Tag Archives: song of the day

Song of the Day: Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Apparently, when Norman Greenbaum wrote today’s song of the day, he wasn’t quite writing a parody but, at the same time, he wasn’t being totally serious either.  Greenbaum wrote the song after watching a gospel performance on television and thinking, “Yeah, I could do that.”  By his own recollection, it took him 15 minutes to come up with the lyrics for Spirit In The Sky.

Originally, he was going to perform the song with a jug band.  (Yikes!)  He also tried to do a folk version.  (Double yikes!)  Fortunately, he ultimately went for the hard rock sound that made the song a legend.

Song of the Day: I Dreamed I Saw Jack Nance Last Night by Dumb Numbers

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Eraserhead (1977, dir by David Lynch)

Today would have been the 82nd birthday of Jack Nance, the talented but troubled actor who was a favorite of David Lynch’s and who died under mysterious circumstances in 1996.  Born in Massachusetts but raised in Texas, Nance first won acclaim as a star of the stage show, Tom Paine.  The director of Tom Paine later received a fellowship to the American Film Institute where he met a young director named David Lynch and recommended that Lynch cast Nance as the lead character in his film, Eraserhead.  Lynch and Nance were kindred spirits, two all-American eccentrics with their own unique view of the world.  Lynch went to use Nance in almost every film that he made up until Nance’s death.  Nance would also appear in small roles in films from other directors, usually cast as quirky and obsessive characters.  Outside of his role in Eraserhead, Nance is probably best known for playing Pete Martell on Twin Peaks.  Pete’s discovery of Laura Palmer’s body launched the entire saga.

Twin Peaks 1.1 — The Pilot (dir by David Lynch)

 In honor of Jack’s talent and legacy, here is today’s song of the day!

Song of the Day: Last Christmas by Taylor Swift

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Sorry, Wham fans.  This will always be a Taylor Swift song to me.

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby
Do you recognize me?
Well, it’s been a year
It doesn’t surprise me

Merry Christmas

I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying “I love you”
I meant it
Now I know what a fool I’ve been
But if you kissed me now
I know you’d fool me again

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Oh, oh, baby

A crowded room
Friends with tired eyes
I’m hiding from you
And your soul of ice
My god, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover, but you tore me apart
Now I’ve found a real love. You’ll never fool me again

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
I gave you my heart
A man under cover, but you tore him apart
Maybe next year I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special

Special
Someone
Someone
I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special

Who give me something in return
I’ll give it to someone—
Hold my heart and watch it burn
I’ll give it to someone—

I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special

I thought you were here to stay
How could you love me for a day
I thought you were someone special

Gave you my heart

I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone—

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
You gave it away

I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone—

Song of the Day: The Hanukkah Song by Adam Sandler

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The career path of Adam Sandler — going from making likable comedies like Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer to making terrible movies like That’s My Boy to then emerging as one Hollywood’s most dependable dramatic actors — is one of those things that will fascinate (and perhaps confuse) future cultural historians.  Myself, I appreciate any actor who can go from being the Razzie Champion to someone who was robbed of an Oscar.  It’s probably one of the few things that Sylvester Stallone and Adam Sandler have in common.

I would also point out that Adam Sandler is always at his most likable when he sings about Hanukkah.  Here he is with today’s song of the day.

Song of the Day: Straight Up And Down by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

You might recognize today’s song of the day from the opening credits of Boardwalk Empire, the Martin Scorsese-produced show that starred Steve Buscemi, who is celebrating a birthday today.

It’s just a wonderful piece of music.