The Blackhawks Goal Song aka Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis

Ever since I've moved to Chicago ten years ago, there's been ups and downs with the Bears, Cubs, Soxs and Bulls but one consistent I've heard is that the Blackhawks are one of the best sports franchise we got.  This year is no exception as the Blackhawks fight for for their first Stanley Cup since 1961.

I mean we are SO into the Blackhawks we went Old Testament and turned our water into blood.

Okay, maybe the plan to dye the water in the fountain at Daley Plaza red to honor the Blackhawks was a bad idea but the intention was good.  As disturbing as it is to see fountains of blood at least they didn't dye the water black (fountains of bile is far more disturbing in my book). 

Now I may not be able to analyze hockey games (I barely understand the concept of the game), talk about the history of the team or know what dye they used to color water but I do know music. So all of you who have asked me "What is the song that they play when the Blackhawks score?" and for all of you Blackhawks fans out there, this is for you.

After the buzzer rings after the Blackhawks score and sometimes at the end of games the rousing chorus begins "dadaDa dadaDa dada daDada." This celebratory and rocking sing along is "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis.



The song is inspired by lead singer Jon Fratelli's wife Heather who's stage name as a burlesque dancer was "Chelsea." He combined this with a nod to Britney Spears (Spears . . . Spear . . . Dagger, get it?) to create the fictional Chelsea Dagger. The songs tell the story of meeting the enticing girl Chelsea Dagger that inspires devotion and gratitude, “it’s one for the Dagger, another for the one you believe!” The saucy words don’t make literal sense, but they paint a picture of fun, naughtiness and humor.

“Chelsea Dagger” isn’t a sport anthem like “We Will Rock You” that express intimidation.  Instead it is about sharing happiness.  The unbridled joy that this song creates after every goal embodies one of the most endearing things about living in Chicago.



While Chicago features some of the best high culture in the world, the soul of Chicago is working class: Italian Beef sandwiches, baseball games and hanging with friends at a local bar. Being a Chicagoan is about taking the time to enjoy the simple things in life with good people.  Even though a band from Scotland created "Chelsea Dagger" it shares this same feeling.

The best way to understand what I'm talking about is to pump up “Chelsea Dagger” and dance and sing along to the last verse:

Chelsea, Chelsea, I believe when your dancing,
Slowly honestly.
The boys get lonely after you leave
It’s one for the Dagger and another for the one you believe!!

The words don't quite make sense but it feels so good to sing.  The hard swung rhythms feel like they just want to explode through your body in dance and the melody flows across the vocals chords like uncontrollable laughter.  

It’s like singing “Sweet Caroline,” at University of Wisconsin football games however, this is hockey so we need something a little bit faster and more aggressive.  Also this is Chicago so we need something that swings a little bit harder and the chorus born out of pub culture, drinking songs and soccer chants is perfect. 

Game 4 is tonight. There's really no shame in losing game three in overtime during the Stanley Cup finals, especially when you won the first two games. As you watch the game revel in how great life is, how awesome it is that the Blackhawks have made it this far and remember when they score sing it out for “the one you believe!”

Go Blackhawks!!

Young Forever by Jay-Z featuring Mr. Hudson

As the night defines the day, death defines life. It’s the limitations, the finite nature of experience brings meaning to our world. While we wish that moments in our lives would never end, we know in the back of our minds that the knowledge, the understanding that things will not last forever is what makes us cherish the time that we have.

If a song never ended how carefully would you listen to it? If a football game never ended, how would you know who won? If we stayed forever young, what would be the point of life?

Jay-Z’s fifth single “Young Forever,” from his album, The Blueprint 3 question the idea of immortality.

 

This song features the English pop artist Mr. Hudson who has worked as a producer for artist like Kayne West while having a successful solo career of his own.



Many rap songs find their footing in popular culture based more on the hook as opposed to the rapping itself. Many of my favorite rap songs while having quality rapping initially only appealed to me because of the vocal chorus like my personal favorite rap song of all time (not necessarily one that I would argue is the best) “Ghetto Superstar” featuring the melody from the Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers hit “Islands In The Streams” (written by the Bee Gees!!)

 



It only took three seconds of the opening vocals by Mr. Hudson to catch my attention and convince me to get “Young Forever.” This choice was made easier by the fact that Jay-Z is one of the greatest rappers of all time who never fails to provide interesting and technically fascinating raps.

The opening vocals are a combination of youthful naivety and doubt. Mr. Hudson sings about wanting to have a great experience last longer stating that he would rather die young or live forever never growing old. In the next line he sings that he wants to be forever young but then asks himself “do you really want to live forever?”

Jay-Z provides his own perspective on life comforting us in the first verse that great memories will they never end because they never leave our memory and “all we have to do is hit rewind.” He encourages us to live in the moment and that being young is a state of mind. This is why at the end of it “when the director yells ‘cut’” Jay-Z says he’ll be fine.  Maybe it's in memories that we find comfort or in living in the moment as Jay-Z describes in the next verse “fear not when, fear not why, fear not much while we’re alive” when thinking about the nature of death.

The one assertion Jay-Z discusses that I question is that he will live forever as his names is passed down in storied.  I think about my grandfather who recently died and how many people a generation from now will remember him? A couple dozen, maybe more, maybe less. Does this make his life any less meaningful? I don’t think so but what I do know is that him being young forever or having immortality wouldn’t guarantee his life meaning either.

The idea of immortality and wanting to be forever young is a reflection of our own insecurities we have about the way that we spend our time in our lives.  Are we doing something meaningful with this blessing of life?  If your answer is no, you probably wish you could have some more time but if you feel like you do then you're living a life without regret, a life proud to have lived with no fear of death.

I'm not there yet, but one of these days I hope to be. 

Hot In Herre by Nelly

It’s getting hot over here in Chicago.

A perfectly logical response to the warming of temperature is to take off articles of clothing, sweaters, hats, jackets, scarf.

Nelly took this a step further. Forget about taking of some of your clothes to cool, “it’s getting hot in herre so take of all of your clothes."  This statement would be completely absurd except for the fact the response from the woman in this situation of rising temperature agrees, “I am getting so hot, I’m going to take my clothes off.”



What, is Nelly a hypnotist or something? Really, could he have said, “it’s getting hot herre, so give all of your money” and then the woman would response, “I am getting so hot, I’m going to give you all of my money!”

Okay, okay, I guess this whole “take off all your clothes,” is a natural sensual extension of the idea of one taking some clothes off because of heat.  Hey you’re at a party things are getting crazy, why not flirt with the idea of getting naked?  Lord knows it's better than what I could have come up with:  “It’s getting hot in herre, so open all your windows."

I am SURE that some person who maybe had a little bit too much to drink heard Nelly’s suggestion on how to cool off and actually did take all of their clothes off. You don’t think so?  Well, we are a pretty suggestible society; “Hot In Heere” sold over 500,00 copies.

I was in college when this song hit and it was played at every party I went to. There is a lot built into this song that makes it fun to dance to from syncopated bass line to the fascinatingly internal logic of the chorus. There’s plenty of “uh, uh,” Nelly asks for that a crowd can provide (maybe instead of repeatedly asking for a little he should have asked for a lot). Then there’s the lines set apart from the rhythm of the rap like “I think mah butt in there!!” that fun to sing along with.

My favorite part:
Stop pacing, time wasting
I gotta a friend with a fo' in the basement (What?)
I'm just kiddin like Jason (Oh)
Unless you gon' do it.

I don’t even know what he has in the basement but you know it’s something that the girl is kind of offended by but Nelly doesn't care.

Awesome.

One final note about this song apparently extra "R" in "Herre" is not a pronunciation thing but a rather an indication that is really hot. If this song was “Hot In Herrre” books would be igniting into flame.

Don't worry Chicago, no matter how catchy this song is and how hot it gets I will keep my clothes on.  

What a song. 

Now enjoy Weird Al's version.

Buffy is a really smart dog . . . sometimes

Buffy's breed Shetland Sheepdogs are regularly listed as one of the top 10 smartest dog breeds.

These "smartest dog breed" lists usually measure adaptive intelligence, the dog's ability to problem solve, understand language and social cues. Even though we have yet to do one of these tests on Buffy I can tell you Buffy is smart puppy.

Buffy got potty trained quickly (this earlier post discusses this process). She has been pretty easy to train, except for the coming issue but we've made a lot of progress with that. She remembers where we put things, she knows what time things should usually happen and she learns quickly what she should and should not do.

As impressive as Buffy is she never fails to remind us that she is smart for a dog. Remember this early clip of Buffy fighting herself in the mirror?



Yeah that's just the start of it.

Buffy likes to chase her tail which is normal dog behavior and often Buffy will actually catch her tail in her mouth. What's a little weird is how sometimes she'll stop, look back at her tail and try to run away from it. . . sigh.



I got to admit though the way she tries to talk to me has got to be a sign of something going on in her brain (and it's really cute). 

Then there the stuff Buffy feels she need to bark at. Now Buffy doesn't really bark at people or other dogs but she definitely shows her dislike to inanimate objects like flags, swifter wipes, lint rollers, paper towels, basically anything that we use to try to clean the house. Vacuum cleaners? It's nor so much the sound or the vacuum in motion that bugs her, just the fact that when i move it it's not in the place she think it should be.

Buffy's aversion to cleaning is kind of ironic as Shetland Sheepdogs are known as the cats of the dog breeds because of their tendency to want to stay clean.  Buffy will almost always spend time cleaning her paws whenever they get wet. . . I guess she just doesn't like the idea of us doing cleaning ourselves.

Buffy does try to eat things that are gross and while I understand her instinct to smell other dogs "markings" that can't be a sanitary habit and not exactly a sign of higher level thinking.

Oh and there's the fact that Buffy sometimes seems to forget sometimes that my feet are part of my body and not a little animal for her to heard.  Sometime I can't walk because I have an appendage in the form of a dog trying with all her might to get my foot to stop moving. Then when my foot finally does stop moving Buffy will sit there and incessantly bark.

What? I guess this is her herding instinct. . . bark at something until it stops and then bark at it when it does to get it moving? Riiiight.

Don't get me wrong I love my little "girly-bear." She's sweet, affectionate, loyal and responsible. When Diana and I are in different rooms she makes sure she sits equidistant between the two of us so that she can keep track of us.

In the evening when Diana and I are getting ready for bed Buffy will try as her might to stay awake until the both of us have settled down in bed.  She will sit there and her eyes will slowly drop closed and she will quickly perk up when we walk by.  This level of care she has for us is one of the most touching things she does.   

She may not be able to do math or appreciate Shakespeare but she works hard to take care of us  Buffy reminds me that intelligence isn't necessarily the most important thing in the people in our lives.  It's what in the heart that endears people to us.   

Scenes From An Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel

Were you the popular kid in high school? Homecoming King, Prom Queen, always at the cool parties, had the nicest car, coolest clothes, (in the case of my school) nicest cell phone.

Well, I wasn’t.

If I were to fit into any stereotypical social clique, I’d be a band geek. As much as I loved what I did in high school part of me always wanted to be one of the popular kids. In college, things were different. High school style social cliques were non-existent and within my group of friends I felt I fit in and while it wasn’t really that important to me I would categorize myself in college as being “popular.” However, somehow I never got over the feeling of social inadequacy from high school.

To reconcile these feelings I told myself that the “popular kids” in high school peaked socially in high school (which is a depressing thought) and while they were going to parties I was developing my musical craft which took me to one of the best universities in America.

In Chicago, made a new group of friends and went on to bigger and better things while the popular kids went to the state college, hung out with the same friends they had in high school and ending up living in the same zip code as their parents. Is this necessarily true? No. However, it makes me feel better to think this and with the popularity of “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant,” it’s clear I’m not the only one who feels vindicated at the downfall of the popular kids.



Billy Joel’s “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” is an epic song with a non-traditional reflective form inspired by the B-side of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. The song has three distinct sections modeled after the classical symphonic form.  The song is bookended with the “bottle of red” music with a transition “got a new job, got a new office” part that moves into "The Ballad Of Brenda and Eddie." The slower opening and ending is reflective moment as a husband sings to his wife about the prospect of a nice evening together, satisfied with life and enjoying the presence of the one the loves.

The second scene comes straight out of high school reunion. There is a sense of revelry and nostalgia as the conversation quickly changes from the mundane present “got a nice job” to the glory of the past “my sweet romantic teenage nights.” On a dime, all the instruments cut out leaving a rocking bass pattern on the piano as Billy Joel prepares to shows off his unique style of rock, darker and edgier then the music of his youth but rocking just as hard.

“The Ballad Of Brenda And Eddie” tells the story of two popular kids, who had seemed to have it all in high school as the singer reflects, “we never knew we could want more than that out of life.” Because of this there is a feeling that Brenda and Eddie had it all figured out and “would know how to survive.”

Then the illusion begins to fall apart in the second verse when Brenda and Eddie decide to get married and their friends call them crazy for making this decision. The marriage falls apart and the last line reflects,” we always knew that they’d find a way to get by."  This contrasts the ending of the first verse as a statement of hopefulness rather than confidence. While this song is a comforting for those of us were not the popular kids, this song is more about the reality of popularity, well, rather the illusion of popularity.

Feelings of social inadequacy and idealizing the life of others have more to do with ourselves than the people around us. It doesn’t matter how many friends you have or how popular people think you are, there will always be someone else who seems to have it better off than you do. 

Have I let go of all of my feelings about high school?  I'm getting there.  It doesn't really matter though.  The idea going to an Italian restaurant with my wife beats out any memory from high school.

"The good old days weren't always good and tomorrows not as bad as it seems."   

 

American Heart by Jonathan Kahn aka Jon David

The Wall Street Journal is good at a lot of things, reporting about music is not one of them. Neil King of the WSJ transformed the fascinating story of Jonathan Kahn, the artist who composed and perform "American Heart" the anthem of the Tea Party movement into a one-sided criticism of liberal intolerance.  Could I do better job?  Yes, read on. 



What is story "American Heart" really about music, politics, or something different altogether?

A couple days ago a friend of mine e-mailed me about the song "American Heart"  He also sent me this link to a Wall Street Journal article about this song.

Here’s a quick summary of the article: Jonathan Kahn, a Hollywood screenwriter, director and songwriter has been performing his song “America Heart” at Tea-Party conventions. Until recently he has been hiding his identify with a hat and sunglasses and performed under the pseudo-name “Jon David.”

Because Kahn was afraid of being “ostracized in a the town where he peddles his songs and scripts,” Kahn created identity because as he states “In Hollywood, being a conservative is the kiss of death.”

Music producer Afanasieff (responsible for hits like "A Whole New World") is quoted in this article stating, "I mean, he's a member of a huge, Democratic, liberal organization called the Los Angeles entertainment business."  Of course, this is a gross over-generalization. 



Is this any different than when the country music community reacted to the Dixie Chicks by blacklisting them off radio stations when Natalie Maines criticized George Bush?

Should the Dixie Chicks have gotten as much heat as they did for expressing what they thought? No, and should Kahn be criticized by his peers for having a political belief that doesn’t line up with people in his industry, of course not.

What’s fascinating about all of this is there is nothing inherently conservative, Republican or “Tea Party” about “American Made.” (Follow this link to the lyrics). Except for the second verse, this song rings pretty true to my own personal liberal-tilted political viewpoint.

Musically this song has a nice “Bob Seeger” sheen. It works well as an anthem balancing out the more introspective verses with a more declarative chorus. However, there’s nothing “Tea Party” the melody or the harmonies.

This isn’t a knock against the quality of this song but rather an observation that the political nature of this anthem has less to do with the song itself and more to do with the phenomenon of musical meaning coming from outside the music.

This situation is less a political issues but rather a symptom of a general lack of acceptance of political pluralism in certain people's minds. It's sad that both liberals and conservatives have displayed this insidious lack of acceptance, which I do not believe characterizes the majority of people in both of these groups.

What's going to be the most telling part of this story is whether or not Kahn revealing his identity will actually have similar ramifications as it did for the Dixie Chicks. If it does and Kahn is ostracized in a business sense then there is shame on the film industry.  If not then this is a story more about the feeling of political victimization rather than the reality of political intolerance.

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.