Advent with Stu g Day 21

Unloveable

My pre christmas treat today is a song by Babybird from the album Ex-Maniac

Actually my favorite song on that record is Black Flowers but I decided to do Unloveable. Stephen Jones has a way of fusing beautiful melodies with painful, heart wrenching lyrics.

As a husband I connect with this song. I’m probably not on my own there.

The ones we love the most, we can hurt the most.

In the first minute and a half of the video, I’m building up a loop to play and sing to. For those interested I use a Jamman for those that aren’t, I won’t be offended if you skip the beginning :) I just wanted to do the whole thing live again.

Hope you enjoy it…only 4 days to go!!

Advent with Stu g Day 19

The Everlasting

This song by The Manic Street Preachers is one of my top 5 songs of all time.

There’s no formula to a favorite song is there. It’s a mixture of things: environment, how you’re feeling, what you’re dealing with, the people you’re with, lyric, melody, music, and how it all mixes together and how it hits you when you hear the first few bars…

I remember buying, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, and listening to it on tour busses and aeroplanes often going to sleep with it in my headphones. Something happens in your sub-conscious when that happens…it was the same with The Smashing Pumpkins Adore.

I’ve wanted to learn this song for a long time and never done it…until now

I’ve sung it for years with my mates, listening in vans and headphones, and so naturally sang the chorus as I heard James singing it…including the word “genuine” sung “gen-oo-in”…this cracked my wife up and I haven’t lived it down…can’t believe how odd that sounds :)

This cover version is my tribute to the Occupy protesters and peaceful protests for equality everywhere.

peace

 

Advent with Stu g Day 18

Beggar’s Prayer

This song originally by Emiliana Torini, is one of the most beautiful songs I know. Her recording of it on the album Me and Armani is simply stunning.

“Lord you just dropped me here on the side of this road, I’m just so cold and I don’t wanna walk it alone”

Stark but beautiful…

“I’ve got a bottle of your blood inside me, and an old beggar’s prayer on the tip of my tongue”

There’s a longing in this song. It fits the season of advent.

December 18th, 1865 saw the passing of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. This saw slavery abolished in the United States.

Speaking as a former slave, Austin Steward said,

“the more we knew of freedom, the more we desired it”

Think of the freedom most of us enjoy, and remember those who are still slaves today… and those who are fighting for the end of slavery…people like Justin Dillon and so many more.

and Emiliana sings,

“mama said lift your head from the sieve of your hands, mama said eventually this hurting will end”