In My Time of Dying…
Over at my blog I had up a discussion of what books I’d read on my death bed. Everyone expected philosophy but pretty much I’d confine myself to poetry and physics for the most part. It got me thinking though. What songs would I want to be listening to in my last days? I nearly put it up at my philosophy blog but figured folks here would probably have more interesting suggestions.
Here’s my (somewhat tentative) list.
1. Led Zepplin, In My Time of Dying. OK, I know some are going to spurt out, “oh what a cheesy answer.” But it’s not because it happens to be about dying. This just happens to be my favorite Zepplin song. I love the blues riffs and it’s the one song I’d want to hear again.
2. Pink Floyd, Delicate Sound of Thunder. What? A Roger Waterless Floyd? But I love this album. I used to drive through the mountains in Canada just listening to it. It’s the music more than Gilmore’s attempts to sing. My favorite Floyd album of all. I don’t think I could pick out a single song from Floyd. (Maybe On the Turning Away, oddly also from the post-Waters Floyd even though I don’t think they compare to Floyd during the 70′s)
3. Julee Cruise, Floating Into the Night. This was a hard one as I love Angelo Badalamenti’s music without vocals. But this is the quintessential David Lynch album. I’d probably want to listen to all of them one more time. I just love the kind of Jazz that Badalamenti and Lynch collaborated on. If I had to pick one song though, it would be Badalamenti’s theme from Twin Peaks, Fire Walk with Me and maybe Jimmy Scott singing to Lynch and Badalamenti’s Sycamore Trees. (A weird piece since normally Scott does really up-beat Jazz)
4. B. B. King, The Thrill is Gone. I’d want to listen to the greatest hits, of course. But that one song always gets me.
5. Johann Strauss, The Blue Danube. Once again I love most of his waltzes. But this one is my favorite. I had to include one piece of classical music and this is my most listened to. (Not necessarily the recording I have linked to)
wow, post-Waters Floyd!
1. Magic Carpet Ride, Steppenwolf
2. Cortez the Killer, Neil Young
3. some sufjan. Maybe something from Seven Swans?
4. Thunderstruck, AC/DC.
Comment by Supergenius — January 26, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
Dead – They Might Be Giants (of course)
Mining For Gold – The Cowboy Junkies
Waitin’ for a Superman – The Flaming Lips
Those would be my “looking for pity” songs
You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone – Brooks and Dunn (ok, not really)
Comment by HP — January 26, 2007 @ 6:43 pm
Geez HP, your songs make me want to die. I don’t think that’s what Clark was getting at!
Comment by Supergenius — January 26, 2007 @ 6:47 pm
You know Gilmore can’t sing like the Waters of the 70′s. (Although he’s a better singer than the Waters of the 90′s by far) But musically that live album is among the best every done by Floyd. Further, be honest, most of the really great Floyd stuff are those long extended pieces that Waters not even playing in. Plus people forget that Gilmore did pen Comfortably Numb, arguably one of the more popular Floyd songs. I think On the Turning Away is its equal. Although the version on the studio album is so-so at best due to the way that album was produced. (Ditto for Dogs of War which is also way superior on the live album)
Comment by Clark — January 26, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
Cowboy Junkies’ The Trinity Session is one of the all time great albums. Not in my 5 best, but if I had an iPod in my time of dying the Cowboy Junkies would definitely be on it.
Comment by Clark — January 26, 2007 @ 6:52 pm
You know Gilmore can’t sing like the Waters of the 70’s. (Although he’s a better singer than the Waters of the 90’s by far
TOTALLY! That’s exactly how I feel. I’m glad I’m not alone.
Comment by David J — January 26, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
Oh, you are SOOOO not alone!
Comment by tracy m — January 26, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
Waterboys – “Fisherman’s Blues”
My #1 song of all time.
Nick Drake – “Northern Sky”
Tied for my #1 song of all time.
Van Morrison – “Sweet Thing”
Tied for my #1 song of all time.
My husband already knows I want Nick Drake’s “Northern Sky” played at my funeral.
Since I do most of my music listening during my commute, I often find myself thinking about the possibility of dying in a car wreck at any moment, and I’ll ask myself, “Would I be ok with this song being the last song I ever heard?” Usually, I’m ok with whatever’s playing—and it’s often something completely cheesy and lame. But every once in awhile I’ll find myself putting something else on.
Comment by Susan M — January 26, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
I would listen to the C major string quintet of Franz Schubert. Incidentally, when Schubert was on his own deathbead, at the tender age of 31, he asked for the novels of Fenimore Cooper.
Comment by Bill — January 26, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
Clark, any chance you could get the Julee Cruise song posted to the radio blog? Seeing your other choices, I need to hear this one.
I have a feeling I’d really like to dig into your music collection. We seem to have similar tastes in music and I’ll bet I could learn a few things from the music you like to listen to.
Comment by danithew — January 27, 2007 @ 7:09 am
“Long, Long, Long” – The Beatles
The Divided Sky – Phish
Just a note – I did a little research on the “In My Time of Dying” song … mainly because I found there is a Bob Dylan version of the song and it didn’t seem to me that Dylan would cover a Led Zeppelin tune. The song is originally by Blind Willie Johnson. Some sites call it by the title “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed” but the lyrics appear to be the same. Some of the titles of other Blind Willie Johnson songs are very interesting, such as: “If I Had My Way, I’d Tear the Building Down” and “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground.”
Comment by danithew — January 27, 2007 @ 8:26 am
Roll me out in a bed of roses, and put on Black Peter…
Comment by tracy m — January 27, 2007 @ 11:37 am
a little off topic, but I have to plug Blind Willie Johnson–he’s well worth a listen. Blind Willie is one of the founding father’s of blues (more on the gospel/spiritual side). Dylan covered a few of his songs, as have others. Check out:
John the Revelator
Dark was the Night
Mother’s Children Have a Hard Time
If I Had My Way
Let Your Light Shine on Me
The Soul of a Man
Can’t Nobody Hide from God
Comment by hplc — January 27, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
Blind Willie Johnson is great. “Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Crying” is one of my favorites.
Led Zepplin appropriated a lot of blues. Even in songs you might not normally think of as blues. I suspect their number one influence was Robert Johnson of course.
Comment by Clark — January 27, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
BTW – If someone wants a great album Clapton released Me and Mr. Johnson a couple of years ago. It’s a whole album of Johnson covers that are fantastic.
Comment by Clark — January 27, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
Danithew, Susan kindly uploaded two Julee Cruise songs to the radio blog. (I accidentally uploaded the live version of Falling – but the general idea is right)
Comment by Clark — January 29, 2007 @ 2:20 pm
Clark, thanks. I’ll be listening to them when I’m at home where I can get some decent volume on the computer. Also, I’m definitely going to have to check out that Clapton album of Johnson covers. I saw it when it came out but didn’t think about it too much. Now that my curiosity about Johnson is going through the roof, I’m going to have to see what it’s all about.
Comment by danithew — January 29, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
Mine’s easy…
“If I Ever Leave This World Alive” by Flogging Molly
Comment by Matt Thurston — January 29, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
Don’t neglect the original Robert Johnson.
I ought put up later in the week a top 5 old school blues tunes. (i.e. pre-1960)
Comment by Clark — January 29, 2007 @ 8:10 pm