Ever obsess over a song?
I do it ~ sometimes.
I'm miles removed from actually singing a song...any song; but lately I've had the urge to sing a certain one. And that song is, Dreaming My Dreams.
Full disclosure ~ I like three-quarter-time songs. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating ~ three quarter time is like a heartbeat. That's why we're drawn to it.
This is such a simple song. It only has three chords. I've written three-chord songs, but they never came out like this. That's what separates the talented wheat from the untalented chaff. That's why I don't even try to write songs anymore.
Allen Reynolds, according to Wikipedia, is 75 years old. If I was seventy-five years old, and I knew that I wrote a song this good, I would consider my journey complete..
Multitudes of artists have recorded this song. My favorite is Mark Chesnutt, but obviously, Waylon made a hit of it. Martina McBride, though, did it, too. Rodney and Emmylou did it. Patty Loveless did it. Jamey Johnson did it.
The reason they all did it was, a singer can't resist pouring out their heartbreak. If you're not pouring out heartbreak, why even bother singing?
Intellectually, I study the lyrics and I think, my, how simple. You know, though, a song is not meant to be heard intellectually. A song is meant to stab you in your heart. There's no explaining it.
I hope that I won't be this wrong anymore
Maybe I've learned this time
I hope that I find what I'm reaching for
The way that it is in my mind
Someday I'll get over you
I'll live to see it all through
But I'll always miss
Dreaming my dreams with you
But I won't let it change me
Not if I can.
I'd rather believe in love
And give it away as much as I can
To those that I'm fondest of
Someday I'll get over you.
I'll live to see it all through.
But I'll always miss,
Dreaming my dreams with you
Someday I'll get over you.
I'll live to see it all through.
But I'll always miss,
Dreaming my dreams with you
For those who read my blog regularly, you know that I don't buy music anymore. That is partially my fault and partially the music business's fault.
I will take the blame for being stuck in the past, but in my defense, if good music was being made, do you think I wouldn't buy it?
To me, an artist has to prove themselves. I didn't buy Billy Ray Cyrus's album in 1992, and history has proven me correct. BR was a one-hit wonder. I'm not going to squander my hard-fought dollars on a flash in the pan.
Emmylou and Rodney, though, I know. I've known them since the early nineteen seventies. Okay, I didn't know that Rodney was "Rodney". I just knew he was "that guy who sang backup for Emmylou", and he apparently (my liner notes told me) wrote a bunch of the songs she was singing.
Elite Hotel was a wondrous thing. A country music album for music lovers who had been left in the dust by leisure-suited hipsters who were entranced by the likes of Dave and Sugar.
Rodney stepped out on his own a bit later; a decade or so later, actually.
Apparently, Rodney liked to do things in a big way, because his 1988 Diamonds and Dirt produced five consecutive number one singles; and is, to me, one of the best country albums of all time.
So, when these two decided to get back together, lo these many, many years later, I was intrigued.
Old Yellow Moon was a birthday gift.
Emmylou has white hair now; and Rodney probably does, too; under that hat. But it bears repeating: chronological age does not render one useless and hapless. True talent triumphs.
So, I listened to the album tonight.
Is it sacrilegious to say that my favorite tracks were not written by Rodney Crowell?
My absolute favorite track is a song that I loved back when Waylon recorded it; and what could be better than hearing two of my favorite artists singing it?
I was surprised to learn that Allen Reynolds had written "Dreaming My Dreams". What I remember about Allen Reynolds is that he wrote a bunch of pop-tart songs for Crystal Gayle; but I guess I sold him way short. Dreaming My Dreams is a gorgeous song. I'm just glad that Crystal Gayle didn't make a hit of it.
You may or may not know that Vince Gill was also one of Emmylou's backup singers; way back when. Here he is, introducing Emmylou and Rodney; in an admittedly poor quality video; singing another of my ultimate favorite country songs, "Invitation to the Blues"; which was written by Roger Miller:
Oh, but it's not just old songs. Nay. This album contains many good tracks, including "Spanish Dancer", "Back When We Were Beautiful" (written by the great Matraca Berg); "Here We Are"; actually written by Rodney! And the title track, "Old Yellow Moon":
I give this album a solid B+.
But you know me; I'm a sucker for the old (or new) tried and true.
