Old dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine

For some reason this weekend, this old Tom T. Hall song entered my ADD-rattled brain and I've had trouble getting it off my mind. A quick search this morning showed me I'm not completely alone (see this lady's blog about the song and her family).

In the song, the singer stops in a hotel bar in Miami for a quick drink before bed. He sounds like he'd prefer to be alone, but someone sits down beside him and begins to talk. Man, I hate it when that happens. But the singer learns something from the visitor as he explains "Ain't but three things in this world that's worth a solitary dime..." ...wait for it... "...But old dogs and children, and watermelon wine."

Hall has many songs that I love, including his hit "I Love". Some of his songs are funny, one that my kids have heard me sing a lot is "Sneaky Snake". I also like "Faster Horses" (another song about the virtues in life, in this case "faster horses, younger women, older whiskey and more money").

Probably my favorite song by Hall is the simple melody "I Like Beer". But of course a paragraph on simple melodies would be incomplete without the mention of the song "That Song is Driving me Crazy" - ever get a song stuck in your head and it won't leave? - this song will stay in your head for weeks.

Rhapsody describes Tom T. Hall as "story teller, poet, philosopher." I think when I die, I'd like to be known as a philospher (it would be even better to be thought that way now - but the pay isn't what it used to be). You can read the lyrics and even listen to "Watermelon Wine" on Rhapsody's site here.

Unusual Christmas songs

I love listening to unusual Christmas songs. Everyone has heard "Grandma got run over by a reindeer" (lyrics here). That song has probably been banned in several homes.

This year, I heard a new one: an old Ray Stevens song called "Bad Little Boy" by Ray Stevens. If you're like me, you start laughing when you know it's from Ray Stevens. The lyrics are here. Seems Ray "ain't gettin' nothin' this Christmas". Now most people will confuse this with the song "I'm Getting Nuttin' for Christmas" (lyrics here). But they are two different songs.

Yesterday, I heard one that I'm not sure I ever heard before. The title is "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." You can find the musical version here on YouTube. I can just picture the little girl singing and marching to the song. You can find the lyrics (and youtube) here, but don't launch both websites at the same time.

What's your favorite "unusual" Christmas song?

God Must be Busy

Ok, this song has been bothering me. And the title will certain bother others as well. I really like Brooks & Dunn. There song "I believe" is just awesome. But this one seemed a little different. My step-daughter breezed into town last night and shared the same feelings. So, I put on my super-researcher cape and hood, and began banging away at the keyboard to get to the root of it all.

First I found the lyrics (look here). I found a nugget of hope, right in the middle. See, the song is about a lot of bad things happening: The war in the mid-East, a single mom laid off, a twister, an amber alert. Just turn on the news and you'll get the feeling. And everywhere, people are praying to God for an answer. But God must be busy.

Then right there in the middle of the song, "They found that little girl. She was soaking wet,half scared to death on the side of some road." This left me with hope. Hope for the little girl (who probably isn't real, but still stirred my heart) and hope for the song. The next line said "Them prayers work, you know."

More searching turned up this blog post. Chi-Rho does an excellent job of explaining free will. There are good comments about doubt in the song. Not doubt on God's existence, but doubt that He is really going to help us. Another song says "God is watching us, from a distance" (research for another day). Is that the way it is?

But that nugget of gold, right in the middle says they found the girl. Such a little girl, only one family was concerned. They (like me) were just "a speck of sand" and "God's got better things to do than look out for one" family. But God listened. And God answered their prayer.

I immediately thought of one of my favorite verses, Mark 9:24 "Lord, I believe; Help my unbelief!" Notice the pause in there.

In my darkest times, I've cried out just like the man mentioned by Mark. Just like the people in the song. Just like Chi-Rho and Jim (whose blog I found this morning and I must add to my favorites). I know God hears my every prayer and answers. I know this. The next time I don't get an answer immediately, I'll just simply shrug my shoulders and say "God must be busy" with the assurance that He will get to me. In His time.

P.S. You know, with all the stuff going on in the world, He MUST be busy. Aren't you glad He's not TOO busy?

Juniper and Lamplight

Listening to an old Simon and Garfunkel tape (you remember those?) I heard the phrase "We walked on frosted fields of juniper and lamplight."

Now I know what juniper is, it's an evergreen. In my mind, all evergreens are pines or cedars. Juiper is a cedar. But what is lamplight? Is it a flower? I can't find it and google is no help.

There's also a phrase "Pressed in organdy; Clothed in crinoline of smoky Burgundy."
I had to look for "organdy" and "crinoline". Impressive. (look for it yourself)

I've heard the song many times before, but never looked for the words. Now I'm even more impressed. What a neat song. Those guys could write some good love songs. Not too sappy. But deep. Oh the song title is "For Emily, whenever I may find her".