Accidental Racist by Brad Paisley (feat LL Cool J) - Part 2: The Hope

Now let’s talk about what everyone is focusing on: the lyrics.

I don’t think a kid who buys a Lynard Skynrd t-shirt at Target has any idea about the cultural baggage that is attached with the Confederate flag on that shirt. I also don’t think most kids when they where baggy pants have any idea what message that sends people. It’s not just kids, most adults have issues understanding the messages they are putting across.

Should we know better? Yes, but do we? Not always.

Brad offended a guy with his t-shirt when he went to Starbucks. It wasn’t his intention. But he realizes that maybe there’s something wrong and instead of blowing off this “can of worms” he takes it as a opportunity to have a conversation.

The chorus is all about understanding and accepting who you are which is the first step in having any kind of meaningful dialogue about race. He is Caucasian, and he’s from the south. He has no personal responsibility for slavery, Jim Crow laws and the sins of people who came before him. This line of thinking sometimes leads to people not taking responsibility for the past but Paisley does, acknowledging that they are still “picking up the pieces” and that he is torn between “southern pride and southern blame.”

Atticus Finch had it right. You have a walk a mile in another person’s shoes but you can’t in practice. I will never know what it’s like to walk down the street as a woman and I will never know what it’s like for my son to be mixed-race. We can try but we’ll never know and Brad points this out in the second verse.

LL’s angle is different. He brings up some stereotypes and how he thinks that we shouldn’t judge too quickly because of the clothing someone's wears. Like the point Brad makes in the chorus, he says that he wasn’t there during Sherman's march but that he also takes responsibility for the pre-judgment that he makes.

Then LL says that he wants to buy him a beer to have a chat to clear the air. Some people have criticized this line for trivializing racial issues with such a simplistic solution. LL isn’t saying that all issues can be solved this way but some can. And reaching with a gesture of good will to someone who is projecting things that you are uncomfortable with like the confederate flag is an enormous and powerful way to make progress.

At the end Brad and LL throw lines back and forth at each other. They aren’t trying to equate chains of slavery with gold chain necklaces or do-rags with the confederate flag. They are explaining their perspective. Some of this isn’t pretty and some of it is a little unsettling but that’s okay. “RIP Robert E. Lee, but I gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me. . . ” can be interpreted as a loaded or simply an acknowledgement of differences which must be acknoledged in order for a dialogue to be meaningful.

What’s concerning is that these two artists Brad Paisley and LL Cool J did something that was brave and important and instead of being praised they got heat.

My son is coming into this world in about a month. He’s coming into a society where we aren’t comfortable talking about racial issues and we don’t feel able to address the tensions within ourselves. Brad and LL bucked the trend through trying to make a world where we can move forward without forgetting the past.  Through acknowledging the tensions and the the misunderstandings we can find common ground to reach a higher level of shared humanity.

Even though this song may be mediocre, the spirit of what Brad Paisley and LL Cool J expressed in "Accidental Racist," gives me hope for my son, myself and all of us.

Accidental Racist by Brad Paisley (feat LL Cool J) - Part 1: What The Critics Got Wrong & The Music

Somewhere between the people in our society who don’t think racial issues are clear and present in our society and the people who fight racial issues as a war are the rest of us well-intentioned and self-aware individuals who do the best we can to understand each other.

Brad Paisley and LL Cool J are two of these people.

I understand why “Accidental Racist,” has received criticism. People are uncomfortable talking about race, especially when the discussion is as honest and up front as in this song. While I’ve read some well thought-out analyses of this song, most people are missing the mark and the point.


I’m going to steer away from addressing critics of this song but I got to say a couple things in reference to the many criticisms Brad Paisley and LL Cool J have received for their work together. These are two musicians reflecting how they feel about an issue in their lives. They are not sociologist, they are not experts in racial relations, they are musicians. Their responsibility is not to address and unpack the complex racial issues in America.

Much of the criticism of this song comes from people who have little expertise in the hip-hop or country genre and many of these people are not even experts in music. Whenever something in our society stirs up controversy it’s interesting how many people jump into the fray to criticize something they don't consume or understand. It’s like the person protesting a video game for being violent when they don’t play video games themselves or another person they will never buy a Tiger Woods product when they never bought his merchandise to begin with.

If you take away the critics who:
      1. Take the lyrics out of context
      2. Place inappropriate responsibility on Brad Paisley and LL Cool J’s shoulders
      3. Don’t understand the genre of music they are addressing or the nature of pop music itself

  . .. you aren’t left with a lot of legitimate critiques. Think about the larger context, stick with what you know and don’t jump on the criticism bandwagon.

First off, let’s take a look at the musical part of this song. It’s not great but it’s not horrible. Melding rap into other genres can be tough. Springsteen it tried with “Rocky Ground,” it was okay but again wasn’t great.



Brad leads in with this slick and bluesy guitar licks. The slow pace allows for a level of reflection and Brad as he usually does a nice job moving through simple but interesting harmonies. After varying through more sung and then spoken lines the chorus opens really nicely. LL Cool J’s verse isn’t as dynamic as other ones. My favorites LL Cool J verse is at the beginning of this song “Curious.”



His verse doesn’t have the swagger or aggressiveness that we are used to with LL but he moves through the verse with skill has some interesting rhymes (“gangled, DJango,”) while weaving historical context of Sherman’s march. Maybe it’s because we’re not used to rap being calmer, but it doesn’t feel right. Part of it is that rap over a non-hip-hop beat doesn’t sit well in the ear. It’s not a logical thing, but it doesn’t feel like it fits.

Musically this combination feels a little awkward when LL ad-lib's towards the end. I’m not sure what would have made it better but maybe a musical compromise or a hip-hop beat coming in during a break down would have smoothed it over a little. Regardless it’s a really pretty song but it lacks a certain energy and momentum that Paisley and LL characteristically have in their music.

It's hard for people to divorce their musical tastes from the lyrical content.  If you're not a fan of country music, you are going to be turned off from this song regardless of the lyrics.

Next week I'm going to analyze the lyrics which are where most of the scorn is being directed.  In the mean time, really think about what they are saying.  Don't just hook onto a single phrase.

We limit ourselves in racial discussions if we don't dare to look deeper not only into what is said but also how our reactions to these words reflects our own feelings and insecurities. 

Round 6: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terell Vs. Amy Winehouse

In 1967, Motown released one of the most beloved duets in popular music, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."



Marvin Gaye's and Tammi Terrell's voices blended beautifully as two lovers committing their deep love for each other.  The Funk Brothers, Motown's session band created a mysteriously haunting opening that blossomed beautifully into the celebratory chorus.  

Versus:

Amy Winehouse featured "Tears Dry On Their Own" on her breakout album Back to Back.  This song flawlessly rerecorded the insturmental backgrouds of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and added new lyrics and a new melody.



It's like a dream to hear the backgrounds recorded with such reverence and soul.  It's a reminder of the power of live musicians and how great the Funk Brothers original arrangements were.  Winehouse adds a flowing melody and through her unique almost Tom Waits-like singing tells a passionate and bluesy story.

The Winner:

I love Winehouse but she's no Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terell.  The way that they duet is pure joy.  You could listen to just the insturmental background of both "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Tears Dry On Their Own" and be floored by the power of that music, heck you would feel it with the just bass line.  And listening to just the vocal teack of Marvin and Tammi is a relevation.  However Winehouses performance on this song is just not on the same level.

Next Week: Coolio Vs. Stevie Wonder

You Don’t Bring Me Flowers by Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand

I love Neil Diamond. That guy is the man. How can you hate on the guy who wrote “Sweet Caroline,” possibly the greatest sing along song in pop music history? I love his duet with Barbara Streisand “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” But man, I hate Barbara Streisand.

Okay, maybe hate is too strong a word. Part of my dislike comes from the insane way that people who are fans of Streisand worship her. In addition, her ridiculous diva attitude doesn’t make her the most likable performer but I can admit, at her peak she could really sing and her duet with Neil Diamond is one of the most beautiful and unforgettable songs you’ll ever hear.

Neil Diamond wrote "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with several collaborators in 1977 and in the next year Streisand covered the song. Gary Guthrie, a disc jockey, took these two versions and edited them together as a going away present for his wife that he had just divorced. This version gained such interest that Diamond and Streisand recorded a studio version of the duet. It was this version that became a number one hit and led to one of the greatest Grammy performances of all time.



I mean what color is Barbara wearing? What is the deal with that pantsuit? Oh lord check out the size Neil’s lapels and man that bow tie is small. Laf, Neil is SO wearing old man paints that go above his belly button and . . . um. . . . oh my God, they are walking towards each other. Neil, why don’t “used to be’s” count any more?!? . . . then Barbara touches his hair and wow . . .

The presentation is SO 1980 and the production of the strings is not hip or modern but there is something beautiful about the performance and this song.

This is one of those few breakup songs that is completely devoid of anger.  Anger is not really an emotion itself. Rather it’s an expression of an emotion. Often when you are sad that is expressed through anger and the beauty of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” is that we get to true emotion at the heart of the situation, sadness.

“You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” paints the picture of a beautiful relationship by showing us what isn’t anymore. If you transformed all the negatives into positives you would have one of the most romantic and beautiful love songs, instead we have a heartbreaking realization of what has been lost.

Diamond doesn’t try to out sing Streisand, instead he does what he’s best at, a more conversational style with a deep baritone letting Streisand soar above him and juice the passion and pain out of every single note. It’s a big contrast of styles but it works so well together.

The line, “you think I could learn to tell you goodbye” always gets to me because that truly is one of the hardest things to do in life because when you say the words and the person leaves, they are still with you. Feeling someone in your heart and not feeling their physical presence is one the most depressing things in life.

However while this song is sad, there is smile deep within.  It's like by going through journey these two people are reminded how beautiful love can be and even though they lost this love, there's hope in the future.  This is best explained by Butters Scotch:

“I love life . . I’m sad but at the same time I’m really happy that something can make me feel that sad. It’s like, it makes me feel alive. It makes me feel human. The only way I could feel this sad now is if I felt something really good before. So I have to take the bad with the good. So I guess what I’m feeling is like a beautiful sadness.”

No Surrender by Bruce Springsteen feat. Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem)

In 2009, The Gaslight Anthem played the Hard Rock Calling Festival in Hyde Park, London. During their set, Bruce Springsteen supported his fellow New Jersey musicians by performing “The ’59 Sound” with The Gaslight Anthem.



This gracious gesture brought excitement and attention The Gaslight Anthem and an amazing musical energy to this song. Bruce didn’t steal the spotlight but instead played as a member of the band providing an exciting guitar solo and a great vocal counterpoint to Brian Fallon, lead singer of The Gaslight Anthem.

Later that evening during Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s set Fallon returned the favor and performed “No Surrender” with Bruce.



Bruce looked like he was having the time of his life when he performed with The Gaslight Anthem, while Fallon looked absolutely giddy singing with Bruce. As much as it must have been a dream come true to have Bruce sing “The ’59 Sound,” singing with the E Street Band must have been on a whole other level.

Growing up in a house not far from where Springsteen grew up, Fallon identified with Springsteen as he describes in this clip.



Stripped of his guitar, Fallon starts the performance standing in the band clapping looking like a kid amongst these rock legends. As he joins Bruce for the chorus, we get a sense that something special is happening here. Then when Brian takes over the second verse it becomes clear why he is up there.

If I didn’t know that who was singing you could convince me that the guy singing the second verse was older than Bruce. There is something so mature, weathered and passionate in his voice. The pure expression that Brian injects into that second verse is spectacular. He strains for notes while soaring through them all at the same time sounding like a person who not only knows the words but has lived them.

There could not be a more fitting song for these two musicians to sing together. “No Surrender” is about the power of music and the bonds it creates between people. This performances uniting generations exemplifies this . . . I mean just look at how much fun Brian and Bruce are having up there, that's what it's all about.

Gold Digger by Kayne West

Marriage is a financial institution. Now I'm not trying to "bah humbug" the importance of love within marriage but the reality is that throughout human history most societies viewed marriage as an economic agreement. Think about it: dowrys, arranged marriages and even now fathers of brides still often pay for weddings.  And we can't forget the widespread use of pre-nuptial contracts.

Entire the idea of a girl as a "gold digger." A girl who is only going out with a guy because he has money.  While woman are often criticized for this and we forget the guy has a role in all of this enabling this behavior.



Kayne West with his 2005 smash hit "Gold Digger" explored the idea of a gold digger idea from different angles. Featuring a sample from the Ray Charles hit, "I've Got Woman," "Gold Digger" is fun, infectious and surprisingly insightful.



In the first verse Kayne describes how he met a girl who has high class tastes ("with a baby Louis Vuitton under her underarm"). He goes on to describe that she has four kids and he has to pay for all of their dinner. Towards the end of the verse he describes how she used to be with Buster Douglas and Usher but Kayne stands by his woman, " I don't care what none of y'all say I still love her."

The second verse is a hilarious cautionary tale of what could happen with a gold digger. Kayne tells the story of a football player who has a baby with a gold digging woman. Showing off his prowess as a rapper (which is impressive) Kayne tells about how she misuses the child support money.

She was supposed to buy ya shorty Tyco with ya money
She went to the doctor got lipo with ya money.
She walkin' around lookin' like Michael [Jackson] with ya money.
Shoulda' got that insured, GEICO for ya money.

What immediately follows is one of the funniest shout-out audience responses. Have you ever been at a dance party when Kayne says "holla' we want pre-nup" and a rooms full of guys response with "WE WANT PRE-NUP!!"? It's absolutely hysterical. Then the verse ends with a kicker: "And on her 18th birthday, he found out it wasn't his?"

The song ends with a message to the ladies. Kayne understanding that woman has needs but warns them that the guy has ambition and can "make it to a Benz out of that Datsun." He warns her that if she doesn't do right by her he'll leave her and she'll regret it.

All three verses are calls to look beyond money. The first verse is about a man's belief in his woman, the second verse is more about a man simply not being smart and letting a woman take advantage of him and the last verse is about looking beyond the material.

Money isn't just about money. The way people value money and the role money plays in their lives is a reflection of who they are. In this way, having a talk in a relationships about money and making an "economic agreement" in a marriage is more than just about money, it's about trust, values, communication and love.

I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher

I never took Sonny and Cher seriously until Sonny Bono died.

Sonny and Cher came a long way from their campy and silly 1970s variety show. After the show was canceled and they divorced Cher went on to establish herself as a solo artist and actor. Even though Cher went through various tabloid controversy including marrying Greg Almond three days after her divorce with Sonny was finalized, Cher went on to have solo hits including “If I Could Turn Back Time” and won an academy award 1986 for best supporting actress. By the time Cher released her biggest hit “Believe” (which I discussed in this earlier post) Cher was respected as a pop diva and had developed an enormous cult following.

Sonny initially took the same route, continuing to produce music and act in film. He didn’t reach the same level of success that Cher did in these ventures. Then in 1988 Sonny Bono shocked the world successfully running for mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992 going on to serve in the House Of Representatives from 1994 to until his death in 1998.

When Bono died in a skiing accident, people looked to Cher and her eulogy at Sonny’s funeral is one of the most powerful and unforgettable expression of love you will ever witness.



Yes, Sonny and Cher got divorced and remarried, but Cher’s words showed that there was still love between them. Time, circumstance and the failure of their marriage couldn’t’ change what they had shared and what they meant to each other.

After hearing Cher’s words, ”I Got You Babe” transformed from a cheesy pop duet to a touching and heartfelt love song.



Rarely do duets feature two people who are actually in love. It’s hard to know whether its Bono’s production skills which he learned from being Phil Spector’s assistant or Sonny and Cher’s affection for each other that makes this songs glow with warmth the way it does. I like to think it’s the love.

[Spector is one of the greatest record producers who I discussed in this earlier post on “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”].

“I Got You Babe” faces the struggles of life with optimism and hope. The words discuss how problems in life are not as significant because they have each other. The exchange between Sonny and Cher are like wedding vows, however they are not so much promises of future actions but reflections on the great thing they do for each other.

Cher’s voice in amazing the middle of the song, “and when I’m sad. . . .” Coming out of the texture her voice pours out with a purity and strength. There's a hint of her later vocal strength that can be heard as she effortlessly grows soars through the melody.

In 1987, on the David Letterman show Sonny and Cher reunited to sing “I Got You Babe.” The way that Sonny and Cher looked at each other was magical.



All the pain between them, all of the controversy in their lives for a moment was gone and what you had left with was two people lost in song and each other.

“I Got You Babe” captures in song one of the greatest love stories in popular music. It may not have ended in the traditional way but it showed us all the power of love to overcome the challenges of life and the power of music to express love.

Summer Nights (from Grease) by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

In 2007, NBC produced the reality television series, “Grease: You’re The One That I Want” to pick the two leads of a Broadway revival of Grease. The show a moderate success and a incredible promotion tool for the revival which had enormous ticket sales. Now, I actually never watched this show, but I’ll never forget this music video that was produced to promote the show.



This “medley” of songs from Grease stared Device van Outen one of the co-host of the NBC show. When I first saw this video on television, it just left me speechless. The medley is put together in a rather unorthodox way splicing different songs together, leading off with “Sandra Dee” one of the less well-known songs from the show. However, what most people were thinking about when they watched this video were the girls in black lingerie doing a not-so-subtle striptease dance.

After I saw this video on television I went to the official show website where it was posted and sent the link to a couple of friends. A couple days I noticed that the video was no longer on the website. Apparently, people complained and thought that this was an inappropriate way to promote a family-orientated television show about casting a family-orientated Broadway show.

I got to agree here, some of the moves on the chairs are a little racy and if NBC really wanted “Grease: You’re The One That I Want” to be a family show, this was a little much. The ironic thing is that the originators of Grease never intended to be a family show.

Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s 1972 musical, Grease was a show filled with expletives including a line when Sandy says “f--- it” to Danny when he asks if she is still mad at him. The original show more openly dealt the issues of teenage sexuality including Sandy’s abstinence, Rizzo’s promiscuity and the differences between the way that males and females view sexuality.

Then in 1978, Randal Kleiser directed the film version of the musical, which cleaned up the language in the musical and dealt with the sexuality of the show in a more subtle and light-hearted way. The film, which is the highest grossing musical of all time has become so popular that revivals of the Broadway show take more after the film then the original stage production. Like most people, the film version of Grease is the one that I know and love.

What makes Grease great goes beyond whether or not there are swear words used in the musical or even the way that sexuality the story deals with sexuality. Grease displays synergy between the music and plot that develops the characters and expresses the emotions in a real and convincing way.

And honestly who doesn’t love “Summer Nights.”

What a way to start a musical. Let’s have the two main characters reminisces about their summer romance but at the same time set across the school from each other. A lesser musical would have had the Sandy and Danny sing separate songs but in Grease they sing about their romance as a duet juxtaposing not only their own perspectives on the romance but the viewpoint of their friends.

The song starts out as Danny responds to his friend questions about his summer romance. Danny boasts while Sandy sheepishly recalls how it felt. The first verse builds to a chorus as Danny and Sandy innocently sing “summer days drifting away to oh, oh those summer nights.”

I clearly remember laughing out loud the first time I watched this film when I was a kid when the boys abruptly enter prodding for details. What’s even better is how the girls are just as nosy as the boys are. This song plays to the stereotypes that guys are more interested in things like “Did you get very far?” while the girls are interested in the romance, “Was it love at first site?” “Summer Nights” doesn’t so much perpetuate stereotypes as much as the song provides insight by comparing the ideas we have about the way girls and boys view sexually.

The form of “Summer Nights” is very simple, the duet builds to a chorus and then the response from the back-ground singers. This is repeated four times without a bridge. You don’t really notice the repetitive nature of the from because of the evolving background vocals which are a throw back to the doo-wop music of the late 1950s.

As the song builds Danny and Sandy provide more details because of the prodding of their friends. Danny gets more explicit, “well she was good, you know what I mean” while Sandy swoons “He got friendly, holdin’ my hand.” Danny’s bragging comes off more as funny then chauvinistic because he’s singing the same melody with Sandy in the same joyful musical space.

In researching “Summer Nights” I found this parody title “Ghetto Nights.”

What struck me about this version is that is still has the same warm-fuzzy teenage romance feeling at the end of the song.

There is something pure and joyful about Grease. The original Broadway show had it, the film had it, the over-sexualized promotion video had and the ghettoized version had it. It’s that feeling of summer nights, falling in love and a simpler time in our lives which is why we keep coming back to Grease.

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by The Righteous Brothers

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'" original recording
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” live performance

Do you ever get tired of listening to guys singing really high?

In popular music we hear a lot of men singing high as most of them are categorized as tenors. There are three common vocal ranges for men’s voices, bass, baritone and tenor (lowest to highest) and the majority of men are naturally baritones. Maybe its because being a tenor is unusual among men that it has a certain appeal. Also, a tenor range is easier in general for woman to sing along with while still have most of the notes accessible to baritones (from more of a scream along standpoint).

When we think about pop singers who are tenors, it’s easy to come up with ten without thinking very hard: Bono, John Lennon, Steven Tyler, Freddie Mercury, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Lindsey Buckingham, Justin Timberlake, Marvin Gaye and Kayne West . . . oh wait, what Kayne does doesn’t necessarily count as singing, how about um. . . Michael Jackson, that works.

Now let’s think of great baritone pop singers, there’s um. . . Rick Ashley, Eddie Veder, Johnny Cash and of course one of my all time favorite voices, Bill Medley.

People may not recognize Bill Medley’s name or his picture but I doubt there are many people who have never heard Bill Medley’s incredible voice. His defining performance of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” is one those recordings in popular music that raised the bar for popular music with its high level of artistry. While other music since the 1965 release have achieved high levels of musical achievement, few songs have captured the soul of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” which can best be described as righteous.

As the Righteous Brothers, Medley and Hatfield helped create two of the most influential and best-loved songs in popular music “Unchained Melody,” and “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.” They helped coin term “blue-eyes soul,” as they were two white guys who were sang with more soul than most singers at the time, white or black.

By focusing on Medley, I don’t want to take anything away from Hatfield. His performance of “Unchained Melody” is awesome. It’s soulful, venerable, and tragically beautiful and is truly one of the greatest pop songs ever recorded. I will probably cover this song on a later post but for now let’s get back to Medley.

Similar to the way that George Martin produced and were critical in the success of the Beatles, Phil Spector deserves much of the credit for the Righteous Brother’s pop masterpieces. Phil Spector is one of the most important record producers in recording history and it is not an overstating to say that he revolutionized popular music. In his songs, he created what people referred to as the “Wall of Sound.” Not satisfied with the sound of popular music at the time, he layered instruments using as many as six guitars and four pianos creating mountains of sound utilizing instruments not normally heard in pop songs. This resulted in a depth of sound that made you feel like you were in concert hall surrounded by instruments. However, the greatest effect in this song is Medley's voice.

Medley’s hushed and deliberate baritone begins "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". As he builds into the chorus a slightly lighter tone peaks through on the gentle “you’re trying hard now to show it," which is followed by the raspy and soulful, “baby, baby I know it.”

Medley matches the dramatic arc of each section of the music. Each verse starts from almost nothing, peaks in the chorus and then settles back down to a quiet contemplation. These contrasts add a powerful dramatic feeling throughout the song.

After the second chorus, the song quiets down to just the bass-line that is echoed with orchestral bells. Medley begins his desperate plea, which Hatfield responds to with his high tenor as the percussion begin to build underneath him. They join as Hatfield harmonizes over Medley’s while the music rises like the crest of a wave. Finally, they start an epic call and response rising up and adding more desperation in each echo. It climaxes in “so bring it on by” which Medley and Hatfield sing like a desperate plea to the heavens.

Hatfield was initially disappointed that he didn’t join in until the chorus of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” and even though his part in the song is secondary, his echoes of Medley in the bridge is what brings the song to its emotional and dramatic climax.

A great singing voice takes time to mature and develop, even more so than other musical instruments. It takes not only daily practice but years, like a fine whiskey to distill to its core. At the age of 24 years old, in the recording of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’” Medley has an unbelievably mature and developed voice that makes him sound like a man twice his age who truly has experienced the pain he is singing about.

Over forties years later, Bill Medley recorded a new album with unbelievable tracks like “Beautiful” proving that truly great voices only get better with age that he has always been and still is, as this album’s title states, “damn near righteous.”

Come What May (from Moulin Rogue!) by Ewan McGregor & Nicole Kidman

"Come What May" film clip

For the first dance at my wedding my wife, Diana and I took a dancing lesson. This is actually a common thing for people to do. Most dance studios have a “wedding package” which typically include multiple sessions and personalized choreography. Now this may seem a little silly but the fact is that many people don’t feel comfortable dancing in front of a large crowd of family and friends.

Diana and I didn’t want a choreographed first dance but we wanted to feel a little bit more comfortable on the floor and have some ideas so that we wouldn’t be stuck in the generic “left foot, right foot” side to side slow dance. It didn’t help the fact that the song that we chose "Calico Skies" by Paul McCartney which had an up-tempo triple meter.



So we met with a friend of ours who taught dance and we had a lot of fun with our lesson. We learned some basics, a dance step that worked, how to do some turns and how to end the dance. For the next two weeks before our wedding, we practiced and both were looking forward to our first dance.

At the receptions, after the wedding, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner, heartwarming toasts and cutting cake. It was now time for our first dance. The music started and Diana and I approached each other. I was thinking about my posture, making sure right arm was firm, keeping my eyes up, and the dance steps steps. By the time, the first verse had started all those thoughts left my mind and for a moment, it was like we were floating.

About half way through the song, Diana surprised me. She reached up, put her hands behind my neck and pulled me close. My first thought was “hey we’re not doing our dance steps that we practiced what’s going on?” But, as our dance became the typical side to side slow dance and I felt her close to me, I realized that it really didn’t matter about the dance moves or even the song, it was just about sharing a special moment with her and showing all our friends and families how much we loved each other.

My brother Ed and his fiancée Laura are getting married tomorrow and as I think about how amazing it’s going to be I can’t help but think of the magical dance that Diana and I shared on our wedding day. Ed and Laura, you’ve chosen a great song for your first dance. "Come What May" from Moulin Rogue! is a beautiful song that captures the love between you two and the spirit of your wedding.

Moulin Rogue! is the kind of film, a student of culture like myself loves. It has more musical references then any other musical I’ve seen featuring intriguing and inventive reinterpretations of popular music. Watching this film for the first time was like cultural overload. My mind raced trying to keep track of all of the references. The amazing thing about the film wasn’t necessarily the music itself but how the music served the dramatic arc of the film. All of the references would have been meaningless if not for the tragic plot and engaging characters. As much I love the medley’s and hearing “Roxanne” being sung as a tragic tango, the song that always got to me is my favorite song from the film is the only original song composed for the Moulin Rougue! “Come What May.”

The song starts with Christians describing how the world just seems different because of the love that he feels. It starts simple with singing that almost seems unsure. It’s like he is beginning to understand his feelings as he sings. As he asks “listen to my heart” the notes become longer and more dramatic. Then Christian sings “but I love you” at the end of the first verse which through its intimacy and honesty feel more real then any other line in the song.

Satine, Nicole Kidman’s character sings in the second verse about how the world seems perfect and that her life doesn’t seems “such a waste.” Even though our minds tell us that the world is never perfect, at certain moments in our lives our hearts helps us feel that the world is perfect. That feeling is not one of solitude but comes from sharing not only our joys, but also our grief with the ones we love.

Enjoy your first dance. Yes, everyone is watching, but that’s okay. I know you’ve been practicing and trust me you will look tons better than you think you will. Everyone is wishing you well and basking in your joy. For a moment, the world may seem like a perfect place and I hope that you will bask in that feeling.

Laura if you feel like forgetting the dance moves for a moment and just pulling Ed close, go for it. It’s your moment and you two should do whatever you want. People are at the wedding to witness true love, your true love. No dress (even though I know your will be sublime) can make a bride as beautiful as the happiness that she is feeling with her new husband and I have no doubt that will shine like the stars.

In the Ghetto by Elvis Presley & Lisa Marie Presley

“In the Ghetto” live performance
“In the Ghetto” original studio recording

The cold is heartless. As the wind chills us, the cold creeps into our hearts with feelings of despair, loneliness and sadness. When I face the cold, I’m in my car, not walking to a bus stop. My North Face coat keep the warmth close to my body as opposed to a coat taken from a donation box that through seasons of use has lots its effectiveness to keep out the stings of wind. I have a hot mug of tea and a lunchbox full of food while others are not sure when there next meal will be. In a way I’ve never been cold.

“In The Ghetto” is a story about what it means to feel cold. On a snowing, cold and gray Chicago morning a baby child is born. For those of you who have never lived in Chicago winter mornings can reach below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and in the depth of winter, mornings can not only be grey but black as the sun takes it’s time it to rise. This is the setting for a tragedy though fictional speaks truths about struggles and lives of those less fortunate.

When Elvis Presley recorded this song in 1969, it had been four years since his last Top 10 hit. Spending his time making mediocre films had made Elvis irrelevant in the music world. It wasn’t until his television comeback special in 1968 that Elvis reminded America that he was one of the most influential musicians in American culture. He followed this special up by jumping back in the studio. He recorded in Memphis, Tennessee and during intense midnight sessions he recorded some of the greatest work in his career including “Suspicious Minds” and “In The Ghetto.”

Elvis revolutionized music with his sexually charged performances and a voice that was a unique amalgamation of country, gospel, soul and pop. His early recordings captured his unbridled expression, which seemed to evaporate as his career progressed

“In The Ghetto” was a return to greatness. The opening guitar arpeggio, the subtle horn colors, the lush strings and the soulful back-up singers worked together to created an indescribable feeling of harmony. I’m not talking about harmony in the musical sense, but rather the feeling that you get when you are in a group of people and everyone is working together, for the same reasons, to reach the same goal. In this song, the many different elements, the many different people working together combine so well that instead of hearing each individual musician, you feel what they are expressing.

The song tells the story of a child’s life. He is born to a single mother who’s first thought after he is born is not of love but of regret as she thinks of him as another mouth to feed. The child grows up on the cold streets and gets the best education that is available to him. The school is his streets, the teachers are neighborhood boys, and their curriculum is fighting and stealing. His motivation is not grades but rather hunger, that like the cold gnaws away not only at the body but also the soul. One day he tries to steal a car and the police catch him and dies. His mother weep is at the side of her dying boy as she dies what in another part of the ghetto, another boy is being born.

This song was originally title “The Vicious Cycle” and this song posits that the story of this boy is destined to repeat. As much as people do break out of the cycle and move out of the ghetto, many more people never do rise above the economic hardship they are born into. I’m not here to debate why people are stuck in the ghetto and what we as a society should do about it but I believe we all can agree there is a cycle in which it is nigh-impossible for people born in the ghetto to get out.

People make bad choices and often pay for them. For example, someone may break a law and then lose their job, go to jail and then when they get out, the only place they can afford to live is the ghetto. On some level, we can blame that person for their situation. However, a child born in the ghetto didn’t choose to be born there. “In the Ghetto” asks us if we see that this boy needs help because the song argues that if he doesn’t get it he will grow up bitter and angry. Then the songs asks, “Are we too blind to see or do we simply turn our heads and look the other way?”

Honestly, most of the time, I simply turn my head.

I don’t always know what to do with that. I like to think that I do all I can to help those in need, but I don’t really. Often, we tell ourselves that people don’t deserve our help because their misfortune is their fault, but who are we to judge?

I believe we can do better. I don’t know if it’s through our government or private organizations but there’s no reason why the richest country in the world can’t make sure all of it’s children have enough food to eat and shelter from the cold. Just because we don’t necessarily have answers, doesn’t mean we should stop asking questions.

In 2008, Lisa Marie Presley had one answer. Elvis Presley’s only child recorded over Elvis’s original recording to create a duet and donated all of its proceeds to charity. Natalie Cole was the first musician to do this singing “Unforgettable” with her dad Nat King Cole. Since then, many artist have sung duets with musicians who have passed on and most of the time I find that these works in overdubbing and editing do not add anything real or substantial to the original recording. However, there’s something different with Lisa Marie.

When Elvis died at the age of 43, Lisa Marie was 9 years old. The whole world got to know her dad, but she barely did. Even though Lisa Marie has not made a significant impact on the music world she is the strongest tie we have to Elvis and she continuously works, despite the behavior that the tabloids often report, to honor her father and help his estate do charity work.

Elvis’ deep baritone perfectly matches Lisa Marie’s rich alto voice. Though they are similar, Lisa Marie has a slight edge and yearning that compliments the solemn and soulful delivery of her father. Elvis was taken from Lisa Marie like “In the Ghetto” describes the son being taken from his mother. Alone, Elvis expresses the tragedy of this loss. However, with Lisa Marie “In the Ghetto” becomes a celebration of what people can create beyond circumstance, beyond death and beyond life in the ghetto.