Do You Believe in Magic?

Yesterday while talking with my brother Tom, he got a little tongue-tied and said, "...he's a magician -- er, I  mean, he's a musician...."  I interrupted him and said, "Yes indeed!  Anyone who's a musician is definitely also a magician!"  We laughed.

This got me remembering one of my favorite songs from the '60s:  Do You Believe in Magic by The Lovin' Spoonful.  Below, I link to a full-color video of that group performing that song live on The Ed Sullivan Show on March 19, 1967.  Lyrics are below the link to that video.

Wikipedia says this song has been enJOYing successive generations, including being recorded by BBMak for the score of Return to Never Land, a sequel to Disney's 1953 classic Peter Pan. (one of my FAVORITE childhood stories).  And it was ranked #216 on Rolling Stone's (November 2004) list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

My brother's linguistic "mix up" is just one more clue in our quest to solve the mystery of life.  It's not a meaningless coincidence that our words for magic and music are so similar.  (I wonder if that's true in other languages.)  It's intentional languaging, like Hansel and Gretel left pebbles for themselves to find their way back home when in the forest.  But the day they didn't have time to collect some pebbles and had to use bread crumbs instead (which the birds happily ate), Hansel and Gretel couldn't find their way home, and ended up caged inside a wicked old woman's house.  (The symbolism in that fable is a topic for another post entirely!)

May the magic of music enJOY you and set you free!  (Complete lyrics below.)



The Lovin' Spoonful performing
Do You Believe In Magic  in 1965 on the Hullabaloo show.

  

Do You Believe in Magic lyrics
Do you believe in magic in a young girl's heart
How the music can free her, whenever it starts
And it's magic, if the music is groovy
It makes you feel happy like an old-time movie
I'll tell you about the magic, and it'll free your soul
But it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll

If you believe in magic don't bother to choose
If it's jug band music or rhythm and blues
Just go and listen it'll start with a smile
It won't wipe off your face no matter how hard you try
Your feet start tapping and you can't seem to find
How you got there, so just blow your mind

If you believe in magic, come along with me
We'll dance until morning 'til there's just you and me
And maybe, if the music is right
I'll meet you tomorrow, sort of late at night
And we'll go dancing, baby, then you'll see
How the magic's in the music and the music's in me

Yeah, do you believe in magic
Yeah, believe in the magic of a young girl's soul
Believe in the magic of rock and roll
Believe in the magic that can set you free
Ohh, talking 'bout magic

Do you believe like I believe Do you believe in magic
Do you believe like I believe Do you believe, believer
Do you believe like I believe Do you believe in magic

The Power of One

May the HAITI earthquake be the what finally ends HATE among the clans on this planet.  May this be the last labor contraction in birthing the "thousand years of peace" on this beautiful planet.  (Don't worry:  If we can all live in total peace for a thousand years, there will be no going back!)  May this indescribable grief and desperation be quickly balanced and then totally transformed by a bizillion acts of kindness and generosity from all who understand that, as President Obama reminded us yesterday, "There but for the grace of God go we."  May this and all crises past and future help us remember The Power of One.

EnJoy watching and hearing Bomshel sing The Power of One below!


To listen, click on the >(PLAY) symbol.

The Power of One by Bomshel

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Listen To The Music

Today, I'm sharing Listen To The Music by The Doobie Brothers.  The lyrics are below the 1975 (!) music video.  I hope you'll sing along!

I'm also introducing my new e-sig icon.  I think it perfectly depicts how music uses our ears to paint a rainbow in our heart!

Rainbows are one of my favorite natural phenomena.  This rainbow icon will help me remember that I don't need to wait for an intense rainstorm--physical (rain, thunder, and lightnening) or metaphysical (life stress or a crisis) to get my hopes up of seeing a rainbow.

Music enables me to consciously and proactively change the weather in my life, to end a cloudy day or tumultuous storm, and instead "see" (hear --> feel) a rainbow ANYtime I want to.  Rainbows aren't pointing the way to a pot of gold. They ARE the pot of gold!

EnJOY!



Biz Burnett

Lyrics of Listen To The Music  by The Doobie Brothers
Don't you feel it growin',
Day by day
People
Gettin' ready for the news
Some are happy,
Some are sad
Wo, we got to let the music play
Wo, oh yeah

What the people need
Is a way to make 'em smile
It ain't so hard to do if you know how
Gotta get a message
Get it on through
Oh now mama's goin' to after awhile

Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

Well I know,
You know better
Everything I say
Meet me in the country for a day
We'll be happy
And we'll dance
Wo, we're gonna dance the blues away

If I'm feelin' good to you
And you're feelin' good to me
There ain't nothin' we can't do or say
Feelin' good,
Feeling fine
Wo, baby, let the music play

Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

Like a lazy flowing river
Surrounding castles in the sky
And the crowd is growing bigger
List'nin' for the happy sounds
And I got to let ‘em fly

Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
Wo, oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time
God, we gotta let the music play!

Feel The Music

music.wikia.com describes Ray Stevens as "a two-time Grammy-Award winning musician, singer, composer, producer, and arranger.  He's probably most well-known for his comedy recordings and his music videos, although his biggest chart hit was "Everything Is Beautiful", the gospel song he wrote and performed. This song won him a Grammy (his other was for best arranger of "Misty").  I think Ray Stevens is one of the most creative songwriters of our time.

Here's Ray singing Feel The Music.  I wonder if he might agree with me that this song is a "sub-track" in all of his songs?

EnJOY!

Biz Burnett

Feel The Music  by  Ray Stevens

A belated Thanksgiving-related post

It's never too late to act Thanksgiving-y, and so I'll do that here and now by sharing I Say the Grace by Victoria Shaw.  This song reminds me of how blessed I am to be married to my best friend, and how well we complement each other.  It also reminds me of my "we go way back" friend, Nicki, whose friendship helps make my life even more complete.

If I could give everyone in the world (or even just one person, and that would be Nicki) a gift this Christmas, it would be the gift of their perfect soulmate.  Life with one's soulmate is not only more fun, it helps answer Life's #1 Question:  Why Am I Here?

EnJoy!

I Say the Grace by Victoria Shaw

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It's the Thought That Counts...Indeed!

Many people around the world are scurrying to finish their Christmas gift shopping this weekend.  This inspires me to share It's The Thought by Twila Paris because I think it conveys the ultimate meaning of Christmas. Regardless of your religious beliefs and in every minute of every day, it's ALWAYS the thought of LOVE that counts.

I wish to all who land here a life that feels like Christmas every day!

It's The Thought
by Twila Paris

Let's Spread A Lttle Love Around

I haven't posted here for quite awhile because after Yahoo! discontinued their Music Unlimited online music subscription, I didn't find a replacement subscription until about a month ago, when I joined Napster. I'm back on soundtrack, and it feels very good!

Posting on this blog is like free (and much-needed!) therapy for me.  I have several songs that I want to post here, starting with...

...Ricky Skagg's Spread a Little Love Around.  This song pretty much summarizes the way I try to live my life.  I think the world would more enjoyable if everyone on the planet would agree to listen to this song at least once a day.  (In my dreams!) 

Enjoy!

(Lyrics are below)

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Lyrics of Spread a Little Love Around by Ricky Skaggs

Sometimes this crazy world can make us all feel bad

I sit and watch the news and just get mad

We need to stop and smell the roses in the ground

So get out today, and spread a little love around

Talk to a neighbor, volunteer a favor

Help out a stranger when his car's broke down

Give your wife a kissin', when your kids talk, listen

It makes a lovely sound, spread a little love around

You know it don't take much to make somebody's day

A kind word or tender touch goes a long way

We can change the whole world if we start in our hometown

So get out today, and spread a little love around

Tell your mom you love her, bear hug your brother

Treat your sister to a night out on the town

Throw the ball for Rover, wrestle in the clover

Put a smile on that old hound, spread a little love around

Slap your momma's fanny, tickle on old granny

Dance with the kids and act just like a clown

A little tiny kiss and hug, everybody needs that stuff

Turn a frown upside down, spread a little love around

When this world gets you down, spread a little love around