Embarcacao - The Vessel: Thank you!!

Sometimes a distant dream comes true at a time when you least expect it.  To a post written in 2007, on the 10th of October, 2010 (10/10/10 - what a lovely number!) Tam Aham Brumi Brahmanam wrote a translation of Embarcacao.  I hope to reproduce his efforts here to give justice to one of the most deeply beautiful songs ever written.

Embarcacao
The Vessel

Ai, ness mundo ca tem sô sofrimento

Oh, in this world here there is only suffering
Ma naquel olhar cheio di mágoa
But in that stare full of sadness
Modê crê tão cedo na felecidade
For believing so soon in happiness
Tcheu titá fogá na solidão
Something that is drowning in deep loneliness

Ma na embarcação quta levá nôs vida
But in the vessel that takes our lives
Um bom timonero nô ta desejá, pa guiá-no
We hope for a good helmsman to take us
Na temporal nô ta reá vela
Through the storm and pull down our sails
Pa nô ca perdê na profundeza dum amargura
So we will not be lost in the deepness of a sorrow


Terra longe à vista é um doce promessa
The desired land seen so far is a sweet promise
Ma qui ta desfazê nindiferença
But it is not making no difference
Um sonho nascê na porto dilusão
Because a dream is born in the port of illusions
Fgi pa longe parcê um solução
Fly away to a far place seems to be a solution


Ma na rota incerta di nôs destino
But in the uncertain route that is our fate
Nô ta pô esperança num brisa mansa e constante
We are putting our hopes on a sweet and constant breeze


Pintchi vela dnôs existencia
That blows the sails of our existence
E na paz levá, assim, nôs nau
And so in peace takes our vessel
Pum horizonte cheio di luz e bonança
Towards a horizon full of light and peaceful feelings


Pintchi vela dnôs existencia
That blows the sails of our existence
E na paz levá, assim, nôs nau
And so in peace takes our vessel
Pum horizonte di luz e bonança
Towards a horizon full of light and peaceful feelings

Stateless - Bloodstream

You need to be in an ice-cold room with a roaring fireplace, wrapped in furs, sipping a whisky glass filled with ice-cubes and a very good shot of espresso, listening to this.

Stateless - Bloodstream
Wake up, look me in the eyes again
I need to feel your hand upon my face
Words can be like knives
They can cut you open
And the silence surrounds you
And haunts you

I think I might have inhaled you
I could feel you behind my eyes
You've gotten into my bloodstream
I can feel you floating in me

Words can be like knives
They can cut you open
And the silence surrounds you
And haunts you

 I think I might have inhaled you
I could feel you behind my eyes
You've gotten into my bloodstream
I can feel you floating in me

The spaces in between
Two minds, and all the places they've been
I've tried to put my finger on it
I've tried to put my finger on it

I think I might have inhaled you
I could feel you behind my eyes
You've gotten into my bloodstream
I can feel you floating in me

Song for Whoever: Unplayed Piano

A beautiful, beautiful, beautiful song!  One of those lovely collaborations between two of my favourite artists who really should be me and you in another rambling life.

Incredibly poignant... further research shows it was for/about Aung San Suu Kyi.

Unplayed Piano - Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan
Come and see me
Sing me to sleep
Come and free me
Or hold me if I need to weep

Or maybe it's not the season
Or maybe it's not the year
Or maybe there's no good reason
Why I'm locked up inside
Just 'cause they wanna hide me

The moon goes bright
The darker they make my night

Unplayed pianos
Are often by a window
In a room where nobody loved goes
She sits alone with her silent song
Somebody bring her home

Unplayed piano (unplayed piano)
Still holds a tune (still holds a tune)
Lock on the lid (years, years pass by)
In a stale, stale room (in the changing of the moon)
Maybe it's not that easy (too many windows)
Or maybe it's not that hard (in a stale, stale room)
Maybe they could release me (stale, stale room)

Let the people decide
I've got nothing to hide
I've done nothing wrong
So why've I been here so long?

Unplayed pianos
Are often by a window
In a room where nobody loved goes
She sits alone with her silent song
Somebody bring her home
Unplayed pianos
Are often by a window
In a room where nobody loved goes
She sits alone with her silent song
Somebody bring her home

Unplayed piano (unplayed piano)
Still holds a tune
Years pass by
In the changing of the moon

Parachute - Cheryl Cole

Probably the only correctly captured version of this music video available on the net.  Forget about going to YouTube, the recordings of the videos are jinxed.

Just absolutely adore the dance and sync of imagery (costumes, movements, photography) used with the music.


Cheryl Cole - Parachute on muzu.tv

The Music Challenge: The Beautiful South

The Challenge: Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think.

Name of Artist: Beautiful South (who'd have thought!)

• Are you male or female: Girlfriend
• Describe yourself: You Keep It All In
• How do you feel about yourself: We Are Each Other
• Describe where you currently live: Alone
• If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)
• Your favorite form of transportation: I'll Sail this Ship Alone
• Your best friend is: From Under the Covers
  Your favorite color is: Little Blue
• What's the weather like: Bell Bottomed Tear
• Favorite time of day: Perfect 10
• If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Don't Marry Her
• What is life to you: My Book
• What is the best advice you have to give: Let Go With the Flow
• If you could change your name, what would it be: Song for Whoever
• Your favorite food is: Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud)
• Thought for the Day: Baby Please Go
• How I would like to die: Straight in at 37

Language or the Kiss Reprise

As I navigate through the honey of her voice, I finally realise what she was talking about (doh!). And I don't know why but that dichotomy did not strike me until now. I've always seen language as expression, without thinking that the kiss expressed differently from language. But my mind was so blocked I never got it why there would be a choice between the two - my poetry being different from your dance.

Between the language or the kiss
I know I choose to think, to speak, to watch,
To learn, to philosophize, to dream, to envy.
And I'd wish, for you, if I could choose,
To do. To act, to move, to declare, to not
lose
The chances you would miss:
"Unforgiving the choice still is,
The language or the kiss".

Our choices make our choices. I know this now as well as I did then, and yet, knowing what I know, I would still end up gravitating towards making the choices I knew I would make. If we knew we wouldn't choose anything different, and our choices make our choices, do we really have a choice?

Pink and Glitter

Definitely my song for this winter... this must be the only song that Tori's ever done in jazzy, big band style which isn't really her, but I'm loving it! It's soft, it's feminine, it's pink, it's big band, it's jazzy, it's coy, it's cute, it's coquettish... what's there not to like?



Having a little girl really mellowed and added a new dimension to her views on being a woman. At the same time, I must be getting old.

Tori Amos - Pink and Glitter

"Darn Roses", that is what you call all the girls in the world, even the
thorns
You’re surrounded by an army of two who adore you

Our joy isn’t about a present or a grown up motor toy
And little boys all get an honorable mention from me
But this year I’m thinking
Shower the world
Shower the world
Shower the world with pink if you please
Shower the world
Shower the world
Shower the world... with pink.

Black satin, is what I wore
That, and our hearts left on the floor
How was I in that marshmallow snow, to know?
My life would change that night?

In pink, we will paint the town
Champagne never looked so divine
On his lips the sweetest words “Love, you’ve given me quite a ride.”

Happy Christmas

This Christmas allow me to gently dream of dimmed lights, a simmering fireplace, snow drifting softly through glossy french doors outside and a silent, musing barefoot dance on a warm carpet to Tori's A Silent Night With You.

Untitled Scribble at Christmas Time

No need for uncomfortable silences
No tribute to modern conveniences
No trite hymns to gifts of frankincense and myrrh
I didn't want anything for Christmas

These gifts gave me nothing to hold
If not of hope, not worth a weight in gold
I'd wished for a thought, a photograph, a signal
Being stubborn to stifle a memory as I was told.

Not a shameless plug to the holiday album I never thought Tori would make, but I like to think that Christmas would be lit by the traditional this season, filled with the thoughtful tunes from old instead of the jolly holiday faves played on the radio.

I'm already living the next decade of my life...

On May 4th a year ago, I wrote about the soundtrack of my life. It's odd how a year or so down the road and it feels that the next decade of my life has begun, but not as a slow transition as you would expect numbers to... moving from one to nine, but as a harsh cutover from 20 to 30.

It's not too bad the next decade, filled with mellow sounds of 70's music and progressing back slightly to angst ridden Robbie Williams with a touch of frost. Not so much beauty in depression than been-there-done-that-sweetheart wisdom.

30's - 40's soundtrack of life would be:-

1. Carpenters - We've Only Just Begun
2. Robbie Williams - Strong
3. James Morrison - Wonderful World
4. Carpenters - Goodbye to Love
5. Tori Amos - Take Me With You

This place has given me very much. But most of all a dream of mellow country flowers, a flavour of food... and a settling of the restlessness of youth that I haven't fully come to terms with.

I've been dreaming of a program like this...

So, the problem with last.fm and Spotify is that all the music is at your fingertips (legally yes) but that cloud internet hasn't quite reached your iPod in the Tube yet and your videos and music isn't mobile, right?

Enter MediaRaptor, a legal and free way to record MP3s and Videos from online radio stations, last.fm, YouTube... It also trawls a preset list of radio stations and video stations and gives you the option to search for artists and videos by title or keywords and downloads pre-recorded tracks. It's no more illegal than hitting the cassette tape record button at a favourite song on the radio, only automated, digital and something we didn't use to be able to do in the 80's.

After my very first last.fm recording (Heart - These Dreams) converted to MP3 beautifully, resplendent and complete with last.fm lyrics - I am in love!

Cannonball - Damien Rice

I know I should be blogging about the Tori concert, but before I go into that when time permits, just a short one (after a long absence) from me. I discovered this song again in the morning (random playlist I put on in the morning to keep doggie company) and it popped up. A long absence, the song in my ear, but one of those "what exactly is it?" moments. This song should go into the playlist of my life - and I'd like it to be played at my funeral, almost like a prayer.

Cannonball - Damien Rice
There's still a little bit of your taste in my mouth
There's still a little bit of you laced with my doubt
It's still a little hard to say what's going on

There's still a little bit of your ghost, your witness
There's still a little bit of your face I haven't kissed
You step a little closer each day
That I can't say what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love, it taught me to lie
Life, it taught me to die
So it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannonball

There's still a little bit of your song in my ear
There's still a little bit of your words I long to hear
You step a little closer to me
So close that I can't see what's going on

Stones taught me to fly
Love, it taught me to cry
So come on courage, teach me to be shy
'Cos it's not hard to fall
And I don't want to scare her
It's not hard to fall
And I don't want to lose
It's not hard to grow
When you know that you just don't know...

Embarcacao: At Long Last

As testament to the power of YouTube and the internet, the lyrics of Embarcacao surfaced... The actual text seem very in line with the song, although I'm not sure about the translation but in the absence of someone who might speak Cape Verdean (hope my Brazilian friend can help somewhat as it's closely related to Portuguese for some words...) I can at least try to guess at the words.

EMBARCAÇÃO (BOAT)
Texte de Teofilo Chantre (translation: trol1976trol
from YouTube)

Ai, ness mundo ca tem sô sofrimento
There's not only suffering in the world
Ma naquel olhar cheio di mágoa
Looking into these sad eyes
Modê crê tão cedo na felecidade
But how can you believe in happiness
Tcheu titá fogá na solidão
That drown in tears alone

Ma na embarcação quta levá nôs vida
On the boat of our fate
Um bom timonero nô ta desejá, pa guiá-no
We need a skilled helmsman
Na temporal nô ta reá vela
Who will manage to pull down the sails on time
Pa nô ca perdê na profundeza dum amargura
And break us away from the embrace of starving waves of
despair

Terra longe à vista é um doce promessa
Probably the far off desired land
Ma qui ta desfazê nindiferença
Will be the usual broken promise
Um sonho nascê na porto dilusão
Because dreams are born in the haven of illusion
Fgi pa longe parcê um solução
From which something keeps on chasing us away to the sea (Ed: Far from
a solution?)
Ma na rota incerta di nôs destino
Our future is an unknown course (Ed: My route has an uncertain
destination)
Nô ta pô esperança num brisa mansa e constante
(Ed: In you, I hope for a tame and constant breeze)

Pintchi vela dnôs existencia
But your wind, blow into the sails (Ed: ... candle...
existence)
E na paz levá, assim, nôs nau
(Ed: Taking peace in the vessel?) And lead our boat
Pum horizonte cheio di luz e bonança
Towards the horizon with peaceful and bright shores (Ed: And lead
out boat towards the horizon of light and tranquility) although not yet
visible

Pintchi vela dnôs existencia
E na paz levá, assim, nôs nau
Pum horizonte di luz e bonança

Here's How Your Name Sounds Like... ToneMatrix

ToneMatrix: Simple sinewave synthesizer triggered by an ordinary 16step
sequencer. Each triggered step causes a force on the underlaying wave-map, which makes it more
cute.

And if you spell your name on the grid, you get very interesting results... I loved how "elly" sounded. Thanks to Nomad'y for sharing...

Almost Free Music from Spotify!

Sometimes living in the UK has benefits. One of these is Spotify, a free music player that has just launched in the UK (and not some other places I know heheh).

If you thought Last.fm was cool, until it started to stop sharing the music that you searched on - and you switched to Deezer which did the same thing until it fell to the Dark Side of hideous ads and pulled out music - then Spotify is the next best thing.

Log in, search for plenty of music which streams instantly, it's apparently ad driven but I haven't heard or seen an ad so far and it's been 6 songs in. Happy with that.

Love the iTunes like interface, creation of play lists using drag and drop technology, recommended artists, quick, light-footed search and play interface. Great for samplers (in full), for falling in love with songs before the final purchase, for music that accompanies evocations, blogs, surfing, coffee... pretty much anything, really.

I now need an effortless, audiophilic sound system hooked up to my laptop.

Language of the Kiss

If English is my heritage, then this is my birthright. In true 20/20 hindsight, the choices that we make make our choices. Did you know that then?

Laughter like a language I once spoke with ease
But I'm made mute by the virtue of decision...
Oh, the fear I've known
That I might reap the praise of strangers
And end up on my own

But you told me if I had my way I'd be bored
Right then I knew I loved you best born of your scolding
When we last talked we were lying on our backs
Looking at the sky through the ceiling...
The alphabet of feeling

I am alone in a hotel room tonight...
And I'm working through the grammar of my fears
Oh mercy, what I won't give
To have the things that mean the most
Not to mean the things I miss
Unforgiving the choice is
The language or the kiss.

History of Us

Indigo Girls - History of Us,
originally uploaded by metaphoric.

Revisiting an old, favourite song.

So we must love
While these moments are still called "today"
Take part
in the pain of this passion play
Stretch our youth as we must,
Until we
are ashes... to dust.
Until time makes
History of us

Although I didn't go all the way to Paris, I might have gone all the way to Prague.

Interestingly, this song's evocation keyword was "Leonardo da Vinci".

America

Razorlight - America,
originally uploaded by metaphoric.

I'm in America at the moment. Each city/country/place to me is like a person to get to know. I know it's been said before, but I do honestly think that.

America, to me, is one of those friend/colleagues that is at heart a really nice person but sometimes so difficult to work with you feel like throttling them at the throat.

So I did another matrixed, sequenced, on the surface trite evocation piece.

There are three ways to read this (a guide this time because it's not as free-form as the others):
Top to Bottom are Themes - Purpose; Pleasure; Pose
Left to Right are Time Frames: Appeal; Real; Ideal

And the song choice? Well, that's a no brainer - it was America, by Razorlight.

Leona Lewis/Snow Patrol - Run

Leona Lewis/Snow Patrol - Run,
originally uploaded by metaphoric.

I'm really obsessed about the imagery of this song - can't believe it took so long (and Leona) for me to find it.

I keep hearing light, in shades and tones, in light, flickering breaths drawn that I had to search on 'light' for this one.

Light up, light up.
As if you had a choice.
Even if you cannot hear my voice,
I'll be right beside you, dear.

On another note, what is it with Snow Patrol's recent trend of soft, mumbling, almost monotonous verses only to hit with a thundering, swelling, glorious opus of a crescendo chorus? It worked for a while with Run, but after Crack the Shutters and Please Just Take These Photos from My Hands, doesn't the swelling chorus style sound a bit repetitive?

Run

Shame it took Leona Lewis to bring this song to my attention. Thank you Snow Patrol - I want you in a car with me on a long, straight road to infinity. I want you lying next to me, staring at a blank canvas ceiling, doing absolutely nothing.

I'll sing it one last time for you
Then we really have to go
You've been the only thing that's right
In all I've done

And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry
And as we say our long goodbye
I nearly do

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

Slower slower
We don't have time for that
All I want is to find an easier way
To get out of our little heads

Have heart my dear
We're bound to be afraid
Even if it's just for a few days
Making up for all this mess

Soundtrack of My Life

In an answer to a question posed a long time ago, if you had 13 songs that made up the soundtrack of your life, what would those songs be?

And curiously (this disturbed me a little) - there were a lot of song titles with the word "dream" in them. Entirely coincidental, I convince myself.

1. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
2. The Cranberries - Dreams
3. KT Tunstall - Suddenly I See
4. Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
5. James Blunt - 1973
6. Heart - These Dreams
7. Bread - Goodbye Girl
8. Damien Rice - 9 Crimes
9. Anna Nalick - Breathe (2 am)
10. Indigo Girls - Love Will Come to You
11. Craig Armstrong (Liz Frazer) - This Love
12. Sarah McLachlan - Good Enough
13. Bent - Private Road

Oddly enough, these are nice songs, not all of them are my favourite, but all of them are very apt.

--

Gave it more thought and came back to this one. I can't wait until I turn 30, because there'll be 3 decades of music worth mentioning at least in my life. I break them up into phases -

Decade 1: 0 - 10

Where the music influences of your life really depends on the music other people are listening to at the time.

1. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
2. Erasure - A Little Respect
3. Depeche Mode - Somebody
4. Whitney Houston - The Greatest Love of All
5. Bread - Goodbye Girl

Decade 2: 11 - 20

The longest, most mixed up mix-tape possible.

1. Green Day - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
2. The Cranberries - Dreams
3. Heart - These Dreams
4. Indigo Girls - Love Will Come to You
5. Sarah McLachlan - Good Enough

Decade 3: 21 - 30

Progression...

1. Anna Nalick - Breathe (2 am)
2. Craig Armstrong (Liz Frazer) - This Love
3. Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
4. James Blunt - 1973
5. Bent - Private Road

Youth is a funny thing. When you have it, you spend your time wishing that you don't - and when you don't, you spend the rest of your time wishing that you did. I guess the same could be said of many other things better seen in hindsight, but it's the one thing regret cannot touch.