Showing posts with label Van Morrison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Van Morrison. Show all posts

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Fall Into the Music

For me, autumn is the loveliest time of the year in Kentucky with the bold palette of green, gold, yellow, red and brown leaves on too-soon-to-be bare trees dominating the landscape before the cold winds sweep in from the North.




The fall season also brings to mind some music I've listened to through the years. Most of the songs are rather melancholy, perhaps because the season represents to many as a time to let go, as in the falling leaves. 

Here are some of my favorite songs for the season:

Justin Hayward, the lead singer of the legendary Moody Blues, recorded my fall favorite, "Forever Autumn." Some believe it's a Moodies' song, but actually it was from Jeff Wayne's musical, "War of the Worlds," from the late '70s. 

The first verse sets the tone for the song:


"The summer sun is fading as the year grows old
And darker days are drawing near
The winter winds will be much colder
Now that you're not here."




Frank Sinatra sang about autumn in Ervin Drake's unforgettable "It Was a Very Good Year," a No. 1 song on Billboard's Easy Listening charts for Ol' Blue Eyes  in 1965


"But now the days are short, I'm in the autumn of my years
And I think of my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs
It poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year."



Another memorable tune is Bobby Goldsboro's "Blue Autumn," written by Andrea, Caroline, Sharon and James Corr, from the '60s.

Again, the opening verse sets the tone for this song of lost love:


"Blue autumn
Falling leaves of red and gold
Pretty colors, I am told
But I see only shades of blue
Because I'm losing you."




Goldsboro also recorded, "Autumn of My Life," another break-up song, a hit from 1968:


"But in the autumn of my years I noticed the tears
And I knew that our life was in the past
Though I tried to pretend, I knew it was the end
For the autumn of my life had come at last."




But not all autumn songs are sad. 

Singer-songwriter Neil Young sang about being in love with a special lady in his "Harvest Moon."


"Because I'm still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I'm still in love with you
On this harvest moon."




And the great Van Morrison with his timeless, "fantabulous" song  "Moondance" that speaks of love and romance:


"Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies
And the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I'm trying to please to the calling
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low."




Do you have any favorite songs of autumn?

Until the next time...














Thursday, February 14, 2013

Love Songs

Since it's Valentine's Day I thought it would be nice to share some of my favorite love songs.

While some folks prefer love ballads, you'll see that I enjoy all kinds including ballads, country, rock, and pop. It's the words and melody that move me. I like some that are sweet, some that are sappy, and some that are thoughtful. As the Beatles sang, "All you need is love"

I've included a few lines from the songs (composers in parenthesis) as well as the video.
So here goes:

"Love Is All Around" (Reg Presley)

"You know, I love you, I always will
My mind's made up
By the way that I feel
There's no beginning
There'll be no end
'Cause on my love you can depend"




***

"Softly Whispering I Love You" (Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook)

"And I know your soft  kiss turning into music
Every beat of my heart
When I hold you close to my heart
And I hear your voice whispering I love you"



***

"At Last" (Mack Gordon and Harry Warren)

"At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song"



***

"When You Say Nothing At All" (Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz)

"The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all"




***

"Can't Help Falling in Love" ( Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss)


"Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you"



***
"Asking Us to Dance" (Hugh Prestwood)

"Darling tonight I am reminded how much these two hearts need romance
You know it isn't all that often we get this kind of chance
Why don't we get caught in this moment be victims of sweet circumstance
Tonight I feel like all creation is asking us to dance"



***
"Moondance"  (Van Morrison)

"Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies"




***
"Something" (George Harrison)
"Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me
I don't want to leave her now"



***

"Wonderful Tonight" (Eric Clapton)

"I feel wonderful
Because I see the love light in your eyes
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don't realize how much I love you"


OK, I know that's a lot of stuff. There are more songs I could have included so perhaps I'll save them for next Valentine's Day.

What is your favorite? Feel free to share a video and/or lyrics in the comments section.

Until the next time...