Do you ever really listen to the words of songs?
I don't. I'm kinda a beat person and only feel
beats for dancing. When I do my closet-screeching,
the dog howls. I guess it hurts her ears,
poor thing.
One of my morning favorites is "Drink to me
Only With Thine Eyes," an old English troubadorian
ballad from "Song to Celia." I wonder why troubadours
gave up the Trubing business. They could add a
nice contrast to some of today's raucous music.
Can you imagine Troubadours in Montana?
1. Drink to me only with thine eyes and I will pledge
with mine.
The burned out bull-rider at the end of the bar,
watches the glassy-eye, hotsy-totsy rodeo queen
hoist her mug of Buds. "She's the one," he thinks.
2. Or leave a kiss within the cup and I'll not ask for
wine.
Did she just lick the mug or was that a kiss, as
she glanced in his direction and no one drinks wine
in a cowboy bar.
3. The thirst that from the soul doth rise, doth ask
a drink divine.
"She's so beautiful, " thinks the bull rider, "if I
buy her a beer, I wonder if she'll take a ride in my pickup.
4. But might I of Joves nector sup, I would not
change for thine.
"Oh what the hell, it's late so I'll just take mah
roady, get my Border Collie and head back to the
ranch."
And life goes on in Montana.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOL! When I was a child a REAL wandering minstrel visited St John. He called himself Serafin (Seraphin?), wore the traditional minstrel garb, and played a lute. My sister and I were fascinated with him. He stayed for about a week, wandering around the island singing at local bars and hotels/guest houses. All of that to say, that's when I first heard this song!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he continued this? What a great job!
DeleteHello Bish
DeleteAnother of your beautiful memories from childhood. You can just pull them out of the hat and I know you had the enviable youth that I wish I could have had. My childhood was OK but yours was high above OK.
Seraphin must have enjoyed the vagabond lifestyle and I bet her was popular with the ladies. Ha ha I'd like to hear him sing it, I love the rich voice of the German opera singer on this video. In fact, his voice sends shivers.
Susan
DeleteI was thinking this would be one sweet job for a Sagittarius and I think I remember you are one. Right up their alley.... Actually mine too but I'm not a Sadge.
Hi Bish - I guess creature comforts over came! They prefer not to travel by foot ... fun verses and quotes here ... I'm glad life is going on in Montana ... that's the way to play it - life will treat you gently then.
ReplyDeleteCheers Hilary
Hilary
DeleteModern-day Troubadours would be a novel idea. Bish is lucky to have seen them in action. I do love opera but there's not much here. When we lived in Florida, I always went to operas by myself. My husband didn't care for it but I'd get my ticket late and there were always some good single seats right down in front. Often I'd get to sit smack dab behind the conductor.
Hahahaha. I can see it taking place. I suppose that still goes on in the bars around here, too. Maybe change the bull riders to bike riders.
ReplyDeleteDear Susie
DeleteAre you still getting your flowers arranged in the Eiffel Tower? I think you are absolutely right that there is little difference between biker's or cowboy's bars. Whitehall, a small town near here has a typical cowboy bar. It's also famous for bikers......This bar has lots of space around it and the bikers come in huge numbers. I mean BIG. I didn't know they rode with so many others. They usually call ahead when they roar into the town so the hamburgers are ready and the beer is cold. Amen
I wonder if that happened and continues to happen in my town. Lots of cowboys here. I took out all the moss so that the pearls are visible. I'll find out on Saturday how I did.
DeleteMakes as little sense to me as most music today.
ReplyDeleteI think the cowboy would lose interest as soon as he heard the word "doth."
Hello Joe
DeleteYeah.... he'd probably think it's a new brand of beer from Canada. Maybe a full bodied lager. I take it you aren't into
today's music. Me either. But I'm stuck with this operetic-type voice and it sounds silly when I sing pop tunes. I always wanted to be a (trained) opera singer. But I still sing....in the closet. ha
In the closet? Your bathroom might have better acoustics.
DeleteI guess that's life in your average cowboy bar!!
ReplyDeleteHey, How are you, Fishducky
DeleteNo matter where there's horses, cows and men wearing chaps, I guess there's "cowboy bars. " Whoo Hoo. I imagine you don't
have cowboy bars in your neighborhood. Or do you?
Thankfully there are no bars like that around here. Although the bars around here are rather scary and so very nasty. I listen to lyrics though, but has to have a good beat too
ReplyDeleteHey Pat
DeleteDo you mean in general or just around where you live? Do you mean they are NOT friendly, neighborhood bars? Most Montana bars are scuzz but I'd feel safe going into any honkey-tonk ... at least in Helena.
Basically any I have been to haven't been great. Not that I go anymore.
DeleteI like the tunes not always the words.
ReplyDeleteMerle............
Good Evening Merle
ReplyDeleteI can imagine you sitting in your beautiful garden
listening to this song. Tunes are what makes you
tap your toes.... or not. :)
Karen,
ReplyDeleteThat is hilarious. WOW.... it sounds as if you have a great dance group....up to 88, huh? I wish I lived in NM. You must be the youngster of the group. Do you have any videos on YT?
Please, please, please..... I want to see.
I like your cowboy interpretation of those lyrics, you're very clever.
ReplyDeleteI listen to the beat first, if it doesn't catch my attention I often won't bother learning the lyrics. Sometimes when I'm not really listening, I'll hear words that "call" to me and I'll seek out the song later and learn it, if it has a good beat that's a bonus.
River
DeleteI like your method of listening to music. I used to know all the lyrics of songs that were popular when I was young....of course, now I don't know any new ones so I still sing the old. Haha
You seem to be more aware of the new tunes and even what's new and going on..... than I am. I think I'm too "over the hill" and just stick to the old things that give me comfort. I hope a lot of new song words call out to you and that you spend your days in song. Life can be such a beautiful trip.
These days I definitely listen to the words of songs before I sing along. Modern day lyrics can be filthy:)
ReplyDeleteDear Murees
DeleteReally? I really didn't know because I don't pay any attention to most modern day music. All I know is that the beat disturbs one, in place of soothing. Take a 3-beat waltz, for instance.....The one is higher and the 2 and 3 come down lower and there is a completion ...... it's whole and soothes the body. I can't really explain the modern beat but it's irratic and ends up higher than the beginning and can't possibly leave the body calm. I don't know music at all but all my life I've danced because I can feel it inside of me. I don't have to know the technocalities.
It's a shame that filth is put to so-called music. No wonder young people are so morally off track.
Stick with a waltz beat and it will sooth the gut. LOL
It has been decades since I stepped foot in any bar. I usually go with a beat for a song.
ReplyDeleteHoly Ghost
DeleteIt appears that most go with a beat first. Good Choice.
Decades????? Really? I was going to say you are probably older than god, but I forgot.... you are god. I always say I am
older than god. LOL
If my feet aren't moving I'm not listening. Sometimes when I Google the lyrics to a song I am stunned. Was that what they were singing?? I usually am not even close.
ReplyDeletePatti
DeleteIt's always fun to watch a group of people listening to a peppy tune as their feet are tapping. in unison. it's difficult to hear and recognize words to a song when you are really enjoying the music. Keep tapping and dancing. LOL
Troubadours in Montana... Well, why not? I don't like today's popular music that much, Manzanita.
ReplyDeleteBlue Man
DeleteMaybe those old whiney cowboy ballads are modern day cowboy troubadours. What say you? I don't care much (or at all) for cowboy music or popular music. I guess we all like the music we grew up with. Does that mean that 60 years from now they'll be a bunch of tottering old gray hair people belting out that loud rock
I say you might be on to something though I hope not. I myself prefer dining to whining.
DeleteI say you might be on to something though I hope not. I myself prefer dining to whining.
DeleteBlue is true, through and through
DeleteBlue is true, number two.
DeleteIt's that stupid phone of mine. I don't know why this keeps happening. I suspect it has something to do with me using two 'devices' (great term, huh?)... Good morning!
DeleteBlue
DeleteTwo devices? Isn't that what got Hilary in all the trouble? She didnt want to carry two devices. You can't mix your devices. I was at your post but didn't comment because my outdoor work was calling. Snowballs will soon be hitting us in various places and I just got my tulips planted yesterday. I should at least say, "I was here" to let you know I was thinking about you. Shame on me.... now I feel like a heel. No I don't have your shoe, but I'll look again.
I'm off to the wars.
You can't mix your devices haha... No, I was talking about my phone and my laptop.
DeleteYou've got you tulips planted. That's great. I know the Cat buried my bluesude shoe somewhere. Wouldn't it be ironical if he buried it on Bora Bora?
Good morning, Manzanita!
DeleteIt's Wednesday....
Such a fun day!
It's October 21, 2015... You know what that means, Great Scott!
I listen to the beat and then if I really like it, I'll try and hear the words. I say 'try' because sometimes you really can't tell what in the world some singers are saying. ;)
ReplyDeleteRosie
DeleteIs it all one big conspiracy for us not to hear the words? Maybe
it's all subliminal and it's all mind control. Maybe.
I am a lyrics person. Not saying I can't like a song strictly due to beat, but if I don't like the lyrics it gets much iffier.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that we all have differing thoughts on this. That's what makes the world go round.
Robin
ReplyDeleteBecause you sing, maybe that is why you listen, first, to the lyrics. Yes the world is going around nicely at the moment but I don't knw about the future. LOL
Dear Manzanita, like you, I'm pretty much a music person--the beat or the movement of notes. The truth is that I really can't understand the words most of the time because of my hearing and so I need to go on line always and look up the lyrics. This song, of course, I remember from my youth and I know the words.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed your "translation" in Montana lingo. Isn't it wonderful that as we age we don't lose our sense of the ridiculous unless we lapse into self-pity. I did that a couple of times in the last year, but now I seem to have my life in perspective again. And I'm singing!!!!! Peace.
Dee
DeleteIt's good to hear from you. I have recently been thinking of you and wondering how you are. Yeah, we do fall into self-pity but it gets us nowhere. LOL Just keep singing that happy song and so will I.
Well, leaving a kiss in a cup is probably much better than the alternative.
ReplyDeleteAl
DeleteAnd safer too.
I've never been in a bar, let alone sing! But I do like to sing when I'm alone.
ReplyDeleteRomance Book Haven
ReplyDeleteBut if you sing when you are alone, that is singing and I bet it is a very beautiful song. I only sing when when I think no one is listening too. I get nervous if I think someone can hear me. LOL
Bars are isia;;u a [;ace tp stau awau from. The bars around here are like neighborhood bars. Everyone seems to know one another and it's just a place to gather. Some people drink alcohol but there are a lot of people like I am......they have a soft drink or fruit juice. Both have too much sugar for me so often I just have a bottle of water. People also play games in a family bar....cards, shoot pool, dominos, darts or gamble. Montana is a state where gambling is legal. Did you ever see the TV show, "Cheers?" The bars around here are kinda like that.
Some day I might visit you and you could take me to your neighborhood bars!
Delete