But I’ve found myself listening to an ungodly amount of Serge Gainsbourg ever since April turned me on to him during a recent outing on the boat. Gainsbourg’s music is odd, but oddly compelling. It’s not the sot of thing I’d want to listen to intently while driving, but it’s perfect background summer music. Yes, even in French.

Check him out:

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If this ain’t the American Dream, I don’t know what is:

“Your daddy’s rich, and your maw is good lookin’.”

I won’t go so far as to call Sam’s line reading malevolent, but it’s calculating and a bit cynical. I like that.

I bought a copy of this poster at the show and it now hangs in my home office.

Yeah, this is a re-post, albeit a different version — one that also requires me to use my old method of posting.

For those who’ve been napping, let me summarize: Todd Snider = my personal poet laureate. Named the blog after his song for several reasons.

I dredge it back up for a couple reasons: Mainly, I just discovered that in a clever-as-hell business move, Todd is now posting and selling mp3s and FLACs of every show he does for less than $10. Today I downloaded his show from The Granada back in January.

This version of “Devil” is slower than the speed-thrash original, meaning that a casual listener can actually hear the lyrics (and perhaps surmise my bad-neighborhood-populist-hopeful-doubter kinsip with the song). But thanks to backing band Great American Taxi, it retains the right energy.

“The Devil You Know”

I also mention it because, per an email from Todd’s site yesterday, he has a benefit single for his adopted hometown of Nashville. Dammned if I can find it anywhere on his site (or elsewhere for that matter).

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Zevon and Springsteen

Somehow this song always seems to find me when I’m thinking a lot about a friend or friend’s family in serious condition. That’s appropriate, given that it’s a track off of Warren Zevon’s final album, produced while he was dying of cancer.

It’s got a celebratory, whistling in the dark, thumbing your nose at the reaper vibe that I just love. Listened to it on repeat all the way in to work this morning.

I like that it’s clearly a rehearsal take that they decided to keep rough edges and all. And you can smell the smoke coming off Bruce Springsteen‘s guitar. (That’s him on the solos.)

Programming note: I’ve been posting mp3s with the Yahoo embed player, but I’ve decided to use Grooveshark for any widely available tracks in the unlikely case an overzealous copyright holder ever becomes a regular reader. I don’t like the UI as much as the Yahoo player, but best to be safe, methinks.

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The Connells: “Hey Wow”

From their amazing 2009 disc I and Love and You .

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Lindsey Buckingham

While working my way through the New Year’s week, I watched a lot of concerts I’d recorded on TV, including Lindsey Buckingham’s HDNET show at Bass Hall a couple of years ago. There was one tune that hadn’t made an impression on me at the time — nor in repeated listenings to the album version. But when I heard Lindsey’s preamble this time it struck a chord. Without the backstory, you might think the song a downer. But as Lindsey described it, it was about how when you have many dreams, they’re never all going to come to fruition. That’s something to deal with, but nothing to mourn — the burial of those dreams makes room for others. Sometimes you need to put “cast away dreams” to rest in a celebratory fashion, even by dancing upon them. That’s something I’ve been thinking about lately, especially as I’m contributing to some efforts to provide support and inspiration to entrepreneurs on the rougher side of the adventure. Not every mission is a success — and that’s a good thing to be celebrated. Let’s dance:

Holy light visionary sight there’s been a change in plans Going away no I cannot stay I hope you’ll understand I won’t be home tonight I’ll just slip out of sight Lay down my visionary eyes dancing on my cast away dreams Keep yourself out of sight farewell to the wishes that died Look for me in the morning light dancing on my cast away dreams

Magic one all our dreams are done I have no faith today Sun will rise in your newborn eyes just let me slip away I won’t be home tonight I’ll just slip out of sight Lay down my visionary eyes dancing on my cast away dreams Keep yourself out of sight farewell to the wishes that died Look for me in the morning light dancing on my cast away dreams

It would do no good to drown in the sea Where no one remembers their name and nothing but nothing is free

Hearts will break with choices we must make so sleep and dream of me I won’t be home tonight I’ll just slip out of sight Lay down my visionary eyes dancing on my cast away dreams Keep yourself out of sight farewell to the wishes that died Look for me in the morning light dancing on my cast away dreams Look for me in the morning light dancing on my cast away dreams

Lord, I’m only just one man
Lord, I’ve only got two hands
Lord, I’ll do the best I can…

Lord, help me help them to understand

Slobberbone: “Trust Jesus”

The old bastard left his ties and his suit
A brown box, mothballs and bowling shoes
and his opinion so you’d never have to choose
Pretty soon, you’ll be an old bastard too
You get smaller as the world gets big
The more you know you know you don’t know shit
“The Whiz Man” will never fit you like “The Whiz Kid” did

So why you gotta act like you know when you don’t know?
It’s OK if you don’t know everything
So why you gotta act like you know when you don’t know?
It’s OK if you don’t know everything

Close your eyes close your ears young man
You’ve seen and heard all an old man can
Spread the facts on the floor like a fan
throw away the ones that make you feel bad

Kids today gettin’ old too fast
they can’t wait to grow up so they can kiss some ass
They get nostalgic about the last ten years
before the last ten years have passed

So why you gotta act like you know when you don’t know?
It’s OK if you don’t know everything
So why you gotta act like you know when you don’t know?
It’s OK if you don’t know everything

Tears land on a hand on the chest
The old bastard had a paradigm arrest

He got smaller as the world got big
The more he knew he knew he didn’t know shit
“The Whiz Man” never fit him like “The Whiz Kid” did

So why you gotta act like you know when you don’t know?
It’s OK if you don’t know everything
So why you gotta act like you know when you don’t know?
It’s OK if you don’t know everything

Origin here.