Need A Place To Chill: The River By Bruce Springsteen

Last Tuesday night was downer.  It was bad enough getting stressed at work only to come home to another explosion.  If that wasn't enough, another batch of bad news rolling that hit me real hard that it left glum and numb.  I couldn't sleep last night and find myself missing the old house because now there's no place to chill.  Wishing for such a place reminds me of the song "River" by Bruce Springsteen.

Back when things were great and my friends were around, there was always a place to chill.  A place where you can stay let it all out without the fear of being laughed at or ridiculed. A place where you feel safe and people were there to understand your plight.  When it's out of your system, you can go back and face the element renewed. Those were the days.

Sadly, there are no places to run to when things go bad.  Worse still, there's no one there to help you.  Sometimes I think this is all a bad joke that will fade out.  Sadly, it isn't and you have to face to the reality of it all.  I guess I have to take the spirit of that place to warm me during the hard times ahead.

Times When I Wish I Was Invisible: Invisible By Alison Moyet

It's bad that you had a tough day at work.  It gets worse when you go home only to fall victim to a sudden uproar.  You do your best to keep things in order and then this happens?  It makes me wish I could vanish.  This reminds me of the song "Invisible" by Alison Moyet.

I know this song was originally about being ignored to the point that you feel invisible.  Actually I was going to use this for a post to describe that feeling.  But after that blow-out yesterday, I actually WISHED that I WAS INVISIBLE.  Once again I became for the fall guy for someone else's mischief.  That was enough to put me in shut-down mode for the rest of the night.

I'm no saint but I don't want to be a martyr either.  I'll do what I can to make ends meet but it hurts when when it's not enough.  It drives me nuts when I find out somebody's doing something that will give more trouble.  Whether I like or not, I have to face the music.  Still, it would be great if I could really be invisible once in a while.

(P.S. For anyone who reads this, please discuss with me before bringing it up with anyone else.)

Be A Little Bit More Patient: Wait A Little While By Kenny Loggins

Right now I;m still working on that thing that I hope would bring me some extra.  It's been a while now and just when I was getting somewhere, my blog got hacked.  After that, my computer broke down and when I got a new a new computer, I had to iron the bugs out which means trying to make some cash will take a while.  Still, as long I keep working at it, I know something will turn up if I'm patient enough.  Trying to stay focus and patient till things start moving reminds me of Kenny Loggin's song "Wait A Little While".

When I was younger, what set me apart from the other kids was that I was very patient when waiting for my turn.  These days, I'm not as patient as I use to be. I guess this is because of many demands that life bears down on a person and as a result we all want a quick fix to the problem.  Still, things can't be fix with a snap of the fingers.  As agonizing as it is, you have to be patient till you get results.

I've been patient for quite some time now.  I still think its worth it but I have to do it right.  As much as I want to results pronto, it doesn''t work that way. So I continue to work hard on it and wait patiently.  Hopefully, things will work out in the end.

My Life So Far: Story Of My Life By Social Distortion

When I started this blog, I was a little hesitant because I was afraid about divulging things that I've kept inside me for a long time.  Yet at the same time, I wanted to put down these memories and reactions and I felt that a blog was a good way to do it.  Despite all that hesitation I went ahead and started blogging in 2007.  So far, I've laid down a lot of stuff from my memories and observations with the appropriate songs to go along with it.  Writing about my life in this blog reminds me of the song "Story Of My Life" by Social Distortion.

What have I written thus far? Remembering the good old days when I was young and the people who touched my life.  Other times I would right about who I'm stuck in second gear or find myself bouncing off the wall.  There's also my hopes and my fears and my frustrations which I am still struggling with.  Things are stills slow and there's much to show for thus far.

I took me a lot of courage to start this blog.  Sometimes I fear that if I try to apply for another job, they might read this and question a lot of posts.  But if I was afraid, then I shouldn't have started this blog in the first place.  Well, I'm still alive which means that there's still a lot to blog about.  My life these isn't exactly peaches and cream but this is how it is so far.

Plow Through That Field: Plowed By Sponge

Many time I blog about motivating one's self to do what one must do.  This is to remind myself not to hesitate or let my fears get the better of me.  There are times when we have goals and dreams that we want to fulfill but we hesitate and sometimes that can cause us to miss an opportunity.  Times like that, we need a little push or better yet a kick to make us charge in to take down the obstacles that our way.  One song that gives that me that drive is "Plowed" by Sponge".

When we set goals for ourselves, things start to clear up and we feel a sense of hope that we have some sort of direction in our lives.  Just as we are about to go forward to the new path, fate always plays a cruel joke by throwing a wrench in  the works and then we suddenly see a lot of obstacles in our way.  When that happens, it  can sure dampen your drive to the point that you give up.  That's when you summon all your strength and take down those barriers that prevent you from reaching your goal.  Bust them and get that prize by giving your all.

Things are never easy in life.  Just having a dream isn't enough to make real.  There are times when you have to be ready to bust down doors if you want to get things done.  So don't hesitate and charge on to the end.  Plow through that field and make your dreams come true.

Saturday Night Cruises: Driver's Seat By Sniff'N The Tears

Well it's Saturday again and once again that sentimental feeling of the good old days is starting to creep up on me.   Man I miss the days when me and brothers and friends would just jump in the car and cruise just to look for something to do. Even when there was no gimmick in sight, the fact that we were together rolling down the highway was in itself an adventure as we took in the sights that the night had to offer.  No matter where we go, it was worth the trip.  Remember those days when we just drove around reminds me of the song "Driver's Seat" by Sniff'N The Tears.

Ah the freedom you felt when you hopped in to the car and just zoomed right out of the house.  What better to spend the Saturday Nights with your buds and bros as you checked out the sights with money you saved up for the weekend.  We either tried out some of the trendy night spots or watched a cheesy movie and laughed at how we wasted good dough on dumb film.  Sometimes we'd crashed into the friends house and partied till  the break of dawn.  When that was over, we sneaked back into the house as quietly as we could and have a ball the next day at how we spent the night.

Well those days are behind me now. I have my hands full at work and at home.  I guess that's what happens when you get older as responsibilities now dominate your time even on weekends.  Still when I see kids all dressed up and full of energy,  I smile cause it takes me back to the days when we did the same and enjoyed every moment of it.  Things sure a blast when you're at the driver's seat journeying to the unknown and having a great time doing it.

Can't Keep You Down: You Can't Keep A Good Man Down By Jackie Wilson And The Dominoes

Once in a while stress of everyday life gets to me.  It gets harder when you feel that you're all alone and the answer is cut and dry.  That's one way to deem your mood.  Times like that, a good hit song keeps my spirits up when everything is trying to pull me down. One song that reminds me to keep my chin up is "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" by Jackie Wilson And The Dominoes.

These are the kind of song that remind you that tough times don't last but tough tough people do.  It's an unfortunate fact that crap happens and it can happen in a flood.  You wind up getting overwhelmed as one problem hits you after another.  You get that feeling that life is testing you.  Still you've been there before and have made it through so this won't be any different.

Why can't we have more music like this. If we did, we wouldn't need any drugs cause this would give us a natural high.  Today's music definitely has no soul.  The golden year's music always inspire you keep up the good fight.  It reminded you that you can't keep a good man down.

That's One Way To Knock You Off Your High Horse: Poor Side Of Town By Johnny Rivers

Ever wonder about  people who suddenly had it going great that they forget where they come from and they people they were once part of.  They success or striking it rich can get to one's head and they start flaunting it so far as kicking sand at people's faces.  Then when it all falls apart, they're left alone with no one to turn to since their rich "friends" have drained them out for all their worth.  After that, they come crawling back to where they were with their head hung low.  When it comes to loosing it all and going back to where you came from, it reminds me of the song "Poor Side Of Town" by Johnny Rivers.

This song is about a guy who's girl dumped him for some rich dude.  She winds up getting dumped by that rich dude and with her meal ticket gone, the main character still takes her back.  She was lucky cause a lot of people are not that forgiving.  To say that she left him just cause the other guy was rich is a slap to the face.  If I was the lead character, she wouldn't be so lucky because she would get the longest sermon of her life and since she showed her true colors, If I was that character, I wouldn't take her back since I now know what her true character is and I wouldn't want to spend my life with such a person.

Well, that's what happens when you're shallow and only care about what they can get.  They tend to forget that there'll come a time when the well runs dry.  When that rich dude has his fill, it's bye bye babe.  Well let that be a lesson to people who are only concerned with just getting hitch to someone with a thick wallet.  A day will  come when you'll be crawling back to the poor side of town.

That's Life: That's Life By Frank Sinatra

You never know what life has in store for you.  Some say it's destiny while others say it depends on what choices you make.  Either way what happens will happen.  When it's done, you learn from it and move on. Nobody sings it better than Frank Sinatra from his immortal hit "That's Life".

We all had our good times and bad times in our lives.  When times are good, we get so intoxicated that we think it will never end.  When things go bad, we wonder when it will end.  We claim the credit when it's good and we reluctantly admit our mistakes when things fall apart.  What is important is that we are still here and we keep on till the end.  No matter what life throws at you, you just keep on going as you revel in good and absorb the bad.

I guess I blogged about this song because of the things that I've been going through lately.  I need to remind myself that life is full of ups and downs cause I've been feeling down lately.  Now I know this song continues to be popular to this day.  When things go bad, we get up and get back in the fight because that's what life is all about.

R.I.P. Robbin Gibb: Boys Do Fall In Love By Robin Gibb

A week after the passing of Donna Summer, another disco legends succumbed to cancer.  Yesterday, I read on the news that Robbin Gibb of the Bee Gees also passed away after a struggling with this disease.  Maurice was the first of the brothers who passed away and was later followed by Andy Gibb.  The only one left to carry on is Barry.  Robbin had his share of hits outside the Bee Gees and the song that we all remember him for was "Boys Do Fall In Love".

Whenever the glory days of a certain group are over, we always wonder if what happens next? In Robbin's case, he continued to be active. Apart from this song, he produced some more singles and was active in writing songs as well as performing in concerts and collaborating with other artists.  He may had not had much spotlight but what is important is that he continued to be active up to the end.  Same can't be said for other artist who have fallen on hard times.

I guess the times are changing.  When people who you listened to or often see in the limelight have left this world, it really makes you feel old.  Well I bet he's up there in heaven right now.  He's probably jamming with other great musicians or performing for the Big Guy up above.  R.I.P. Robin, you will be missed.

When I Struggle To Wake Up On Monday: Blue Monday By New Order

Remember the days when your weekends were full and you were fully energized to meet the start of the week?  When you were young, there was nothing to worry about and partying was 24/7.  Even when Monday approached, you had fond memories of the weekends to carry you through the week.  Alas, for us grown-ups that's no longer the case as responsibility hounds seven days a week and when Monday rolls along, we do our best to meet the day.  So its no surprise that I'm posting the song "Blue Monday" by New Order for this post.

For those of us who work, things are hectic during the week.  There are requirements and deadlines to meet and you have to meet them.  Apart from that, there are those unexpected surprises that come out of the blue that makes your life harder.  The weekends offer no respite as responsibilities start piling up and you have little time for yourself.  As a result, you face the week with a feeling of fatigue and stress and that's no way to start the week.

Well I guess it's a sad fact of life that this happens.  You have to keep up or you get trampled on.  I guess it's all about time management.  Still, you don't what nasty surprise the day will bring and you wind up more stress than ever.  In times like that, it really is a blue Monday cause you still haven't recovered from last week and the weeks before.

Rushing Home: A Light In The Black By Rainbow

I have posted a lot of entries about how great it feels to go home when the day is done.  Most of the time, these   posts often reflex a laid back and reflective mood as I enjoy my trip back to my house.  However, there are times when the day is not so good, in fact it can so terrible you want to get your tail out of their as fast as you can.  When I talk fast, I mean break-neck speed just to get away from it all.  Rainbow's song " A Light In The Black" bests describes my desire to get out of their as quickly as I can.

One such day happened a month ago and all I could say is that it ruined my mood the moment I woke and set out.  As expected, I was not happy but I had no choice but go through with it as fast as I can. When it was over, I hopped into my car and drove out of there as fast as I could.  I thought that getting back things would be over but alas, things just got worse.  It was a bad day from the dusk till dawn.

I guess I chose this song for it makes my heart pound like a hammer and during that day it was pounding non-stop.  I really wanted to get it over with because I had plans that day and wouldn't you know it, another fly was in the ointment.  When I rush home, it's like trying to escape some bad dream only to land in another.  This is something that I hope won't happen again but sadly, thing tells me that it well.  All I know is that during that day  I rushed home for nothing.

Remembering The Wolfman: Clap For The Wolfman By The Guess Who

I use to remember  when I was a kid when I was listening to the radio, I would be surprised to hear an American DJ on the air.  I don't remember the station but I do remember the DJ who was on the air.  His name was Robert Weston Smith,  He was better known as "Wolfman Jack"  Remembering him reminds me of the song "Clap For The Wolfman" by The Guess Who.

I often wonder how they were able to air a foreign program locally.  All I know is that I remember his signature howl whenever he was talking on the airwaves.  The 60's and the 70's were the height of his career. I evena remember he had a television show that featured both comedy skits as well as singers who perform their hits.  He was such a big star back then.

I didn't hear much from him when I got older.  The last time I saw him was when he was interviewed  during the   program "The Roots Of Rock And Roll' where he talked about Alan Freed.  Though I didn't hear much about him, I heard that he continued to be active in radio, television and even live performances.  I was saddened to hear that he died in 1995.  I guess that's why when I hear this song, I will definitely clap for the Wolfman.

R.I.P. Donna Summers: Let's Dance By Donna Summer

This morning I was browsing through the latest headlines on Yahoo.com and I was shocked to read the news about the death at Donna Summer.  According to the article, she died battling cancer and past away at her home in Florida.  As I've said before, I was not much of a disco fan, but nevertheless I was able to hear her songs when I was a kid and during her time, you could say that she was a true Diva.  She embodied the disco era and boy was she full of energy.  She had a lot of hit songs but the one she will always be remembered for was "Let's Dance".

This was on the soundtrack of the movie "Thank God It's Friday", where she also played an aspiring singer.  She later performed this on film and it set the dance floor on fire.  She was no one hit wonder as she had a slew of hit singles and album during the disco era. One thing I admired about her is that she was not afraid to walk away from the music that made her career which she stated in an interview.  I remember reading that she was active in other activities later in life.

Sad to hear the news about her passing.  I was glad to hear that she was still active throughout her life.  Today's stars can learn from her for she had class and the fact that she led a good life is proof of that.  She's probably singing in that big dance hall heaven where everybody is strutting their stuff.  For those of us who remember you and the era where you reign supreme, you will be missed.

Dependable People: I'll Be There By The Jackson Five

When things are hard and everything falls apart, it could push a person to the brink of despair.  It gets worse when you're all alone cause it feels like the whole world is caving in on you.  In times like that, it feels good when people come out of the blue to give you a hand.  Not only do they help you through it all, but they make you feel like you're worth something despite losing it all.  When I think of people like that, the song "I'll Be There" by The Jackson Five comes to mind.

Who are these people?  They can be anyone around you.  The quiet kid who gives you a hand with school work?  The awkward office worker who never talks to you then suddenly helps you out with your job.  What these people have in common is the fact that they went out of their way to help others simply because they want to.  People like that restore my faith in humanity.

I guess that's why I go out of my way and do what I can when these people need me.  I'm not perfect but I will do my best to help them.  When ask why, the answer is simply that they were there for me.  I didn't ask for their help but they helped me nevertheless.  They were there for me, so I'm there for them.

The Cafeteria Scene/Food Fight: Wonderful World By Sam Cooke

Its been 30 years since I first twatched the movie Animal House and it
still leaves me laughing so hard that it's a testament to how funny
this film still is.  There so many hilarious scenes that there was no
pause in the deep belly laughter that that I get from watching this
film. One of the funniest scenes was when Blutto was in the cafeteria.
 The song playing at the time was San Cooke's "Wonderful World".

In that scene, Blutto was getting filling his tray with an assortment
of food from hamburgers, donuts, fruits, sandwiches and so forth.  The
one that got me there was when he got to the jello section, he raised
an eyebrow and slurpped the jello with one gulp . He then proceeded to
swallow a whole burger as he continued his pile up.  This was followed
by his backing Otter up when rival fratenity members were bullying him
and instigated a food fight.

Man it deserved to be among the top funniest films of all time.  Even
if it started out the gross-out genre, it did so with style.  Today's
films are just there to gross you out and nothing more.  I paid a
king's ransom to have a copy of this film and it was worth every
penny.  It was well worth the price.




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When Things Always Go Wrong: Why Does It Always Rain On Me By Travis

Time and time again, a lot of my posts are about things that fall apart.  I guess its because a lot of those things that didn't come true could have made my life more enjoyable.  I try my best to move on and just when I start a new, something happens again and I'm left with a mess of rubble which is the last thing I need in my life.  It makes me search for answers as to what went wrong while trying to keep it together and that's not an easy thing to do.  When I think about these endless cycles of thing always going wrong, the song "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" by Travis starts playing on my head.

Like I said before, when the bad times hit me, it hits really hard.  With all the problems that I have to deal with the last thing I need right now is more crap to clean up.  I can really relate with that sun shinning and not being able to avoid the lightning phrase.  Even when there are a lot of opportunities, something goes wrong, I wind up loosing out on the opportunities.  That really stinks.

If fate were a tangible being, I'd like to punch fate in the mouth.  Not that I'd go around blaming or making excuses for the things that are happening but sometimes it happens a lot as if someone was doing it on purpose.  Still, I soldier on and I know eventually the sun will rise on me again.  In the mean time, I really am starting to wonder why does it always rain on me.

Another Rare Find: Thin Red Line By Glass Tiger

As I've said before when a song catches my ear, I need to find out who sang it and that tells you how good that song is.  I remember after the ouster of Marcos, ABS CBN was once again back on air.  Since it didn't have much shows for it's initial broadcast, it would air a lot of music videos ( and a lot of good ones at that).  One video really caught my ear as well as my eye.  It was the "Thin Red Line"  by Glass Tiger.

It got my attention because I'm a history buff as well as a sucker for epic battle scenes. If what I heard is correct, the song is about a unit who fought in the Crimean War.  Anyway the imagery of the video as well as the powerful lyrics of the song really got to me.  I really like the part about the crimson and claymore which describes the bravery of the mean who fell at that battle.  One thing that I'm curious about is who the Mist Queen is and what's with the children putting flowers on the fallen soldiers as well as setting paper boats on fire?  

At a time when there music was about fun and partying,this was pretty deep.  I was sadden by the fact that this didn't get played on the radio.  It was  a great song and I hope the DJs at Rt and play this song one day.  It would be a shame if this song won't get heard because it's a classic. A truly rare find indeed.