Tag Archives: Music

Song of the Day: Lo and Behold, covered by Marjoe Gortner

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s Marjoe Gortner’s birthday!

Marjoe is a former child evangelist who, in 1972, appeared in the candid documentary, Marjoe.  The Oscar-winning film featured a look behind the scenes of the religious revival industry, with Marjoe as an amoral tour guide who discussed how he didn’t believe what he was preaching and who had basically been forced into the business by his parents.  Marjoe described how every word he preached was calculated to inspire people to donate more money to his ministry.  Marjoe described himself as being “bad but not evil.”

Marjoe Gortner would go on to have a long career as an actor in films, usually playing sinister characters.  His most-seen film was probably Earthquake.  My favorite Marjoe film is Starcrash.

In 1972, Marjoe recorded an album called, after his famous documentary quote, Bad But Not Evil.  Today’s song of the day is Marjoe Gortner covering Bob Dylan’s Lo and Behold on that album.

Happy birthday, Marjoe Gortner!

I pulled out for San Anton’I never felt so goodMy woman said she’d meet me thereAnd of course, I knew she would
The coachman, he hit me for my hookAnd he asked me my nameI give it to him right awayThen I hung my head in shame
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!Looking for my lo and beholdGet me outta here, my dear man
I come into PittsburghAt 6:30 flatI found myself a vacant seatAnd I put down my hat
“What’s the matter, Molly, dear?What’s the matter with your mound?”“What’s it to ya, Moby Dick?This is chicken town!”
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!Looking for my lo and beholdGet me outta here, my dear man
I bought myself a herd of mooseOne she could call her ownWell, she came out the very next dayTo see where they had flown
I’m going down to TennesseeGet me a truck or somethingGonna save my money and rip it up
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!Looking for my lo and beholdGet me outta here, my dear man
Now, I come in on a Ferris wheelAnd boys, I sure was slickI come in like a ton of bricksLaid a few tricks on them
Going back to PittsburghCount up to 30Round that horn and ride that herdGonna thread up
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!Looking for my lo and beholdGet me outta here, my dear man

Music Video of the Day: White Line by James Apollo (2014, dir by Jason Affolder)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I just recently discovered this video, despite the fact that it’s been around for a while.  I like the song, I like the music, and I love the fact that watching the video reminds me of my favorite (and sadly, now closed) restaurant/bar in Denton.  Sweetwater had a wonderful outdoor patio, where my friends and I would spend many a night having the most wonderful conversations ever.

This place also reminds me of a few of the clubs in Deep Ellum where I would attempt to flirt my way past the doorman go whenever I snuck out of my house I happened to be in the neighborhood.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: White Rabbit (performed by Jefferson Airplane)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Since today is Grace Slick’s 85th birthday, today’s song of the day features her (and, to be fair, the rest of Jefferson Airplane) performing White Rabbit at the first Woodstock.

Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane not only performed at Woodstock but they were also among the bands who attempted to perform at the Altamont Free Concert a few months later.  Needless to say, the vibe at Altamont — which featured the Rolling Stones as headliners and the Hell’s Angels providing security — was far more aggressive and hostile than the vibe at Woodstock.  While the Stones were performing, a member of the audience got into a fight with the Hell’s Angels, raised a gun, and was stabbed to death.

As seen in the documentary Gimme Shelter, even before the murder that ended the 60s, the Angels were aggressive, even knocking out Jefferson Airplane’s other singer, Marty Balin, in the middle of the band’s performance.  Also seen in that documentary is Grace Slick doing her best to calm the crowd and, along with Paul Kanter, rather fearlessly talking back to a drunk Hell’s Angel who tried to take over the stage.

(It should be noted that Grace did all of that even though she had forgotten to put in her contact lenses that day.  Me, I can’t even walk from one end of a room to another if I forget to put in my contacts.)

White Rabbit

(Lyrics by Grace Slick)

One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon’t do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she’s ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbitsAnd you know you’re going to fallTell ’em a hookah-smoking caterpillarHas given you the callCall AliceWhen she was just small
When the men on the chessboardGet up and tell you where to goAnd you’ve just had some kind of mushroomAnd your mind is moving lowGo ask AliceI think she’ll know
When logic and proportionHave fallen sloppy deadAnd the White Knight is talking backwardsAnd the Red Queen’s off with her headRemember what the dormouse saidFeed your headFeed your head

Music Video of the Day: When The Sun Goes Down by Arctic Monkeys (2005, dir by Paul Fraser)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I once had a friend who owned a guitar and this was the only song that he ever sang.  That got old pretty quickly but this is still a very effective, well-directed, and well-acted video.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: If I Can’t Have You by Yvonne Elliman

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, we wish a happy birthday to singer, songwriter, and actress, Yvonne Elliman!

Along with playing Mary Magdalene in both the original stage and film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, Yvonne Elliman also performed the best version of my favorite song (and today’s song of the day), If I Can’t Have You!

This is one of the few songs that I can actually sing all the way through without losing the tune but Yvonne’s version is definitely superior to mine.

I don’t know why I’m surviving every lonely day
When there’s got to be no chance for me
My life would end, and it doesn’t matter how I cry
My tears of love are a waste of time

If I turn away, am I strong enough to see it through?
Go crazy is what I will do

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah

Can’t let go, and it doesn’t matter how I try
I gave it all so easily to you, my love
To dreams that never will come true
Am I strong enough to see it through?
Go crazy is what I will do

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah (I’m in love with nobody)

If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, oh
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby
If I can’t have you, ah-ah-ah, no

(Lyrics by Maurice Ernest Gibb / Robin Hugh Gibb / Barry Alan Gibb)

Music Video of the Day: Boys by Britney Spears (2002, dir by Dave Meyers)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s music video of the day is here to help you to get in the mood to party on New Year’s Eve.  If you don’t have plans to visit a castle and dance with Austin Powers and Taye Diggs, why don’t you?

Enjoy and here’s hoping for happiness (for Britney and all of us) in 2024!