Category Archives: Song of the Day

Song of the Day: Rivers and Roads (by The Head and The Heart)

Posted on by Arleigh

[spoilers]

One of my favorite show has ended this past Friday night. Those who have read my previous “Song of the Day” entry would know that the show I speak of is the spy-comedy series Chuck on NBC. This latest “Song of the Day” entry uses the song which plays during one of the most romantic and heartbreaking scenes to end the series. It’s an ending left ambiguous and allows for the viewer to decide if things work out for the best. The song is The Head and The Heart’s song, “Rivers and Roads”.

Some background info as to why this song has become a favorite of pretty much every Chuck fan. The two characters this plays for is the title character Chuck Bartowski who becomes a spy by accident in the beginning of the series. Sarah Walker (played by the lovely Yvonne Strahovski) is sent to become Chuck’s handler until he could get he spuer-secret Intersect spy database out of his brain or manages to use it well. Throughout the five season of the series these two characters have a “will they or won’t they” fall for each other. They finally do end up falling in love with each other midway through season 3 and even get married. Season 5 (which ended up being it’s last) had a major development in the last couple episodes where Sarah loses her memory of the five years she spent with Chuck and reverts back to pre-Chuck days. So, the wife Chuck married doesn’t remember their special moments together.

The series finale shows Chuck and Sarah back at the beach which ended the pilot episode with Chuck expressing his love once again to the woman he still loves even if she doesn’t remember those times. Throughout the episode we get glimpses that Sarah may be slowly remembering tidbits from their time together but not enough. This final scene has Chuck saying that his best friend in the show saying that one kiss from Chuck with Sarah will magically unlock those memories once again. It’s that final line uttered by Sarah and the two kissing with “Rivers and Roads” playing in the background and the show fading to back which made this episode so heartbreaking an, for many, hopeful that the magical kiss is successful.

I’d like to remember this scene as following the Disney magic that one kiss will unlock those memories. The song by The Head and The Heart is such a perfect accompaniment to this scene and as every fan of the show will probably do is go out and buy this album. This tv romance between Chuck and Sarah was one of the best ever on TV and I, for one, am glad I was able to witness it grow and develop through those 5 seasons on NBC.

Rivers and Roads

A year from now we’ll all be gone
All our friends will move away
And they’re goin’ to better places
But our friends will be gone away

Nothin’ is as it has been
And I miss your face like hell
And I guess it’s just as well
But I miss your face like hell

Been talkin’ ’bout the way things change
And my family lives in a different state
If you don’t know what to make of this
Then we will not relate
So if you don’t know what to make of this
Then we will not relate

Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you
Rivers and roads
Rivers and roads
Rivers till I reach you…

Song of the Day: Take On Me (by A-Ha)

Posted on by Arleigh

Tonight marked the end of one of my favorite TV shows. It was the little spy-comedy show that could. The show powered through the last three seasons of less and less episodes with the threat of cancellation always above. The show I’m talking about is Chuck and to say that my tv world is a little less awesome now that the series finally ended tonight with it’s 2-hour series finale would be an understatement.

This series finale also brought back to my attention a song from my youth that has always been a guilty pleasure that’s become used as a joke or cynically deconstructed by hipsters in this day and age. This series brought back A-Ha’s “Take On Me” as covered by the show’s resident disturbingly hilarious musical duo, Jeffster. Instead of using it as a joke or something for people to laugh at the show used the song in a way that fit the bittersweet feeling fans over the show’s final moments.

I will forever remember this song as one of the many awesome songs which became part of Chuck.

Take On Me

We’re talking away
I don’t know what
I’m to say I’ll say it anyway
Today’s another day to find you
Shying away
I’ll be coming for your love, OK?

Take on me, take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two

So needless to say
I’m odds and ends
But that’s me stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is OK.
Say after me
It’s no better to be safe than sorry

Take on me, take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two

Oh the things that you say
Is it life or
Just a play my worries away
You’re all the things I’ve got to
remember
You’re shying away
I’ll be coming for you anyway

Take on me, take me on
I’ll be gone
In a day or two

Song of the Day: Death Is the Road to Awe (by Clint Mansell)

Posted on by Arleigh

Just a little under a year ago I had chosen a particular favorite song as the latest “Song of the Day”. This song was Clint Mansell’s “Together We Will Live Forever” which was part of his exceptional film score for Darren Aronofsky’s 2006 scifi love story, The Fountain. I’ve decided to finally bookend that choice by choosing what has to be the best song in that film’s soundtrack and one of the best piece of film score ever composed: Mansell’s “Death Is the Road to Awe”.

While I’ve given Mansell with the final credit for the creation of this epic song (not just in tone and execution but in length), he had help from frequent collaborator Kronos Quartet and Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. “Death Is the Road to Awe” takes the entirety of Mansell’s film scoring for The Fountain and distills them into a mixture of classical, post-rock and ambient dissonance which seems to all work so well together despite their very differing musical styles.

The Fountain was (still is) a film which brings out either love and admiration for it or utter hate for what some think was a pretentious, jumbled mess. Whether one loved or hated the film (rarely is there one who falls in the middle in their reaction to this film) the reaction most have had for the soundtrack has been mostly positive. I, for one, truly believe it to be one of the greatest film scores ever composed for any film. This song is the ultimate culmination of Mansell’s work for this film and just shows that classical, rock and electronic could co-exist side-by-side to create something truly unique and one-of-a-kind.

Song of the Day: Tom Waits – New Year’s Eve

Posted on by necromoonyeti

I never did get around to writing a review of Bad As Me. It’s a shame, because it’s pretty damn good. The old man’s always been in a league of his own, and Tom’s seventeenth studio album feels no less legitimate than anything else he’s created. If anything it’s above average in his discography quality-wise, and that says a lot for someone who released his first album nearly 40 years ago. An entirely accurate representation of his style, here’s 13 anthems to homeless bums, trailer trash, vagabonds, and the starry-eyed refugees of an unforgiving society. I’ve been listening to the closing track, New Year’s Eve, on repeat ever since my deluxe edition pre-order showed up in the mail, and now’s a good day to pass it along.

It’s typical Tom fassion to make the joyous out of the bleak and vice versa. New Year’s Eve might not be as gut-wrenching as Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis, but it carries on his tradition of looking at the holidays from the perspective of those who’ve got little left in life to celebrate.

The door was open; I was seething
Your mother burst in; it was freezing
She said it looks like it’s trying to rain
I was lost; I felt sea sick
You convinced me that he’d left
You said keep talking, but don’t use any names
I scolded your driver and your brother
We are old enough to know how long you’ve been hooked
And we’ve all been through the war
and each time you score
someone gets hauled and handcuffed and booked

It felt like four in the morning
What sounded like fire works
Turned out to be just what it was
The stars looked like diamonds
Then came the sirens
And everyone started to cuss

All the noise was disturbing
And I couldn’t find Irving
It was like two stations on at the same time
And then I hid your car keys
And I made black coffee
And I dumped out the rest of the rum

Nick and Socorro broke up
And Candice wouldn’t shut up
Fin, he recorded the whole thing
Ray, he said damn you
And someone broke my camera
And it was New Years
And we all started to sing

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot for the sake of auld lang syne

I was leaving in the morning with Charles for Las Vegas
And I didn’t plan to come back
I had only a few things
Two hundred dollars
And my records in a brown paper sack

I ran out on Sheila
Everything’s in storage
Calvin’s right, I should go back to driving trucks

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot for the sake of auld lang syne

Song of the Day: Sacred Worlds (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “Song of the Day” comes from those metal gods who make up the power metal band, Blind Guardian. It’s a song which begins their latest full-length album, At The Edge of Time, and also a reworking of the song the band created for the console rpg title, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. The song I’ve chosen this time around is “Sacred Worlds”.

The song was originally titled “Sacred” and was introduced in the game the band made it for during a quaint sequence where virtual, fantasy versions of the band do headbanging show in your typical fantasy inn populated by orcs, goblins, trolls and other find gentle creatures. While the original song was great on its own when the band reworked it with a brand new orchestral intro and outro the song took on a more epic sound.

It’s a pretty long song at a running time of 9:17 and is one of the better songs in Blind Guardian’s latest album. It’s also one of thew songs in my Skyrim playlist which I listen to nonstop while playing in Bethesda Softworks’ latest epic rpg title.

Sacred Worlds

The realm’s bleeding
It suffers
Old and weak

No further arguing
There is war at hand
The system’s failing
Engines running

Then after all
I sense the end is dawning
These lunatics deny the truth

I know I will not fail
There’ll be

War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)
War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
I’m coming home

Coming home

You chase in twilight
And you know
You will be on your own
On your own

The misery shown
I’ll be alone in this hour
I’ll face the unknown
Witness the end

I’m bleeding, I’m fading
Here in my final hour
When long-lost memories return
And a voice keeps calling
“All dead and gone
It’s out of hand
Life is in motion”
I’m wishing, I’m fading
“Time to wake up
Face the truth”

I’m sinking
I’m drowning
There’s no doubt, no regret
“Time to reveal now”
This is no illusion
It is real
Carry on the flame
It’s not over now
Watch me, I will rise
Time to reveal now

I know I will not fail
Anymore

I’ll go on forever
All that really matters
Blessed realm
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)
War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)

Yesterday’s gone
There’s no today, no tomorrow
I’m raised from the dead
The ritual failed

There at the gates
I’m left alone in this hour
Driven insane
I am left alone

And now I drown in deepest shadows
While the golden hall is sealed
I’m wishing
I’m fading
And I’m part of the machine

My eyes are the eyes of a dead man
And I feel the unholy stream
The source of my power
T-energy
I’m in control

I will live forever
All that really matters
Find the one
This world is sacred
(I’m coming home)
War it’s now or never
We shall stand together
One by one
This world is sacred
I’m coming home

I spread my wings
But keep on falling
I should have known
I can see it coming
The war is over
There’s whispering in the wind
Just let me out of here
There is no way
There’s no end
While all the suffering goes on
All that I know
Is that I’m not insane
It’s not over

Song of the Day: Song of the Dragonborn from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (by Jeremy Soule)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “Song of the Day” comes from my latest obsession that should take up much free time I have when not blogging or working. It’s the main theme from the latest entry in the Elder Scrolls rpg franchise from Bethesda, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The theme has been unofficially called “Song of the Dragonborn” and I’m more than fine with that unofficial title.

“Song of the Dragonborn” was written and composed by this franchise’s longtime music composer in Jeremy Soule. He has done the orchestral score in this series’ previous two titles and this latest one looks to continue the quality work he’s done in the past. The song is a combination of Wagnerian-style orchestral music with the martial chanting by the male chorus. The chorus itself is from the fictional language of the Nord (the Viking like race in the game) created just for this game.

All I can say is that this song has been on constant repeat since I started playing this game and it’s such a great backdrop to slaying people and things in the game with my Nord Warrior, Berek Thunderfist.

Song of the Dragonborn

(Chorus)

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,

Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!

Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan,

Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

Huzrah nu, kul do od, wah aan bok lingrah vod,

Ahrk fin tey, boziik fun, do fin gein!

Wo lost fron wah ney dov, ahrk fin reyliik do jul,

Voth aan suleyk wah ronit faal krein!

Ahrk fin zul, rok drey kod, nau tol morokei frod,

Rul lot Taazokaan motaad voth kein!

Sahrot Thu’um, med aan tuz, vey zeim hokoron pah,

Ol fin Dovahkiin komeyt ok rein!

(Chorus)

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,

Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!

Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan,

Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

Ahrk fin Kel lost prodah, do ved viing ko fin krah,

Tol fod zeymah win kein meyz fundein!

Alduin, feyn do jun, kruziik vokun staadnau,

Voth aan bahlok wah diivon fin lein!

Nuz aan sul, fent alok, fod fin vul dovah nok,

Fen kos nahlot mahfaeraak ahrk ruz!

Paaz Keizaal fen kos stin nol bein Alduin jot,

Dovahkiin kos fin saviik do muz!

(Chorus)

Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok zin los vahriin,

Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!

Ahrk fin norok paal graan fodnust vok zin dro zaan,

Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal!

*     *     *     *     *

(Chorus)

Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn,

To keep evil forever at bay!

And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph’s shout,

Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!

Hearken now, sons of snow, to an age, long ago,

And the tale, boldly told, of the one!

Who was kin to both wyrm, and the races of man,

With a power to rival the sun!

And the voice, he did wield, on that glorious field,

When great Tamriel shuddered with war!

Mighty Thu’um, like a blade, cut through enemies all,

As the Dragonborn issued his roar!

(Chorus)

Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn,

To keep evil forever at bay!

And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph’s shout,

Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!

And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold,

That when brothers wage war come unfurled!

Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound,

With a hunger to swallow the world!

But a day, shall arise, when the dark dragon’s lies,

Will be silenced forever and then!

Fair Skyrim will be free from foul Alduin’s maw,

Dragonborn be the savior of men!

(Chorus)

Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn,

To keep evil forever at bay!

And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph’s shout,

Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!

Song of the Day: Lisa Says (by Lou Reed)

Posted on by Arleigh

In honor of Lisa Day the latest “Song of the Day” definitely fits the Lisa-theme chosen for today.

“Lisa Says” was originally released in 1969 by the rock band Velvet Underground. The song got another release in 1972 as part of Lou Reed’s (who was part of Velvet Underground) solo debut album in 1972. The song definitely has a slow, bluesy sound which is barely above the level that would make it a ballad. Instead it ends up sounding like a Valentine card to all Lisa’s everywhere.

Without further ado…“Lisa Says”.

Lisa Says

Lisa says, on a night like this
it’d be so nice, if you gave me a great big kiss
And Lisa says, honey, for just one little smile
I’ll sing and play for you for the longest while

Lisa says
Lisa says
Lisa says, oh, no
Lisa says

Lisa says, honey, you must think –
– I’m some kind of California fool
the way you treat me just like some kind of tool
Lisa says, hey baby, if you stick your tongue in my ear
then the scene around here will become very clear

Lisa says, oh no
Lisa says, hey, don’t you be a little baby
Lisa says, oh, no
Lisa says

Hey, if you’re looking for a good time Charlie
well, that’s not really what I am
You know, some good time Charlie
always out, having his fun

But if you’re looking for some good, good lovin’
then sit yourself right over here
You know that those good, those good times
they just seem to pass me by, just like pie in the sky

And Lisa says, on a night like this
it’d be so nice if you gave me a great big kiss
And Lisa says, hey baby, for just one little smile
I’ll sing and play for you for the longest while
let me hear you now

Lisa says, oh, no, no
Lisa says, hey, don’t you be a little baby
Lisa says, oh, no
Lisa says

Why am I so shy
Why am I so shy, Gee, you know those
good good times, they just seem to pass me by
Why am I so shy

First time I saw you I was talking to myself
I said, hey, you got such pretty, pretty eyes
(that pretty eyes)

Now that you’re next to me I just get so upset
And Lisa, will you tell me, why am I so shy

Why am I so shy
Why am I so shy, well, you know that those
good, good times, they just seem to pass me by
Why am I so shy

And Lisa says, on a night like this
it’d be so nice if you gave me a great big kiss
And Lisa says, honey, for just one little smile
I’ll sing and play for you for the longest while

Lisa says, oh, no, now
Lisa says, hey don’t you be a little baby
Lisa says, oh, no
Lisa says

Song of the Day: Princes of the Universe (by Queen)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “Song of the Day” is from one of the biggest bands of the 70’s and 80’s. When one spoke about epic arena-style rock concerts then one couldn’t say anything unless they mentioned Queen. If there was ever a song which fully sold me on Queen it was the song they produced for the 80’s fantasy action film Highlander.

“Princes of the Universe” remains one of the best fantasy anthems. Part of why it’s so great is part Freddie Mercury’s performance and part how it perfectly fits the sword-and-fantasy film it was made for. It’s really difficult to watch anything Highlander and not have this song to be in the forefront. In fact, I would say that the song has aged much better than the franchise that gave birth to it.

Princes of the Universe

Here we are, born to be kings
We’re the princes of the universe
Here we belong, fighting to survive
In a world with the darkest powers, heh
And here we are, we’re the princes of the universe
Here we belong, fighting for survival
We’ve come to be the rulers of you all

I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings – yeah – yeah
I have no rival, no man can be my equal
Take me to the future of you all

Born to be kings, princes of the universe
Fighting and free
Got your world in my hand
I’m here for your love and I’ll make my stand
We were born to be princes of the universe

No man could understand
My power is in my own hand
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, people talk about you
People say you’ve had your day
I’m a man that will go far
Fly the moon and reach for the stars
With my sword and head held high
Got to pass the test first time – yeah
I know that people talk about me – I hear it every day
But I can prove them wrong ‘cos I’m right first time
Yeah, yeah, alright, let’s go, let’s go, ha haa
Yeah, watch this man fly, wooh
Bring on the girls – c’mon – c’mon – c’mon
Here we are – here we are
Born to be kings, we’re the princes of the universe
Here we belong
Born to be kings, princes of the universe
Fighting and free, got your world in my hand
I’m here for your love and I’ll make my stand
We were born to be princes of the universe of the universe of the universe
Of the universe of the universe

Song of the Day: Goblins’ Dance (by Ensiferum)

Posted on by necromoonyeti

Ensiferum’s self-titled debut in January 2001 was a prophetic landmark in metal, and I remember the feeling I got when I first heard it, probably about a year later. It wasn’t groundbreaking in its originality. No, I’d heard music like it before, here and there, scattered throughout my earliest mp3 collections. Blind Guardian and Rhapsody (of Fire), with their epic folk-infused triumphal marches and war cries, Thyrfing, with their stomp-along anthems to some Nordic specter, that peculiar absurdity Finntroll, so difficult to describe at the time… these bands had all been brought to my attention before Ensiferum.

I did not perceive at the time a common thread connecting them all. I was just frantically whipping my 28.8 kilobit per second modem headfirst into a musical fog, oblivious as it began to coalesce around me. Napster was dead, and with it passed my inclination to only pirate the most popular metal and grunge’s dying embers. Audiogalaxy was the new center of musical civilization, and with it came enlightenment. You didn’t just type in what you wanted and download it. You discussed it in chatrooms. You discussed it in forums. You carried the discussions over to more general-purpose forums. The internet became more united among music enthusiasts than it has ever been before or since.

Thus it was that 2001 served as a landmark year for me. I would look up Blind Guardian, and an hour later (well, this was 2001, so more like a day later) I would be enjoying Elvenking’s To Oak Woods Bestowed demo, Within Temptation’s Mother Earth, Therion’s Deggial… I didn’t know that these were all relatively new releases, I couldn’t categorize them into genres, and I had no real means of becoming informed about the bands save word of mouth (like anyone had heard of Wikipedia or Google back then). All I knew, or at least thought I knew, was that certain people had an incredible aptitude for finding and recommending music I would consistently love. I had not yet recognized the phenomenon at work here–the significance of the fact that all of this music was appearing at around the same time.

It must have been around the end of 2001 that I stumbled upon Ensiferum. By then I had heard dozens, maybe a hundred non-mainstream metal bands that I loved, and I was starting to pick up on their common themes, but I hadn’t fully put my finger on it. Then I saw this album cover, heard this song, and went “Ah ha! This is viking metal.” It might not be the precise term I would use today, and it might sound rather trivial, but at the time it was a sort of epiphany. This was the amalgamation of all of the metal Audiogalaxy had offered me under one roof. All of the amazing new things going on between about 1996 and 2001 suddenly took form as a conscious whole; Ensiferum was a glorious sign of things to come, heralding a new age of metal.

“From the three ascending moons,
moonshine was spilling onto the ground.
Gruesome trophies were all around,
in the halls of the Goblin King.
Now the victory is ours!
Let us dance the dance of immortals!”

Happy Halloween!

Song of the Day: Live and Let Die (by Paul McCartney and Wings)

Posted on by Arleigh

Lisa Marie recently wrote up her very unique review of the James Bond film Live and Let Die and I’ve decided to use that review as the springboard for the latest “Song of the Day” entry. It’s easy enough to figure out that the latest choice is the similarly titled song from the film by Paul McCartney: “Live and Let Die”.

This song remains one of the most recognizable songs made specifically for a film. Most songs that become part of a film’s appeal tend to be pre-existing licensed songs and music. Live and Let Die would be the first James Bond film that would introduce Roger Moore as the British superspy and 007 agent. The song itself, written by Paul McCartney and his wife Linda, would become even more popular than the film through the years.

While the song has been covered by many bands and groups through the years it would be the cover by Guns N’ Roses in 1991 as part of their Use Your Illusion I album that many consider the best cover. I consider both favorite songs of mine, but I must pick McCartney’s original over the GnR cover by the smallest of margins.

Live and Let Die

When you were young
and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
you know you did
you know you did
you know you did
But if this ever changin’ world
in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die

What does it matter to ya
When ya got a job to do
Ya got to do it well
You got to give the other fella hell

You used to say live and let live
you know you did
you know you did
you know you did
But if this ever changin’ world
in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die