From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V10 #105 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Saturday, May 30 2009 Volume 10 : Number 105 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] blue divide ["thavard" ] [RS] Re: Romance [Bartley Gallagher ] Re: [RS] Blue Divide a romantic song? [Carol Love ] Re: [RS] Re: Romance [Carol Love ] [RS] Re: Romance [] Re: [RS] Re: Romance [Carol Love ] Re: [RS] I saw my Gethsemani on tour today [] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 06:27:54 -0400 From: "thavard" Subject: [RS] blue divide Hi. To respond to Norman, I did see Richard play Blue Divide once. It was at the Turning Point in Pawling, NY, very soon after 9/11/01. He did a great show of almost all covers, songs he felt like playing, very inspired. Towards the end of the show, he asked for requests, and I called out Blue Divide (as I'd done before, it's probably my favorite song of his). And he said, sure, I'll do that. And then he played it. Beautiful, maybe a little ragged. He once said it was a hard song to sing towards the end of a show. Maybe because it goes into a low register, not sure. - Tom ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 13:10:49 -0400 From: Bartley Gallagher Subject: [RS] Re: Romance Don't forget one of my favorites, really, TV Light. There ain't a romance on the silver screen, could hold a candle to you & me. An unrelated aside: Remember that old distinguished gentleman that used to hawk the classical romance record collection on TV? "You may recognize this lovely tune as "Stranger in Paradise." But did you know that it is really the "Polovetsian Dance Number Two by Borodin?" He was so much more refined than say the shouting "BILLY HAYES HERE FOR..." and Vince ( try dat with a ordinary papa towel, SHAM WOW! ). Bart On May 29, 2009, at 4:55 AM, shindell-list-digest wrote: > I'd add Nora, Lazy, and Cancisn Sencilla. Not many, but more than a > couple. > > Norman ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 15:39:38 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Blue Divide a romantic song? On Thu, May 28, 2009 at 7:45 PM, wrote: > >>>Now, to be honest, the song doesn't come right out and SAY it's someone > he loves -- heck, he could just be a stranded castaway -- but there's always > been something about the song -- perhaps the plaintive wail at the end -- > that makes me hear a lot of heartache in it. > > I'm not alone here, right?<<< ..........Well, consider this. RS's wife is from Argentina. Isn't it possible that they met somewhere really cosmopolitan like, say, New York City -- and then she had to return to her continent. (I know nothing -- this is a guess...) I've always imagined this song was about their separation. I heard or read somewhere that "Summer Wind, Cotton Dress" was also inspired by his wife, again leading me to believe there was an element of separation in their relationship. Neither song would be the REAL story, but perhaps they are both the REAL longing. As for Ron's remark about the last vocals on "Blue Divide" -- I have always found that last vocal note one of the most spine tingling/gut wrenching moments in any RS's songs. IMHO, it is DEFINITELY a romantic song about longing and separation. (And one of my favorite Shindell tunes ever) ...Carol ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 15:53:12 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Re: Romance On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 1:10 PM, Bartley Gallagher wrote: >>>Don't forget one of my favorites, really, TV Light. > There ain't a romance on the silver screen, could hold a candle to you > & me.<<< ...........That's a "whoops!". TV Light is probably the most directly romantic song ever by RS. There are no hidden rabbits in that one -- it is a straight ahead love song. I suppose you could assign a vaguely social comment to the song because the suggestion is to turn off the TV. (Something John Prine suggested blowing up...) However, I think it's just a song about a couple that's been together for quite some time (I'll do the dishes in the morning, this time I swear I won't forget..." that's really domestic -- and true!! :-) and the husband is sweetly trying to talk his wife into putting all the little stuff away and "tucking in for the night" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) Also the absence of children in the marital portrait leads me to believe they are a couple of many years. (The kids are grown...) I believe "TV Light" is also the only RS song in which the endearment, "Darlin'" is used. My personal belief is that he wrote that song hoping to shop it out to a country performer. I interviewed Richard about a decade ago and he admitted that he wrote "Reunion Hill" with Joan Baez in mind. He CAN think commercially!!! :-) ....Carol ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 17:01:27 -0400 From: Subject: [RS] Re: Romance >> TV Light is probably the most directly romantic song ever by RS. << Well, it's no "By Now" . . . RG ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 17:53:26 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] Re: Romance Ron, You never heard the line Richard left out of "By Now"...... "I'm going to eat your liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti, darlin' " :-) ....Carol On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 5:01 PM, wrote: > >> TV Light is probably the most directly romantic song ever by RS. << > > Well, it's no "By Now" . . . > > RG ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 19:39:12 -0700 From: Subject: Re: [RS] I saw my Gethsemani on tour today First of all, welcome to the list, Johannes. >> I Saw My Youth Today is the song most played on my computer. Along with Reunion Hill and Wisteria it is one of the stories that get me every time I hear them. << I'm with you on that. Having heard "Reunion Hill" and "Wisteria" a whole bunch of times (particularly because the former is pretty much an RS concert staple, and when you see him as much as I have over the years, well, you get it), I've become a little immune to their tear-inducing power. But "I Saw My Youth Today" is one of those under-the-radar songs that I've MAYBE heard him do a half-dozen times over the years. And since I don't listen to the "Reunion Hill" CD that much, when the song DOES jump out of my CD player, it hits me right in the gut. And the heart. RG ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V10 #105 ************************************