This week, a song from a different dangerous time that speaks eloquently to our present one. “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” is one of two hits from Bruce Cockburn’s Stealing Fire (1984). The other is “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.” “Lovers…” was the bigger hit in his native Canada, and “… Rocket Launcher” was the…
Month: April 2020
Be an optimist instead. #PlagueSongs, no. 6
The final song on the Kinks’ Give the People What They Want (1981) is also one of the most hopeful songs in the band’s oeuvre. It has long been a favorite of mine, but I only just learned it for this Plague Songs series. Unlike previous entries in this series, I had to record this…
What’s Your COVID-19 Routine? Part 3
Here’s the third — and possibly final — video in my “What Is Your COVID-19 Routine?” video series. These have been fun to make! I hope you’ve found them helpful and/or entertaining, as we all navigate this new world together (separately). Here are links to the charitable organizations named in the video: Second Harvest Camp Read-A-Rama World…
There doesn’t seem to be anyone around. #PlagueSongs, no. 5
🤦🏼♂️ After last week’s #EpicSkaFail (my apologies to music-lovers everywhere), I’ve chosen a song that I can perform adequately. Composed by Ritchie Cordell, “I Think We’re Alone Now” was a big hit for Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. The song was again a major hit for Tiffany in 1987 — the singer’s biggest hit,…
It’s later than you think. #PlagueSongs, no. 4
This week’s #PlagueSong is a cover of Prince Buster’s “Enjoy yourself” (1963). But I first heard the Specials’ cover version (1980). That said, Prince Buster’s version is itself an adaptation of Guy Lombardo’s 1949 version, which reached #10 on the US pop charts in 1950. Prince Buster retains the chorus of the 1949 song (music…
What’s Your COVID-19 Routine? Part 2
I’m back with 5 more things I am doing to keep myself going during the pandemic. (If you haven’t watched “What’s Your COVID-19 Routine?” before, may I recommend starting with Part 1?) How are you keeping yourself going? Anything working really well for you? How has your routine changed? Let me know in the comments…