Monday, April 9, 2007

SONGS THAT TUG AND HUG

In the movie Children of a Lesser God, a deaf-mute (played by fiery Marlee Matlin, who didn't have to act the role) asked her talking-hearing lover (played by the magnificent William Hurt) what MUSIC was like.

Otherwise an eloquent, creative teacher who taught speech to hearing-impaired kids, Hurt's character pondered the question reluctantly. Then he closed his eyes, looked up, smiled -- ecstatic. Before long, he was a man gone wild, arms flailing, face contorting -- until he gave up in sheer frustration! He was angry he lacked the body language to explain what music is to his beloved who never heard a sound before.

In that movie, love wasn't able to bridge the chasm between the world of silence and of sound.

This musical tag I have been tugged to do is only for those who reside in the house of sound. It assumes that bloggers hear.

Alas, this assumption is only partly true of this blogger -- who's tone-deaf and can't sing in tune and in rhythm to save her skin. But who nevertheless sings perfectly in her mind (I swear I do!). And who can't imagine how life would be without music and its magic.

And that entitles this blogger, in spite of impairment, to comply with a musical meme from two blog buddies.

Here you are -- Houseband00 and Sassy Mom -- seven songs among so many that hug and tug. Chosen for their power to make me stop (whatever I am doing, including my blogging) and listen with something resembling rapture.

  1. A Case of You by Diana Krall - "I can drink a case of you, baby, and still be on my feet" -- how would you feel if someone drawls that out, throaty-like, to you? I bet you'd swoon!

  2. Memory (Midnight) by Barry Manilow - Originally a poem by the divine T. S. Eliot. Adapted by Trevor Nunn and set into music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, it became the showstopper song in "Cats" (the musical).
  3. Spolarium by the Eraserheads - Here Ely Buendia spills out his angst, demanding why this world can be so colorful and yet so broken. I sometimes want to second the motion when he yells "Pwede bang itigil muna ang pagikot ng mundo."

  4. Kung Ako Na Lang Sana by Bituin Escalante. "Kung ako na lang sana ang iyong minahal, di ka na muling luluha pa" -- the classic story of unrequited love, sung with lilt and catch in the throat by an underrated singer.

  5. Imagine by John Lennon - A vision of a world that only exists in the mind of Lennon and other dreamers; makes one wanna go down on his knees and weep because it seems so beautiful and ... impossible.

  6. The Way We Were by Barbra Streissand. When I hear Barbra sing, its almost like hearing the winds whisper, rivers gurgle, trees rustle. What I mean to say is THAT voice is so uncannily like God's.

  7. Pipikit Ako - written by daughter as theme of her award-winning thesis-film, Pirouette. It is chockful of poignant images I didn't know young people are capable of conjuring. You might say it's a biased choice, but hey, listen: "Pipikit ako, pipikit at magpapatihulog. Tutuksuhin ng hangin ang tastas ng aking paldang lumalagpas sa gilid ng bato. Nais kong lumangoy sa kawalan, lumangoy sa kawalan. Pipikit ako't sisisid sa karagatan ng mga bisig mo. Pipikit ako't sisisid sa karagatan, sa nalalabing karapatan ko. Nakabukas man o sarado ... Pagkatapos, sasabak ang aking katawan sa kawalan. Bahala na kung ano ang makita pagbukas ng aking mga mata. Mga matang nakapikit, nagpupumilit sumilip. Ooooh pipikit ako't sisisid ... pipikit, sisisid ooooh."

Now let's see, what seven songs tug and hug you -- Sheilamarie, Mari, Gina, Chateau, Myepinoy, Prab, and Ladycess!?!

Notes:

1. Translation of "Pipikit" for the non-Pinoy reader :

I will close my eyes, close my eyes and freefall into the wind, teasing the tattered hemline of my dress thence into the void. I dive into the never ocean of your arms -- unsure if it would catch me or let me fall. I will close my eyes and swim the shallow pool of what remains of my right to your love. Then I will open my eyes to espy the truth -- happy or sad. Before then, I will close my eyes and dive into the never ocean of you ... close my eyes and dive, close my eyes , ooooh ..."

2. Image: from the Piroutte DVD cover.

3. Suggested links: Dimaks shared http://www.musicovery.com

channel (all genres) in his blogsite -- cool. Try also http://www.tristancafe.com for original pinoy music -- you can listen to Ako na lang sana and Spolarium here.)


32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your daughter is really a good writer no? I love the song she wrote. Very musical sounding are the words even if I can't hear the music itself. I also love Diana Krall and Barbara Streisand.

Happy Easter Annamanila!

Unsugarcoated Reviews said...

i see you like some depressing songs...do you know the song Gloomy Sunday?

http://kaide.blogspot.com/2005/04/suicide-song.html

btw i've noticed your post-retirement options column...check out http://www.43things.com/ if you have done so :)

houseband00 said...

Aww, Anna. I love A Case Of You so much. I even found myself in tears when I heard Diana's version. The second verse really got to me.

Thanks again for playing! =)

Gina said...

Very talented naman talaga si Alina!
I like both the original Tagalog version & your (?) English translation, Napakalalim...

I tell you- you couldn't have picked a 'better' person to tag with this one-- I am the most 'emotera' person I know when it comes to music that touch the heart & soul. Sobrang dami nga ng songs that I have to think really hard and come up with a trimmed down list. LOL~! I'll let you know when I've done it!
Happy Easter nga pala! I've read the previous post....

Anonymous said...

"Imagine" by John Lennon is one of those powerful songs that really is though provoking... I love this song; I like Streisand, too :-)

Heart of Rachel said...

Hope you had a lovely Easter celebration with your loved ones.

I like your line up of songs especially A Case of You, Imagine and The Way We Were. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

I like Pipikit ako. Ang galing.

This reminds me of the poems by Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo especially the one titled Kung gusto mo akong makilala:
...Kung ibig mo akong kilalanin, sisirin mo ako hanggang buto, liparin mo ako hanggang utak,
umilanlang ka hanggang kaluluwa
hubad ako roon: mula ulo hanggang paa.

I will do my assignment soon.

Anonymous said...

wow, your daughter is so galing! hindi ko pa naririnig yan, pero tumataas na ang balahibo ko while reading the lyrics. im sure you had tears in your eyes the first time you heard her song. can you please have that as your blog's background music?

got the tag! :)

vernaloo said...

I love Memory especially when it was sung during the concert of Cameron Mckintosh' Hey Mr. Producer concert!

Spolarium..yeah totally agree with you on this one Anna. I also like the version of Imago.

Anyway wow....your daughter's really talented :) The lyrics are very moving.

sheilamarie said...

Anna, loved your selection of "tug & hug" songs.

I was able to buy a live concert vcd of Streissand, and what a magical voice indeed.

Your daughter is very talented talaga, loved the lyrics of her song, esp the part "Pipikit ako't sisisid sa karagatan ng mga bisig mo. Pipikit ako't sisisid sa karagatan, sa nalalabing karapatan ko. Nakabukas man o sarado ... "

thanks for the tag, anna =D

Anonymous said...

same here - i live "memory", in my iPod, there is 1 "on the go" album (tama ba yon?) in which memory is saved to be played intermittently with "lovin you" by minni ripperton...and i would play them on and on and on...

and oh, your daughter must have been very inspired when she wrote that song. she takes after her mom in writing.

and this reminds me, i have to do mine (sassy mom also tagged me).

Forever59er said...

Thanks all of you for the papuri for my bonch's song and creativity.

At 12, when I was writing inanities like "oh wonderful wonderful moon i wonder why you don't shine at noon," my bonch was going like "i curse the clock for being slow, i curse it too for being fast."

Toe, she had a friend who's a band soloista to set the lyrics to music and then to sing it. Pero maganda din boses ni bonch.

Gina, yes, that English translation is mine. I am glad you liked it too.

MyePinoy, wow, napaka-passionate naman ng poem ni Ruth. Ang galing!

Verns, na-move ka ba? Bakit kaya? -haha

Lady Cess, that's a good idea. Will do it as soon as I figure out how. Hehe. Yes, was really impressed when i first heard it .. i even suggested baka pwede isali sa metro pop. Pero wala na yata nun ngayon ano?

Sheilamarie, I think what you quoted is the best and most lyrical part of the poem/song.

Sexy mom. Di naman sa pahumble effect ha -- but I think my bonch writes better than me (or will eventually).

Tenk you tenk you. Sarap.

Forever59er said...

Cyberpunk!

I didn't notice I chose mostly sad songs till you mentioned it.

Gloomy Sunday is rather dark and yes depressing but I like it ... so it must be that I really am disposed to sad songs ha.

Thanks for the links.

Forever59er said...

HB!

Galing naman talaga ni Diana Krall .. sana magpunta uli .. pero jeez magkano kaya ang ticket.

Hey thanks for the tug ... ang sarap gawin.

Forever59er said...

Pining!

Aba, bakit, inabutan mo ba ang Beatles? Joke Yung ngang 2 anak ko Beatle fanatic din even though nung pinanganak sila eh wasak na ang grupo. Talagang iba sila, lalo na si John ano?

Forever59er said...

H of Rachel

I am delighted we have common favorites. Hope you had a Happy Easter too!

Forever59er said...

Verna!

Forgot to tell you that I prefer the Imago version. Arguably, Ely composes songs better than he sings them.

Cyberpunk!

Nakalimutan ko ding iquote - "the sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts. :)

Belle TH said...

Anna, hope my comments will show this time. i was really enamored by the lyrics of your daughter's song. I like some of the songs that you mentioned but your daughter's tops them all. hope you will post her picture one of these days. take care Anna!

Anonymous said...

For me, nothing beats imagine by lennon. Nonethless, beautiful round-up :) and thanks for the mention.

SASSY MOM said...

hi, anna!

I love your playlist!... sorry for dropping soo late, mommy responsibilities sometimes eats up all my energy.. hehehe!

Anyway, I love MEMORY and THE WAY WE WERE -- this is an all time fave of mine, I even love to sing this when we go out on videoke bars -- hehe!

Your daughter is very talented!

Thanks for playing along...

Be happy :)

Anonymous said...

I wasn't really so touched by the song 'Memory' until I heard it sung in 'Cats'! Grabe! It moved me so much, I literally cried.

I love Diana Krall too. I also love many of our new breed of local artists, Bamboo, Barbie, UP Dharma Down, Imago ... all so great artists.

Anna, your daughter must be a very talented, artistic girl! Suwerte mo!

Forever59er said...

Wow. Marami ng fans ang bunso ko. Hayaan mo, I will see if I can blog about her one of these days and post one of her pictures. Will also see about uploading the song para naman mapakinggan nyo. :)

Forever59er said...

Well, thanks for asking me to play. Inggit naman ako sa 'yo. I want to be able to sing in public too without fear of embarassment. Eh yung mga anak ko na sure ako love nila ako ... they ask me not to sing. hahaha

Forever59er said...

Rhoda!

It's sheer poetry Rhoda -- eh based ba naman sa On a Windy Night ni Eliot. Alam ko mahilig ka din sa poetry, your name in fact is taken from a poem. Di ba? I bet memorize mo yung Rhodora.

Yung kumanta ng Pipikit para duon sa Pirouette soundtrack ay yung soloista ng Up Dharma Down. So kasama na yun sa repertoire ng grupo.

I like Imago too -- the soloist sings like an angel. Ang ganda ng version nila ng Spolarium. I also like Orange and Lemons -- dapat kasama din sa playlist ko yung kanilang Umuwi Ka na Baby kaya lang hanggang 7 lang eh. Nanunod ako ng gig nila last month with my children -- galing talaga nila, di pa mga suplado.

Forever59er said...

Dimaks!

Actually, ang dami ko ring faves sa Beatles collection -- but I chose Imagine because it makes me still dream of that world where there is just the idea of heaven (no hell) and no nationality, race, religion. No war.

Hey, I really want to put an image into my header. But I couldn't though I tried and tried. Maybe I should change my template/theme. Are you going to send me an image? I want a sunset image but if you have a better idea .... let's see.

Gypsy said...

Oh, wow, may award-winning daughter ka pala. Mana sa nanay, talented din. Wow again. :)

Like you, I can't imagine life without music, kaya lang unlike you I dont really listen much to the lyrics (I know I should)..but anyway, I love anything from the Beatles (like you!) and from Billy Joel. Plus Louis Armstrong's poignant "What a Wonderful World."

Forever59er said...

I think those who like music without the lyrics are the really musical ones. Mga purists kung baga.

I also like Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World. Sa tutuo lang, we can list 100 of our faves and still the list would be far from complete, di ba? Sa Beatles collection lang, I can easily mention a dozen!

O ano ... kailan ka na fly sa UK?

Gina said...

HI Anna!
Finally made my list ! =) Check it out! Have a nice weekend...

Forever59er said...

Gina!

Yes, I have seen your list. Great choices. Hope u enjoyed doing it as much as i did. All best.

Anonymous said...

Hi Annamanila.

Done with my assignment. lol

Happy weekend.

Chateau said...

Hi annamanila!
Salen beat you to it- she tagged me. And I'm done :D I hope you like my seven, just as I did yours.
You have a talented daughter.

Forever59er said...

Chateau:

I will consider it a response to my tag as well. :) Will check out your list. Thanks

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