Sunday, January 25, 2009

Do The Shuffle.



It was a pleasant and multicultural Sunday at the Pink Ranch. I put my ipod on shuffle mode. A rather amusing selection came on. The Beatles followed by African Pop Music followed by Patsy Cline singing I Fall to Pieces. After 20 or so minutes I forgot about the ipod and thought I was listening to the radio. “What a great radio station, one good song after another”- said I. Then I realized it was my own ipod. I could be absentminded like that. I know the year of the Battle of Hastings (1066) but I do not know where I put the car keys. I should stop using so much Splenda. Someone told me it affects your memory. I remembered just now when I worked as a teacher. An early October morning I asked my students what day was America discovered. One kid shrugged his shoulders and said- “Tuesday?” I didn’t know if to cry or laugh. I looked at him sternly and said -“No, it was a Thursday.” Nobody got my joke. I digress. So anyways, I was in a shuffle mood. Then the great Celia Cruz from Cuba came on. I had to stand up and wiggle my body a little bit. There is something with us Caribbean people when we hear Salsa or Merengue music. We are possessed. You cannot control the paroxysms going about in your entire body. The rhythm overtakes you and you need to start moving. I’ve seen complete strangers in places like malls, public parks, schools and groceries stores start dancing as soon as Latin music starts playing. The transformation was amazing. I became a slave to the rhythm. I was by myself in the apartment so I had no qualms whatsoever about dancing a little bit. Here are the songs that came on my ipod in succession and the mood they “provoked on me.”


Trickle Trickle- Manhattan Transfer SASSY
I Will Survive- Gloria Gaynor DEFIANT
Lucille- Kenny Rogers LANGUID
Surf City- Jan and Dean CAWABANGUISH
Bad Connection- Yaz (Yazoo in the UK) ELECTRIC
Chinese Kung Fu- Banzai CORNY
I Have A Dream- ABBA ANGELIC
My Boyfriend’s Back- The Shirells SILLY
Don’t Let The Rain Come Down- The Serendipity Singers. BACK-IN-SUNDAY-SCHOOL-ISH
Hot Tamale Baby- Buckwheat Zydeco LAISSEZ-LE-BON-TEMPS-ROULEZ-Y


So, What’s in your Ipods cowboys and cowgirls?

21 comments:

larkspur said...

Hey, I just put my iPod on shuffle Friday evening while doing some research for a paper. Weird! I never shuffle, but could not decide on an artist. I played with the menu til I found shuffle and the music just kept coming...Sting, Patty Griffen, Bryan Ferry, Dave Matthews, Pavarotti, Black Eyed Peas, Alanis Morrisette, Renae Fleming, Nick Drake, Beatles White Album, Tracy Chapman--to name a few....no dancing tho ;)

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Absolutely delightful, Pink Cowboy! According to your theory, I think I might have some Latin blood...does French count? I can't listen to music without bustin' a few moves! Cute song/mood list! I could just see you at the ranch...do a little dance...get down tonight! Inspired!

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

Ummm, no iPod here.

In fact, I will know I am OK again when music (and dancing) really comes back into my life. Now it's just in spurts and dribbles and I miss it...I used to make CD's of what I called "Car Music" and remember singing at the top of my lungs, Mike turning it down, me turning it up and both of us enjoying playing around and teasing with each other.

I remember dancing evenings away while cleaning house, waiting for him to drive down from Seattle to my place, 8 hours away. I remember taking dancing lessions and always wanting to lead.

I have talked with a few friends about this, and they all say the same thing, that they can tell when things are off a little, because they don't listen to music as much.

So, I am glad you had a shufflin' good Sunday, it means something deep down!

teri and the cats of furrydance

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Oh dear - I don't have an iPod!

But music certainly makes me dance. It's a great loosening up break when working on the computer for a long time, and like you, there is some music I just can't keep still to. Current can't-keep still-music: The Scissor Sisters and ZZ Top!

marc aurel said...

Word verification is literally dadom! My APACER, (I don't believe in Apple), is filled with opera, Bach, Mozart, Steve Earle, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Mark Knopfler, Fado, Spanish classical music and dribs and drabs of pop. I fantasise that it will be played on shuffle at my funeral service. Lots of people must feel this: it is me.

The Pink Cowboy said...

Marc loved the idea of playing one's ipod during a funeral.
Good selection lackspur, I love Brian Ferry and Roxy Music.
Teri I agree with you, when I'm playing music it means that things aren't going that bad.
Ralph, do you have any giraffe music, I'll be interested.

Kaye Waller said...

Gipsy Kings to Mozart, Michael Buble to Beach Boys, Bob Dylan to Bobby Darin.

Janelle said...

ah safari craig took the iPod to the states with him..so have had to use the CD's and the OLD stereo...which is crap and doesn't work properly...aaaargh. missing those witchy moments..of the shuffle..when you know that each song is saying something to you. great collection of music, Cowboy...lots love x j

A Cuban In London said...

I have not got an iPod but I do have a scrobbler (last.fm) and put it on shuffle quite often.

Greetings from London.

Miranda said...

Ooooh thats a fun game! Shuffle (with no cheating!):
C'est L'amour EDITH PIAF
Baby what do you want me to do? RISING SONS
Home Life- JOHN MAYER
Boots of Spanish Leather - A NOD TO BOB
In a little while - U2
Warning Sign - COLDPALY
I just can't let you say Goodbye - WILLIE NELSON
What's the Hurry -MARIANNE FAITHFUL
Smile Like you mean it - THE KILLERS
Facing East - THIEVERY CORPORATION
ETC ETC

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Yes, I do have giraffe music, Pink Cowboy - there's some down in my sidebar under Giraffe World music ... Let me know what you think of it!!

Creations by Marie Antoinette and Edie Marie said...

I can get lost in music.I love all kinds of music ,but mostly the oldies.I love I fall to pieces by Pasty.But you really should listen to Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstat sing it.I have both on CD's.I cannot be around todays kids for long.I call them free range kids.They are aloud to do what they will without punishment.So what do people expect.I got spanked a many of time,Didn't hurt me.I deserved every one. Hugs Marie Antionette

Linda S. Socha said...

Speaking of getting distracted....I planned to make a comment efficiently and then instead I stepped into one of your photos and had to remind myself to come on back out!

Your tastes are so similiar to so many of mine....some I do not even know I have until I see them here......I just rarely take the time to pursue them in the lovely way you do.I am one of those overly dedicated work folks. AH THANK YOU for this post!!

When I was in the 6th grade my burning desire was to visit Wyoming. I pretended I was a cowgirl,and changed my name to Lynn West on all my classwork papers. ( I had a tolerant 6th grade teacher)

Just one question, I just did check the mirror I do not think I have any Latin leanings...but...shh...do you think we could have been twins separated at birth??

Love your blog. Love your Post! Music of any kind could be anywhere in my life. I do tend toward Kitaro, Enya and Southern Gospel and zydeco and Dylan but I have been known to play Johnny Nash's I can see clearly now for ...well more than 30 minutes. I can even drift into classical and I could stay in New Age. Thanks for asking!
Goodness.
This was really meant to be a comment and not a post.
Linda

The Pink Cowboy said...

Ralph that was the BEST giraffe music I've ever heard. Miranda, I loved your songs, that's a spectacular ipod, Imust say. Marie Antoinette, Aaron Neville has the voice of an angel. I went to your site to hear his version of I Fall To Pieces. It was haunting and beautiful. Linda (Lynn West) what a great story. Yep, we have very similar tastes, I just came from your blog...Viva ABBA!!!

Tess Kincaid said...

Hey, nice pix, only I would add a few classical pieces and some opera for good measure. Oh, and some Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel, too. :^)

Anonymous said...

TPC,
Dance like know one is watching!!!
The Bach

Suza said...

Well, more than anything else, this post makes me want to buy an iPod! I occasionally shuffle with my 3CD changer but not quite the same variety and I inevetiably know what is coming up next.

However, PC, given my taste in music, I can imagine my shuffle to be something like Ella Fitzgerald, Teresa Berganza, Judy Garland, Grigorian Chant, Lead Belly, Beatles, Tracy Chapman, Edith Piaf, Santana, Bette Midler, Yo-Yo Ma, Mahalia Jackson, Glenn Gould, Frank Sinatra, B. B. King.

I love dancing around my home and do so quite frequently under the somewhat bemused expression of my cat!

The Pink Cowboy said...

I loved to hear all of your musical choices. We have a very diverse bloggy community out there.

Red Shoes said...

My can't-live-without-it includes Culann's Hounds, the Pogues, Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Liz Phair, and Rachmaninov. My recently-acquired-and-awesome includes Sigur Ros and Scroobius Pip...

The Pink Cowboy said...

Red Shoes,Sigur Ros is so haunting, I like hom very much. Dirty Old Town from the Pogues is one of my favourites.

Sydney said...

LOVING this post. I am a long time playlist maker, back in the day when it was just records and a dual cassette player/recorder... I still make playlists for special occasions, trips I'm taking and gifts. Too many to name but I am not into rap, still like the old dance stuff, disco, R&B and funk. New obsession of the last several years ---latin dance (salsa, etc) (I've gotten HOTTER in my middle age,lol).