Tuesday, 9 January 2018

"To Anacreon in Heav'n" or "The Anacreontic Song" (tune of Star Spangled Banner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l-n64NWHS4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydAIdVKv84g

The song was written for the Anacreontic Society, probably around 1771. The tune (...) is now thought to have been written "collectively" by members of the society, led by John Stafford Smith (...). The society met every two weeks to get drunk, sing songs and to indulge in some debauchery. Anacreon himself was a Greek poet from about 570BC who was noted for his erotic poetry (...) and his drinking songs.

Monday, 8 January 2018

The Be Good Tanyas - "Waiting Around to Die"

via Iggy Pop at BBC6... sad multi guitar subdued song, female vocals. A whole album... doable. Depends on mood and circumstance.

Sunday, 7 January 2018

poetry

Reading Stephen Fry's "An Ode Less Travelled" again to prepare choosing and explaining the poems I will be told to learn by heart.

Random things that came up: wrenched rhyming, as perfectly shown by Arlo Guthrie's "The Motorcycle Song"

And amazing poetry by Kim Addonizio and e e cummings:

What Do Women Want?
by Kim Addonizio

I want a red dress.
I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless,
this dress, so no one has to guess
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window,
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly,
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders.
I want to walk like I'm the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad.
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me,
to show you how little I care about you
or anything except what
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too,
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin,
it'll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in.


may i feel said he
by e.e. cummings

may i feel said he
(i'll squeal said she
just once said he)
it's fun said she

(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she

(let's go said he
not too far said she
what's too far said he
where you are said she)

may i stay said he
(which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she

may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you're willing said he
(but you're killing said she

but it's life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she

(tiptop said he
don't stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she

(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you're divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)