WA2K Radio is now on the air

Well, folks, there's our Raggedy. Hmmm. Tom disappeared, PA. I think he may be hanging out with wandel's daughter.

Don't know Ann Jillian, so I will have to go back and reread Bob's bio of her.

Actually, I only watched bits and pieces of the SAG, girl, but I was so glad that Forest Whitaker won for The Last King of Scotland. I loved that man in Lush Life, and although I KNOW he had Clifford Brown's trumpet, it never mentions it in the reviews of the movie.

For all who are interested in Forest's portrayal of Idi, see here:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0455590/

Raggedy, you are quicker than I, right folks? You must have some magic somewhere, PA. Magnum was a great show and he was wonderful in "Three Men and a Baby."

and speaking of magic, here's one form Donna Sommers:

Spirit move me
Ev'ry time I'm near you
Whirling like a cyclone in my mind
Oh sweet Peter angel of my lifetime
Answer to all answers I can find
Baby
I want you
Come
come
come into my arms
Let me know the wonder of all of you
Baby I want you
Now
now
now and hold on fast
Could this be a magic at last?
Baby take me
High up on a hill-side

High up where the stallion meets the sun

I could love you

Build my world around you

Never leave you till my life is done

Baby I want you
Now
now
now and hold on fast
. . .
Could it be magic
Now
now
now and hold on fast
. . .
Could it be magic
Come
Come
Come into my arms
Let me know the wonder of all of you
Baby I want you

Once again, folks, inspired by the travel forum, a song by John Denver:

Almost heaven, west virginia
Blue ridge mountains, shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I be-long
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

All my memries, gather round her
Miners lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I be-long
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice, in the mornin hours she calls to me
The radio reminds me of my home far a-way
And drivin down the road I get a feeling
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I be-long
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads.

Bad Penny
Billy Bragg

I have a letter from her
When she worked for the "Woman's Realm"
And all the things she promised me
She promised herself as well
She said, "I want my freedom"
And ran off along the beach
It's hard to love a girl so near
Yet so far out of reach

She came back when the tide came in
And introduced her friend to me
She said, "Don't ring while he is here"
And gave me back my poetry
She expected me to understand
As she's always done this before
And now she asks me
"Why don't you send me poems anymore?"

And she steals more than she buys
You can see it in her eyes
And she'll come back as soon as she's ready
She's a bad penny

Then she comes back and asks me
To sing all her favourite songs
As if she's never been away
As if she's done nothing wrong
But I've come to the conclusion
That she doesn't realise a thing
And she probably still thinks I love her
And she doesn't know that it's a sin

Accident Waiting To Happen
Billy Bragg

I've always been impressed with a girl
Who could sing for her supper and get breakfast as well
That's the way I am, heaven help me
He said, "We don't like peace camapigners 'round here"
As he nailed another one to the wall
And that's what gets me in trouble, heaven help me

Goodbye and good luck to all the rubbish that you've spoken
Goodbye and good luck to all the promises
you've broken
Your life has lost its dignity, its beauty and its passion
You're an accident waiting to happen

There you are standing at the bar
And you're giving me grief about the DDR
And that chip on your choulder gets bigger as you
get older
One of these night you're gonna get caught,
It'll give you a pregnant pause for thought
You're a dedicated swallower of fascism

Time up and time out
For all the liberties you've taken
Time up and time out for all the friends that
you've foresaken
If you choose to waste away like death is back in fashion
You're an accident waiting to happen

And my sins are so unoriginal
I have all the self-loathing of a wolf in sheep's clothing
In this carnival of carnivores,
Heaven help me

Goodbye and good luck to all the rubbish that you've spoken
Goodbye and good luck to all the promises
you've broken
Your life has lost its dignity, its beauty and its passion
You're an accident waiting to happen

The Price I Pay
Billy Bragg

My friend said she could see no way ahead
And I was probably better off without you
She said to face up to the fact that you weren't coming back
And she could make me happy like you used to
But I'm sorry to say I turned her away
Knowing everything she said was true
And that's the price I pay for loving you the way that I do

There's something inside that hurts my foolish pride
To visit the places we used to go together
Not a day goes by that I don't sit and wonder why
Your feelings for me didn't last forever
Girl I love you so much that sometimes it's such
I'd walk a mile with a stone in my shoe
And that's the price I pay for loving you the way that I do
That's the price I pay for loving you the way that I do

So keep that phone out of my way for the things I must say
Are empty if you don't believe they're true
And that's the price I pay for loving you the way that I do
That's the price I pay for loving you the way that I do

I love you so much that baby it's such
I'd walk a mile with a stone in my shoe
And that's the price I pay for loving you the way that I do

dj, welcome back, honey. I'm not familiar with Billy Bragg, but one line in his song "Bad Penny", led me to this poem by a very famous Irishman:

The Song of Wandering Aengus

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)

And what a surprise to find that Judy Collins did a song based on Yeats' poem.

I am realjohnboy reporting live from Nelson County, Virginia.

Letty grew up in that red clay country, just one county south of where I live in Albemarle County. The Blue Ridge mountains are to the west of both counties.

I can report tonight that, after being abandoned for 60+ years, the Crozet Tunnel will become a park. It has been a long process to get this to happen.

Claudious Crozet (1789-1864) was a French civil engineer. He came to the U.S. and did a number of projects but the railroad tunnel he did under the Blue Ridge Mountains from Nelson County to the Shenandoah Valley was and is an engineering marvel. 4,281 feet long and dug out by Irish laborers getting their air supply not from vertical shafts spaced periodically, but only from the entrances at the east and west ends, chipping away the rock.

They started in 1848 and the guys working from the east met the guys from the west on Christmas day in 1856. They turned out to be 1/2" out of whack.

The tunnel was abandoned in 1944. Freight cars had gotten taller and engines more powerful so other routes were found. The entrances to the tunnel were boarded up.

Realjohnboy's introduction to the place was in the early 1960's when I was a teenager. And I would hike down there to the Nelson County entrance to camp and some of the folks (not me, of course) would drink beer and smoke pot. And the wooden barricade would get peeled away and we, I mean they, would enter the tunnel with flashlights.

This week the tunnel and a bunch of land at either end will become a park.
A lot of folks have worked very hard to make this happen. My effort was throwing in some money to help keep it progressing . I thank the CSX railway company. They were the actual owner. They had a lot of probably legitimate problems with liability if something bad would happen. That issue was resolved and they kicked in a bunch of cash.

If you Google Claudious Crozet and then the Tunnel, you will learn more. Perhaps Letty or someone can copy the picture from there to here. -rjb-

ms. letty, more info on billy bragg can be found here

and now a song from XTC

Sense Working Overtime

hey hey,
the clouds are whey,
there's straw for the donkeys
and the innocents can all sleep safely
all sleep safely.
my, my
sun is pie
there's fodder for the cannons
and the guilty ones can all sleep safely
all sleep safely.

and all the world is football shaped,
it's just for me to kick in space
and I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
and I've got
one, two, three, four, five
senses working overtime
trying to take this all in,
I've got
one, two, three, four, five
senses working overtime
trying to taste the difference
'tween the lemons and limes
the pain and the pleasure
and the church bells softly chime.. . .

hey hey,
night fights day,
there's food for the thinkers
and the innocents can all live slowly
all live slowly
my, my
the sky will cry
jewels for the thirsty
and the guilty ones can all die slowly
all die slowly.

and all the world is biscuit shaped,
it's just for me to feed my face
and I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
and I've got
one, two,three, four, five
senses working overtime
trying to take this all in,
I've got
one, two, three, four, five
senses working overtime
trying to taste the difference
'tween the lemons and limes
the pain and the pleasure
and the church bells softly chime.. . .

and birds might fall from black skies
and bullies might give you black eyes
and busses might skid on black ice
but to me
it's very very
beautiful (england's glory!)
beautiful (a striking beauty!)

and all the world is football shaped,
it's just for me to kick in space
and I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
and I've got
one, two, three, four, five
sensesworking overtime
trying to take this all in,
I've got
one, two, three, four, five
senses working overtime
try to tell the difference
'tween the goods and crimes,
dirt or treasure

and there's
one, two, three, four, five
senses working overtime
trying to take this all in,
I've got
one, two, three, four, five
senses working overtime
trying to taste the difference
'tween the lemons and limes
the pain and the pleasure
and the church bells softly chime. . .

Crazy Arms

Now, blue ain't the word for the way that I feel
And the storms brewing in this heart of mine
This ain't no crazy dream, I know that it's real
You're someone else's love now, you're not mine

Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
For burning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
And that's why I'm lonely all the time

---- Instrumental Interlude ----

So please take the treasured dreams I had for you and me
And take all the love I thought was mine
Someday my crazy arms may hold somebody new
But now I'm so lonely all the time

Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
For my burning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
And that's why I'm lonely all the time

Ray Price

John of Virginia, thank you so much for that bit of history. I had no idea about that background.

dj, and the reference to Billy is so much appreciated.

edgar, I know that song, Texas, and love it.

I am so grateful for everyone who has been here, and you three guys just made me cry, but they are the kind of tears with which I can live.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever see Virginia again.

I think I had better say goodnight, now.

From Letty with love.

Good morning, WA2K listeners and contributors. Here is that photo of the Crozet Tunnel to which John of Virginia referred:



And here is the info about Colonel Crozet, folks.

His gravestone reads:


"Colonel Claudius Crozet
Born in France Dec. 31, 1789
Died in Virginia Jan. 29, 1864
Soldier, Scholar, Educator,
Engineer, Chairman of the First
Board of Visitors V.M.I.
1837-1845"

Well, it seems as though I am alone today in our wee studio, but I do know one birthday today, and that is Franklin Delano Roosevelt, so here's a song by Babs.

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again
Altogether shout it now
There's no one
Who can doubt it now
So let's tell the world about it now
Happy days are here again
Your cares and troubles are gone
There'll be no more from now on
From now on...
Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So, Let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy times
Happy nights
Happy days
Are here again!

Perhaps the presidential candidates should do campaign songs once again.

Hey, John of Virginia. Did you do that song from memory, or have you learned to do stuff.

I cannot believe Florida's state song.

Written by Stephen C. Foster


Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.

Chorus

All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb-rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!

2nd verse

All round de little farm I wandered
When I was young,
Den many happy days I squandered,
Many de songs I sung.
When I was playing wid my brudder
Happy was I;
Oh, take me to my kind old mudder!
Dere let me live and die.

3rd Verse

One little hut among de bushes,
One dat I love
Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where I rove.
When will I see de bees a-humming
All round de comb?
When will I hear de banjo strumming,
Down in my good old home?

" brudder and mudder" ?

And here is the rest of the Suwanee info.

http://www.50states.com/songs/florida.htm

I think that I like "Beautiful Dreamer" better.

Think it's time to go back to this one, John:

Land of my birth, bright sunkissed land,
Florida, my Florida.
Laded by the Gulf and Ocean grand,
Florida, my Florida.

Of all the States in East or West,
Unto my heart thou art the best
Here may I live, here may I rest
Florida, my Florida.

The golden fruit the world outshines
Florida, my Florida,
Thy gardens and thy phosphate mines,
Florida, my Florida,

In country, town, or hills and dells,
Florida, my Florida,
The rythmic chimes of the school bells
Florida, my Florida,

Will call thy children day by day
To learn to walk the patriot's way
Firmly to stand for thee for aye
Florida, my Florida.

Roosevelt is my favorite president. Here is Dear Mrs Roosevelt, by Woody Guthrie.


Dear Missis Roosevelt, don't hang your head and cry;
His mortal clay is laid away, but his good work fills the sky; This world was lucky to see him born.
He's born in a money family on that Hudson's rocky shore;
Outrun every kid a-growin' up 'round Hyde Park just for fun;
This world was lucky to see him born.

He went away to grade school and wrote back to his folks;
He drew such funny pictures and always pulling a joke;
This world was lucky to see him born.

He went on up towards Harvard, he read his books of law;
He loved his trees and horses, loved everything he saw;
This world was lucky to see him born.

He got struck down by fever and it settled in his leg;
He loved the folks that wished him well as everybody did;
This world was lucky to see him born.

He took his office on a crippled leg, he said to one and all:
"You money changin' racket boys have sure 'nuff got to fall;"
This world was lucky to see him born,

In senate walls and congress halls he used his gift of tongue
To get you thieves and liars told and put you on the run;
This world was lucky to see him born,

I voted for him for lots o' jobs, I'd vote his name again;
He tried to find an honest job for every idle man;
This world was lucky to see him born,

He helped to build my union hall, he learned me how to talk;
I could see he was a cripple but he learned my soul to walk;
This world was lucky to see him born.

You Nazis and you fascists tried to boss this world by hate;
He fought my war the union way and the hate gang all got beat;
This world was lucky to see him born.

I sent him 'cross that ocean to Yalta and to Tehran;
He didn't like Churchill very much and told him man to man;
This world was lucky to see him born.

I was torpedoed on my merchant ship the day he took command;
He was hated by my captain, but loved by all ships hands;
This world was lucky to see him born.

I was a Gl in my army camp that day he passed away,
And over my shoulder talkin' I could hear some soldier say:
"This world was lucky to see him born."

I guess this world was lucky just to see him born;
I know this world was lucky just to see him born;
This world was lucky to see him born.

I never run into that Woody Guthrie song before, Edgar.

realjohnboy
There is a Bob Dylan version of it on the memorial to Woody album.

Letty, all those Virginny & Florida songs made me think of this one by Bob Marley:


400 years (400 years, 400 years. Wo-o-o-o)
And it's the same -
The same (wo-o-o-o) philosophy
I've said it's four hundred years;
(400 years, 400 years. Wo-o-o-o, wo-o-o-o)
Look, how long (wo-o-o-o)
And the people they (wo-o-o-o) still can't see.
Why do they fight against the poor youth of today?
And without these youths, they would be gone -
All gone astray

Come on, let's make a move:
(make a move, make a move. Wo-o-o-o, wo-o-o-o)
I can (wo-o-o-o) see time (wo-o-o-o) - time has come,
And if-a fools don't see
(fools don't see, fools don't see. Wo-o-o-o)
I can't save the youth:
The youth (wo-o-o-o) is gonna be strong.
So, won't you come with me;
I'll take you to a land of liberty
Where we can live - live a good, good life
And be free.

Look how long: 400 years, (400 years, 400 years) -
Way too long! (wo-o-o-o)
That's the reason my people (wo-o-o-o) - my people can't see.
Said, it's four hundred long years -
(400 years, 400 years. Wo-o-o-o)
Give me patience (wo-o-o-o) - same philosophy.

It's been 400 years, (400 years, 400 years)
Wait so long! Wo-o-o-o, wo-o-o-o.
How long? 400 long, long years.