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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Storytelling Songwriters: Patty Griffin's Trapeze

On an ideal Sunday morning, I get up early to write, my younger kiddos sleep a little late, and I get to watch all of CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.

On a typical Sunday morning, I get up early to write, the kids trickle out immediately/shortly after, and I try to keep the children occupied so their dad can get a little shut-eye. That's why I was driving, kids in tow, to the grocery store at 5:30 this morning to get coffee, muffins, eggs, hash browns, bacon, and OJ~ to keep the house quiet a bit longer and to gather the makings for a family feast.

I envisioned a lovely family-style breakfast upon our return, but instead the little kiddos were hungry right away, the hubby had gone out back to do something in the yard, and our big kiddo (my 6' 3" teenage stepson~ his sister is already back at her 2nd year of college...time really does fly) snoozed for a long time and woke up to raw-ish hash browns and burned bacon. Not ideal.

Still, some things are fairly constant on Sunday mornings. I like to take time to really listen to favorite music, even if it's a single song. Sometimes it's instrumental, but much of it is storytelling music (a love that was probably inherited from my parents~ see more about my dad's love of music HERE).

Patty Griffin is one of my very favorite singer-songwriters. Her songs tend to be thoughtful and haunting and she has one of those voices that makes you feel the words she's singing. Here's a song that I listened to this morning. Emmylou Harris helps out with the harmonies.



"Trapeze"
(feat. Emmylou Harris)

Little pink dress, hanging by her knees
Just overhead on the old trapeze
In the old tent tonight, spotlight going round
One of these nights the old girl's going down
Hallelujah, the old girl's going down

She started with us on the back of a horse
Just seventeen and already divorced
She took to the air with the greatest of ease
Like she was born to be gliding on the old trapeze

Some people don't care if they live or they die
Some people want to know what it feels like to fly
Gather their courage and they give it a try

Some guy broke her heart and how her heart it did ache
So she went to the tent of the lady of the snakes
Who gave her a potion and she drank it in
After that her heart never ached again
After that her heart never ached again

Some poeple don't care if they live or they die
Some people want to know what it feels like to fly
Gather their courage and they give it a try
Fall under the wheels of a time goin' by

Little pink dress, hanging by her knees
Just overhead on the old trapeze
In the old tent tonight, spotlight going round
One of these nights the old girl's going down
One of these nights the old girl's going down
One of these nights the old girl's going down
One of these nights the old girl's going down

16 comments:

  1. Aww. There is a huge difference as well between the ideal weekend morning for the parents here and reality. The latter usually involves an early wake up time and leaping right into the day instead of a nice sleep with a casual journey to acclimate ourselves to the day.

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    1. Yep, parents have to get used to leaping into the day :)

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  2. Love those lyrics! And her last name, which is my son's. =)

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  3. Thanks for posting this song. I hadn't heard it before, and it's lovely. I had to laugh at the description of your typical Saturday morning. Hope you get some writing time in this week.

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  4. Thanks for sharing your day with us...weirdo that I am I love burnt bacon so my mouth watered little. And thanks for sharing the song. What a story, what a song....

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    1. I actually like my bacon a little on the burned side as well~ too bad it wasn't all for me! :)

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  5. I can SO relate to the wild dance required to balance mommy time and writing time. Great song to inspire. Thanks!

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  6. I love her to...those lyrics tell such a story. As for your early morning - sorry about the bacon :) Kids have such a mommy radar. As soon as mom is up, they're up! We are just getting to the stage where two of my kids will sleep in...keep writing (I know you will!)

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    1. Seriously, Mommy Radar~ it's a real thing! Congrats on getting to the sleeping in stage with two of them :)

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  7. Hi Jess, I wanted to let you know I just finished reading your book. What a charming story! I thoroughly enjoyed it. And now my daughter has started reading it too!

    Congratulations. I couldn't be happier for you!

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    1. Thank you so much, Beth! I hope your daughter likes it!

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  8. What a great post! Gotta love Saturdays =)

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