I first saw the video for this song the day after Freddie died. His way of saying 'Goodbye' I guess.
----------------

Sometimes I get to feelin'
I was back in the old days - long ago
When we were kids when we were young
Things seemed so perfect - you know
The days were endless we were crazy we were young
The sun was always shinin' - we just lived for fun
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know
The rest of my life's been just a show

Those were the days of our lives
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing is true
When I look and I find I still love you

You can't turn back the clock you can't turn back the tide
Ain't that a shame
Id like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride
When life was just a game
No use in sitting and thinkin' on what you did
When you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know
Better sit back and go with the flow

Cos these are the days of our lives
They've flown in the swiftness of time
These days are all gone now but some things remain
When I look and I find no change

Those were the days of our lives - yeah
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing's still true
When I look and I find
I still love you

I still love you.

To Agnes and Lisa,
Thank you for all that you bring to FT - your generosity of spirit, your wisdom and kindness. After all that she went through... in remembrance of your mother. "Into The West", by Annie Lennox:
----------------------------------------

Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
Night is falling
You have come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across a distant shore
Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away

Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping

What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home
And all will turn
To silver-glass
A light on the water
All souls pass

Hope fades
Until the world of night
Through shadows' falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again

And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping

What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home
And all will turn
To silver-glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West

Clare,

Words cannot tell you how much your daughter's song means to us. I know without a doubt that our mother would have loved it, as she adored Annie Lennox when she was part of the Eurythmics.

You are a true, kind and gentle friend, and for that we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.

Love you girlfriend!

I meant to post this on Veterans/Remembrance Day, but better late than never. If anyone has seen the video, heard the tune, or seen Billy Joel perform this song - it is very poignant. The lyrics alone do not do this song justice. To veterans everywhere - thank you for the sacrifices you made.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Goodnight Saigon"

We met as soul mates on Parris Island
We left as inmates from an asylum
And we were sharp, as sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho to lay down our lives

We came in spastic like tameless horses
We left in plastic as numbered corpses
And we learned fast to travel light
Our arms were heavy but our bellies were tight

We had no home front, we had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy, they gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep and shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ with all our might

We had no cameras to shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe and played our Doors tapes
And it was dark, so dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we'd write

And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

Remember Charlie, remember Baker
They left their childhood on every acre
And who was wrong? And who was right?
It didn't matter in the thick of the fight

We held the day in the palm of our hand
They ruled the night, and the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks...

...On Parris Island
We held the coastline, they held the highlands
And they were sharp, as sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive

And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

I'm sure I've posted this one before but it fits today.

What do you call it
when another forces your hand
and what will they say
when they find me here this way
and know, no no no it wasn't my idea
no it wasn't my idea
but oh,just to see your face
when you find me here like this
now there's no time for wondering
darkness is now at my door
rapping with his bony fingers
he's come to take me home
he'll envelope me in sleep
wrapped in black feathery wings

but before we fly, here's my goodbye

I get the last word
i get the last laugh
as sure as the room is growing cold
I'll have the last word
I'll have the last laugh
as sure as my blood is running cold

they won't call it suicide
because i've got the killer's name
engraved so deeply in my veins
they will call it homocide
because i've got your name
so clearly carved into my wrist
the weak and the lame will find their way
to escape but why should i
leave all this beauty behind
and forfeit the joy in my life
in the name of an enemy

I'll have the last word
I'll have the last laugh
as sure as the room is growing cold
I'll have the last word
I'll have the last laugh
as sure as your blood is running cold

far be it for I to leave all this beauty behind
i will stay to watch you wither away
and with any luck you may be hit by a truck
and i will remain to dance upon your grave
oh, look, can't you see how much your death means to me
please won't you play in a busy street

Far be it for I to leave all this beauty behind
I will remain to dance upon your grave

Warren Zevon... I miss the man and his music. The following is from his final album, which he recorded during the end stages of a battle with mesothelioma. He never lost his sense of humour.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Disorder in the house
The tub runneth over
Plaster's falling down in pieces by the couch of pain

Disorder in the house
Time to duck and cover
Helicopters hover over rough terrain

Disorder in the house
Reptile wisdom
Zombies on the lawn staggering around

Disorder in the house
There's a flaw in the system
And the fly in the ointment's gonna bring the whole thing down

The floodgates are open
We've let the demons loose
The big guns have spoken
And we've fallen for the ruse

Disorder in the house
It's a fate worse than fame
Even the Lhasa Apso seems to be ashamed

Disorder in the house
The doors are coming off the hinges
The earth will open and swallow up the real estate

I just got my paycheck
I'm gonna paint the whole town grey
Whether it's a night in Paris or a Fresno matinee

It’s the home of the brave and the land of the free
Where the less you know the better off you'll be

Disorder in the house
All bets are off
I'm sprawled across the davenport of despair

Disorder in the house
I'll live with the losses
And watch the sundown through the portiere

Every morning I get up before that rooster crows
Heading straight to somewhere I don’t even want to go
Eggs and bacon in my belly and a Folger’s coffee buzz
Good ol’ radar detector it protects me from the fuzz
Well, I do what I gotta do to get through working that 9 to 5
It’s killing me but then again it’s keeping me alive

It puts the gas in my truck, butter on my biscuits,
A couple bucks when I’m itching for a scratch-off ticket
That poker makes me broker every Saturday night
I still got running water and they ain’t cut off the lights
Come Friday night, My friends and I, start peeling off them labels
Working hard all week puts beer on the table

Eighteen bucks an hour and a million dollar tan
Women whistle at me while I’m working for the man
Making me some cold hard cash out in that summer sun
Come Friday I’ll have money but by Monday I’ll have none
Once the bills are paid and that bass boat tank has gone from E to F
I fill that big ol’ cooler up there ain’t a whole lot left

Well, I got gas in my truck, butter on my biscuits,
A couple bucks when I’m itching for a scratch-off ticket
That poker makes me broker every Saturday night
I still got running water and they ain’t cut off the lights
Come Friday night, My friends and I, start peeling off them labels
Working hard all week puts the beer on the table

Oh, oh, I’m a simple man, yes I am
All I need ‘s a few good friends and a good job,
And a good dog, maybe a woman that understands

A little gas in my truck, some butter on my biscuits,
A couple bucks when I’m itching for a scratch-off ticket
That poker makes me broker every Saturday night
I still got running water and they ain’t cut off the lights
Come Friday night, My friends and I start peeling off them labels
Working hard all week, yeah, puts the beer on the table
Puts the beer on the table

Would you pass me another one of them cold cans?

This one always makes me cry but it's also very good.

I'm standing at the crossroads in life, and I don't know where to go.
You know you've got my heart babe, but my music's got my soul.
Let me play it one more time, I'll tell the truth and make it rhyme,
And hope they understand me.

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I die before I wake, feed Jake, he's been a good dog,
My best friend right through it all, if I die before I wake,
Feed Jake


Now Broadway's like a sewer, bums and hookers everywhere.
Whino's passed out on the side walk, doesn't anybody care.
Some say he's worthless, just let him be.
But I for one would have to disagree.
And so would their mama.


Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I die before I wake, feed Jake, he's been a good dog,
My best friend right through it all, if I die before I wake,
Feed Jake


If you get an ear pierced, some will call you gay.
But if you drive a pick-up, they'll say 'No, he must be straight.'
What we are and what we ain't, what we can and what we can't,
Does it really matter?


Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I die before I wake, feed Jake, he's been a good dog,
My best friend right through it all, if I die before I wake,
Feed Jake

This songs is another of those that gets stuck in the head!

Harbours open there doors to the young searching foreigner
Come to live in the light of the big L of liberty
Plains and open skies bill boards would advertise
Was it anything like that when you arrived
Dream boats carried the future to the heart of America
People were waiting in line for a place by the river

It was time when strangers were welcome here
Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear
It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room
That people could come from everywhere

Now he arrvies with hopes and his heart set on miracles
Come to marry his fortune with a hand full of promises
To find they've closed the door they don't want him anymore
There isn't anymore to go around
Turning away he remembers he once heard a legend
That spoke of a mystical magical land called America

It was time when strangers were welcome here
Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear
It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room
That people could come from everywhere

It was time when strangers were welcome here
Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear
It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room
That people could come from everywhere

This one always gets me, since it's lyrics are very close to what has happened to me and my son.

Cat's In the Cradle-Harry Chapin

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

I'm gonna love you
Like nobody's loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain
And deep as a river
Come rain or come shine
I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things
But don' t ever bet me
Cause I'm gonna be true
If you let me

You're gonna love me
Like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
Happy together, unhappy together
And won't it be fine

Days may be cloudy or sunny
We're in, or we're out of the money
But I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine

I'm gonna love you
Like nobody's loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain
Deep as a river
Come rain or come shine

I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things
But don't ever bet me
Cause I'm gonna be true
If you let me

You're gonna love me
Like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
Happy together, unhappy together
And won't it be fine

Days may be cloudy or sunny
We're in, or we're out of the money
But I'll love you always
I'm with you rain or shine ...

V-e-r-y nice version of that tune here on YouTube!

Well I grew up wild and free
Walkin' these fields in my bare feet
There wasn't no place I couldn't go
With a twenty-two rifle and a fishing pole

CHORUS:
Well I live in the city but don't fit in
You know its a pity the shape I'm in
Well I got no home and I got no choice
Oh Lord, have mercy on a country boy

When I was young I remember well
I'd hunt the wild turkey and the bob-white quail
The river was clear and deep back then
And fishin' lines tied to the willow limb

Well they dammed the river, they dammed the stream
They cut down the cypress and the sweet gum trees
There's a laundra' mat and a barber shop
And now the whole meadow is a parkin' lot

I Will Not Take These Things For Granted - Toad the Wet Sprocket

One part of me just wants to tell you everything
One part just needs the quiet
And if I'm lonely here, I'm lonely here
And on the telephone
You offer reassurance

I will not take these things for granted

How can I hold the part of me that only you can carry
It needs a strength I haven't found
But if it's frightening, I'll bear the cold
And on the telephone
You offer warm asylum

I'm listening
Flowers in the garden
Laughter in the hall
Children in the park
I will not take these things for granted
Anymore

To crawl inside the wire and feel something near me
To feel this accepting
That it is lonely here, but not alone
And on the telephone
You offer visions dancing

I'm listening
Music in the bedroom
Laughter in the hall
Dive into the ocean
Singing by the fire
Running through the forest
And standing in the wind
In rolling canyons

I will not take these things for granted

Well baby, there you stand
With your little head, down in your hand
Oh, my God, you can't believe it's happening
again
Your baby's gone, and you're all alone
and it looks like the end.

And you're back out on the street.
And you're tryin' to remember.
How will you start it over?
You don't know if you can.
You don't care much for a stranger's touch,
But you can't hold your man.

You never thought you'd be alone this far
down the line
And I know what's been on your mind
You're afraid it's all been wasted time

The autumn leaves have got you thinking
about the first time that you fell
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no
you just loved the boy to well, Farewell
So you live from day to day, and you dream
about tomorrow, oh.
And the hours go by like minutes
and the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something to
make them go away
And I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind from wondrin' what
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time

Ooh, another love has come and gone
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on
I remember what you told me before you went out on your own:
"Sometimes to keep it together, we got to leave it alone."
So you can get on with your search, baby, and I can
get on with mine
And maybe someday we will find , that it wasn't really
wasted time
Mm,hm
Oh hoo, ooh, ohh,
Ooh,ooh, mm

This one is for my little guy, just three weeks old...

When You Dream - Bareneked Ladies

Quote:

---

With life just begun, my sleeping new son
has eyes that roll back in his head
They flutter and dart, he slows down his heart
and pictures a world past his bed
It's hard to believe
As I watch you breathe
Your mind drifts and weaves

When you dream,
what do you dream about?
When you dream,
what do you dream about?
Do you dream about
music or mathematics
or planets too far for the eye?
Do you dream about
Jesus or quantum mechanics
or angels who sing lullabies?

His fontanel pulses with lives that he's lived
With memories he'll learn to ignore
And when it is closed, he already knows
he's forgotten all he knew before
But when sleep sets in
history begins
But the future will win

When you dream,
what do you dream about?
When you dream,
what do you dream about?
Are they color or black and white,
Yiddish or English
or languages not yet conceived?
Are they silent or boisterous?
Do you hear noises just
loud enough to be perceived?
Do you hear Del Shannon's "Runaway" playing
on transistor radio waves?
With so little experience,
your mind not yet cognizant
Are you wise beyond your few days?
When you dream,
what do you dream about?
When you dream,
what do you dream about?

---

Around here, it's the hardest time of year
Waking up, the days are even gone
The collar of my coat
Lord help me, cannot help the cold
The raindrops sting my eyes
I keep them closed.

But I'm feelin' no pain
I'm a little lonely and my quietest friend
Have I the moonlight? Have I let you in?
Say it aint so, say I'm happy again

Say it's over, say I'm dreaming,
Say I'm better than you left me
Say you're sorry, I can take it
Say you'll wait, say you won't
Say you love me, say you don't
I can make my own mistakes
Let it bend before it breaks

I'm all right. Don't I seem to be?
Aren't I swinging on the stars?
Don't I wear them on my sleeve?
When you're looking for a crossroads,
It happens every day
And whichever way you turn,
I'm gonna turn the other way

Say it's over, say I'm dreaming,
Say I'm better than you left me
Say you're sorry, I can take it
Say you'll wait, say you won't
Say you love me, say you don't
I can make my own mistakes
Learn to let it bend before it breaks

Say it's over say I'm dreaming,
Say I'm better than you left me
Say you're sorry, I can take it
Say you'll wait, say you won't
Say you love me, say you don't
I can make my own mistakes
Let it bend before it breaks

(Jeesh! And that song sounds right even though I'm in a good mood !)

At night I walk this stinkin' street past the crazies on my block
And I see the same old faces and I hear that same old talk
And I'm searching for the latest thing, a break in this routine
I'm talkin' some new kicks, ones like you ain't never seen
This is home, this is Mean Street
(This is) Yes-ah home, the only one I know

An' we don't worry 'bout tomorrow 'cause we're sick of these four walls
Now what you think is nothin' might be somethin' after all
Now you know this ain't no through street, the end is dead ahead
The poor folks play for keeps down here, they're the living dead

Come on down,
to Mean Street
They're dancin' now, look! Out on Mean Street


(Guitar Solo)

It's always here and now my friend, it ain't once upon a time
It's all over but the shouting, I come to take what's mine
We're searchin' for the latest thing, a break in this routine
Talkin' some new kicks, ones like you ain't never seen

This is home, this is Mean Street
This is home, only one I know

(This is home) See, a gun is real easy
(This is Mean Street) in this desperate part of town
(This is home) Turns you from hunted into hunter
(This is Mean Street) You go an' hunt somebody down
Wait a minute, ah (This is home) Somebody said "Fair warning",
Lord, strike that poor boy down!

This Cold Chisel song is just "stuck there" at the moment:

Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away

When the war is over
Got to get away
Pack my bag to no place
In no time no day
You and I we used each other's shoulder
Still so young but somehow so much older
How can I go home and not get
Blown away

You and I had our sights set
On something
Hope this doesn't mean our days are numbered
I got plans for more than a wanted man
All around this chaos and madness
Can't help feeling nothing more than sadness
Only choice to face it the best I can

When the war is over
Got to start again
Try to hold a trace of what it was
Back then
You and I we sent each other stories
Just a page I'm lost in all it's glory
How can I go home and not get blown away

Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away

Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away
Ain't nobody gonna steal this heart away

Love I get so lost, sometimes
Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
When I want to run away
I drive off in my car
But whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

All my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes

Love, I don't like to see so much pain
So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

And all my instincts, they return
And the grand facade, so soon will burn
Without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

In your eyes
The light the heat
In your eyes
I am complete
In your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
In your eyes
The resolution of all the fruitless searches
In your eyes
I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
The heat I see in your eyes

This song always gives me chills

Johnny's been running hard all his life
'Cause life never treated him right
Well he ain't running now
You see his eyes are closed
They can't hurt him tonight

Sleeping, he's sleeping
Just let him be for a while
Don't wake him, don't take him
To where the people don't smile

Sleeping, my man is sleeping nice now
Please let him stay here with me
I promise, I'll keep him
At home, where he's supposed to be

He's been out there
In the streets you know
And struggling, scuffling
Trying to survive
Out there in a rich man's world
And now you say my Johnny is not alive
But you're wrong, can't you see

Sleeping, he's just sleeping mister
He doesn't rest very much
He lives hard and he gives hard
And I'll just die for his touch

Sleeping, he's sleeping
Without a care to his name
He's peaceful
He's quiet
He's tired of running his game

He's been out there
In the streets you know
With all the pain and all the suffering
Out there
Where you fight like hell
He never learned a fix don't fix a thing
Don't touch him

Johnny put too much joy in his veins
And now you're trying to tell me he's gone
I don't believe you
I'm just gonna sit here
And rock him in my arms

Sleeping, he's sleeping
He doesn't rest very much
You see he lives hard and gives hard
And I'd just die for his touch

The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No they can't take that away from me

The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No they can't take that away from me

We may never never meet again, on that bumpy road to love
But I'll always, always keep the memory of

The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No they can't take that away from me

Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait, ni le mal
Tout ça m'est bien égal
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
C'est payé, balayé, oublié
Je me fous du passé

Avec mes souvenirs
J'ai allumé le feu
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs
Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux
Balayés mes amours
Avec leurs trémolos
Balayés pour toujours
Je repars à zéro

Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait, ni le mal
Tout ça m'est bien égal
Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie
Car mes joies
Aujourd'hui
Ça commence avec toi...



No there's nothing at all
No, I have no regrets
Not the bad or the good I've been done
I don't care - it's all one
No there's nothing at all
No, I have no regrets
It's all paid, all forgot, swept away
I move on day by day.

All my souvenirs serve
Just to kindle a flame
The delights and the hurts
I won't need them again
My old lovers, their lust
All their trembling is gone
Swept away like the dust
I return to square one

No there's nothing at all
No, I have no regrets
Not the bad or the good I've been done
I don't care - it's all one
No there's nothing at all
No, I have no regrets
Because my life, and my joys
Spring anew
And it all starts with you.


This is my song, it has greater meaning as I age. I saw Edith Piaf live in Paris in 1959, when I was 10.

Incroyable!

Worlds away, with memories of
Killing time with dreams.
Think of me;
It was so cold we burned.
And as they leave
They cross my mind.
No time; I think it's over.
This life inside
I seem to mind.
Look in your eyes;
You're worlds away,
And life is locked inside you..

They sleep and sleepwalk.
They dissolve to dreams.
Hear children crying;
They're losing everything.
From heart to heart
The beat, slow, fades.
The sun explodes the night-time.
For all we know
There's nothing changed.
Look in your eyes;
You're worlds away,
Where art is close to science
A million miles,
A thousand minds,
Now worlds away.

Oh, no, don't say goodbye.
When you can love only one thing,
And they want you to.
It's you, it's you.
Worlds away,
Don't say goodbye.
Worlds away,
Don't...say...good...bye.

I like this thread. It ought to be made a sticky and a must read to all newbies.

I like this song.