an angel.

Both women look fabulous! Just gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!!

The band...awesome!



You can tell that they enjoy playing together and they know each other and are professional and talented...and I could go on and on...but I won't because...I just won't...that's why!

The very last band to play was Journey.

What can I say about Journey?

I had one of their albums when I was a teenager. I knew a couple of their songs...and I liked those couple of songs but I always thought Steve Perry was kind of freaky looking.

He was short...he had a big nose and long stringy hair.

I could listen to them...but not watch them!

Well Steve Perry isn't with the group any more and they found this guy - Arnel Pineda to replace Perry who is this freakishly amazing Steve Perry imitator. He is the same build and has the same hair and dances around like a wild man on stage...but the voice...was....the....EXACT same as Perry.

It was a bit freaky.

More than a bit freaky.

Anyway...there were a lot of "wiseguy" wanna-be's in the crowd and I guess they were there to hear "Don't Stop Believing ". (Oh...and I didn't know this song was part of the last scene in the Soprano's because I never watched the show)

We stayed to hear about 3 songs and that was enough.

I still was on the Heart high and didn't want to ruin the moment by listening to the drunken' Jersey boys screamin' to Journey. (It ain't pretty I gotta tell ya)

The dilemma I face was trying to pick the best Heart song to post for today.

That isn't easy.

I could go the easy route and go with the standard: Barracuda

Or I could pick something more recent like: All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You

Both are fine...but I wanted to post something that I thought really showed off the talents of both sisters.

And...this is kind of my favorite song of theirs and it's my blog....so deal!

The beginning of this song is one of the main reasons why I love the guitar as an instrument. Nancy plays this beautiful classical intro which shows off her talent as a musician and then BAM...it opens up and Ann belts out the lyrics as only she can.

Originally, this song was played with a quick tempo, but in later years they slowed it down...made it more bluesy and gave it much more emotion. I prefer the slower version ...it grabs you and holds you til the end.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a You Tube clip that shows both versions the way I heard it last night, so I've posted versions of each and then you can use your imagination on how they would sound if you took that brilliant intro part....slowed it down and then add Ann's heartfelt singing to the second half.

I totally recommend cranking these up while listening in order to get the full effect!

#1 - the faster version with the intro:

#2 - a bit slower and then it builds up:



Happy Weekend all!

Peace!

Drippin' with Cheeze

TGIF Everyone!

This little gem of a song was a one hit wonder for the singer. But ooooooooh, what a hit it was!

Bobby Russell wrote the song and didn't think too much of it, his wife - Vicki Lawrence however...did like it and decided to make it her own.

This song is synonymous with Vicki Lawrence and although others like Reba and Tanya Tucker have covered it...the only version I will truly love is Vicki's!

Yes...you know it! The Night that the Lights Went out in Georgia!

It's the story of a cheatin' wife...a jealous husband, a southern judicial system and a little sister who is good with a gun!

What is NOT to love about this song?

It was even made into a movie starring no other than: Kristy McNichol

Whenever I think of this song though, it reminds me of one of my favorite Julia Sugarbaker rants from Designing Women (and boy could she go off on someone). She is defending the honor of her sister at the Miss Georgia World competition.

Definitely a classic, definitely cheezy and one of my favorite tunes to belt out in the car while I'm driving!!!

Now - without further interuption:

The Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia
Written by: Bobby Russell
Sung by: Vicki Lawrence

He was on his way home from Candletop,
Been two weeks gone and he thought he'd stop
At Webb's and have him a drink 'fore he went home to her

Andy Wollo said hello,
And he said, "Hi, what's doin', Wo?"
Said, "Sit down. I got some bad news;
it's gonna hurt.

"Said, "I'm your best friend and you know that's right.
But your young bride ain't home tonight.
Since you been gone, she's been seein' that Amos boy Seth.

"Well, he got mad 'n he saw red,
And Andy said, "Boy, don'tcha lose your head
'Cause to tell ya the truth, I been with her myself."

That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia
That's the night that they hung an innocent man
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
'Cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hands

Well, Andy got scared and left the bar,
Walkin' on home 'cause he didn't live far
See, Andy didn't have many friends and he'd just lost him one

Brother thought his wife musta left town
So, he went home and finally found
The only thing Papa had left him 'n that was a gun

And he went off to Andy's house,
A-skippin' through the backwoods quiet as a mouse,
Came upon some tracks too small for Andy to make

He looked through the screen at the back-porch door
And he saw Andy lyin' on the floor
In a puddle of blood and he started to shake

Well, the Georgia Patrol was a-makin' their rounds
So, he fired a shot just to flag 'em down,
And a big-bellied sheriff grabbed his gun and said, "Why'd ya do it?"

And the judge said, "Guilty!" in a make-believe trial,
Slapped the sheriff on the back with a smile,
Said, "Supper's waitin' at home and I gotta get to it."

That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia
That's the night that they hung an innocent man
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
'Cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hands

Well, they hung my brother before I could say
The tracks he saw while on his way
To Andy's house and back that night were mine

And his cheatin' wife had never left town
And that's one body that'll never be found
See, little sister don't miss when she aims her gun

That's the night that the lights went out in Georgia
That's the night that they hung an innocent man
Well, don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern lawyer
'Cause the judge in the town's got bloodstains on his hands

Drippin' with Cheeze

Happy Spring everyone!

It's a bright sun shiny day here in my part of the world. We are definitely seeing the first signs: bright yellow daffodils and forsythias are cheering everyone up. The birds are singing in the sky...bright and early in the morning...too fricking early if you ask me.

Whenever spring is in the air...I think about this song. In my personal opinion...it has to be one of THE worst cheeze ball songs of all time. Even worse than "I've been to Paradise". I am not really a big fan of this one, it's just one of those songs that always grated on that nerve in the back of my neck.

I did a little research about this song to see where it originated from. Thanks to the great website: Songfacts I was able to find some interesting stuff about it.

It was actually a french song called: "Le Moribond" ("The Dying Man") by a Belgian guy Jacques Brel. He recorded it in 1961

The Beach Boys actually did a recording of this song and obviously hated it and never released it! (smart guys)

The singer who made this song what it is today took it, changed things around to "lighten it up a bit" and recorded it on his own label: Goldfish Records. Apparently it sat on a shelf for a while and as the story goes according to Songfacts, a delivery boy heard it and wanted to play it for a few friends.

One thing led to another I guess...and it became a bit hit. WHY? I don't know really, but it did.

I know you all are "dying" with anticipation to see what this weeks song is...so without further adieu...I present you with:

Seasons in the Sun (check out the hair on this guy!)
Originally written by: Jacques Brel
Performed by: Terry Jacks

Goodbye to you my trusted friend
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and A B C's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.

Goodbye my friend it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and I'll be there

We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed were just seasons
Out of time......

Goodbye Papa please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along.

Goodbye Papa its hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children everywhere
When you see them I'll be there.

We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons
Have all gone.

We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons
Have all gone.

Goodbye Michelle my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And every time that I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground.

Goodbye Michelle it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there

We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song like the seasons
Have all gone

All our lives we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed were just seasons
Out of time......

We had joy we had fun
We had seasons in the sun

P.S. Jacques Brel retired from his career when Terry Jacks version of this song came out and at a time when he was very popular which stunned many of his fans. It was later revealed that he had cancer and he died on Oct. 9, 1978. How ironic the lyrics of his song "Le Moribond" were.

I found Jacques Brel's version of this song on You Tube as well...I think it's only fair to share his as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9OXwWuAHcE (I don't speak a word of french, but I think I like his version much better)


RIP Jacques