This quiet hymn-like ballad by Billy Joel mirrors my thoughts at the moment. A simplistic track with just piano and vocals. There is indeed a song to fit every mood and moment.
In every heart there is a room A sanctuary safe and strong To heal the wounds from lovers past Until a new one comes along
I spoke to you in cautious tones You answered me with no pretense And still I feel I said too much My silence is my self defense
And every time I've held a rose It seems I only felt the thorns And so it goes, and so it goes And so will you soon I suppose
But if my silence made you leave Then that would be my worst mistake So I will share this room with you And you can have this heart to break
And this is why my eyes are closed It's just as well for all I've seen And so it goes, and so it goes And you're the only one who knows
So I would choose to be with you That's if the choice were mine to make But you can make decisions too And you can have this heart to break
And so it goes, and so it goes And you're the only one who knows
I have always been a fan of Stephen King's novels. Some of the best films i have watched are adapted from his stories. Pet Sematary was memorable as it was the first Stephen King novel i read from from start to finish and it will go down as one of his best stories for me and in the author's own opinion - his most scary novel written.
I recalled the time when i finished reading the novel, it left a disturbing and unclean feeling that lingered for a long time and even till now when i revisit the story often with fondness. Beyond the horror was a deeper issue which every human faces and one which the author hits the jugular spot on - dealing with death. My brother once said to me 'everyone must walk that path someday'. In Pet Sematary, the author crosses beyond that path with a disturbing thought - how far would you go to bring back a loved one from the dead? Read the novel and see the trailer for this movie. This film is slated for a 2010 remake release next year on the big screen and i just can't wait really. 'Cemetary' is mispelled as 'Sematary' as this was a place in the story where little children named and buried their pets when they died.
Renowned punk band The Ramones wrote a memorable song of the same name which was used in the film. Listen to it here.
This novel remains very close to my heart with its emotional depth and memorable characters, in particular the protagonist - Louis Creed and his toddler son Gage. The emotional struggles were something me and everyone else could relate to, especially when i still find death somewhat hard to handle. Interestingly, i had recently asked some friends if they would ever try to bring back their loved ones, if ever there was a way to bring them back from the dead, albeit they will return a little less human and stranger than before - the replies were a resounding yes and we agreed unanimously that it is in all human beings that we all long to see our loved ones again even after they are gone. And i also believe it is in all human nature that we are tempted to cross certain boundaries that are perhaps not meant to be crossed at some points in our lives, even to defy death in this instance.
Fred Gwynne who acted as Jud Crandall (Louis Creed's elderly neighbour) mentioned a line in the movie which says 'sometimes dead is better' and commented in an interview :
"Now what he really means by that is when someone dies who is very close to you - let them go, don't try to keep them alive. it's no good for them, its no good for you and its no good for the people around you. and of course that is the mistake that is made in this film, they try to keep their loved ones alive"
I believe there is an element of truth what the actor says but in reality how many of us could actually not keep our loved ones alive in some way or another? During my uncle's recent death, it was just a sight too common. As all of us witness in the gallery as the coffin was pushed into the furnace, i saw his daughters and wife having to be restrained back while wails and cries echoed around sorrowfully. His wife and my grandma are still trying to come to terms with his departure. As all of us live out a finite number of years on this earth, i believe such attachment in our relationships is a natural way of things. Attachment brings with it joy in togetherness and eventual grief when someone close passes away but it is exactly that which makes us inherently human.
I like to think that if ever there was a Pet Sematary that exist somewhere, i will bury all my disappointments in life, failed relationships, missed chances, along with all my loved ones that had passed on and my own heart which i felt was left dead a long time ago, in a hope that they will all come back to me once again...
'Lucky' my family pet dog is fondly remembered in this blog and on this day of his passing 11 years ago. And yes if there is ever a Pet Sematary, i will bury him in and welcome him back into my embrace again, no matter how he turns out to be.
Finally, i can fully understand why Louis Creed says to his dead son in a most poignant and heartbreaking scene, "Come back to me Gage...come back to us..."
Come back to us Lucky...
'I don't want to be buried in the Pet Sematary I don't want to live my life again...'
- Pet Sematary (The Ramones)
Death is a mystery and burial is a secret
'How do i know a good book?
- One in which i first live inside the story and thereafter the story lives inside me forever...
'Especially For You' was a love duet by Australian pop stars Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. Released in November 1988 as a Christmas single, this sweet ballad was a big hit that swept across Europe and around the world. Listen to it here.
Toto is an American band formed in 1976. Founders David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro and Steve Lukather were the original members but the lineup had several incarnations especially in the vocals department where you could hear different singers on their songs, depending on which era they were written. The members are also prolific session musicians who played for famous pop stars like Michael Jackson.
Toto songs are well-written and produced. They were either cutting-edge rock songs or emotional ballads with themes of love and relationship. Below are a list of my favourite Toto songs.
'Africa' is most probably Toto's most successful and well-recognised song, winning the band a Grammy award in 1983. The band disbanded in 2008 after 31 illustrious years in music making.
My favourite track has to be 'I Will Remember'. It sounds poignant and reminds me of a failed romance many years ago. Watch the interesting MTV here.
'Even when love has come and gone And our hearts have moved along I will remember There was a time when we had the trust and that always was enough I will remember I will remember you...'
John Lennon carved out a strong solo career albeit a short one after the Beatles broke up in 1969, producing classics such as 'Imagine'. He was murdered outside his New York home in 1980.
#9 Dream is a song written by John Lennon from his 1974 album 'Walls and Bridges'. The strange refrain in the song 'Ah! böwakawa poussé, poussé' came from a dream he had and from there, he worked his way around the song, thus explaining the dreamlike and atmospheric feel of the tune. I discovered this interesting record sleeve above from the internet which must be a japanese single cover for the song.
I experienced two vivid dreams this week.
I dreamt of someone whom i had not seen for a long time and it just feels so real, that familiar face and the setting. i pondered often if i will ever see her again and it is just ironic that i can somehow meet her in my dreams once in a long while, i just smiled and thinking perhaps, that is really good enough.
I met my Uncle (who just passed away in February) in a dream, having a conversation with him over the recent football matches and can only recall him saying 'ok sure i will catch the highlights of the match'. Perhaps he has something to catch up in the afterlife and thus missed watching it.
My dreams are mostly undefinable with 'twisted plots' and i can't understand most of them, even so most will just evaporate off my mind the moment i wake up. I remembered a time last year when i was having a terrifying bout of nightmares in which i recalled someone (or something) constantly chasing me and i was kind of 'battling' and fighting him almost nightly. Interesting.
I read in an article a long time ago which gives a possible insight into the mystery of dreams, that if a human does not have dreams, the person will go insane. Dreams is possibly a way for the human brain which, in the awakening state, been subjected to all kinds of thought-processing and different emotional states, to release the tension that it constantly builds up. I think it is akin to squeezing a sponge to get rid of all the soap and water in it.
Life is a constant struggle and dreams is a mystery. These two are perhaps intertwined but we may not completely understand it till the day we die.
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. When Martha discovered that Jesus was on his way, she went out to meet him. "Lord," she said, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died." - John 11:1-45
The Bible contains many interesting stories which even a non-believer could read and study about them. Jesus performed many miracles in the New Testament but the most intriguing and fascinating to me must be the scene when He raises Lazarus from the dead. This pivotal event is a precursor to His own impending death and resurrection.
I was playing in a rock band named 'Overture' in the late 1990s. We wrote our own songs and even produced a demo on cassette. i wrote the lyrics to the songs which we then jam and added music to make them complete. Thinking back, the source of inspiration for the lyrics i wrote could be found in the things i read or experience around me.
It was in early 1999 that our band wrote possibly the best and last song before we disbanded. It was the year before the new millenium and there were a lot of talk about 'the second coming' and all that cryptic soothsayer and doomsday messages passing around the whole year. I was deeply affected by it and around that time, our guitarist Lionel had just completed a catchy guitar riff and tune which he played and recorded on a tape and pass it to me, in the hope that i could pen lyrics around it. On first listen, it seems to fit in to what i felt about the whole talk about 'the second coming' and very soon, i just sat in my living room and pen the entire words to it. The lyrics came easily to me and it was quickly penned down in less than five minutes.
The Resurrection (Overture)
Don't you think the sky is telling a story One that makes you cry, one that makes you happy We waited a thousand years just for today The day you will be judged and i pray it's ok
Stop telling lies 'cos they tell none Go on tell your friends the One's coming Close your eyes, shut the doors Brace yourself for The Resurrection
In the dead of the night and you woke up You're drenched in cold sweat and your heart's pounding fast Ask your heart what have you done lately? Or have your sins caught up but you're blinded completely
Stop telling lies 'cos they tell none Go on tell your friends the One's coming Close your eyes, shut the doors Brace yourself for The Resurrection
And when everything's gone Will we still be here? To live the human spirit that we hold so dear Times when you feel lost and running out of time Rest assured Love will keep us alive
The tone of the song spoke strongly of the coming of Christ though i had not intended the lyrics to sound that way when i wrote it. I sometimes wondered eerily how the lyrics could somehow take a shape of its own as i wrote it. Though the song sounded dark both musically and lyrically in many sense, i am glad that it ended in a positive tone with that line 'Rest assured Love will keep us alive'
I was again listening to this song frequently in the past week and with a pinch of nostalgia, it sort of coincide with Good Friday which i thought i may just gel the two events together and come out with this latest post on the blog. I am also sharing with work colleagues often about how in the lives we lead, we constantly 'die' (in the spiritual sense) everyday from the frustrations and difficulties we face in our daily lives, in our work, relationships and in all facets of human problemsbut are 'reborn' the very next day to face the challenges again. At least that is how i am feeling each day at the moment. But i also believe that it is how we re-emerge stronger or are 'reborn' from life's obstacles that matters, in the same way that Jesus does the impossible by raising Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again."
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band from the mid 60s. Fronted by the enigmatic Lou Reed, this band was influential on many rock bands since.
They released their debut album which features a picture of a banana on their album sleeve. This great album spawned many great songs and in particular, two of my favourites from the band 'Femme Fatale' and 'Sunday Morning' in which Nico, a German singer guested on the vocals to great effect. Her haunting, warm and deep resonant vocals was both startling and memorable ever since i started listening to them.
John Cale, the band's guitarist played out a brilliant viola section through 'Sunday Morning', adding a very atmospheric mood to the christmasy jingles that littered all over the song. Listen for yourself. Listen to 'Femme Fatale' here.
'You're written in her book, You're number thirty-seven have a look...'
All song files available are solely for evaluation purpose only so if you like what you hear, do support the artist/s by buying their CDs or tunes. If I am infringing on any copyright of yours, email me and I'll remove the files.
This quiet hymn-like ballad by Billy Joel mirrors my thoughts at the moment. A simplistic track with just piano and vocals. There is indeed a song to fit every mood and moment.
