Spontaneous Musings

1. Music

So, I've listened to the new Beatles song, Now and Then via articles, Dreamwidth links, on Apple Music (it's actually best with Bose earphones) and in the below music video digitally mastered by Peter Jackson:



It's controversial, of course. All artistic expression is - well except for bland stuff that we forget about the moment we see or hear it. And the Beatles have always been controversial. There's even an book out about how the Beatles ruined Rock and Roll.

Everyone has their opinion on the subject. Which they are of course entitled to - whether they are entitled to act on it or share it, is another matter. I'd say just as long as it isn't hurting anyone or promoting censorship.

Anywho, the song, I thought, was rather good. I liked it enough to download it and save it to my library of songs on my phone. And enough to have listened to it numerous times. It's an interesting song, and in some respects one of the better artistic expressions of "grief" that I've seen to date. It has a sense of wistfulness to it. It's nostalgic as well - but grief tends to be - that's what a lot of people don't seem to realize, nostalgia is often an expression or form of grief. We look through old photos or albums of those who've long passed by or on, as the case may be, along with past versions of ourselves, that no longer exist. Grieving both side by side, and often mixed up, to such an extent, we aren't always certain what it is we are grieving.

The music video shared above and this song - seem to express that feeling better than most. Grief is a complicated and painful emotion, that ebbs and flows. Some days it will hit me all at once, and others...not at all. And McCartney and Ringo manage to get this across in their cobbling together of this song, as does Jackson. It is a song that haunts long after I hear it, and makes me want to re-listen, to hear the musical nuances in the chords and voices.

McCartney's aged and world weary voice paired with Lennon's younger one, speaks volumes. It's a song that almost has to be sung by someone older besides someone who is far younger. I'm not it is a song that can be song quite as effectively by anyone else.

The lyrics are rather simple, yet haunting, both in how they are sung and phrased.

[Intro: Paul McCartney]
(One, two, three)

[Refrain: John Lennon]
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if I make it through
It's all because of you

[Verse 1: John Lennon, John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
And now and then
If we must start again
Well, we will know for sure
That I will love you

[Chorus: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Now and then
I miss you
Oh, now and then
I want you to be there for me
Always to return to me

[Verse 2: John Lennon]
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if you go away
I know you'll never stay

[Chorus: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Now and then
I miss you
Oh, now and then
I want you to be there for me

[Bridge: George Harrison]
(Ah)
(Ah)
(Ah)
(Ooh)
(Ah)

[Refrain: John Lennon]
I know it's true
It's all because of you
And if I make it through
It's all because of you

[Instrumental Break]

[Outro: Ringo Starr]
(Good one)





Listening to it - I found myself thinking about my father, and wistfully past friendships, long dissolved and gone. Age has taught me that life is temporary. I have all of this for a short period of time, and should be grateful for the time that I've had it. For it will be all gone in a flash, or so it will seem. And no matter how often I rewind the memories in my head - I will never quite be able to recapture those moments or reach out and touch them. The people are gone. And the memories slowly fade with time.

At any rate, the song resonated for me...mainly due to how it is sung.

**

Pop music - I'm not a huge fan of Pop. The stars of it - for the most part sound the same to me, as does a lot of their music. I listened to all of Taylor Swift for a bit - and finally gave up, it all sounded the same. It was like listening to the same riff. I got bored. Same is true of Harry Styles, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Lizzo, Madonna, etc.

The appeal of Swift - I can't quite decide if it is similar to Britney Spears and Madonna? She's limited in range. However, her songs are fine. I like Spears and Madonna's slightly better - but that may be an age or nostalgia thing.

It's odd to be nostalgic about the 1980s and 1990s, but here we are.

2. Health

I'm beginning to think my digestive issues may be allergy related. Had digestive issues again today, along with a sick sinus headache that went away when I got home. And I had a little caffeine and sugar - which made it go away.

But alas, it's why I decided not to run off to the poetry/spoken word MC night at my church tonight.

3. Making my way through Starling House and Turn of the Screw, I like Starling House better, but neither are remotely scary. Also James...sigh, over-writes. I keep getting lost in his verbiage. I've been taught to cut on the flowery speech and description, and James just rambles onwards.

I'm really not a fan of late 19th, and early 20th Century fiction. I worked hard to avoid reading it in school - a minor accomplishment considering I was an English Lit Major in undergrad. That used to matter. But now that it was well over thirty years ago? Not so much. School was so long ago now, I'm merely relieved that it no longer matters. It doesn't. People stop caring about your educational background somewhere around your forties.

Well, everyone but academics, who are kind of paid to care?

I want to skip ahead of the books I'm reading to either Chuck Wendig's haunted house book or Elizabeth Hand's. Also flirting with John Scalzi's Starter Villain, which features sentient cats that help the main character figure out how to operate a computer and become a supervillain.

4. On the television front - so many things to choose from. I may put off a few until Thanksgiving to give myself something to watch with Wales, and with myself.

I finished Discovery of Witches

My "Cablevision" remote won't turn off the television but the Roku one will, which may mean that I accidentally switched it to the roku, which I've been using more. I'm getting very close to cutting the cable cord like just about everyone else (except mother). I have Optimum, which is also Cable Vision. I am considering switching to Verizon. But I hate Verizon. And I do not hate Optimum.

Halfway through Spy X Family - which is mostly a kids show. But based on magna, so better written than most. It's on Hulu.

Some good movies have popped up on streaming now along with series. Too many to choose from.

Choices?

* Quiz Lady- the new flick with Sandra Oh and Awakafina - two of my favorite actresses in a family comedy road trip. (Hulu in US, Disney + Elsewhere)
* Fair Play - a sexy thriller on Netflix about two millenials vying for the same job (it may be too young for me - the male actor doesn't look that appealing. Thinking the same thing about Burning Betrayal.)
* Killers of the Flower Moon - Apple TV
* The Other Black Girl - Hulu
* Changling - Apple TV
* Fall of the House of Usher - Netflix
* NYAD - Netflix (Annette Being, Jodi Foster..)
* Wish - Disney Plus
* Loki S2 - Disney Plus
* Virgin River S5 - Netflix
* Flora and Son - Apple TV
* Spiderman - Across the Spiderverse - Netflix
* All the Light We Cannot See - Netflix
* Also a film documentary of the Beatles last recorded song "Now and Then"

There's more, I'm certain. I keep forgetting about the shows I want to watch.

5. On the theater front...I'm getting tempted again.

Tyne Daly and Liv Schrieber are in Doubt at the Roundabout.
Radcliff and Groff are in Merrily We Roll Along
There's a musical by David Byrn and Fat Boy Slim about Imelda Marcos.
And... there's the film version of the staged opera Malcolm X at BAM.

Also various dance performances.

Ah, the culture junkie in me - is squirming.

6. On the work front - work isn't too bad. I like the new people, and I think BYT went to etiquette training. LOL!

I've let some folks on the floor know that it exists. They kept asking if BYT went, and I said I did not know for certain. And they could come to their own conclusion. (But clearly they came to the same ones that mother and I and Babs did.)

In a way, work is less stressful now that I'm not worrying about going to Mother's for Christmas.

December, let's face it, is not a fun time to travel.

***

Goals this weekend - which will be four days - since I'm taking Monday off as a Personal Day, and Tuesday, we get off as a holiday (Election Day).

* Doctors appointments (the ENT resulted in four more doctor's appointments/visits - two next week, and two in December) - my health care issues may force me to work until I'm 67 or 70, it's why Babs and BB are still working. Although I think BB is just a glutton for punishment
* Church on Sunday
* Writing/Revising my novels
* Cleaning
* Laundry (they pushed back the switching out of old and new laundry machines until the week of the 17, because the factory won't be able to ship the new ones until then).
* Sleep and relax, also walk, and groceries (I feel like I'm constantly spending money on food)