It would come to no surprise to anyone who knows me that "If You're Feeling Sinister" by Belle & Sebastian is one of my favorite albums. Sometimes in the course of your life, everything that is going on around you sort of leads you to a particular album or group, and that is what happened to me. My sophomore year of college was basically hell. Everything in my life was terrible, and every day, I only thought about how much I wanted to die. I have very little memory of that horrible, depressing year of my life, but I do remember a beautiful thing that helped sustain me: this album.
I remember clearly setting the CD player to "Play" and looking out my dorm room window at the world somehow going on with life while I was stuck. "Make a new cult every day to suit your affairs.... kissing girls in English at the back of the stairs..." God, how I loved that album. And I still love it today! Those opening lines were like a balm on my poor wounded soul. Stuart Murdoch's voice was like a big bear hug. It's a really dorky thing- between Erika and I, we can probably sing every line of every Belle & Sebastian song.
In music-dork circles, this is considered one of the best albums OF ALL TIMES. It's so good that B&S actually re-recorded the album live in concert and sold it exclusively on iTunes a few years ago. Interesting trivia- there are at least TWO bands named after Belle & Sebastian songs. What are they? Post answers in the comment section.
for many years, i have avoided listening to Dave Matthews. it is not to say that i do not enjoy his music, but speaks more to the fact that i went to Luther College - a place that has more DMB fans than anywhere else on the planet (i am convinced) and i did not want to be a part of that craze - instead i joined camps with the Church of Ani DiFranco...what can i say? i'm a lesbian and a feminist and have spent many years surrounding myself with women's music...
i digress...
this past weekend, i decided it was time to give dave a chance (especially since i have had so many of my friends tell me about how great he is in the recent months). despite my avid avoidance of him, i own a surprisingly large number of his albums...and, because i went to Luther College, i of course have the first live concert recorded by this dynamic guitar duo: Live at Luther College. i was house/cat sitting for my friend this past weekend, and she let me borrow her car, so while i took the time to drive from my house to hers, i made sure to grab my Luther College CD case and i put the first CD in it into the CD player and let loose. as i was driving, i found myself really getting into Dave and Tim. it was precisely at the moment of track 8 on disc 1 of the Live at Luther College CD that i knew i had to blog about the experience.
i think what i enjoyed the most from this experience was that it was just Dave and Tim playing their guitars and singing. i have never really heard Dave's music w/o his full band and there was something really intimate and unique...and less...(i know i will probably get in trouble for this one) produced...
anyway, this particular song resonated with me, hence my sharing it with y'all today. i dig the simplicity of the bass line and how it reflects a sort of climbing up...moving forward sensation. but the combination of this bass line with the melody and the lyrics create another layer onto this sense of progress...and turns into something calming...i think that was what drew me to this song...it is calm...and perhaps i am reading too much into it, but for me, i feel that it is not just any sort of calm, it is a patient calm...and that is what i am most needing in my life at the moment. this year has brought about many changes and i am looking forward to the progress that comes with change, but am also stuck in this 6 month limbo of getting to where i know i'm supposed to be, rather than where i am at the moment...i need a patient sense of calm while i move forward with the changes that will shortly ensue in my life...
again i digress....
this song has been on repeat all weekend, and into this week...and will probably make its way into my daily playlist of 'must hear' songs...consider myself a new follower of Dave...i'm still green and learning and deciding how strongly i feel about him, but i do know that he is very talented and amazing...and deserves some credit...he got this 'ladies primarily' music listening lesbo to stop and pay attention. that's gotta be worth something, right?
the end. love, meggo.
Lover Lay Down :: Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Spring sweet rhythm dance in my head Slip into my lovers hands Kiss me won't you kiss me now And sleep I would inside your mouth Don't be us too shy Knowing it's no big surprise That I will wait for you I will wait for no one but you
Oh please lover lay down Spend this time with me Together share this smile Lover lay down Spend this time with me
Walk with me, walk with you Hold my hands your hands So much we have dreamed And we were so much younger It's hard to explain that we've grown stronger
A million reasons life to deny Let's toss them away See you and me we Lay down look see She and (s)he (meggo edit) By my lovers side Together share this smile Lover lay down
Oh please oh please Please lover lay down Oh please lover lay down And you weep lover lay down Cause it's over lover lay down Say love, say love, say love, say love, say love
Could I love you Could you love me Could I love you Could you love me Could I love you Could you love me Could I love you Could you love me
Darling it's all the same All the same 'til we dance away Chasing me all around Leading me all around Leading me all around in circles Chasing me all around Leading me all around in circles Say.......
It would come to no surprise to anyone who knows me that "If You're Feeling Sinister" by Belle & Sebastian is one of my favorite albums. Sometimes in the course of your life, everything that is going on around you sort of leads you to a particular album or group, and that is what happened to me. My sophomore year of college was basically hell. Everything in my life was terrible, and every day, I only thought about how much I wanted to die. I have very little memory of that horrible, depressing year of my life, but I do remember a beautiful thing that helped sustain me: this album.
