Sunday, October 26, 2008

THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE PERFORMANCE EVER



You might not know I'm first and second generation American. So, don't go thinking this song awakens some long dormant, California-blocked genes; I'm no Daughter of the American Revolution, TRUST me. Mom was born in Istanbul and did NOT come over on the Mayflower. (and no, I am not Turkish). However, if any of you have had naturalized parents, you know how MUCH they adore this country and Mom was no exception. I always say that, during every American holiday, Mom made the King Family Specials look under decorated compared to our house. You wouldn't have liked living through the bicentennial there, trust me. I think she got cute little door knob covers with Ben Franklin's face on them, or something. Yes, I'm kidding, but it was close to that!

Having said all this, WHY I love this song SO MUCH is beyond me......maybe it's the harmony, I'm a sucker for harmony. Maybe it's the twangy hick thing...I've always been a sucker for twangy hick country stuff. I love Leon Russell, I adore ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd. But, I love Wagner, too. Go figure. Pizza, beer, pool and a juke box with "She's got LEGS" about does it for me.

So does an evening in Vienna, Austria, seeing Wagner's RIENZI and dining afterwards in a private, mahogany-paneled dining room at the Sacher Hotel as guests of an Austrian steel magnate.

So.......THE BAND. Levon Helm on drums and vocals. And please, pay particular attention to my favorite line : "Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest, But they should never have taken the very best" Do I know why I can hardly listen to that line? No. But, it's a poignant, desperate line, to say the least, considering what happened to the South after the Civil War. (a Canadian wrote this song...go figure). I have ZERO family living in the South, we never did (haven't had TIME to, we just got here!), I am born/raised in Los Angeles, I don't know why but this music hits something deep inside..........I am only posting this because "Law and Order Teacher" posted it at his site for me and I knew I just had to have it here, too. I urge you to go to his site and read what he wrote about Teddy Roosevelt, this song, and more. You won't be sorry.

You know, I think we have some of THE finest people in the country in our corner of the blogosphere, and I thank you all for being fine people and for hanging here from time to time.

God bless you all..............and thanks to the Band. I love them. Always have.

z

17 comments:

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

One side of my family's been on the North American continent for roughly 15,000 years. The other side came to Jamestown colony in Virginia (a distant ancestor of mine surveyed the first commissioned map of the settlement).

This is a good song, for any generation of American, including 500th generation Americans. ;)

Anonymous said...

I share your appreciation for this song and the rendition. But I must tell you, in my opinion, DNA doesn't entitle anyone to own our wonderful history or traditions. Embracing America in your mind and in your heart does ...

In this sense, every one of our ancestors participated in the early colonization of our great country, even if they were late arrivals.

My heart swells with pride when I see young Americans from Vietnamese families serving our country in uniform. Or Hispanics, Native Americans, and recent emigres from what used to be known as the USSR and throughout the Middle East.

That is the kind of nation we have. For now.

Z said...

Beamish....whoa. I'd LOVE to have American roots. fantastic.

mustang..thanks. I agree with you. And, as you know, I DO LOVE THIS COUNTRY! I think part of the great love engendered in me was due to Mom's naturalized status; she SO appreciated it, so values being an America, even as she sees changes that hurt her now, I must admit.
Dad was a patriot, too. One of the ONLY reasons I'm 'glad' he's passed on is that he's not seeing what people like Obama have planned for America...He was saved the fact that half of America could be fooled by this man.

I'm very proud of immigrants too, but ONLY when they WANT to be here not for what they can get but what they can become.

I was at an old age home visiting someone on her birthday 3 weeks ago and sat with a bunch of VERY old ladies all of whom came from Russia or Poland...most of them love Clinton and hate Bush and said our country's foundation was weak, etc etc.
They're living FREE, were brought here as religious asylum seekers, most of them, and live in the high rise for $300 a month AND get spending money and all their healthcare......ON US.

I tell you, I could have shaken them to hear them slamming our country that's supporting them. I hate to admit it, but I was shaking mad.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Z,

We're distant cousins somehow... Mongolian steppe peoples crossing the Bering Strait to the Americas or later rolling west into Turkey and Armenia.

I'm an American-Human.

Pasadena Closet Conservative said...

What a nice post. I'm proud to have you on my side!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Great post Z...
I'm 3rd generation American from a very patriotic family; I am passionate about many things but most importantly my family and my country...
Yes, I come from a proud military and patriotic tradition in my family dating back to WWII, When I had members of my family fighting with General Patten.

I personally spent 4 years as a volunteer in the US Army. Some of the best years of my life.
I have been voting Republican all my life.

Chuck said...

I agree that it's less important where you were born than how you feel. I'm pretty much a mutt though more Irish than anything. When our families came here though, they wanted to be here. I'm sick to death of people coming from oppressed countries and using our freedom of speech to attack America. Do us all a favor, go home, say these things, and get tossed in jail.

Anonymous said...

When it comes to popular Americana, I much prefer something like this:

Indian Summer

Music by Victor Herbert
Words by Al Dubin.

As recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra on November 5th, 1939 with Ray Eberle.

(The melody was written by Victor Herbert in 1919 as a piano piece subtitled "An American Idyll", the lyrics were added in 1939).


Summer, you old Indian Summer
Youre the tear that comes after June times laughter
You see so many dreams that dont come true
Dreams we fashioned when summertime was new
You are here to watch over
Some heart that is broken
By a word that somebody left unspoken
Youre the ghost of a romance in June
Going astray, fading too soon...
Thats why I say,
"Farewell to you, Indian Summer!"


How I wish you could hear it!

"Summer," of course, serves as a metaphor for lost youth, innocence, boundless hope, optimism and joy.

The Four last Songs of Richard Strauss evoke a similar autumnal, elegiac mode. Great music is neither American or European. Instead it has UNIVERSAL significance to ALL humanity.

Victor Herbert's Summer and the Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss seem a more appropriate expression of what is happening to our beloved country than anything else I can think of right now.

The vigorous passionate assertion that All Men Are Brothers put forth in the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony might be able to heal us, and bring us back to our senses.

In the mean time take comfort and inspiration from the Psalms -- this one wonderfully set to music by Leo Sowerby in the mid-twentieth century.


"I will life up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. Behold He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper, the shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going oiur and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forever more.

Amen!


~ FreeThinke

Gayle said...

My family got here in a slightly unusual way, Z. My great grandfather five times removed (or was it six, I'm not sure) was thrown out of England for bigamy! LOL!

I'm happy to say the family tradition was not followed. :)

I love the song too. Thanks for sharing.

Benjamin Franklin doorknob covers. ROTFALMBO! Is there such a thing?

Ducky's here said...

Songs from the 60's? Dylan's "Visions of Johanna". The rest is a fight for second place.

Frasypoo said...

Hi Z,
I started humming istanbul...not Constantinople.Its my favorite song.Calms me down and its peace with the world again when I hear it.
What is the average Armenian' s political leaning ?
Like Indians are democrats...

Z said...

frasypoo, traditionally, Armenians are Democrats. I think it's like the Jewish democrat phenomena "We were persecuted, we have to help others" It's stupid, but it's there.
More and more, I'm seeing a change, though. My Dad's side's all conservative, Mom's is more liberal-leaning. (but NOT MOM!!)

Beamish, I'd like to be related to you! Especially feeling like I shared some of your BRAINS!

I'm so glad you all chimed in on this...thanks.

Ducky's here said...

As far as "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"...

... the union was preserved. Why shouldn't people have been singing?

z, do you hate America?

kevin said...

I won that DVD. Absolutely love it. Van the Man, Dylan, Niel Young, Muddy...too much good stuff!!

My family has been here since the late 1600's on my Mom's side, and 1720 on my Dad's side btw.

Ducky's here said...

z, I believe Levon wrote the song. He's from Arkansas.

Law and Order Teacher said...

Z,
Check the link I used for my class on the Triangle Fire on my comment to yours. Thanks again for your visits.