Songs
39 posts
Getting "Get Together" Together
Jerry Maguire
For a few years, Cameron Crowe was on top of the world. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Say Anything" were respectable teen comedies. Then "Singles,"…
One love
We hope you enjoyed our Bob Marley show as much as we did. I know around my house the random whistling you hear is often the melody to One Love.
Wonder-ful guitar work
Recently, on Facebook, a member of our group mentioned that the song "Wonder" by Natalie Merchant makes her cry every time she hears it.
Some songs about Friendship
Not our setlist
We can be kind of secretive about our setlists, I know.
On Parents
A post from Lauren Paul:
Love Is a Beautiful Thing
Our own Andy Rogovin wrote another beautiful song, this one about parenting children with special needs.
Gone At Last featuring Phoebe Snow
I'm embarrassed to admit that a month ago, I had no idea who Phoebe Snow was.
Random facts!
Some random facts about the songs we're singing for the upcoming concert:
Peace, Love and Understanding: the Songwriter's songwriter
Sometimes you hear someone described as a "writer's writer" or a "musician's musician." The idea is that the subject might not be the most famous to the…
If I Had a Boat: A declaration of independence
"If I Had a Boat" was the song I loved the most from Lyle Lovett's album Pontiac, and then the next album, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band sealed the deal on my…
Don't Stop Believin': License to be popular
Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" has sold, as of this writing (2013), more digital copies than any other song ever written by anyone on earth. To which I say,…
Time After Time: A new standard
We Got the Beat: Punk to pop
Stand: The truck driver’s gear change
Once in a Lifetime: Getting in the groove
Psycho Killer: Qu’est-ce que c’est?
“Psycho Killer” is one of the few Talking Heads songs credited to all the band members at the time: David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, who first…
Up On Cripple Creek: Where, exactly?
The Water Is Wide: Recycling a melody
The Water Is Wide is a beautiful, traditional song. How traditional? It's out of copyright so I can post it here:
Gentle Arms of Eden
Closer To Fine
Loon: A conversation with a bird friend
On his website, Oen Kennedy describes himself as a singer-songwriter-naturalist. He’s performed all over the country, written scores of songs, including…
Octopus’s Garden: nice song, creepy animal
The Tide is High: Rocksteady, reggae, new wave, pop through the decades
By the time we got to Woodstock…
Both Sides Now: Third sides, fourth sides, and more now…
Paradise: Song as Memoir, fact or fiction?
Union Maid
"Union Maid" was written by Woody Guthrie while he was a member of the Almanac Singers, along with Pete Seeger. The tune had its musical origins in a fiddle…
On Woody Guthrie's 100th Birthday, as Relevant as Ever?
To mark the centennial anniversary of Woody Guthrie's birthday, Newton's own Tom Ashbrook recently devoted an hour of his On Point show on WBUR to an…
Teach Your Children: Graham Nash, photos, and the Grateful Dead
Teach Your Children was written by Graham Nash for his band, The Hollies.
Sugar Mountain: Worst verse ever?
Biking the Drinking Gourd
Do you love "Follow the Drinking Gourd"? Turns out a group called Adventure Cycling Association has developed a route to cycle the Underground Railroad from…
Daddy Sang Bass: Who Owns a Song?
Here Comes the Sun
Pretty much the best commentary on the web about any Beatles song can be found (if they've gotten to it) on the site for The Beatles Complete on Ukulele.…
Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In
My friend Elizabeth Wollman is a musicologist who wrote The Theater Will Rock: A History of the Rock Musical, from Hair to Hedwig. In her research, she…
Circle of the Sun
When Stephanie introduced me to Sally Rogers' "Circle of the Sun," the ontogenic (that's a word, right?) lyrics and the rhythmic cadence seemed familiar even…
To the president, today I wanna say something to you
Slate.com asked Dorian Lynskey, author of 33 Revolutions Per Minute, a history of the protest song, to name the 5 most effective protest songs.
Seven Bridges Road, an evolution