The Long Way Home by Tom Waits/Norah Jones

Sometimes when I read a book or listen to a song it seems like I am reading a first draft. Other times I feel like I’m experiencing the fiftieth draft, a piece of art that has carefully and painstakingly crafted. That’s how I feel every time I listen to a song by Tom Waits.

Most people’s exposure to Tom Waits is limited to Rod Stewart's cover of “Downtown Train,” (which I discussed in this earlier post). In addition, the Eagles recorded “Ol’ 55” which was from Waits first album.



Then there’s Springsteen’s cover of Waits’ “Jersey Girl.”



The list goes on and on of famous artist who covered Waits work. Last week I discovered one more. Norah Jones’ cover of “The Long Way Home” on her second album Feels Like Home.

For the past three weeks I’ve been on a Tom Waits kick and when I typed his name up
in iTunes her version of “The Long Way Home” came up and I was simply mesmerized.



Usually Jones plays somewhere between Jazz and Blues so it was a surprise to hear her sing this relaxed country ballad with a guitar part straight out of early Johnny Cash.  Like every other recording I have of Jones, her smoky, subtle and beautiful voice makes everything else in the world disappear. Waits on the other hand voice has a completely different kind of smoky to his voice:



Waits sounds like something between Louis Armstrong and a drunk homeless guy, and even though it’s ugly at times there’s something genuine and real in his voice.

Waits beautifully constructs a song about commitments, giving and love. The first verse expresses a sense of loneliness while Waits sings about not having the hope in him to wait for the light to show him the way home. Instead, he stubbornly takes the long way home.

The third verse talks continues this idea as Waits sings he would rather be on the highway than be at home putting food on the table. He warns that “watch your back if I should tell you, loves the only thing I’ve ever known.”

The lyrics in the last verse finally relfect the hopeful and peaceful melody as Waits commits his love to her in a gentle and beautiful way.

You know I love you baby,
More than the whole wide world.
You are my woman,
I know you are my pearl.

Waits shares his doubts, flaws, fears and insecurities with his love. After all of that she is still there and he realizes that he really does love her.  If she’s still with him after hearing all of this, than maybe he can commit to be with her, they can take the long way home, together.

Man, this guy is good.  These lyrics are so well crafted. Every syllable is laced with meaning. Whether its Jones or Waits singing, this song is truly amazing.

Week 17: Making The Grade

Grades, evaluations, assessments, reports, whatever you want to call them are one of the most important parts of being a teacher and also one of the most difficult.

(I’m going to use the term reports for the purposes of this post)

I’m in the midst of writing semester reports. Teaching five different grades and almost two hundred students this quite an undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be. Some school have teachers fill out charts with numbers from 1 to 3, and other school add on pre-made teacher comments like “joy to have in class.” Then there’s teachers simply give all of their students high grades so there are no complaints from parents. My school is a little different.

For the lower grades, there is chart that has specific criteria coordinating with a rating from “needs improvement” to “excellent.” At the bottom of the chart is space for a narrative so teachers can write individual comments for each student. At the higher grades, there is simply space to write a comment and a letter grade.

What do I mean by comment? I’m not talking about, “needs to pay attention in class” I’m talking about:

During this semester, Nick has built off his previous band experience and developed his musical skills. His music reading has improved and his independence as a musician has grown steadily. While he was a bit timid in band at the beginning of the year, he is now quick to try things and not afraid to make mistakes. This is an important trait in band, as often the only way to play a part correctly is to play it wrong first and then correct the mistakes after hearing feedback. Nick’s attitude is fantastic, and I look forward to continuing to work with him this year.

Or for my non-band students:

It’s a pleasure to work with Amy. She comes to every class with a positive attitude that reflects her enjoyment of music class. Amy likes to interject jokes into class discussions sometimes. These comments are never mean-spirited but they come across as rude. Amy is quick to apologize whenever I stop her. She is beginning catch himself more often before she makes these comments but this is still an area of growth for her.

I look forward to being part of Amy’s continued growth as a musician next semester as we learn how to play the recorder and explore musical notation.

Does it take a lot of time to write these comments? Oh yeah, and these are samples from students who are doing really well. The ones in which I express concerns are even more time-consuming.  It’s a lot to take on and it’s easy to get dragged down by the shear amount of writing that is required to do this but the thing is that the parents and more importantly the deserve this.

Parents put their trust in us as teachers to educate their children. If you don’t know your students well enough to relate about how they are doing in your class then you’re not doing your job. And yes, the amount of time it takes to write these has required me to work long hours in and work at home as well. This is really tough (however I also get summer break, so there's really no reason to whine).

I actually like writing these comments about my students.  I don’t like the time crunch and the pressure to get it done but I love the dialogue between teachers and parents.  I am fortunate to have the students that I have and I’m glad that my school requires these kinds of reports.  Writing these grades are an important experience, they keep my honest, hold me accountable and remind me about the crucial partnership I share with my students’ parents.

Round 3: Don McLean Vs. Madonna

Some people argue that "American Pie," released by Don McLean is one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded.  Inspired by the tragic death of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper, Mclean created this epic song is thick with musical symbolism.  



Versus:

Praised by McLean himself as "a gift from a goddess," and "mystical and sensual," Madonna's version of this song released in 2000 become a worldwide hit.  Cutting out some, of the versus and transforming the background to a modern swirl of electronic wonder, Madonna's cover was a major departure from the original.



The Winner:

I have to confess that I don't love "American Pie."  While I find the symbolism interesting, it's more like playing a game of trivia trying to name the references.  All of the lines simply don't really add up to have a deep layer of emotional meaning.  Yes, this is great sing along song and the nostalgia is inspired but something about it seems pretentious.

Probably the biggest disconnect with McLean's version is that he singing about an event that few people have a deep emotional connection to.  What Madonna is singing about instead is our the love of "American Pie" the song and how it is part of the American musical tapestry.  In this way Madonna's version is more meaningful and relevant.   

I'm not saying the McLean's version is bad, it's just that through Madonna's version I feel more immediately what it means to be American. 

Next Week: Billy Idol Vs. Tommy James & The Shondells

I Touch Myself by The Divinyls

In 1991 out of Australia came the Divinyls with, "I Tough Myself."



Yeah. . . I don't think I'm going to relate this song to any personal anecdotes or feelings I've experiences in life.  Some music is just . . . eh. . . beyond critical analysis.

Here's a stripped down performance of this song which is interesting (great use of words there Tang):



Just one thought . . . If you're trying to convince someone of how much you want them in your life maybe this isn't quite the right song for that.  On that note: enjoy and have a great Monday.

Sometimes the less said the better.

Week 16: Why Teaching Is Important

 “This event is important not because of its potential for disaster but because of its potential for greatness.”

I told my principal this as I talked about the leading the school in singing “We Shall Overcome,” during a school assembly. One of my favorite memories of celebrating Martin Luther King Day was singing “We Shall Overcome” in a crowded church and I wanted to recreate this feeling for my school. 

If the students didn’t find this sing-along meaningful, it wouldn’t be a big deal. However, singing this song and thinking about Martin Luther King Jr. could change the way a some of the students feel about the world around them.

I’m lucky.  As a teacher, the worst that happens in my day is that a students doesn’t really learn anything during one of my lessons. There are people like doctor’s and policemen who on bad days deal with unthinkable tragedy. Those negative consequences bring into focus an understanding of why what they do is relevant to society and all of our lives.

What makes being a teacher important is our potential to serve our students in life-changing ways. It’s a shift in the way we value things focusing not on disaster but potential.  This is the same reasons why many things in our lives are important.

I have so many opportunities on a daily basis to make a positive impact on my students’ life. Whether it’s smiling at a students in the hallway or teaching an amazing lesson, I can have a lasting impact on students. Every one of us has memories of teachers in our lives who have made important and positive influences on our lives. It’s the opportunity we all have every day to makes those moments happen that make our interactions with each other matter.

There’s a lot of wasted moments and lost opportunities in teaching. Many teachers are complacent because they don’t have that suffer immediate negative consequences.  One of the solutions would is to impress on them how much potential they have be a positive force in someone’s life. If this doesn’t excite them, if this doesn’t motivate them, then maybe they should think about changing careers.

Did leading a sing-along of “We Shall Overcome” change any of my students’ lives? I’d like to think so, but I’ll never know and that’s one of the hardest parts about being a teacher.  However, that doesn’t keep me from trying every day to do the best I can.  Why?  Because in my mind I can't let go of the idea of how great I can make things for my students and it excites me.  

Let’s make our world a little brighter for the people around us. Tell someone in your life, someone at work or home about how their positivity makes effects you.  If we all do this we’ll find that we are all important to someone because of the meaning we bring to each others’ lives.

Round 2: Bob Dylan Vs. Jimi Hedrix

Bob Dylan recorded "All Along The Watchtower" in 1967. It has become one of his most famous and most frequently covered songs. With intriguing lyrics and a structure that some critics claim to be circular (some say the last verse is the beginning of the narrative), Dylan created a unique vision of reality.



Versus:

Jimi Hendrix.

In 1968, Hendrix took Dylan's song, and doubled it's length, painting the emotions and story of the with his unforgettable guitar playing. Jimi's singing is fearful and other-worldly as  thick cloud of distortion permeates the song.   




The Winner:
Dylan after hearing Hendix's version said, "It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn't think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day."  Yes, Dylan's original is interesting and intimate.  However, Hendrix takes all of the emotions that Dylan implies and expresses them opening and forcefully.  You only need to hear the first 10 seconds of Hendix's version to know what this song is all bout.     

Next week: Madonna Vs. Don McLean

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen

“I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas was one the most popular songs of the last couple years. Oprah featured this song on her show, it has become a staple at wedding receptions and WAY too many school groups have performed this song in concert.



. . . ugh. . .  This song is awful.  Maybe it’s the fact that Fergie isn’t the lead vocalist, or the fact that it’s extremely repetitive and lacks musical creativity.  Listing off the days of the week in a song is about as creative as reciting the alphabet.  I’ve had difficulty justifying my feeling about this song until recently. What I realized is that this song fails at a fundamental level to expressive in a meaningful the emotions described in this song and I came to this conclusion after rediscovering a song that does, “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.



Queen is so much more than “Bohemian Rhapsody.” This British rock group created music that ranged from the tongue-in-cheek (“Killer Queen”) to the breathtakingly beautiful (“Who Wants To Live Forever”). In 1978, they released the ultimate, “I’m revved up and ready to have an amazing out night on the town song.”

Starting with a slow piano accompanied reflection, Freddie Mercury glides up to his shining falsetto as he describes how he is ready to have a great time and pleads to us not get in his way. Mercury gently asks for us to not stop him with soft gentle hits. When he tells us the reason why, the music speed up and whisks us away.

Like racing down the street in a convertible on a warm summer night there is adventure and excitement in the groove of the drums, piano and bass. Mercury goes on to describe himself as a tiger, a racing car ready to “go, go, go!” With hilarious lyrics like “that’s why they call me Mr. Fahrenheit,” we can’t help but get pumped up. I mean, looks, he’s a rocket ship AND a satellite and a “machine” ready to reload. . . that’s um . . .yeah . . .anyways, these lyrics are pure fun.

Brian May, Queen’s amazing guitarist plays his first notes after the vocal break perfectly describing the sheer joy and glee that Mercury is singing about going on to accompany Mercury’s voice.

Queen bookends the song with Mercury crooning over the piano part that was featured in the intro. With freedom and grace, his voice soars like a dream up into the night sky. It’s my favorite moment of the song as he sings with pure unbridled freedom and joy.

“Don’t’ Stop Me Now,” is injected with so much personality and craft.  This isn't some manufactured attempt to get people dancing, this is an expression of emotion, this is art.  With a variety of sections and musical variation, Queen outdoes the Black Eyed Peas creating not only a song, but an everlasting moment.

Queen's conviction and determination to keep having a good time trumps any feelings the Black Eyed Peas get Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.