WA2K Radio is now on the air

Well, folks. It rained out the tent revival so now it's back to our regularly scheduled program:

From India, some good news for a change:




Rescuers saved all 354 passengers who were trapped for days in a train that had slowly filled with flood water to neck height, officials said Saturday as raging monsoons continued to submerge vast swaths of Indian countryside and forced the evacuation of half a million people.
"The situation is serious. There is water everywhere. Villages, roads and railway lines are all submerged," federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters after an aerial tour of flooded areas in western Gujarat state.

At least 500,000 people, mostly poor villagers who lost their homes and belongings, have been evacuated to safer ground and at least 100 people have died this week, news reports said.

The Indore-Gandhinagar Shanti Express and its passengers had been trapped in the flooded railroad cars since Thursday morning. Passengers were communicating with officials through a single cell phone that still had its batteries charged, The Times of India reported.

"All the passengers have been saved by army soldiers and local police," said A.K. Bhargava, Gujarat police chief. "All of them have been moved to safer places." The rescue was carried out late Friday and there were no casualties, he said.

In the town of Nadiad, authorities were trying to shift more than 300 prisoners out of the local prison because the premises were flooded, Press Trust of India reported. But roads in the areas have been washed out and vehicles carrying the prisoners could not leave the prison, it said.

Soldiers were assisting police and civilian rescue workers in the area, while air force helicopters took part in rescue missions and food drops.

Experts from the Water Resources Ministry rushed to Vadodara on Saturday to examine and plug a 30-feet (nine-meter) breach in the Pratap Pura dam.

India's monsoon season begins in June and continues until the end of September. Downpours have lashed the state since last weekend, submerging vast areas.

A heat wave that preceded the monsoon season claimed nearly 400 lives in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan with temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

"Once the rain fury subsides, we have to help the kin of the dead and carry on the relief work for the affected," Patil said.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the top Gujarat official who accompanied Patil on the survey, said the rains are so heavy that even the state's drought-prone Ranapur village had received eight inches (20 centimeters) of rainfall in four hours, inundating 30 villages, PTI reported.

Patil could not go to the worst-affected Vadodara district because of bad weather. The airport in the district's main town of the same name is swamped and no flights are operating, Press Trust of India reported.Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

Will HOT do for the weather report today? OK, it's HOT. The humidity here in ABQ was all the way down to 7 a couple of days ago. That is what they call dry. DRY.

Been loving all the good music lately, even though I haven't posted. Here is one I've been thinking about:

(a-wa) O kodwa u zo-nge li-sa namhlange
(a-wa a-wa) Si-bona kwenze ka kanjani
(a-wa a-wa) Amanto mbazane ayeza
She's a rich girl
She don't try to hide it
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes

He's a poor boy
Empty as a pocket
Empty as a pocket with nothing to lose
Sing Ta na na
Ta na na na
She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes
She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes

People say she's crazy
She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes
Well that's one way to lose these
Walking blues
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes

She was physically forgotten
Then she slipped into my pocket
With my car keys
She said you've taken me for granted
Because I please you
Wearing these diamonds

And I could say Oo oo oo
As if everybody knows
What I'm talking about
As if everybody would know
Exactly what I was talking about
Talking about diamonds on the soles of her shoes

She makes the sign of a teaspoon
He makes the sign of a wave
The poor boy changes clothes
And puts on after-shave
To compensate for his ordinary shoes

And she said honey take me dancing
But they ended up by sleeping
In a doorway
By the bodegas and the lights on
Upper Broadway
Wearing diamonds on the soles of their shoes

And I could say Oo oo oo
As if everybody here would know
What I was talking about
I mean everybody here would know exactly
What I was talking about
Talking about diamonds

People say I'm crazy
I got diamonds on the soles of my shoes
Well that's one way to lose
These walking blues
Diamonds on the soles of our shoes

Ah, Lady Diane, that's a contrast, both the weather and the song. Thanks, honey.

While sitting in the doctor's office yesterday, I found a current (that's right; it was not a year old) copy of The Rolling Stone magazine, and was taken with a couple of brief articles.

One was about Norman Mailer and his checkered career, but I did have to smile at the 82 year old Norman who observed the power of language and wryly commented on George W. Bush's (expletives deleted) terrible use of same.

Another had to do with James Taylor and his stubborn refusal to give up on the music that is so unique to him. He asserted that the style fades for a while, then makes a comeback. I find this to be a resurrection of sorts in the advert business.

Now for another poor boy-rich girl song. This one is dedicated to the prince who is buying a new car and is apt since the song is taken from the album, Riding in cars with boys.

Billy Joe Royal Lyrics
Song: Down In The Boondocks Lyrics

Down in the boondocks
Down in the boondocks
People put me down 'cause
That's the side of town I was born in
I love her she loves me but I don't fit in her society
Lord have mercy on the boy from down in the boondocks

Ev'ry night I watch the lights from the house up on the hill
I love a little girl who lives up there and I guess I always will
But I don't dare knock on her door
'Cause her daddy is my boss man
So I have to try to be content
Just to see her when ever I can

Down in the boondocks
Down in the boondocks
People put me down 'cause
That's the side of town I was born in
I love her she loves me but I don't fit in her society
Lord have mercy on the boy from down in the boondocks

Down in the boondocks
Down in the boondocks

One fine day I'll find the way to move from this old shack
I'll hold my head up like a king and I never never will look back
Until that morning I'll work and slave
And I'll save ev'ry dime
But tonight she'll have to steal away
To see me one more time

Down in the boondocks
Down in the boondocks
People put me down 'cause
That's the side of town I was born in
I love her she loves me but I don't fit in her society
Lord have mercy on the boy from down in the boondocks
Lord have mercy on the boy from down in the boondocks
Lord have mercy on the boy from down in the boondocks

Plenty of rock & pop on the TV today- the Live8 concerts from around the world.
That's what my wife is watching now.

Heard two brothers from Samoa (and NZ) on the radio this morning, and they sang the big duet from "The Pearl Fishers", beautifully.

Well, hey, McTag. I wondered where you were. Can you post the lyrics to the Pear Fishers? sounds intriguing, right listeners?

And while we wait for the Scottish Brit, here's a song of wistfulness, folks:


I need your love so badly,
I love you, oh, so madly,
But I don?t stand a
Ghost of a chance with you!
I thought at last I'd found you,
But other loves surround you,
And I don't stand a
Ghost of a chance with you.
If you'd surrender,
Just for a tender kiss or two,
You might discover,
that I'm the lover, meant for you,
And I'd be true,
But what's the good of scheming,
I Know I must be dreaming,
For I don't stand a
Ghost of a chance with you!

this song kinda fits the theme

Substitute
The Who

You think we look pretty good together
You think my shoes are made of leather

But I'm a substitute for another guy
I look pretty tall but my heels are high
The simple things you see are all complicated
I look pretty young, but I'm just back-dated, yeah

Substitute your lies for fact
I can see right through your plastic mac
I look all white, but my dad was black
My fine linen suit is really made out of sack

I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
The north side of my town faced east, and the east was facing south
And now you dare to look me in the eye
Those crocodile tears are what you cry
It's a genuine problem, you won't try
To work it out at all you just pass it by, pass it by

Substitute me for him
Substitute my coke for gin
Substitute you for my mum
At least I'll get my washing done

Perfect, dj, as usual. It reminds me of what Anne Richards said of George Bush..."He was born with a silver foot in his mouth"...Thank you, Canada.

I just searched out the duet from The Pearl fishers by Bizet. I listened to what I could of it, folks, but it was intermittent. I got just enough to appreciate the deep and resonant tones and think of the aria from Carmen. WOW!


"Classical superstars Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli had the audience on its feet in a rousing ovation for their stunning Pearl Fishers duet, the closing number of this year's Classical BRIT Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall. A big-hearted performance full of warmth, passion and sheer vocal brilliance, it was the high point of a sensational awards ceremony and promises to be the high point of the disc we've all been waiting for - Bryn's new CD, out later this autumn."
* Source: Classic FM Magazine, Awards 2003, Issue 103

Unfortunately, I could not get the lyrics because a ghost wouldn't allow it. <smile>

Since I'm passing the Lorelei tomorrow ...




An ancient legend of the Rhine

1. I cannot determine the meaning
Of sorrow that fills my breast:
A fable of old, through it streaming,
Allows my mind no rest.
The air is cool in the gloaming
And gently flows the Rhine.
The crest of the mountain is gleaming
In fading rays of sunshine.
2. The loveliest maiden is sitting
Up there, so wondrously fair;
Her golden jewelry is glist'ning;
She combs her golden hair.
She combs with a gilded comb, preening,
And sings a song, passing time.
It has a most wondrous, appealing
And pow'rful melodic rhyme.

3. The boatman aboard his small skiff, -
Enraptured with a wild ache,
Has no eye for the jagged cliff, -
His thoughts on the heights fear forsake.
I think that the waves will devour
Both boat and man, by and by,
And that, with her dulcet-voiced power
Was done by the Loreley.
(Heinrich Heine, translated by Tr. Frank 1998)


I cannot divine what it meaneth,
This haunting nameless pain:
A tale of the bygone ages
Keeps brooding through my brain:

The faint air cools in the gloaming,
And peaceful flows the Rhine,
The thirsty summits are drinking
The sunset's flooding wine;

The loveliest maiden is sitting
High-throned in yon blue air,
Her golden jewels are shining,
She combs her golden hair;.

She combs with comb that is golden,
And sings a weird refrain
That steeps in a deadly enchantment
The listener's ravished brain:

The doomed in his drifting shallop,
Is tranced with the sad sweet tone,
He sees not the yawing breakers,
He sees but the maid alone:

The pitiless billwos engulf him!-
So perish sailor and bark;
And this, with her baleful singing,
Is the Lorelei's gruesome work.
(Mark Twain, 1880)

Ah, Walter, how haunting are these sirens of the sea who wish only to destroy the love they cannot have naturally.

That was fantastic, my German friend. Thank you.

Isn't it wonderful, listeners, how Twain and Heine speak the same language?

(Twain translated Heine, or got a translation :wink: )

Don't break the spell, Walter, or I'll toss that sailor in you to the mermaids. Then what would that lovely wife of yours do without someone to renovate. :wink:

And in French:

Loreley

Mon Coeur, pourquoi ces noirs présages?
Je suis triste à mourir.
Une histoire des anciens âges
Hante mon Souvenir.
Déjà l'air fraîchit, le soir tombe,
Sur le Rhin, flot grondant;
Seul, un haut rocher qui surplombe
Brille aux feux du couchant.
Là-haut, des nymphes la plus belle,
Assise, rêve encore;
Sa main, où la bague étincelle,
Peigne ses cheveux d'or.
Le peigne est magique. Elle chante,
Timbre étrange et vainqueur,
Tremblez fuyez! la voix touchante
Ensorcelle le coeur.
Dans sa barque, l'homme qui passe,
Pris d'un soudain transport,
Sans le voir, les yeux dans l´espace,
Vient sur l`écueil de mort.
L´ecueil brise, le gouffre enserre,
La nacelle est noyée,
Et voila le mal que peut faire
Loreley sur son rocher.

Heinrich Heine

We are universal, listeners.

Apropo of nothing other than I'm in a Paul Simon mood today. I love this one: Never been lonely, never been lied to. How sad that is true only for the first few years, sometimes fewer than that.

Down among the reeds and rushes
A baby boy was found
His eyes as clear as centuries
His silky hair was brown

Never been lonely
Never been lied to
Never had to scuffle in fear
Nothing denied to
Born at the instant
The church bells chime
And the whole world whispering
Born at the right time

Me and my buddies we are travelling people
We like to go down to restaurant row
Spend those Euro-dollars
All the way from Washington to Tokyo
I see them in the airport lounge
Upon their mother's breast
They follow me with open eyes
Their uninvited guest

Never been lonely
Never been lied to
Never had to scuffle in fear
Nothing denied to
Born at the instant
The church bells chime
And the whole world whispering
Born at the right time

Too many people on the bus from the airport
Too many holes in the crust of the earth
The planet groans
Every time it registers another birth

But among the reeds and rushes
A baby girl was found
Her eyes as clear as centuries
Her silky hair was brown

Never been lonely
Never been lied to
Never had to scuffle in fear
Nothing denied to
Born at the instant
The church bells chime
And the whole world whispering
Born at the right time

Ah, Diane. That is overpowering.

We are victims of our birth, are we not?

"..........born at the right time........."

I just felt a chill.

That was nice.

Umm, here's one of my favourite lyrics,

Jumper


" wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,
You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in,
And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand.
I would understand,

The angry boy, a bit too insane,
Icing over a secret pain,
You know you don't belong,
You're the first to fight, You're way too loud,
You're The flash of light, On a burial shroud,
I know something's wrong,
Well everyone I know has got a reason, To say, put the past away,

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,
You could cut ties with all the lies, That you've been living in,
And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand,
I would understand.

Well he's on the table, And he's gone to code,
And I do not think anyone knows,
What they are doing here,
And your friends have left, You've been dismissed,
I never thought it would come to this, And I, I want you to know,
Everyone's got to face down the demons,
Maybe today, We can put the past away,

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,
You could cut ties with all the lies, that you've been living in,
And if you do not want to see me again, I would understand,
I would understand,
I would understand...

Can you put the past away, I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,

I would understand..."

This song sends a glimmer of hope.

Edit: The song is from a band called "Third Eye Blind."

as my friends to the south prepare for indepedence day, a thought for the soldiers and a musical jab at the people responsible for putting them in harms way


SHORT MEMORIES
Graham Parker

They took their kids in their teenage years
Fitted them out with combat gear,
Filled their hearts with mortal fear and sent them away
Some came home their pants in creases
Some came home in bits and pieces
The president made a lot of speeches and went fishing for the day

'Cause they have short memories, they forget it all so quickly
They have short memories, now it's gone
They have short memories, it disappears just like quicksilver
They have short memories, now it's gone

My Daddy was in Nicosea, Egypt and North Korea
He came back to a good career, shovelling coal
I was just the village lout I never got my finger out
I never wanted for anything still I broke and entered and stole

[bridge]
You can't stop a train or catch the rain drops
As they come falling
Sure there'll be another war
Sure as sure the call-up will come calling

They took their kids in their teenage years
Gave them a God that they could fear
Said they could kill but not drink beer

'Cause they have short memories, they forget it all so quickly
They have short memories, now it's gone
They have short memories, it disappears just like quicksilver
They have short memories, now it's gone

Ray, that was stunning, right listeners? Your presence here with that music is particularly appreciated.

"...the angry boy, a bit too insane,
Icing over a secret pain....'

and for someone:

Cat Stevens - Moon Shadow Lyrics
Yes
I'm bein' followed by a moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow.
Leapin' and hoppin' on a moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow.
And if I ever lose my hands
lose my power
lose my land -
Oh
if I ever lose my hands

Ooh
I won't have to work no more.
And if I ever lose my eyes
if my colours all run dry

Yes
if I ever lose my eyes

Ooh
I won't have to cry no more.

Yes
I'm bein' followed by a moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow.
Leapin' and hoppin' on a moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow.
And if I ever lose my legs
I won't moan and I won't beg

Oh
if I ever lose my legs

Ooh
I won't have to walk no more.
And if I ever lose my mouth
all my teeth North and South

Yes
if I ever lose my mouth

Ooh
I won't have to talk.

Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light.
Did it take long to find me and are you gonna stay the night?

I'm bein' followed by a moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow.
Leapin' und hoppin' on a moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow.
Moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow
moon shadow.

dj, you dear man, yes. It's called catch me if you can, Canada, and a dirk under the rib cage. Thank you for reminding us of the worst that one can do to our world.

" war takes man's best, to do man's worst." (forgotten the author of that quote)

It's that time of night, folks, and a song from Van Morrison:


Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'neath the cover of october skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I'm trying to please to the calling
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low
And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush

Chorus:
Can I just have one a' more moondance with you, my love
Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love

Well, I wanna make love to you tonight
I can't wait 'til the morning has come
And I know that the time is just right
And straight into my arms you will run
And when you come my heart will be waiting
To make sure that you're never alone
There and then all my dreams will come true, dear
There and then I will make you my own
And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside
And I know how much you want me that you can't hide

Chorus

Repeat 1st verse

One more moondance with you in the moonlight
On a magic night
La, la, la, la in the moonlight
On a magic night
Can't I just have one more dance with you my love.

Passive Resistance
Graham Parker

Nothing can be further removed,
not everybody wants to be soothed ooooh
they're out there now
in their padded cells and armchairs
Waiting for the nervous twitch that signals fear

Hooked up to a cardiogram
set up so it cuts out when you cry or laugh
Worked by those who if you screw up
treat you to a broken nose
If you tap your toes

Passive resistance! If it's not for them then it's not for you
Passive resistance! Where the only view is the right view
Passive resistance! And it breaks my heart to know there's no heart involved

Put the demographics away,
the directors and consultants have the final say
Hired in,
take home all the ones who missed for souvenirs,
for their kids to play

Passive resistance! It's all programmed by programmers
Passive resistance! You're just a nail underneath their hammers
Passive resistance! And it breaks my heart to know there's no heart in them

Instrumental verse

Nothing can be further removed,
not everybody wants to be soothed
Oooh they must be real,
people that you never meet and never feel
And they don't feel you

Passive resistance! You get surveyed out of existence
Passive resistance! Just one in a million silent listeners
Passive resistance

Thanks Letty .

From what I gather, the song I posted was addressing a suicidal person.

dj, I had never looked at passive resistance through those eyes, but you made us see what is beneath the sea.

Ray, yes, when I was searching for a lemmings song to be a companion piece to your melody, I was amazed to find a reference to "lemmings, not hamsters."

See what I mean, folks? Ray has brought new blood to our station.