Song of the Day: East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed


Hey, it’s Hal Needham’s birthday.  What other song could we go with?

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’
A-we gonna do what they say can’t be done
We’ve got a long way to go, and a short time to get there
I’m east bound, just watch ol’ “Bandit” run

Keep your foot hard on the pedal
Son, never mind them brakes
Let it all hang out ’cause we got a run to make
The boys are thirsty in Atlanta
And there’s beer in Texarkana
And we’ll bring it back no matter what it takes

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’
A-we gonna do what they say can’t be done
We’ve got a long way to go, and a short time to get there
I’m east bound, just watch ol’ “Bandit” run

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’
A-we gonna do what they say can’t be done
We’ve got a long way to go, and a short time to get there
I’m east bound, just watch ol’ “Bandit” run

Ol’ Smokey’s got them ears on
He’s hot on your trail
And he aint gonna rest ’til you’re in jail
So you got to dodge ‘im and you got to duck ‘im
You got to keep that diesel truckin’
Just put that hammer down and give it hell

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’
A-we gonna do what they say can’t be done
We’ve got a long way to go, and a short time to get there
I’m east bound, just watch ol’ “Bandit” run

Writer(s): Jerry Hubbard Reed, Dick Feller

Music Video of the Day: In Front Of The Alamo by Hal Ketchum (2007, dir by Glenn Sweitzer)


Today is Alamo Day.  It was 189 years ago, today, that 600 men gave their lives in the name of Texas.  Today’s music video of the day is all about celebrating the bravery of those men.  And no, I don’t want to hear your revisionist thinking.   This is our day.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: How Soon Is Now? covered by t.A.T.u. (2003, dir by t.A.T.u.)


The song is by The Smiths but the cover version is by t.A.T.u., the Russian duo who became famous by allowing people to (incorrectly) assume that they were a couple.  When I first met my BFF Evelyn one of the things that we immediately bonded over was our shared appreciation for the absurdity of t.A.T.u.

As far as the cover goes, it’s not that bad.  t.A.T.u. has frequently been criticized for lacking vocal range but, here, that doesn’t really become an issue until the end of the song, when Julia start to struggle.  Who cares?  It’s all about that guitar chord at the beginning.

As far as the video goes, it’s made up of a mix of footage of Julia and Lena performing on stage and some “candid” backstage stuff.  By “candid,” I mean obviously staged.  There’s another version of this video, which is even more candid.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: The Day Is My Enemy by The Prodigy


Just as I did last year on this date, I’m picking today’s song of the day as much for the video as the song.  By combining one of The Prodigy’s best songs with scenes from George Miller’s best film, whoever put this video together did a wonderful job!

Music Video of the Day: Lost Track by HAIM (2022, dir by Paul Thomas Anderson)


Even before the release of Licorice Pizza, it was clear that Paul Thomas Anderson’s Haim videos constituted some of the best short films of the past decade.  They were the perfect collaboration between a group of artists.

I’ve always liked Haim because they remind me of me and my sisters.

Enjoy!

[Verse 1]
Tryin’ to get on top
But it’s never easy
Mastered my own luck
But it wasn’t easy
I’m tryin’ to feel alright
Around all these people
I try, but I’m just numb
This time

[Chorus]
Deepest cut that I can’t feel
Found a grip on the steering wheel
I know a piece’s stuck
You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up)
I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass)
So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction)
I’ll take the smallest crumb
But I’ll never get back what I lost track of

[Verse 2]
Laugh when I’m still cryin’
Yeah, you know the deal
Burn but it’s still fine (Huh)
Yeah, you know the deal
Can’t redeem my love
That’s such a steal
But you can’t say I’m not tryin’
This time

[Chorus]
Deepest cut that I can’t feel
Found a grip on the steering wheel
I know a piece’s stuck
You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up)
I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass)
So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction)
I’ll take the smallest crumb
But I’ll never get back what I lost track of
Oh, I’ll never get back what I lost track of
I’ll never get back what I lost track of
I’ll never get back what I lost track of

[Outro]
I’ll never get back what I lost track
I’ll never get back what I lost track
I’ll never get back what I lost track
I’ll never get back but I’ve lost track

Song of the Day: Reach Out (I’ll Be There) by The Four Tops


A friend of mine recently watched Cooley High for the first time.  We both agreed that the film ends on two powerful musical notes, first with It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye playing over the scenes of Cochise’s funeral and then with today’s song of the day playing over the scenes of Preach literally running towards his future.

Here is Reach Out (I’ll Be There) by The Four Tops.