Did you know there was lyrics to the main theme of Star Wars?
Okay, that's not the real lyrics. From what I know there aren't any lyrics. This is from an hilarious Bill Murray SNL skit. I was reminded of this from the French version of the song (which my brother sent me).
I'm not sure if this is the greatest thing ever or well the . . . um. . . anyone know French well enough to translate these lyrics? Somehow this reminds me of "Mr. Roboto" by Styx.
Styx - Mr. Roboto by manon42
Something about a guy taking himself way too seriously when clearly singing a ridiculous song in an unbelievable video. I've seen interviews with the lead singer of Styx. He seriously thought he was making legit science-fiction. Wow.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Worst Airport Experience Ever
Okay, so I'm going to take a break from this whole, "purple reaction as a positive reaction to music and life-experiences" and go on a rant.
Yesterday I went on the eighth air plane ride this summer and while I've had some airport craziness but nothing was mind-blowlingly and astoundingly ridiculous as my ninth flight of the summer yesterday.
One and a half minutes. That was how late Diana and I were checking in so they wouldn't let us check our bag and therefore had to get bumped to another flight. While this was annoying we simply should have got their earlier so that was our bad.
The thing is even if we had made it one and half minutes earlier we probably would had missed our flight because of bins, or the lack of bins at the security line.
In our security line they ran out of bins to put shoes and jackets and stuff. So one of the staff asked for more bins over his radio. After about five minutes and the line having completely stopped there were no bins. Now I could see a whole cart of bins about to topple over and three guards standing around on the both sides of the screening devices.
The really weird thing was that the person who requested more bins didn't seem to be concerned that the line was getting longer and that no one seemed to making ANY effort to push the cart of bins ten feet so that the line could move forward.
Well, eventually the bins came across and we made it through security. Since we had been moved to another flight we had time to get breakfast. After getting through this ridiculous ordeal of a morning I figure I deserved some McDonalds.
Lunch at 10am?!? Yup, they switched over to lunch at 10am.
Now most McDonalds (according to searches on Google) switch to lunch at 10:30. But the one at O’Hare decided to switch early. Who really wants to eat a hamburger at 10am? Check out this article for more on this issue. I couldn’t even get a McSkillet Burrito, so I had to settle for a quarter-pounder, which really felt weird that early in the morning, BECAUSE IT WASN'T BREAKFAST!
After a gate switch, boarding the plane was announced but wait a second . . . hold on there was a delay. One of the flight attendants was missing, so we waited another 10 minutes to board until he showed up.
Awesome. When we finally got on the plane, we couldn’t take off for another ten minutes because the pilot was late. Really American Airlines? We are taking off 20 minutes late because personnel couldn’t get to work on time.
Ok, so when the pilot finally got on the plane he announced that we had to wait for a “part” so we could take off. REALLY!?!? You couldn’t have taken care of this before hand or during the last two delays?
So, we finally take off, and land without any drama but then we had one final issue to deal with. Logan International Airport hadn’t received a 777 in a couple years and they were having issues getting the Jet Bridge set up. Apparently this was a “delicate” procedure. Y’know people it’s not like you didn’t know this plane was coming.
I don't any meaningful conclusion or reflection, all I know is that morning was truly miserable. I try to be positive but even I have my limits. Anyways we made it to Boston.
Let's just hope the flight back goes a little bit more smoothly.
Yesterday I went on the eighth air plane ride this summer and while I've had some airport craziness but nothing was mind-blowlingly and astoundingly ridiculous as my ninth flight of the summer yesterday.
One and a half minutes. That was how late Diana and I were checking in so they wouldn't let us check our bag and therefore had to get bumped to another flight. While this was annoying we simply should have got their earlier so that was our bad.
The thing is even if we had made it one and half minutes earlier we probably would had missed our flight because of bins, or the lack of bins at the security line.
In our security line they ran out of bins to put shoes and jackets and stuff. So one of the staff asked for more bins over his radio. After about five minutes and the line having completely stopped there were no bins. Now I could see a whole cart of bins about to topple over and three guards standing around on the both sides of the screening devices.
The really weird thing was that the person who requested more bins didn't seem to be concerned that the line was getting longer and that no one seemed to making ANY effort to push the cart of bins ten feet so that the line could move forward.
Well, eventually the bins came across and we made it through security. Since we had been moved to another flight we had time to get breakfast. After getting through this ridiculous ordeal of a morning I figure I deserved some McDonalds.
Lunch at 10am?!? Yup, they switched over to lunch at 10am.
Now most McDonalds (according to searches on Google) switch to lunch at 10:30. But the one at O’Hare decided to switch early. Who really wants to eat a hamburger at 10am? Check out this article for more on this issue. I couldn’t even get a McSkillet Burrito, so I had to settle for a quarter-pounder, which really felt weird that early in the morning, BECAUSE IT WASN'T BREAKFAST!
After a gate switch, boarding the plane was announced but wait a second . . . hold on there was a delay. One of the flight attendants was missing, so we waited another 10 minutes to board until he showed up.
Awesome. When we finally got on the plane, we couldn’t take off for another ten minutes because the pilot was late. Really American Airlines? We are taking off 20 minutes late because personnel couldn’t get to work on time.
Ok, so when the pilot finally got on the plane he announced that we had to wait for a “part” so we could take off. REALLY!?!? You couldn’t have taken care of this before hand or during the last two delays?
So, we finally take off, and land without any drama but then we had one final issue to deal with. Logan International Airport hadn’t received a 777 in a couple years and they were having issues getting the Jet Bridge set up. Apparently this was a “delicate” procedure. Y’know people it’s not like you didn’t know this plane was coming.
I don't any meaningful conclusion or reflection, all I know is that morning was truly miserable. I try to be positive but even I have my limits. Anyways we made it to Boston.
Let's just hope the flight back goes a little bit more smoothly.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Buffy Gets Attacked Part 3 - Agression
Below is part three of a six part series about a recent incident when Buffy was attacked by another dog. Buffy fortunately got through this experience without any permanent physical or mental damage. Click here for part 1 and here for part 2.
Dogs evolved from wolves and while most dogs are clearly domesticated, there are some dogs that hold onto instincts from their more wild days. With Buffy it’s her herding instincts and with others it’s a more aggressive attack instinct.
Now this wasn’t the first time Buffy and I had every encountered an aggressive dog. In our condo there’s at least two who I would categorize as aggressive. These dogs see Buffy from across the street or down the sidewalk and will start barking. While these dogs can be a little annoying, I appreciate that the dogs are giving a clear message to Buffy to keep away.
This reaction is out of fear and often stems from lack of socialization as a puppy or a trauma experience earlier in life. Of course if you stick a dog in a corner and hit it with a newspaper it will eventually get fearful and try to fight back. This is a natural and logical survival technique.
There was something different about Molly. The fact that she didn’t bark at Buffy as she approached showed a transformation of fear into something darker. She saw Buffy as prey. I’ve seen this with one other dog. It’s a stare, a stillness in a dog’s body right when it’s about to pounce. There’s no fear involved here, it’s something deeper more animalistic and that is something this is something to be feared.
What do you do with a dog that has this instinct inside of them? This is a potential to not only hurt another dog or person but to kill. I have no idea.
Some of these dogs’ behavior can be prevented if we as a society treat dogs better but some dogs, just like people are simply jerks.
This is a question Amy had to ask herself as she dealt with the after effects of Molly attacking Buffy:
The evening of the attack we received this e-mail from Amy:
Dogs evolved from wolves and while most dogs are clearly domesticated, there are some dogs that hold onto instincts from their more wild days. With Buffy it’s her herding instincts and with others it’s a more aggressive attack instinct. Now this wasn’t the first time Buffy and I had every encountered an aggressive dog. In our condo there’s at least two who I would categorize as aggressive. These dogs see Buffy from across the street or down the sidewalk and will start barking. While these dogs can be a little annoying, I appreciate that the dogs are giving a clear message to Buffy to keep away.
This reaction is out of fear and often stems from lack of socialization as a puppy or a trauma experience earlier in life. Of course if you stick a dog in a corner and hit it with a newspaper it will eventually get fearful and try to fight back. This is a natural and logical survival technique.
What do you do with a dog that has this instinct inside of them? This is a potential to not only hurt another dog or person but to kill. I have no idea.
Some of these dogs’ behavior can be prevented if we as a society treat dogs better but some dogs, just like people are simply jerks.
This is a question Amy had to ask herself as she dealt with the after effects of Molly attacking Buffy:
The evening of the attack we received this e-mail from Amy:
I cannot apologize enough for what happened in class today. I got Molly from a shelter a year and a half ago. I knew she was not a fan of other dogs but I have never seen the aggression she displayed today when she attacked Buffy and I'm mortified. I have no idea how she got away from me and I just feel so awful and irresponsible. I am so sorry for the trauma this has caused you guys, and sweet Buffy. Please let me know if you guys need anything. I will gladly pay for any vet bills.While we appreciated her sentiment and the e-mail, Diana and I were in no mood to be empathetic with Amy. As time went on my feeling about Amy changed as well as the way I felt about Molly as learned about the true consequences of Molly's actions.
Again, I am just so incredibly sorry and please let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Amy
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Satchel Vs. Murse?!?
Some of the most important things I teach as a music teacher have nothing to do with music. I teach students about character, what it means to be part of a community and . . . um fashion?
A couple months ago I was looking online and found a really cool bag. My wife Diana wasn't so sure about it so she told me that if my middle school students thought it was a acceptable then she would be ok with it. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!
So I created a powerpoint that went something like this:
Here are two satchels or man-bags that a twenty-something like myself would look reasonably fashionable walking down the street with.
Now here are two unacceptable murses that no man should be caught with, especially someone like myself.
At this point in the presentation, I had students vote whether they agreed with my conclusions and they all agreed with my analysis. Then it got interesting.
Here is a Mark VII gas mask bag from World War II
This bag was famously used by one, Indiana Jones, the famous archeologist.
Question: Is this bag an acceptable man-satchel or is it an unacceptable murse?
I led this discussion in front of my 6th grade general music class of 22 students, my 7th grade band of 34 students and my 8th grade band of 23. Across all of the grades most of the guys were in support of the bag because it was a gas mask bag (which was cool) with the logic that if Indiana Jones could pull it off, so could someone like Mr. Tang.
The girls were more split on the issue. Some commented that it was kind of ugly. Others thought it only worked for Indiana Jones because of the context of his adventures. And one girl told me to just listen to my wife.
After about ten minutes of discussion I had the students vote whether the bag was acceptable for me to purchase and use on a daily basis.
About 75% of the students voted for the bag and the rest either voted against the bag or were just really confused about why we were taking time in music class to discuss man-bags. Well, the answer to that question is: because they are REALLY handy.
On my recent trip to Europe we found a need for both Diana and I to have a bag to carry random stuff so we got a cheap bag from H & M.
This bag was meant for women, but I didn't really mind carrying it because the water bottle, snacks, maps, wallet, phone and various other trip necessities simply didn't fit into my pockets.
Anyways, with the support of my students I purchased my bag from What Price Glory, an military antique store and the bag totally rocks. I ordered an extra leather strap which looked better and matched the way Indiana Jones wore the bag.
For being over 60 years old the bag is in great shape, totally holds up and all the seams are still solid. It perfectly fits an ipad with plenty of space for other things as well. AND my mom thinks it looks stylish on me.
Do I think it was a waste of time to have a presentation about man-bags with my students and have them discuss it? No. Being a teacher isn't just about getting through all of the information in the curriculum. It's about relationships and sharing part of who you are with students so they will feel more at ease sharing parts of themselves with you. And Lord knows these kids have a better sense of what is cool then I do . . . kind of.
At this point in the presentation, I had students vote whether they agreed with my conclusions and they all agreed with my analysis. Then it got interesting.
Here is a Mark VII gas mask bag from World War II
This bag was famously used by one, Indiana Jones, the famous archeologist.
Question: Is this bag an acceptable man-satchel or is it an unacceptable murse?
I led this discussion in front of my 6th grade general music class of 22 students, my 7th grade band of 34 students and my 8th grade band of 23. Across all of the grades most of the guys were in support of the bag because it was a gas mask bag (which was cool) with the logic that if Indiana Jones could pull it off, so could someone like Mr. Tang.
The girls were more split on the issue. Some commented that it was kind of ugly. Others thought it only worked for Indiana Jones because of the context of his adventures. And one girl told me to just listen to my wife.
After about ten minutes of discussion I had the students vote whether the bag was acceptable for me to purchase and use on a daily basis.
About 75% of the students voted for the bag and the rest either voted against the bag or were just really confused about why we were taking time in music class to discuss man-bags. Well, the answer to that question is: because they are REALLY handy.
On my recent trip to Europe we found a need for both Diana and I to have a bag to carry random stuff so we got a cheap bag from H & M.
This bag was meant for women, but I didn't really mind carrying it because the water bottle, snacks, maps, wallet, phone and various other trip necessities simply didn't fit into my pockets.
Anyways, with the support of my students I purchased my bag from What Price Glory, an military antique store and the bag totally rocks. I ordered an extra leather strap which looked better and matched the way Indiana Jones wore the bag.
For being over 60 years old the bag is in great shape, totally holds up and all the seams are still solid. It perfectly fits an ipad with plenty of space for other things as well. AND my mom thinks it looks stylish on me.
Do I think it was a waste of time to have a presentation about man-bags with my students and have them discuss it? No. Being a teacher isn't just about getting through all of the information in the curriculum. It's about relationships and sharing part of who you are with students so they will feel more at ease sharing parts of themselves with you. And Lord knows these kids have a better sense of what is cool then I do . . . kind of.
Monday, July 25, 2011
To Miss Winehouse
"When the headline 'Amy Winehouse found dead at 27' came barging into our Saturday afternoon, the word 'dead' felt like a long-promised punch to the gut. It may not have surprised anyone, but it still hurt like hell."
Chris Richard of the Washington Post to started his tribute to the late Amy Winehouse who was found dead last weekend with this quote. While jokes reverberated around the internet calling her death the "least surprising news ever," people like myself who loved her music and respected her art are left not with dark humor but rather a sadness. Any schadenfreude that anyone may feel from this is the worst kind of reaction and a reflection of a darkness and insensitivity that is sub-human.
Why am I sad that Amy Winehouse is dead? I mean it's not like she was a life-saving surgeon. Sometimes we overact when celebrities die, just because someone is famous doesn't mean their life means anything more than any other person who dies outside of the limelight. Of course I'm more sad thinking about the loss of my grandfather, but there is something meaningful in a different way about the loss of Winehouse.
Music can be an expression of the whole range of human emotions. While I respect the art of creating music that explores the darker emotions of anger and hate, I don't the enjoy music that does expresses these emotions. There is so much darkness in this world. The last week has seen unimaginable tragedy in Norway, so I don't want hear a song about killing and Satan. What we need in this world, what I need is music that brings us joy. We need music that reminds us how great it feels to be alive. In her short career Amy Winehouse dedicated her life to creating music that did just that.
I still remember the first time I her "Rehab," and her cover of "It's My Party." I was giddy. It simply felt righteous. Her work with Mark Ronson grabbed popular music by the collar and said "hey, you remember how good music felt the in the 1960s with live instruments, great arrangements, imaginative song-writing and soulful vocals felt?" Every so often an artist comes around and shake us out of forward-thinking music trends and remind us that is it in the glories of the past, reveling in music of a cultural ancestors that we find truly meaningful art.
Winehouse isn't alone. Cee-Lo is playing off of 1970s soul, Lady Gaga is reflecting the greatest of the 1980s and Glee has created a whole musical movement based on embracing the past. It is this respect, this admiration, and this dedication to old music that has created the greatest music in our culture.
Amy Winehouse's music made me feel amazing. I can't help but move when I hear her songs and I can't help but smile when I hear her sing. It doesn't seem fair how good she was, it's unreal. Yes, her voice is a warbaly mess at times but like Janis Joplin, it's not about the vocal technique, it's about the soul. There was a direct line from her heart to her voice and what you heard in her singing was human expression at its purest.
Thanks Amy for sharing your music and your soul with the world. I hope you find the same joy wherever you are that you're music brought into my life.
Chris Richard of the Washington Post to started his tribute to the late Amy Winehouse who was found dead last weekend with this quote. While jokes reverberated around the internet calling her death the "least surprising news ever," people like myself who loved her music and respected her art are left not with dark humor but rather a sadness. Any schadenfreude that anyone may feel from this is the worst kind of reaction and a reflection of a darkness and insensitivity that is sub-human.
Why am I sad that Amy Winehouse is dead? I mean it's not like she was a life-saving surgeon. Sometimes we overact when celebrities die, just because someone is famous doesn't mean their life means anything more than any other person who dies outside of the limelight. Of course I'm more sad thinking about the loss of my grandfather, but there is something meaningful in a different way about the loss of Winehouse.
Music can be an expression of the whole range of human emotions. While I respect the art of creating music that explores the darker emotions of anger and hate, I don't the enjoy music that does expresses these emotions. There is so much darkness in this world. The last week has seen unimaginable tragedy in Norway, so I don't want hear a song about killing and Satan. What we need in this world, what I need is music that brings us joy. We need music that reminds us how great it feels to be alive. In her short career Amy Winehouse dedicated her life to creating music that did just that.
I still remember the first time I her "Rehab," and her cover of "It's My Party." I was giddy. It simply felt righteous. Her work with Mark Ronson grabbed popular music by the collar and said "hey, you remember how good music felt the in the 1960s with live instruments, great arrangements, imaginative song-writing and soulful vocals felt?" Every so often an artist comes around and shake us out of forward-thinking music trends and remind us that is it in the glories of the past, reveling in music of a cultural ancestors that we find truly meaningful art.
Winehouse isn't alone. Cee-Lo is playing off of 1970s soul, Lady Gaga is reflecting the greatest of the 1980s and Glee has created a whole musical movement based on embracing the past. It is this respect, this admiration, and this dedication to old music that has created the greatest music in our culture.
Amy Winehouse's music made me feel amazing. I can't help but move when I hear her songs and I can't help but smile when I hear her sing. It doesn't seem fair how good she was, it's unreal. Yes, her voice is a warbaly mess at times but like Janis Joplin, it's not about the vocal technique, it's about the soul. There was a direct line from her heart to her voice and what you heard in her singing was human expression at its purest.
Thanks Amy for sharing your music and your soul with the world. I hope you find the same joy wherever you are that you're music brought into my life.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Buffy Gets Attacked Part 2 - The Sound
Below is part two of a six part series about a recent incident when Buffy was attacked by another dog. Buffy fortunately got through this experience without any permanent physical or mental damage. Click here for part 1.
Before I knew it Diana was on the ground trying to free Buffy from Molly whose jaws were imbedded in Buffy’s mane. Amy was on top of Molly trying to get her off and Elizabeth jumped in the middle trying to get them apart. I have this image burned into my memory but when I think about it, the image goes blurry except for the look of helplessness and pain on Buffy’s face.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
The worst part was the sound.
Buffy was screaming. Now I’ve stepped on Buffy’s paw and tail and she lets out a yelped but this was different. This was a sustained cry of terror. Diana was yelling as well, trying to scare the other dog off but it sounded like Diana was screaming, feeling the pain that Buffy was in.
I stood there frozen, not knowing what to do. I almost jumped in but when I saw Elizabeth in the middle of them, in the spilt second I decided that if anyone could get them apart it would be her and somehow she did.
When Diana felt that Buffy was free she stood up with Buffy in her arms and ran away from the rest of us. Elizabeth and I caught up to Diana and Elizabeth asked Diana to give Buffy to her so she could see if she as okay. Diana did not want to let go of Buffy but I knew that someone had to check Buffy over so I asked Diana to let Elizabeth check her out and reluctantly she Diana let Elizabeth take her.
Elizabeth felt around Buffy’s body, moved her legs around and not feeling Buffy flinch in pain at all she told us that Buffy seemed ok. Diana told me she needed a moment and walked away from Buffy, Elizabeth and I.
I gently walked Buffy around a little bit and got her some water. She seemed fine, but as she noticed that Diana wasn’t with us she started heading in Diana’s direction with urgency. As we got over to Diana, Buffy had a look on her face like she was wondering why we were so upset. Then Buffy saw another Sheltie in the park and excitedly walked over there to say hi.
Elizabeth suggested that we take Buffy to play with one of her friends to have a positive dog interaction as soon as possible. So we headed over to Kirby’s and they had a great time tearing around the house.
That evening the hug felt different. Close to tears, this was a moment of thanksgiving and relief. That afternoon Diana and I feared the worst. Molly weighed at least twice as much as Buffy. This wasn’t a fair fight. Buffy had no chance. Her primary defense is her ability to run away and because she was caught off guard she couldn’t dodge the attack.
We could have lost Buffy.
And in that moment holding my wife and my girly, I felt like the luckiest.
Next week: Part 3 - Apologies
Before I knew it Diana was on the ground trying to free Buffy from Molly whose jaws were imbedded in Buffy’s mane. Amy was on top of Molly trying to get her off and Elizabeth jumped in the middle trying to get them apart. I have this image burned into my memory but when I think about it, the image goes blurry except for the look of helplessness and pain on Buffy’s face.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
The worst part was the sound.
Buffy was screaming. Now I’ve stepped on Buffy’s paw and tail and she lets out a yelped but this was different. This was a sustained cry of terror. Diana was yelling as well, trying to scare the other dog off but it sounded like Diana was screaming, feeling the pain that Buffy was in.
I stood there frozen, not knowing what to do. I almost jumped in but when I saw Elizabeth in the middle of them, in the spilt second I decided that if anyone could get them apart it would be her and somehow she did.
When Diana felt that Buffy was free she stood up with Buffy in her arms and ran away from the rest of us. Elizabeth and I caught up to Diana and Elizabeth asked Diana to give Buffy to her so she could see if she as okay. Diana did not want to let go of Buffy but I knew that someone had to check Buffy over so I asked Diana to let Elizabeth check her out and reluctantly she Diana let Elizabeth take her.
Elizabeth felt around Buffy’s body, moved her legs around and not feeling Buffy flinch in pain at all she told us that Buffy seemed ok. Diana told me she needed a moment and walked away from Buffy, Elizabeth and I.
I gently walked Buffy around a little bit and got her some water. She seemed fine, but as she noticed that Diana wasn’t with us she started heading in Diana’s direction with urgency. As we got over to Diana, Buffy had a look on her face like she was wondering why we were so upset. Then Buffy saw another Sheltie in the park and excitedly walked over there to say hi.
Elizabeth suggested that we take Buffy to play with one of her friends to have a positive dog interaction as soon as possible. So we headed over to Kirby’s and they had a great time tearing around the house.
When we got home I picked up Buffy and approached Diana for a group hug. Ever since we got Buffy, we’ve been able to have group hugs as a family. More often than not it’s a silly gesture squeezing Buffy between as she alternates between licking my face and Diana’s face.
That evening the hug felt different. Close to tears, this was a moment of thanksgiving and relief. That afternoon Diana and I feared the worst. Molly weighed at least twice as much as Buffy. This wasn’t a fair fight. Buffy had no chance. Her primary defense is her ability to run away and because she was caught off guard she couldn’t dodge the attack.
We could have lost Buffy.
And in that moment holding my wife and my girly, I felt like the luckiest.
Next week: Part 3 - Apologies
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tonight Is The Night I Feel Asleep At The Wheel by The Barenaked Ladies
More often than not the subject of a song directly reveals what the song is about. For example the subject of “Love Story” by Taylor Swift is well, a love story. The meaning of a song is the glory of falling in love against adversity. But every once in a while a song reveals a meaning that is very different then the subject.
"Tonight Is The Night I Feel Asleep At The Wheel" by the Barenaked Ladies is pretty much about what you think. It tells the story of car crash but it's meaning is something that you don't really expect.
The Barenaked Ladies are best known for their 1998 rock/rap song "One Week."
While this fun song was kind of silly, other songs on the album revealed a level of depth and musical maturity like "Call And Answer."
Barenaked Ladies - Call and Answer by popefucker
Two years later the Barenaked Ladies released their second album Maroon. Insightful and witty, the songs in this album covered a wide variety of themes while creating one of the greatest albums in popular music.
The album built up to the second to last song "Tonight Is The Night I Feel Asleep At The Wheel," a first-person telling of the experience of a car crash.
The song opens as the driver describes driving home to be with "you" who we assume is his love. It's a night just like any other and his love, as he expresses "you're the last thing on my mind." This phrase is usually used to describe things that we don't care about or don't think about very often. In this same way this is the last thing on our mind as the car crash ensues.
There's an almost eerie level of peace as he describes the car flipping over and the firefighters trying to get him out of the car. When he concludes that it's over because he sees so much blood it isn't so much alarming but glorious. Right after that crescendo the music pulls back and he reveals to us why he feels so serene through this entire thing: "you're the last thing on my mind."
This line from the beginning of the the song that describes his love as an afterthought is transformed to a line of love and devotion. In his final moments as he dies it's his love that comes to mind. It's this thought that brings him peace and in this way he finally is able to describe the way that feels.
The subject of this song is simple. It's a guy who falls asleep at the wheel and get in a car crash. The meaning is harder to describe. In pain we seek comfort. In people we find that comfort and it is in the love that people bring to us that we find peace.
"Tonight Is The Night I Feel Asleep At The Wheel" by the Barenaked Ladies is pretty much about what you think. It tells the story of car crash but it's meaning is something that you don't really expect.
The Barenaked Ladies are best known for their 1998 rock/rap song "One Week."
While this fun song was kind of silly, other songs on the album revealed a level of depth and musical maturity like "Call And Answer."
Barenaked Ladies - Call and Answer by popefucker
Two years later the Barenaked Ladies released their second album Maroon. Insightful and witty, the songs in this album covered a wide variety of themes while creating one of the greatest albums in popular music.
The album built up to the second to last song "Tonight Is The Night I Feel Asleep At The Wheel," a first-person telling of the experience of a car crash.
The song opens as the driver describes driving home to be with "you" who we assume is his love. It's a night just like any other and his love, as he expresses "you're the last thing on my mind." This phrase is usually used to describe things that we don't care about or don't think about very often. In this same way this is the last thing on our mind as the car crash ensues.
There's an almost eerie level of peace as he describes the car flipping over and the firefighters trying to get him out of the car. When he concludes that it's over because he sees so much blood it isn't so much alarming but glorious. Right after that crescendo the music pulls back and he reveals to us why he feels so serene through this entire thing: "you're the last thing on my mind."
This line from the beginning of the the song that describes his love as an afterthought is transformed to a line of love and devotion. In his final moments as he dies it's his love that comes to mind. It's this thought that brings him peace and in this way he finally is able to describe the way that feels.
The subject of this song is simple. It's a guy who falls asleep at the wheel and get in a car crash. The meaning is harder to describe. In pain we seek comfort. In people we find that comfort and it is in the love that people bring to us that we find peace.
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