See? Okies are cool.

I’ve been a bit obsessed with this song, “Still In the Dark” by Aranda. Finally googled Aranda, and guess what I found out?? Aranda is from Oklahoma! I know I seem a bit over-excited, but I love finding out that cool people came from right over there.

Since I prefer live performance to canned, I’ll give you this video they made promoting KattFest, a local radio station’s annual rock festival. I think the dark-haired guy sounds a little bit like Richard Marx, but obviously cooler. I think I just dated myself. Anyway, enjoy! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBVvb-Zsrl4]

Sappy songs, anyone?

I try to hide my sappy side, but I don’t think I do a very good job of it. I thought I’d share some of the songs that get me right here. I’m ashamed to admit these songs make me cry. I’m so weak.

I don’t know how to imbed music here, so I’m imbedding the videos. For me, a video lessens the impact of a well-crafted song, so do me a favor and don’t watch the videos. Close your eyes and listen to the words.

I remember the first time I heard “Don’t Take the Girl.” I worked at Wal-Mart’s electronics department, back when it first came out. Early nineties. We always had a display radio playing, resenting when a customer changed the station. Well, that day a customer changed it to a country station, and my co-worker said, “Oh, I love this song. Sherri, have you heard this?”

Let me just skip to the end of the story where I’m sobbing in the middle of Wal-Mart, asking a lady customer to wait while I got myself under control. She just nodded with a smile of understanding.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP1G5i5q-hk]

What Might Have Been” still makes me cry, too, but I don’t remember when I first heard it. It reminds me how bad I am at letting go of people. Even when it’s for the best. Heck, maybe because it’s for the best.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBx9a71BZq4]

And the ever-classic “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” ‘Nuff said.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu2DA4I4TGw]

A little night magic

Last night I went out to look at the full moon. Classic country music from down the street wafted on the breeze, but I couldn’t hear what song it was. I smiled. One of my neighbors was having a party.

The song ended and after a pause a new one began. This one was a little louder, and from the quality of the sound I could tell it was actually a live band playing, no drums, just guitars. I might have been hearing the practice session of a local band instead of a party.

The opening chords drew me in, so I sat cross-legged on the lawn. An old man’s unsteady voice began, “On a long and lonesome highway/ East of Omaha/ You can listen to the engine moaning out its one long song…” and I was treated to a secret moonlit concert of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page,” an endearingly off-key rendition, building artfully to passionate crescendo and then echoing away into the night.

As I waited for another song to rise through the frogs’ and crickets’ cacophony, the wind carried to me the heavy perfume of honeysuckle. I inhaled, remembering my childhood when honeysuckle grew right outside my window.

I considered weaving flowers into my hair and stripping off my clothes, letting breeze and full moon’s light caress my fertility-goddess body as I danced under the oak. I was more than an observer of the night. I was a welcome–no, a necessary part of it.

The church bells echoed ten o’clock. I lingered a while longer, then I said good night to the moon and went inside.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fe7yOccqdxI]