Paula dice (II): High hopes (Frank Sinatra)

De todo el catálogo de Frankie (que mira que otra cosa no tendrá, pero canciones…) a mi hija le tenía que privar precisamente este tema… qué cosa con menos swing, madre mía… En fin, una canción de una de las grandes parejas de compositores de la época Sammy Cahn y James Van Heusen, que incluso ganó un Oscar en el cincuenta y algo, pero que a mí… que queréis que os diga…

Al menos el vídeo es simpático, y la letra es un canto al optimismo y una invitación a perseguir nuestros sueños. Pues eso, Frankie, enga, dale…

HIGH HOPES

Next time you’re found, with your chin on the ground
There a lot to be learned, so look around

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant

But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time you’re gettin’ low
’stead of lettin’ go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant

When troubles call, and your back’s to the wall
There a lot to be learned, that wall could fall

Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin’ that dam

But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes
So any time you’re feelin’ bad
’stead of feelin’ sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam

All problems just a toy balloon
They’ll be bursted soon
They’re just bound to go pop
Oops there goes another problem kerplop
Oops, there goes another problem kerplop
Oops, there goes another problem kerplop
Kerplop!

Paula dice (I): Crocodile rock (Elton John)

Pues dado que este mes mi pequeño y maravilloso tesoro cumple siete años ya, inasequible en su tarea de hacerme sentir cada vez más viejete, he decidido, sin que sirva de precedente, dejarla a ella que escoja lo que pongo este mes.

Aunque va a ser de forma algo indirecta, eso sí: me serviré de las canciones que me ha pedido hasta la saciedad mientras vamos en el coche. Canciones que en su momento me gustaban (algunas muchísimo) y por las que ahora siento un odio cerril (bueno, tal vez no tanto).

Para empezar, todo un clásico de Reginald Dwight (Elton John para los amigos). Una canción menor en su repertorio, pero que a mí personalmente me gusta porque es de aquellos años, a principios de los 70, en los que Elton todavía tenía muchas cosas que decir y aportar.

CROCODILE ROCK

I remember when rock was young
Me and Suzie had so much fun
holding hands and skimming stones
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
But the biggest kick I ever got
was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock
While the other kids were Rocking Round the Clock
we were hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock

Well Crocodile Rocking is something shocking
when your feet just can’t keep still
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will
Oh Lawdy mama those Friday nights
when Suzie wore her dresses tight
and the Crocodile Rocking was out of sight

But the years went by and the rock just died
Suzie went and left us for some foreign guy
Long nights crying by the record machine
dreaming of my Chevy and my old blue jeans
But they’ll never kill the thrills we’ve got
burning up to the Crocodile Rock
Learning fast as the weeks went past
we really thought the Crocodile Rock would last

Una imagen (IV): Painted from memory (B. Bacharach & E. Costello)

Qué queda cuando no queda nada? Cuando la memoria se vuelve difusa y los recuerdos parecen alejarse de forma definitiva?

Queda el dolor… y Elvis Costello.

Painted From Memory

Such a picture of loveliness
Didn’t you notice the resemblance?
Doesn’t it look like she could speak?
Those eyes I tried to capture
They are lost to me now forever
They smile for someone else
Funny, how looks can be deceiving
But she’s not easily painted from memory

You’d think that I would know by now
Those eyes I tried to capture
They are lost to me now forever
They smile for someone else
And so this had to be painted from memory
She is gone, and I must accept it
She is lost to me now
But I can’t look away just yet though
She smiles for someone else

And so this had to be painted from memory
Funny, now I can see how looks can be deceiving
And so this had to be painted from memory
Funny, now I can see how looks can be deceiving