Not Ashamed

I wear Spider Man pajama bottoms and, for a top, a ratty old Indiana Hoosiers sweatshirt. And I don't care if the whole world knows it.

I feel so free now ...

The People Have Spoken: More Poems

Evening Solace, by Charlotte Bronte

The human heart has hidden treasures,
In secret kept, in silence sealed;­
The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures,
Whose charms were broken if revealed.
And days may pass in gay confusion,
And nights in rosy riot fly,
While, lost in Fame's or Wealth's illusion,
The memory of the Past may die.

But, there are hours of lonely musing,
Such as in evening silence come,
When, soft as birds their pinions closing,
The heart's best feelings gather home.
Then in our souls there seems to languish
A tender grief that is not woe;
And thoughts that once wrung groans of anguish,
Now cause but some mild tears to flow.

And feelings, once as strong as passions,
Float softly back­a faded dream;
Our own sharp griefs and wild sensations,
The tale of others' sufferings seem.
Oh ! when the heart is freshly bleeding,
How longs it for that time to be,
When, through the mist of years receding,
Its woes but live in reverie !

And it can dwell on moonlight glimmer,
On evening shade and loneliness;
And, while the sky grows dim and dimmer,
Feel no untold and strange distress­
Only a deeper impulse given
By lonely hour and darkened room,
To solemn thoughts that soar to heaven,
Seeking a life and world to come.

Jive Monkey Gold: Elvis Costello Lyric Review

From April of 2005

LET'S DO THIS:

Everyday I write the book - Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Don't tell me you don't know what love is
When you're old enough to know better
When you find strange hands in your sweater
When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote
I'm a man with a mission in two or three editions

And I'm giving you a longing look
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Chapter One we didn't really get along
Chapter Two I think I fell in love with you
You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three
But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four, Five and Six

And I'm giving you a longing look
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

The way you walk
The way you talk, and try to kiss me, and laugh
In four or five paragraphs
All your compliments and your cutting remarks
Are captured here in my quotation marks

And I'm giving you a long look
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Don't tell me you don't know the difference
Between a lover and a fighter
With my pen and my electric typewriter
Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel

And I'm giving you a long look,
Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book.

First let's look at the complex rhyme scheme. Costello shows us how to work outside the box of standard ABAB or AABB writing. The chorus is only two lines, AA (they rhyme with each other). By keeping it so short, it has enabled him to write more verses, yet he can still insert the chorus between each verse, hammering home his theme.

The first verse is ABBCD. But although only the second and third lines rhyme (BB) we get internal rhymes in lines four ("dreamboat/ footnote") and five ("mission/ editions").
The second verse has one less line than the others -- perhaps it could be called a bridge (although bridges usually occur toward song's end). No line rhymes with another, so we can say that the end rhyme scheme is ABCD. Costello isn't eschewing rhymes, though -- he provides an internal rhyme within each of the four lines.
The third and fourth verses are both ABBCC, slightly different from the first verse. In the third verse, we have another kind of internal rhyme: the last word of the first line ("walk") rhymes with a word in the middle of the second ("talk").

What we can take from all of this is the knowledge that songwriters are not so limited with rhyme choices as would appear. You have more choices than 1. rhyming at the end of each line, and 2. no rhymes. You can always forego end rhymes while still getting the qualities that rhyme brings by providing internal rhymes.

This is not a masterpiece -- it's gimmicky, and Costello would admit that. But it's a very good song, one that has been covered by many artists (I am most familiar with mandolin king Sam Bush's version). Tons of songs provide the same theme: someone is claiming to be the love of another person's life, even if the other has eyes for a lesser rival, or is in some way overlooking their true soulmate. But no one has said it quite like Costello in this little ditty.

So many clever lines:

"When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote
I'm a man with a mission in two or three editions"

Of course we've all been there (if you haven't, you're lucky or very young and inexperienced). We know how much love is in our heart, how much we care, how much we can give or perhaps have given. But the object of our desire has eyes for another, a "dreamboat," although that dreamboat is no more than a "footnote," a person of inconsequence who cannot match our devotion. Perhaps it is someone who is less of a spiritual match or has less in common with our beloved, but they look better, or drive a nicer car, or any number of superficial things. Costello captures all of this in one clever metaphor. He does much the same in the last verse:

Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel

How delightful! And how tragically true it often is in human relationships. We choose a blob of insignificance that comes in a pretty package over someone who could be the whole she-bang to us.

So what seemed to be a little gimmicky song turns out to offer some profound truths about the human condition. This is why Costello is an Artist Who Matters.

Introvert Or Extrovert

Once again, the blogthing quizzes prove to be accurate (in my opinion) about me. How about you, Dear Reader?

You Are 40% Extrovert, 60% Introvert

You're a bit outgoing, a bit reserved Like most people, you enjoy being social But you also value the time you have alone You have struck a good balance!

Are You An Extrovert or An Introvert?

Will we know our loved ones in heaven?

Philosopher Peter Kreeft:

"Of course we will know our loved ones. This is a divinely designed, essential part of our joy. We are not designed to be solitary mystics, lovers of God alone, but to be, like God himself, lovers of men and women as well. Just as Jesus on Earth loved each person differently and specially -- He did not love John as he loved Peter, because John was not Peter -- so we are designed to love people specially. There is no reason why this specialness should be removed, rather than added to, in eternity ...

"Our family and special friends will always be our family and special friends. In this life a child begins to learn to love by loving mother, then father, then siblings ... The concentric circles of love are then gradually expanded, but the beginning lessons are never abandoned. There is no reason to think God rips up this plan after death."

Song Update

A while back I told you that the song Rebecca Bales and I wrote, "All I Have Is Yours" was winning the early voting in the Top 100 New Songs For January poll at sharesong.org (this is a different host site than the one my web page is on).

So far it's still holding up well, at #2, and I have several other songs in their top 50. Here's a rundown:

Songs with the most votes this month

Title Author Contributor Votes

You Are My All Kelvin Lim 1a.m 60
All I Have Is Yours Bobby Gilles, Rebecca Bales Bobby Gilles 50
Great and Gentle Rebecca Carpenter, vocalist: Julia Klee Rebecca Carpenter 34
The Heart of Worship dean krippaehne Dean Krippaehne 27
I Love You Lord Michael Souders Michael Souders 25
A Living, Holy Sacrifice Debbie Fortnum Debbie Fortnum 24
Our God (Is An Awesome God) Kevin Elling/Rich Mullins Kevin Elling 23
He Gave It All Rebecca Carpenter, vocallist Joel Hudson Rebecca Carpenter 23
Let It Rain Chris Gibson Chris Gibson 22
We Are One Bobby Gilles, Dan Cassin Bobby Gilles 22
He is Worthy Misael Rivera & A. Carlos Ortiz A. Carlos Ortiz 22
Always There Bill Bonham Remnant Songs Writers 21
Who Am I Galvin Yielded Saints Of Christ 21
Lord Of All Bobby Gilles, Chad Lewis Bobby Gilles 21
JESUS YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING MISAEL RIVERA SINGER KEITH HOUSEKNECHT MISAEL RIVERA 21
My Everything Matt McCoy Matt McCoy 21
Nothing but the Blood Robert Lowry James Ferguson 21
Let My Life Be Worship James Moore James Moore 20
The Lords Prayer James Ferguson James Ferguson 20
Grant Me Silence Angela DiCostanzo Angela DiCostanzo 20
Jesus, Wonderful Saviour Kevin V. Fifield Kevin V. Fifield 19
Your Love Compels Us Bobby Gilles 19
Amazing Grace John Newton Russ Reese 19
Whom Have I Pablo Perez Pablo Perez 19
I Love You Thor H. Braarvig Thor H. Braarvig 18
The Future's In His Hand Anthony Seth Barnes Anthony Seth Barnes 18
Here am I Ray Watson 18
All My Life (It's You) Jennifer Haycraft 17
All of Me Thor H. Braarvig Thor H. Braarvig 17
For You So Loved The World Donnie McKissic Donnie McKissic 17
Praise the Lord Bill Bonham Remnant Songs Writers 16
PURIFY MY HEART MISAEL RIVERA /SINGER JUDY ROJAS MISAEL RIVERA 16
Life of Worship Jon Bauer 16
Everyday Bill Bonham Remnant Songs Writers 16
Blessed Be Your Name Russell Henderson Russell Henderson 16
Come to Me Chris Fitzell 16
My Lord And My God Bobby Gilles. Vocalist: Lorie King Bobby Gilles 16
Lead Us Back Brooks Ritter Bobby Gilles 15
Worship the Lord (in the beauty of holiness) Raymond McCullough 15
More Of You Anthony Seth Barnes Anthony Seth Barnes 15
Jesus Is Cool Simon Belcher Simon Belcher 15
Above All Else Galvin Yielded Saints Of Christ 15
Abraham's Lullaby Jennifer Haycraft Jennifer Haycraft 15

You Do All Things Well Bobby Gilles Bobby Gilles 15
Come With Faith Like A Child Anthony Seth Barnes 15
Guess How Much I Love You Debbie Fortnum 15
At Your Throne James Ferguson 15
Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord Nathan Gifford Direct Access Publishing 15
I Will Bless the Lord Bridget Willard 15
Have Your Way Ken Conkle 15

Jive Monkey Gold: Woody Guthrie Lyric Analysis

Here's some Jive Monkey Gold for you, from 2005, The Year That Was:

Lyric Review: Woody Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty"

Last week's lyric review concerned a song with few end rhymes, U2's "One Tree Hill." This week we go in the opposite direction with a song loaded with end rhymes, Woody Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty." Artists as diverse as Alison Krauss and Union Station, Harry Belafonte, Bruce Hornsby, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Peter, Paul and Mary have recorded Guthrie's passionate tail of migrant workers from the depression era. Here are the lyrics:

PASTURES OF PLENTY by Woody Guthrie

It's a mighty hard row that my poor hands have hoed
My poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road
Out of your Dust Bowl and Westward we rolled
And your deserts were hot and your mountains were cold

I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes
I slept on the ground in the light of the moon
On the edge of the city you'll see us and then
We come with the dust and we go with the wind

California, Arizona, I harvest your crops
Well its North up to Oregon to gather your hops
Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine
To set on your table your light sparkling wine

Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground
From the Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down
Every state in the Union us migrants have been
We'll work in this fight and we'll fight till we win

It's always we rambled, that river and I
All along your green valley, I will work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life if need be
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free

Copyright Ludlow Music, Inc.

Guthrie himself is often regarded as the father (or grandfather, depending on where one fits Bob Dylan) of modern American folk music. Indeed, when Dylan was starting out in the early 60s, he'd often visit his hero Guthrie during Guthrie's last, hospital ridden years before he succumbed to the disease that had killed his mother.
Dylan's work, along with many since him, has carried with it echoes of Guthrie's poetry. Look at the second couplet of the second verse above:

On the edge of the city you'll see us and then
We come with the dust and we go with the wind

Dylan's song "Song To Woody" revisited the lines line this:

Here's to the hearts and the hands of the men
That come with the dust and are gone with the men.

This kind of homage, and the studiosness it takes to pull it off, is lacking in our generation. We don't learn from those who have gone before us. We don't learn from each other. We are islands to ourselves, and it shows.

"Pastures of Plenty" contains five verses with no chorus. The rhyme scheme is AABB except for the first verse, which uses the same end rhyme for all four lines. Guthrie also uses alliteration (repitition of beginning consonants in different words) partial consonance (repitition of end consonants in different words) and repetend (the repitition of words or phrases), all to great effect. As an exercise, you could print the lyrics out and circle all the examples of alliteration, consonance, and repetend you can find. This is the kind of exercise that is often performed in poetry classes and workshops.

Guthrie loved lyrics. He wasn't much of a musical master -- most of his songs borrowed the melody of earlier folk standards, occasionally at different speeds or in different time signatures. But he knew how to tell a story through the medium of music. Strong nouns and verbs, the occasional adjective -- and almost never an adverb -- this is what makes a poem, song, or story zing.

The song title is an excellent use of irony. Guthrie was a comman man who sang about the plight of the common man. "Pastures of Plenty" meant something different for them. To the rich, to the solid middle class, it means bounty, easy living, and never opening a cupboard that turns out to be bare.
To the characters in Guthrie's works, it means the opportunity for work. Hear it in:

Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine
To set on your table your light sparkling wine

and:

It's always we rambled, that river and I
All along your green valley, I will work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life if need be
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free.

Why must they always be free? Because he could then have a way to provide for himself. Freedom is tied up in "right to work" and easy immigration laws. It is not begging for the crumbs from a table, it is going up to the master of the table and saying "Give me a wage and I will set this table for you."
It is a way of life that many of us don't understand, but through evocative writing like Woody Guthrie's, we catch a glimpse.

Riddle Me This; Riddle Me That

Some more gems from my pal Cheryl:

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
Frostbite

What do you call four bullfighters in quicksand?
Quatro sinko

What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
A nervous wreck

Why did the Pilgrims' pants always fall down?
Because they wore their belt buckles on their hats

In A Nutshell

1. FIRST NAME? Bobby
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My dad. So yeah, I'm a "Jr."
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? I'm a macho he-man warrior ...
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's scribble-scrabble.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? I can't remember the last time I had lunch meat but I'm actually not too picky about it. Turkey, I guess.
6. KIDS? Three boys: 10,7, and 3 (um, those are their ages, not their names. 8-)
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, although I have my faults, I do think and have been told many times that I am an intensely loyal friend.
8. HAVE A JOURNAL? No, but I have a blog and I write songs ... so, sort of.
9. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes
10. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? yes. It's not on my list of Life Goals or anything, but I wouldn't be afraid to.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Depends on the shoes.
12. FAVORITE SONG AT THE MOMENT? The call to worship song Lorie wrote last week.
13. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes.
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Anything with chocolate in it.
15. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I have a third ear on my forehead.
17. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR SELF? My pride, which I have to leave daily at the cross.
18. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? All of my friends who I've lossed contact with, and some friends and relatives who have died. Can't narrow it to one.
19. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? sure ...
20. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black
21. THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Honey-Nut Cheerios.
22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The blues -- Sonny Boy Williamson
23. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Red.
24. FAVORITE SMELL? Fresh coffee.
25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My ex.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU ? Yup.
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Various coffee drinks, milk, Mountain Dew, Cherry Coke, Dr. Pepper (all diet versions).
28. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Friends always laugh at this because it really doesn't go with my personality: NASCAR. I also like basketball and football.
29. HAIR COLOR? Brown
30. EYE COLOR? Blue
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes, and glasses (but not at the same time. I kept running into trees when I tried that).
32. FAVORITE FOOD? I love all kinds of foods, but right now I'm gonna go with an old favorite: spaghetti.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Both.
34. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Hometown Hero.
35. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White with vertical stripes of various muted colors.
36. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
38. FAVORITE DESSERT? Brownies, pie ... I hate these "favorite" questions. Too narrow.
40. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? What am I, clairvoyant?
41. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? Rereading an old favorite: "The Pursuit Of God" by AW Tozer
42. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? A mouse.
43. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST ON TV LAST NIGHT? A movie.
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? The Beatles -- but I prefer Dylan to either of them.
45. FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Florida or Minnesota.
46 DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I love writing
47. LEAST LIKELY TO SEND THIS BACK? huh?
48. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Louisville, Kentucky

Two New Songs

I now have two new song demos, the first two songs on the list you'll see by clicking HERE.

The first, Boundless, Timeless, Ever-Faithful God, you may remember. I posted the lyrics on this blog before I had written music for it, a month or two ago.

The second is a new one I wrote with Lorie, a little gospel-hymn. We wrote the lyrics over email and I wrote the music and recorded it last night. Perhaps eventually she'll sing the demo but this one will do for now ...

Here are the lyrics:

You Will Find Me Working For You
87.87D meter

You will find me working for You
On the day that You return,
Or until death sends me to You,
Though there’s nothing I could earn.
You brought love to me -- a rebel.
You adopted, You forgave.
I will do the same for others
Till You come or till the grave.

Lord, You bathed me in Your mercy,
Washed away the stench of death.
Then You clothed me with compassion
And You led me to Your rest.
Now, You ask me to bring comfort
To the wounded I should meet.
It’s the very least I could do
For the grace You’ve given me.

I know You will come descending
On the clouds to beckon me.
Or You’ll guide me ‘cross death’s waters
And You’ll calm the raging sea.
Just as You have called me to You,
And You’ve promised heaven’s shore,
I will take this hopeful promise
To the lost, the lame, the poor.

You will find me working for You
On the day that You return …

Into My Heart An Air That Kills ...

By A.E. Housman

Into my heart an air that kills
From yon far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?

That is the land of lost content
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.

Housman was a poet who used a lot of hymn meters for his poetry. This one is in common meter, although odd-numbered lines are trochaic rather than iambic (emphasis on the first syllable rather than the second).

" Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-

sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is

destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep

making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and

become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the

future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons.

Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to

celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and the last day

of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping

what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by

creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God

thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit

holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. And remember: If God is

for us, who can be against us?"




Mark Batterson, in Relevant Magazine.

Love To All The Monkey Maniacs

I know I haven't been posting as much lately, and I haven't been able to read everyone's blogs as much as I had been -- it's been very busy and I've been sorting through stuff in my personal life. But I want you to know that all you guys (where I come from, both men and women are "guys") are treasured, and I love to read your comments on my blog and your posts on your own blogs. My own little internet family! I'll get back in the swing of things soon.

New-old song

I have a new version of my song "My Lord And My God", now featuring the vocals of Lorie King, available for your hearing by click HERE and choosing the first song.

This is one of my favorites out of all the songs I've written, so I wanted to get a better singer than myself to do it right. And there ain't none better than my sister, friend, editor, and pet (nasty little gremlins are pets, right?).

Check it out and hear what a great job she does.

My Love Life -- For All Of You To Read

What about you?

Your Love Life Secrets Are

Looking back on your life, you will have a few true loves. You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't? You prefer a quirky, unique person to be your lover. You're easy going about who you're with, as long as they love you back. In fights, you are able to walk away and calm down. You are able to weather the storm. Break-ups can be painful for you, but you never show it. You hold your head high.

Your Love Life Secrets, Revealed

May We Have Your Vote, Please?

The hymn I wrote with Becca Bales, "All I Have Is Yours," has gotten about 1000 listens in the last month on soundclick.com and is now on a website that caters to music ministers called Sharesong. They apparently have a "Top 100" each month, and so far "All I Have Is Yours" is #1 for January. If you CLICK HERE it will take you right to a page where you can hear it and all the newest songs that have been loaded onto the site (I also have songs on that page that I wrote with Brooks Ritter and Chad Lewis. "All I Have Is Yours" is the 5th song down on the list, followed a bit later by the songs with Brooks and Chad).

I'd appreciate your vote if you like the song (you just click on "vote for this song" next to the song title). You can also check out Becca's great music at myspace.com/rebeccabales and rebeccabales.com.

As you can see if you click on the list of Sharesong's Hot 100 song, so far 100-something votes have come in and almost all were for different songs (probably, they're all from writers who are voting for their own songs). Only a few have more than one vote at this point (but of course it's only Jan. 3) and "All I Have Is Yours" has 6. Thanks for listening!

Courtesy of my buddy Cheryl:

A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving revolvers. The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved, the first bandit shot him.

***
A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all the cash. After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of Scotch that he wanted. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier refused "because I don't believe you are over 21."

The robber said he was over 21, but the clerk still refused because she didn't believe him. At this point, the robber pulled out his driver's license and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over and agreed that the man was in fact over 21, so she put the Scotch in the bag. The robber then ran from the store with his loot.

The cashier promptly called the police and gave them the name and address that she got off the robber's license. He was arrested two hours later.