"You make a dead man come."

There's this song I heard recently on Noggin, the channel that my children love the most, which has a recurring refrain, "Brown Sugar, Brown Sugar." Of course, old Stones fan that I am, I always silently add the familiar, "You make a dead man come." (Why I add a line from "Start Me Up" to "Brown Sugar," I have no idea. I should be singing "Just like a black girl should." Thanks, Sarcastro for pointing out the obvious to the oblivious.)

I always thought that line was originally penned by Richards/Jagger. This morning, however, while listening to a wonderful podcast entitled Uncensored History of the Blues, I was introduced to the music of Lucille Bogan. And there it was. "...make a dead man come," from "Till the Cows Come Home", released in 1935. You'll have to look up the lyrics yourself. They're here. They're dirty. She was apparently famous for her bawdy sexual innuendos and double entendres, but from what I've heard, she's about as coy as 1989's 2 Live Crew, i.e. not at all.

Explicit song lyrics didn't start with Tipper Gore's problem child, Prince. They've been with us for as long as songs have been written.

It's Dirty Blues Day here at chez bez. Have fun out there.

"It takes a red-headed woman..."

 
(Title is taken from one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs.)

I'll be happier when football season kicks off.

I'm actually a Dores fan, but I'm pretty proud of this pic. It's from my first trip to the University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium back in the fall of '02.

On the music industry and 1997

David Browne writes in The New York Times:

By comparison, hardly anyone seems sentimental for the summer of 1997. Tastemakers recall the album “OK Computer” by Radiohead, and head-spinning techno singles by the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers. But for most people, it was the summer that established the Spice Girls and boy bands, which only the most hard-core Justin Timberlake fan would recall fondly.

...more>>

Lynnster (babbling since February 1997), I thought of you as I read this. What was 1997's great find for you?

It's not Mulberry Street, but it can be just as interesting.

Tonight I met a young couple who had just tied the knot one hour earlier. The next morning would find them on a flight to Honolulu.

An hour before I clocked out, I met an old cowboy from East Tennessee who was driving home from his sister's funeral. She was 81 and he was 74. "Retirement's overrated," he told me later in conversation. "That's when you can really count on your friends dying."

A big convention filled our hallways with the Sisters of Mercy and another convention filled our parking lot with classic hot rods. "Stairway to Heaven" or "Highway to Hell"? We've got both at the old workplace.

I hope you all sleep well tonight. You're good people.

Cultural Differences...or is someone getting Punk'd?

Erin in Peru shares:

My host uncle told me I need to start peeing on a towel and then salting it and put it on the forehead of my host sister whenever she is sleeping. Supposedly this cures anger problems..she is very passionate...but it sounds to me that maybe he has an anger problem with her.

The Piano Has Been Drinking

Should I Just Watch TV Like A Normal Person?

I skipped out on plans to see Webb Wilder tonight and just came home instead. I vacuumed, washed dishes and washed clothes. Now I'm at a loss. What do people do when they have a night alone to themselves?

I own a television. Watching television is what I've heard the experts call a lean-back experience, as opposed to surfing the web, which they call a lean-forward experience. I'm looking at the listings online (and leaning forward) and I'm still not sure.

A show called Las Vegas is on (Quotes or italics for a show name? I've never learned.), but I don't think it would appeal to me. My dream used to be to move out to Vegas and be a bellman there where I could make some serious money. I was attracted to the glitz and lights and thought a move out there would make me more interesting an exciting. But now I'm 37 and I know myself pretty well. I'm a quiet guy who likes his peace and solitude. I think I'd do better in states like Iowa or Montana (Hi Leesa!). Beers and a good internet connection keep me perfectly happy. And just think of those night skies!

But back to Nashville and what's on TV: In Arena Football, there is a wildcard playoff game between the Orlando Predators and the Philadelphia (our owner whose name is Jon Bon Jovi will probably be on your TV screen if you watch us play) Soul. I like football of any kind. I may watch that.

Larry King is interviewing Robin Williams, but I just can't bring myself to watch Larry King. Already famous for his softball interviews, I hear that his interview with Paris Hilton was a joke. I heard that he asked Paris what she did with her time in jail and she responded that she read books. It would seem that a natural follow-up question would be, "What books did you read?" Nope. He went on to the next dull query. Anyway...

Bad Girls From Valley High is on WUXP. The title sounds promising but the description is dull, dull, dull.

WWE on WNAB (Is that the WB that everyone talks about?) - No thanks. I get my wrestling through osmosis in the employee cafeteria. Insert iPod earbuds here.

After The Sunset on TBS - Oops. I was excited but then realized it wasn't the Ethan Hawke / Julie Delpy movie. Next.

The Cardinals play the Reds - I'm done with baseball. I don't care. I do not follow the game. (Can someone please tell me tomorrow if my Reds won?)

Something's on Lifetime, but I bet the guy did something bad to the girl. Not interested.

The Godfather II - Hmmm... I think we have a winner.

What A Girl Wants and She Gets What She Wants are playing at the same time. If you're high, this will seem wild and profound. (I'm not high.)

Rock Star is on VH1 Classic - The Godfather II just got some competition. I wish I was Mark Wahlberg. I like Jennifer Aniston, too.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Pass.

Wild Bill starring Jeff Bridges and Ellen Barkin - Here's the line I love:

[Jane surprises Bill by giving him a wet sloppy kiss]
Calamity Jane: Just for old times' sake.
[Bill wipes off his mouth]
Calamity Jane: You wipin' it off?
James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok: No. I'm rubbin' it in.

Great line. Anyway, Rock Star wins. (And Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" plays in the background as Mark rides in a limo to a huge mansion.)

NFL Europe Folds

Admittedly, I only watched maybe ten games over its duration, but it still makes me sad that I'll have one less option for watching football during the NFL's off-season.

FRANKFURT, Germany -- The NFL folded its development league in Europe after 16 years on Friday, calling the decision a sound business move that will allow for a stronger international focus on regular-season games outside the United States. ... more>>

The Dog, The Family, The Webb Wilder

The family left for sunny Florida last Friday and it's just been me here since then. I miss them a lot of course, but as I was telling my dad the other day, it's the dog's absence I notice the most. Working nights, everyone's in bed and asleep when I come home late each evening. But my Georgia is always quick to run to the doorway and do her bouncy-bouncy shaky-shaky thing. My dog owner responsibilities start immediately. I put down my things, pet her, say "Who's a good girl?" in that typical man-to-dog voice, and then take her out for her midnight constitutional. I sit on my porch in the quiet night with a leash in one hand and a beer in the other and it's the perfect end to a long hard shift at the hotel.

Of course, it's my beautiful wife and rambunctious kids I long to see most, but when I open my door each of these last seven nights and the dog doesn't run to meet me, that's the silence that whispers, "You are all by yourself." And so, with no responsibilities to anyone, I wander into the kitchen and take a beer from the fridge, pick up a Bukowksi book and thumb through it, looking for a nice poem to read before I get online. Blogs must be read, but first, something from paper.

I call Paige each day and get updates on the going-ons. Joshua is taking swimming lessons and it's not going well. Day one, he refuses to participate. He enjoys the pool here at the apartment and he enjoys it at his Aunt Carolyn's in Florida, but he doesn't want any part of these lessons where he knows that he'll have to dunk his head underwater. He just cries and cries and won't even try.

Day two, he dutifully gets into the water and goes through the motions with his teacher. He kicks as instructed. He moves his arms as she tells him to. I think Paige said that he even swam a bit by himself, not knowing that his instructor had let go of him. But he does all of this while crying and whining, "I want my daddy." As I hear it told, he is just miserable about the whole thing. But afterward, as he and Paige are walking to the car, he looks up at he and says with a smile, "Mommy, I love my swimming lessons." Wha? The tears before didn't prepare her to hear that cute little statement. Later in the day, he is telling everyone all about his fun lessons, but then tells his mom that he doesn't want to go the next day.

I await report on how today went. I think he might already be a better swimmer than me though. I have no idea how to swim. You'll rarely find me in the deep end, but you can often find me poolside.

Oh, speaking of poolside - Webb Wilder will be playing Frist Friday tonight at 6 PM. If I can justify the $8.50 (I'm so cheap.), I'll be there and hoping that he plays "Poolside," "Human Cannonball," and anything from 1991's Doo Dad.

If I go, should I look for you?

Elvis Costello's First Ten Years

Elvis talks about his childhood. Elvis talks about his early influences. Elvis talks about meeting Nick Lowe.

This is the most interesting and wonderful podcast. I don't see the link on his website (apparently it's there somewhere), but I found it on iTunes and am enjoying it immensely. It makes me wish that many more of my favorite artists would do this.

I Hold Back, But Not When Drinking

Now that potential new employers abound, I find myself not blogging as I once did. I'd hate to write about a bad day at the current job and out myself as a negative type person.

But...I'm fueled by a half finished bottle of very cheap wine and feel like writing for the sake of writing. The day did suck. But on the bright side, I made it through just fine. I'm now home with my aforementioned bottle of wine. (Less than $6. Care to venture what it is?)

Whitesnake plays on VH1 (muted) and Marc Ribot tears it up as I listen to him on the internet. He's the man all over Tom Waits' Bone Machine release. F**king amazing. His Yo! I Killed Your God is darn near absolute fury. I had a day at work filled with drudgery and poor treatment toward this poor bellman and listening to Ribot makes me smile. It's always the music that saves me.

Wine gone. Off to bed.

Email me with any question. Or leave a comment. You'll get nothing but the truth from the drunk bellman. (Drunk Bellman. That should have been the name of this blog.)

[Edit to add: Wow. I only vaguely remember writing this post. Anyway, the wine consumed was classic Beringer white zin. The wine that wine snobs love to hate.]

Yet Another Reason I Don't Play Golf

One-eyed gator pulls golfer into pond

VENICE, Florida (AP) -- A man who lost his ball in a golf course pond nearly lost a limb when a nearly 11-foot alligator latched on to his arm and pulled him in the water, authorities said. ... more>>

I'm happy to sit at home, listen to music and play with my one-eyed English bulldog.

Time Out!

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine police chased down an unfit thief on Tuesday after he ran out of breath and asked his pursuers for a "time out." ... more>>

Listen To The Silence

Internet radio "Day of Silence." Here's the scoop.