Month of Music, Day #28
Day 28. A song that makes you feel guilty - "When I'm Gone" (Phil Ochs)
Ani DiFranco's excellent cover of this Phil Ochs classic (from her 2000 EP swing set) is what first introduced me to this gorgeous song, and it's where my Phil Ochs love started. While I've been an Ani fan since my early teens, it still amazes me to think of how many musicians/singers/poets/composers I've been introduced to simply by being a fan of her work: I first learned of Joni Mitchell (and eventually became a huge fan) while listening to a bootleg of an Ani concert in which Ani spoke of how Joni's music/poetry resonated with her far more deeply than Dylan's ever did; I got into Laura Nyro after reading books about Mitchell and noticing consistent mentions of Nyro's work during analysis of Mitchell's; Bruce Cockburn was through another Ani bootleg in which she spoke highly of his music and politics and covered a couple of his songs a capella (one of them being "Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long"); and of course, Phil Ochs was through "When I'm Gone" from swing set. When I first heard it all those years ago I was just floored, played it over and over again, and had to learn more about Phil and his music.
"When I'm Gone" makes me feel guilty, but in the good way. It's a call to action, Phil's gentle reminder to himself and to the world that the only time we have is now. For all those of you who are secular people, the urgent message in the song that we have to do all we can today because we won't have the chance after death to make things better is a particularly salient one. It's the song that my mind conjures up when I'm deciding whether I should just sleep in and watch hours of shit on Youtube, or get my stupid ass out of bed and go marching in a rally or hiking along the coast. It's a song I want to dedicate to all the protests I missed because I chose to sleep in, to all the votes I didn't cast because I didn't care enough, to all the phone calls to friends I didn't make because I was too anti-social, to all the smiling people in the street whom I broke eye contact with because I was too worn out to smile back, to all the job and school opportunities I've wasted or just plain missed out of sheer negligence, to all the sweet/smart guys I didn't call back even after they showed genuine interest, and to all the days where the weather was heartbreakingly wonderful and I decided to stay in and check the internet instead of going out to breathe the ocean air and reunite with the world.
This is a song for all the misses, and a reminder to myself to stay focused, present, and above all fully alive.
Ani's excellent version is below the cut:
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- - - - -
Day 01. Your favorite song - "Hejira" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 02. Your least favorite song - "Hollaback Girl" (Gwen Stefani)
Day 03. A song that makes you happy - "Il y A" (Faudel)
Day 04. A song that makes you sad - "your next bold move" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 05. A song that reminds you of someone - "blood in the boardroom" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 06. A song that reminds you of somewhere - "My Secret Place" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 07. A song that reminds you of a certain event - "アジアのこの街で" (上々颱風)
- ["In This Asian Town" (Shang Shang Typhoon)]
Day 08. A song that you know all the words to - "serpentine" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 09. A song that you can dance to - "Didi" (Khaled)
Day 10. A song that makes you fall asleep - "平和の琉歌" (ネーネーズ)
- ["Ryūkyūan Peace Song" (The Nenes)]
Day 11. A song from your favorite band - "Cherry-Coloured Funk" (Cocteau Twins)
Day 12. A song from a band you hate - "What Hurts the Most" (Rascal Flatts)
Day 13. A song that is a guilty pleasure - "La Neige au Sahara" (Anggun)
Day 14. A song that no one would expect you to love - "Leviticus: Faggot" (Me'Shell NdegéOcello)
Day 15. A song that describes you - "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 16. A song that you used to love but now hate - "Khalouni" (Cheb Mami)
Day 17. A song that you hear often on the radio - "Need to Know" (Incognito)
Day 18. A song that you wish you heard on the radio - "International Blues Jam" (Brozman/Hirayasu/Diawara)
Day 19. A song from your favorite album - "Christmas in My Soul" (Laura Nyro)
Day 20. A song that you listen to when you’re angry - "Women's Care in E Flat Major" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 21. A song that you listen to when you’re happy - "Ave Maria" (Chanticleer)
Day 22. A song that you listen to when you’re sad - "2011"/"2007" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 23. A song that you want to play at your wedding - "Hibernatal" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 24. A song that you want to play at your funeral - "Palmyra" (Jolie Holland)
Day 25. A song that makes you laugh - "Eat Me Out" (Margaret Cho)
Day 26. A song that you can play on an instrument - Étude in C# Minor, Op. 2, No. 1 (Alexander Scriabin)
Day 27. A song that you wish you could play - "Links on the Chain" (Phil Ochs)
Day 28. A song that makes you feel guilty - "When I'm Gone" (Phil Ochs)
Day 29. A song from your childhood -
Day 30. Your favorite song at this time last year -
Ani DiFranco's excellent cover of this Phil Ochs classic (from her 2000 EP swing set) is what first introduced me to this gorgeous song, and it's where my Phil Ochs love started. While I've been an Ani fan since my early teens, it still amazes me to think of how many musicians/singers/poets/composers I've been introduced to simply by being a fan of her work: I first learned of Joni Mitchell (and eventually became a huge fan) while listening to a bootleg of an Ani concert in which Ani spoke of how Joni's music/poetry resonated with her far more deeply than Dylan's ever did; I got into Laura Nyro after reading books about Mitchell and noticing consistent mentions of Nyro's work during analysis of Mitchell's; Bruce Cockburn was through another Ani bootleg in which she spoke highly of his music and politics and covered a couple of his songs a capella (one of them being "Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long"); and of course, Phil Ochs was through "When I'm Gone" from swing set. When I first heard it all those years ago I was just floored, played it over and over again, and had to learn more about Phil and his music.
"When I'm Gone" makes me feel guilty, but in the good way. It's a call to action, Phil's gentle reminder to himself and to the world that the only time we have is now. For all those of you who are secular people, the urgent message in the song that we have to do all we can today because we won't have the chance after death to make things better is a particularly salient one. It's the song that my mind conjures up when I'm deciding whether I should just sleep in and watch hours of shit on Youtube, or get my stupid ass out of bed and go marching in a rally or hiking along the coast. It's a song I want to dedicate to all the protests I missed because I chose to sleep in, to all the votes I didn't cast because I didn't care enough, to all the phone calls to friends I didn't make because I was too anti-social, to all the smiling people in the street whom I broke eye contact with because I was too worn out to smile back, to all the job and school opportunities I've wasted or just plain missed out of sheer negligence, to all the sweet/smart guys I didn't call back even after they showed genuine interest, and to all the days where the weather was heartbreakingly wonderful and I decided to stay in and check the internet instead of going out to breathe the ocean air and reunite with the world.
This is a song for all the misses, and a reminder to myself to stay focused, present, and above all fully alive.
Click to viewAni's excellent version is below the cut:
- - - - -
- - - - -
Day 01. Your favorite song - "Hejira" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 02. Your least favorite song - "Hollaback Girl" (Gwen Stefani)
Day 03. A song that makes you happy - "Il y A" (Faudel)
Day 04. A song that makes you sad - "your next bold move" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 05. A song that reminds you of someone - "blood in the boardroom" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 06. A song that reminds you of somewhere - "My Secret Place" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 07. A song that reminds you of a certain event - "アジアのこの街で" (上々颱風)
- ["In This Asian Town" (Shang Shang Typhoon)]
Day 08. A song that you know all the words to - "serpentine" (Ani DiFranco)
Day 09. A song that you can dance to - "Didi" (Khaled)
Day 10. A song that makes you fall asleep - "平和の琉歌" (ネーネーズ)
- ["Ryūkyūan Peace Song" (The Nenes)]
Day 11. A song from your favorite band - "Cherry-Coloured Funk" (Cocteau Twins)
Day 12. A song from a band you hate - "What Hurts the Most" (Rascal Flatts)
Day 13. A song that is a guilty pleasure - "La Neige au Sahara" (Anggun)
Day 14. A song that no one would expect you to love - "Leviticus: Faggot" (Me'Shell NdegéOcello)
Day 15. A song that describes you - "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" (Joni Mitchell)
Day 16. A song that you used to love but now hate - "Khalouni" (Cheb Mami)
Day 17. A song that you hear often on the radio - "Need to Know" (Incognito)
Day 18. A song that you wish you heard on the radio - "International Blues Jam" (Brozman/Hirayasu/Diawara)
Day 19. A song from your favorite album - "Christmas in My Soul" (Laura Nyro)
Day 20. A song that you listen to when you’re angry - "Women's Care in E Flat Major" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 21. A song that you listen to when you’re happy - "Ave Maria" (Chanticleer)
Day 22. A song that you listen to when you’re sad - "2011"/"2007" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 23. A song that you want to play at your wedding - "Hibernatal" (Gavin Castleton)
Day 24. A song that you want to play at your funeral - "Palmyra" (Jolie Holland)
Day 25. A song that makes you laugh - "Eat Me Out" (Margaret Cho)
Day 26. A song that you can play on an instrument - Étude in C# Minor, Op. 2, No. 1 (Alexander Scriabin)
Day 27. A song that you wish you could play - "Links on the Chain" (Phil Ochs)
Day 28. A song that makes you feel guilty - "When I'm Gone" (Phil Ochs)
Day 29. A song from your childhood -
Day 30. Your favorite song at this time last year -