Street Prophets

Friday Random Ten: Mothers' Day edition

by Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace

Fri May 09, 2008 at 07:55:34 AM PDT

Welcome to the Friday Random 10, Street Prophets' weekly music discussion group. Grab a beverage of your choice from today's Happy Hour, pull up a comfy chair, and start thumbing through the records, 8-tracks, tapes, CD's and mp3's lying around. Go ahead and hum, sing, or tap your fingers on your knees... you know you want to. If you're not into music, here's some noise-canceling earplugs- they'll filter out our music while you stay and chat with us about other topics that interest you.

So, Mothers' Day is Sunday, May 11 in the US, Canada, and a host of other countries (Saturday, May 10 in Mexico; Sunday, May 4 in Spain; Sunday, March 2 in the UK).

Mothers are a complicated thing, and not everyone's relationship with them is as harmonious or nurturing as one might hope. So, today I offer several alternate topics, in the hopes that everyone can find a way to relate:

  • Songs about your mother or a mother figure in your life
  • Songs that describe your relationship with your mother (or a mother figure in your life)
  • Songs a parent figure in your life used to sing, or still sings
  • Songs that put you to sleep when you were a small child
  1. The Lusty Month of May from Camelot: For the record, I hate this song, but my mother goes around singing it at the top of her lungs every May, so it's as much a part of spring to me as seeing the first robin is.
  1. (I Wonder Why) You're Just in Love from Call Me Madam is something we used to always sing on road trips.
  1. Side by Side by Patsy Cline is another road trip song. My mom and I also competed in a parent/child bowling league when I was little, and "Side by Side" was the name of our team.
  1. The Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg. No idea why this song reminds me of my mother, but it did. "He tried to be a soldier once, but his music wouldn't wait..." That's about the point where I always start crying.
  1. I'm in Love with a Big, Blue Frog by Peter, Paul, and Mary. My father, is, in fact, 6'3" with glasses, originally from Pennsylvania, and loves to swim, and this song came out not long before they started dating. Her friends used to sing it to tease her, and then someone gave her a stuffed blue frog that she used to sleep with or throw across the room, depending on how she was feeling about the relationship at the time. Since then there's always been at least one stuffed blue frog around the house (the most recent being a 30th anniversary gift from my sister several years ago).
  1. She is My Slender, Small Love This is the first of the songs from the category "songs my mother sang to me."
  1. Alice Blue Gown from Irene: I didn't realize how sad this song was until many years later.
  1. Stay Awake from Mary Poppins
  1. My Cup Runneth Over from I Do! I Do! (made famous by Ed Ames, but if I know my mother, she knew it from the musical). I wish I could remember more songs my mother used to sing me to sleep with, because I know she once made me a list and there were dozens, but this is the third and final one I recall.
  1. On the Front Porch from Summer Magic And this is another song we all (me, my mother, and my sister) used to sing ... just 'cuz.

And the upcoming schedule:

May 16: brillig
May 23: vesticular
May 30: Kassandra
June 6: brillig
June 13: Sister Q
June 20: brillig
June 27: reahti
July 4: brillig
July 11: Sister Q
July 18: brillig
July 25: Caliban120
August 1: brillig
August 8: Sister Q
August 15: brillig
August 22:
August 29:
September 5: brillig
September 12: Sister Q
September 19: brillig
September 26:
October 3: brillig
October 10:
October 17: brillig
October 24: Sister Q
October 31:

(I took the liberty of taking October 24, since I'll be in England on my regular 2nd-Friday that month.)


Tags: Friday Random 10 (all tags)

Permalink | 14 comments

  • Russian teacakes, for my mom (11+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Expat Briton, Schwede, shakti, Asbury Park, Aunt Em, vgranucci, reahti, wanderingoutlaw, linkage, vesticular, Kassandra

    One of those cookies that has a million different names, including Swedish Tea Cakes and Mexican Wedding Cakes. What do you call them?

    "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." ~Galileo Galilei

    by Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace on Fri May 09, 2008 at 07:59:01 AM PDT

  • Music was a point of conflict in our house. (8+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Schwede, shakti, Asbury Park, reahti, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, linkage, vesticular, Kassandra

    Oldest brother became an early devotee to traditional Dixieland music....banned from the house because it was associated with African-Americans.  So he listened to the music in his bedroom, a room built beyond the house.  (Long story)
    Second brother, always the favorite, brought home records of Dave Brubeck, and other modern jazz groups, and they were tolerated, although not welcomed.
    I listened to the Opera and the Classical Music stations, always hearing about how there never was a tenor to match my grandfather.  After the opera, I was told to "Turn off those shrieking violins", so I learned early to find the classical music station on a little radio in my room, but not play it on the family radio.  
    Mother enjoyed Sigmund Romberg, and other musical composers of the 20s...and later, transferred her loyalty to Rodgers and Hammerstein.  
    There was never a period in which all of us agreed on what constituted Music!  Thank goodness for talk-radio in my childhood (15 minute soap operas and drama programs).  

    Both the Oak and the Maple are trees; we need not decide which is the correct version....Simplexity.

    by Aunt Em on Fri May 09, 2008 at 11:47:21 AM PDT

    • Confession (8+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      Schwede, Asbury Park, Aunt Em, reahti, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, linkage, vesticular, Kassandra

      I used to love Mozart, but now I am not crazy about listening to either Mozart or Dixieland...too many notes. I don't understand why that bothers me, but it does. I love Dave Brubeck, more soundtrack of my youth. My middle sister used to bring home Dave Brubeck music, and it was not something I liked then. But I grew to like it. Some years later she got a job at Interlochen Arts Academy, where Dave Brubeck's son Chris was a student, and she actually got to meet Dave Brubeck. It was 1965 or 66 and the week she started her job, Van Cliburn played a benefit for the school. It was the first time I ever heard of him and I thought it was all one name, like Vancliburn. What a naif I was!

      I am That, you are That, all of this is That, and That is all there is.

      by shakti on Fri May 09, 2008 at 02:43:05 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  • Like a carousel ride (7+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Schwede, shakti, reahti, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, linkage, vesticular, Kassandra

    Overture from South Pacific performed by George Wright on the Mighty Wurlitzer. (RealAudio)

    "There ain't no sanity clause." Chico Marx http://wfmu.org/playlists/RX

    by Asbury Park on Fri May 09, 2008 at 01:14:11 PM PDT

  • This is kinda tough to corral... (6+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    shakti, reahti, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, linkage, vesticular, Kassandra

    Mom and I have alot in common in music.  I do remember a car ride a few years back when it was just us driving to Orion, IL.  We were listening to the Little River Band's greatest hits and, ahem, "singing" along to them !  It was fun :/)  We don't get time like that too often.

    All of 'em are great tunes:
    Lonesome Loser
    Help Is On Its Way
    Cool Change
    Take It Easy On Me
    Reminiscing
    Night Owls
    Lady
    The Other Guy
    Man On Your Mind
    Happy Anniversary

    And this later hit "We Two" has been on my mind alot lately....

    All alone, on my own,
    Since I walked out on you
    I walked out on me, now it's gone,
    And you, what to do,
    There's so much time and so many nights to get through,
    Oh why do we play, and why do we lose,
    It's a dangerous life we live, we two.

    We are fools, we make all these rules,
    We make it so hard to find love, to feel free, to
    Be fresh outta school,
    And now, what of romance,
    Do we know that life is sweeter when we're taking a chance,
    So why do we run, and why do we cry,
    It's a crazy life we live, you and I.

    Chorus:
    Carousels and wishing wells were the things we loved,
    To fly away in a big balloon was what she talked of, ohhhh.

    Alone, out on my own,
    I just wander the streets and stare at the places we've known...

    by Schwede on Fri May 09, 2008 at 01:34:35 PM PDT

  • Mom and music (6+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Schwede, reahti, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, linkage, vesticular, Kassandra

    My mother was always a huge fan of Patsy Cline and Eddie Arnold who just passed away, and who's obituary I have linked to. So all day I have been singing the Eddie Arnold songs that were the sound track to my growing up: Cattle Call, Make the World Go  Away, What's He Doing in My World to name a few. Even though I would never consider myself a Country music fan, indeed I rarely ever even listen to music unless you count chanting mantras, it is from my mother that I got my appreciation of Patsy Cline and Eddie Arnold. Both of them are artists that you can sing along with, maybe that is why I still like them so much. Oh...and...you do not want to hear me yodel!

    I am That, you are That, all of this is That, and That is all there is.

    by shakti on Fri May 09, 2008 at 02:32:58 PM PDT

  • this is a hard one (7+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Schwede, shakti, Aunt Em, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, linkage, vesticular, Kassandra

    I don't think about music so much when I think about my mom.....hmmmmmm. Gotta see if I can think of some of her favs because it was always my dad that sang to me and my bro.

    • Blowin' in the Wind - Peter, Paul and Mary - Two for one here - both the group and the song.
    • The Rose - Joan Baez - I know this is a song associated with Bette Midler, but I can hear the record my mom has of Joan Baez singing this. (couldn't find a link)
    • I'll Fly Away - Had to have an old time hymn. This version is Allison Kraus because my parents have gone to a couple of her concerts lately.

    Wow - this is really hard. Part of it is that my mom is tone deaf, so she doesn't sing much. My relationship with my mom...whew...that's a hard one too, especially on a day when I've had a disagreement with her. Yeah, I'm not much good for this one.

    by reahti on Fri May 09, 2008 at 07:28:19 PM PDT

  • Believe it or not... (5+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Schwede, shakti, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, linkage, vesticular

    my Mom is a Genesis fan, too! :D I'm going to go for songs that I sang as lullabies to my daughter, as well.

    Follow You, Follow Me (Genesis, of course) ; this song was the recessional at my wedding. It still makes Mom cry.
    Rainbow Connection (Muppets); A lullaby I'd sing.
    El Paso; Mom is a big Marty Robbins fan
    anything by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass or Roy Orbison
    Alley Cat; Mom worked at the Montleone Hotel in new Orleans when I was small. They had a band on weekends (a big band) and they would play this for me when I would come for dinner.
    I Left My Heart in San Francisco; my Grandmother's favorite song
    Julian of Norwich; another lullaby I would sing

    When my daughter was small, we'd have stories and songs every night at bedtime. Our choice of songs was wide and it's a good thing she didn't care about talent. This is how she became so well-versed in so many genres of music.

    Happy Mother's Day all you Moms!!!!

    Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~~ Kahlil Gibran

    by Kassandra on Fri May 09, 2008 at 07:51:32 PM PDT

  • Hi Mom! (3+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Schwede, shakti, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace

    She'll never read that.  Alright, let's see what we got:

    Wilco - Poor Places - Any song off of this album would do, because for some reason, Mom liked this album when she was in my car.  

    Neil Young - Are You Ready For the Country? - Another one we both liked.

    In My Life - The Beatles - This was the song Mom and I danced to at my wedding.  My tenderhearted little sister, therefore, breaks down in tears whenever she hears it.  Isn't that freaking adorable?

    Hmm.  Having trouble here, because my love for my mother is inversely proportional to our shared taste in music.  Sorry Mom, I don't like Meatloaf or The Carpenters.  

    I'll have to dig for a few more random ones...

    Many a thief is a better man than many a clergyman, and miles nearer to the gate of the kingdom. - George MacDonald

    by vesticular on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:14:56 PM PDT

  • Music for/from Mom (5+ / 0-)

    Recommended by:
    Schwede, shakti, Aunt Em, Sister Quarterstaff of Undeclared Grace, vesticular

    When I was a kid the only music in the house was church music.  This encompassed a certain amount of gospel but only to a point.  My father loved gospel music sung by white people; he was a child of his times.  Since my father died I learned that mom likes swing bands.  Who knew?

    I am tired and so weary but I must toil on
    'till the lord comes to call me away
    where the morning's so bright and the lamb is the light
    and the night is as bright as the day

    There will be peace in the valley for me one day
    There will be peace in the valley for me
    There'll be no more sadness, no sorrow will I see
    There will be peace in the valley for me.

    Well, the bear will be gentle and the wolf will be tame
    and the lion will lie down by the lamb
    and the beasts of the wild will be led by a child
    I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am

    There will be peace in the valley for me one day
    There will be peace in the valley for me
    There'll be no more sadness, no sorrow will I see
    There will be peace in the valley for me.

    by DanielMN on Fri May 09, 2008 at 08:38:30 PM PDT

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